Book: The Art of Charming a Changeling (Pigments & Paramours, 1) by Sylvie Cathrall
Reviewed by Rallie X
Rating: 3.5/5
Thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for giving me access to this book! This review and opinions are my own.
If you are looking for a cute, whimsical romance between a woman and a fairy trapped in a painting, this is your bet! Because hot damn does Sylvie Cathrall brings the whimsy! The world is themed entirely around art even down to the creation myth that the world was created by two great artists (one for the Folk/humans, the other for Fairies), which I found so charming. Cathrall did a great job presenting the whimsical as mundane; the idea that Folk would be less interested in magic and whimsy in favor of mechanics because they're "more practical" is frankly hilarious. Fairies and their magic is out of style, boring, gauche even which like. How DARE. Whomst amongst us would not give up our car for a dope flying carriage, or trade other everyday mundanities for fantastical, magical variants? The Folk in Cathrall's world clearly don't know what they're missing; except, of course, Florrie and Prince Ardant. They get it.
Florrie is an endearing protagonist, she's tenacious despite doubting herself; although what she never doubts is her skill as a conservationist (I mean, mostly) which I found refreshing. The third-person narrative style that Cathrall chose whimsy of the setting without turning Florrie into a Quirky Girl, which I think is important as far as autistic representation goes. Vern is the quirky one on the edge of Manic Pixie Dream [Boy] territory which was kind of a lot, but I did appreciate that his MPD[B] status came with feelings attached to it. The other Fairies were like a double dose of whimsy which I liked; the Folk live in a world where they know whimsy exists but have chosen to avoid it, while the Fairies live in a world of whimsy and have no choice but to be so, and laugh at the silly Folk who don't know what they're missing. Prince Ardant was the perfect bon vivant goofery that the story needed (also we love to see trans man rep!), he's a little wild and wacky but also clearly kind, thoughtful, and the kind of person worth having as a friend.
Florrie's cousin Chary can bite it. I really, really hope she isn't the focus of the next book because I cannot stand the ableist gaslighting she brings to the table, but based on where things end up I'm not sure. I think this book works perfectly well as a standalone, Florrie and Vern's story feels nicely finished and wrapped up, so I'm not sure what Cathrall has planned but when it comes out I'll probably give it a look just to see!
It wasn’t that Florrie wanted company– or much of it, at least. She was not, however, above yearning for the presence of a quiet companion whose whims and needs complemented hers.
“I understand that news spreads slowly to us storage-dwellers, Florrie, but nobody goes to Fairy country any more. I recommend you either dedicate yourself to living a lie for the prince or resign before it’s too late.”