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The Violent Fae

Phil Williams (Goodreads Author)

4.50 · Rating details · 16 ratings · 10 reviews

They hid among us, until she exposed them.

They'll destroy everything to be hidden again.

Pax is discovering that the smallest mistakes can have the deadliest impact. To protect her city, she's uncovered monstrous truths and involved terrible people. The consequences are coming for her.

The Sunken City is unstable. The Fae are armed for war.

Can Pax stop the coming disaster?

In ...more

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ebook, 302 pages

Published November 5th 2019 by Rumian Publishing

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Feb 11, 2020 Steph Warren rated it really liked it

*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

The Violent Fae is the explosive (literally) climax to the Ordshaw Sunken City trilogy – an urban fantasy action thriller series with some underlying horror.

I definitely recommend reading Under Ordshaw and Blue Angel first, in that order, as Phil Williams has created an entirely new world with its own monsters and rules, and the character development that occurs as the series unfold ...more

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Oct 15, 2019 Phil Parker rated it it was amazing

I know from experience that writing a trilogy is not only a massive undertaking, worse than that, it is equivalent to weaving a tapestry. A story made up of different threads that need to come together in just the right way so as to make sense to the reader. Plus, ensure it provides the right amount of satisfaction to reward the reader for sticking with the narrative.
It is not easy. But Phil Williams manages it. And does so with panache. He even makes it look easy. A crime, for which, I will nev I know from experience that writing a trilogy is not only a massive undertaking, worse than that, it is equivalent to weaving a tapestry. A story made up of different threads that need to come together in just the right way so as to make sense to the reader. Plus, ensure it provides the right amount of satisfaction to reward the reader for sticking with the narrative.
It is not easy. But Phil Williams manages it. And does so with panache. He even makes it look easy. A crime, for which, I will never forgive him.
‘The Violent Fae’ never lets up on the action. The pace is furious. Tension exists in so many ways because the sources of threat exist at every narrative turn. Our protagonists, Pax, Letty and Sam Ward, are pushed to their respective limits and face danger is so many imaginative ways. Each time it happens its because of the set-up established earlier in the story. Chickens are coming home to roost – and bringing their frightening, monstrous relations with them.
One factor that makes writing a trilogy so difficult, it to complete character arcs satisfactorily. It’s the same challenge the Russo Brothers faced in the conclusion of The Avengers films, how do you ensure each character remains fully-formed yet doesn’t slow the pace of the story with exposition? It’s another success factor that Mr Williams achieves. Sam Ward is a good example. In the first book she is insecure, little more than an administration-freak who is too entrenched in a Ministry mind-set to fully appreciate the danger the Sunken City poses to the world.
In this third novel we see her gain confidence to stand up against her bullying boss, Obrington. She confronts and intimidates an executive of a powerful multinational company and survives a gun battle, albeit with the natural concern of someone who feels guilty for killing a man. She is so very normal and that is important. You see, like Pax at the start, we see this abnormal, chaotic, violent world through her eyes. We try to make sense of everything that’s happening at the same time she does. Therefore we need to empathise with her, cheer her on too. Sam, like all the characters, is a realistic person in an unrealistic world. And what I love about these stories, the same is true for the Fae.
The Violent Fae is a wonderful, thrilling and highly imaginative conclusion to this trilogy and I’m so pleased that it looks like the door has not been closed to this world. I look forward to seeing where it goes next. ...more

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Oct 04, 2019 Maddalena rated it really liked it

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review: my thanks for this opportunity.

The long-developing, all-out conflict brewing in Ordshaw is about to flare up, and nobody is inclined to take prisoners. This could very well sum up the situation in the third and final installment of Phil Williams’ Ordshaw trilogy. And to think that it all started, quite prosaically, with the theft of some money…

Pax Kuranes used to be a gifted poker player, moving from seedy venue to seedy venu I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review: my thanks for this opportunity.

The long-developing, all-out conflict brewing in Ordshaw is about to flare up, and nobody is inclined to take prisoners. This could very well sum up the situation in the third and final installment of Phil Williams’ Ordshaw trilogy. And to think that it all started, quite prosaically, with the theft of some money…

Pax Kuranes used to be a gifted poker player, moving from seedy venue to seedy venue to earn a living through her skill with cards, but everything went upside down one night when, after she won a considerable sum that could tide her over for a while, a young thief stole her earnings and Pax, following the trail of that money, stumbled on a book that changed her life forever. The book contained a huge amount of sketches of weird, scary creatures of a Lovecraftian nature, but they were not the product of an inventive – if deranged – mind, because under the surface of the city of Ordshaw another world lurked, filled with strange beings.

This is how this story began, two books ago, and since then Pax has learned that monsters roam the tunnels under her city and that the Fae not only exist but were exiled from those same tunnels by the fearsome beasts: she’s not the only human possessing that knowledge though, because a government agency, the MEE, is also monitoring the situation and a few civilians have, over the years, made forays into Ordshaw’s bowels. After clashing with, and then befriending, the feisty Fae Letty and coming into contact with a few Ministry agents, like the level-headed Sam Ward or the oily Cano Casaria, Pax finds herself enmeshed into a very complicated situation where everyone’s survival is threatened not only by the monstrous horde dwelling in Ordshaw’s bowels, but by years of misunderstandings between the factions and by purposely disseminated lies that have kept them from uniting against the real danger.

Having gained – or maybe brought to the surface – the ability to sense the underground creatures, Pax knows she must do all she can to avoid disaster and here she keeps running against time, false accusations and people intent on killing her, to help her city and her newfound friends survive. No matter the cost.
Much as this series features a number of interesting characters, the story it narrates is above all Pax’s journey of transformation, from average person intent on making ends meet from day to day to selfless heroine: what’s extraordinary though is that she does so without losing her street-gained common sense or her endearing abrasiveness. Which makes Pax the perfect counterpart for Letty, the foul-mouthed, wildly aggressive Fae who defies every kind of trope about such creatures and in so doing becomes one of the best characters in this series, and the one whose chapters I always eagerly anticipated.

And female characters are indeed the best – and best crafted – in this series, rising over their male counterparts in a significant way: not only Pax and Letty, but also Holly Burton, the wife of one of the bumbling adventurers who explored the city’s underground tunnels: in the course of these three books she grew from an angry spouse, suspicious of her husband’s mysterious activities, into one of the most dedicated players in the complex game, able to hold her own even against the senior Ministry functionary assigned to the case; or again Sam Ward, whose keen curiosity had driven her superiors to relegate her in a clerical position, until circumstances finally afford her to show her mettle. The men, sadly, fall quite short of such bright examples, like Chief Obrington, who takes a long time to emerge from his political obtuseness, or field agent Cano Casaria, whose dedication to the job is marred by a too-high consideration of himself and a strong belief in his appeal to women. Even though, I must admit, he takes a turn for the better in the end.

The city of Ordshaw deserves a special mention as well, because it gave me the strangest vibes and little by little it gained its own personality just as much as the living beings inhabiting it: the most peculiar impression I gained was that it was more alive in its lower, hidden levels than in the surface ones – granted, the tunnels where the monsters dwell are dark, damp, scary places where the only light comes from the eerie luminescence of the creatures, and yet it feels… alive, no matter that it’s with the kind of life no one in their right mind would ever encounter. The Fae city, on the other hand, is far from scary, because of its hive-like architecture that resembles that of a human city writ small – with neon signs and advertising billboards, theaters and office buildings, and everywhere flying Fae of every shape and color. The city of Ordshaw proper, though, comes across as somewhat deserted, as if its people preferred to stay indoors and go out only when strictly necessary, and I wondered more than once if that was because of some subliminal signal coming from the dangerous underground. I realize it’s a weird notion, but I could not shake it, no matter how much I tried…

I realize I have not said much about the story in this final book of the trilogy, but it was a conscious choice: there is so much happening, so many twists and turns, discoveries and betrayals, that to talk about them would be a disservice. Even though the story might appear a little confusing at time – or at least it was for me, given the great number of interlacing threads – everything falls into place in the end, and lays the foundation for new stories that might already be in the making, continuing this engaging journey.

Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG ...more

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Feb 02, 2020 Hayley rated it it was amazing

A thoroughly satisfying end to a very entertaining trilogy. It brings together all the big loose ends and leaves some room for possible follow-ups. But if this were the last of it, I could personally feel satisfied. A definite recommendation for some alternative urban fantasy.

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Dec 04, 2019 S.J. Higbee rated it it was amazing

Firstly, if you haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading at least one of the previous books, then my firm advice is to put this one back on the shelf and go and track down Under Ordshaw. This one hits the ground running and we are in the middle of a complicated situation within an urban fantasy landscape that is both layered and nuanced. You certainly won’t get an appreciation of the stakes involved if you try crashing midway into this series.

That said, it’s hard to overstate the hurdles facing b Firstly, if you haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading at least one of the previous books, then my firm advice is to put this one back on the shelf and go and track down Under Ordshaw. This one hits the ground running and we are in the middle of a complicated situation within an urban fantasy landscape that is both layered and nuanced. You certainly won’t get an appreciation of the stakes involved if you try crashing midway into this series.

That said, it’s hard to overstate the hurdles facing both Pax and the fairy Letty. It looks as though those running the human and Fae factions are determined to lock horns over what is going on in the Sunken City and neither seem in the mood to listen to anyone else.

Due to the complicated scenario, this book does take a bit of time to get going. However, when it picks up the pace and we are back in the swing of the story, I was once again swept along with this cast of quirky and original characters. I enjoyed the fact that both Pax and Letty took centre stage in this slice of the adventure, along with Sam Ward and the man I loved to hate in the first book, Cano…

While there is a lot of action in this original urban fantasy series, I also like the fact that Management is clearly at a loss to know what to do in the face of all the paranormal events and once they are aware of how badly they have misread the situation, send in a colourful character as a fixer. I enjoyed that dynamic as it had a real ring of authenticity about it. I also like the fact that one of the characters who I loathed in the first book has had his come-uppance – to the extent that I genuinely felt quite sorry for him. Williams ably negotiates these nuances so that while his cast of characters ping off the page with their vivid eccentricity, they are also capable of change and growth.

Inevitably, I am not going to be able to say much about the plot, as this is the third book in the series, but what I will say is that the overall narrative arc is satisfactorily tied up and I felt happy with the way all the characters completed this particular journey. However, I am very much hoping that this series will continue as it is peopled by too many fascinating characters with intriguing relationships. I definitely want to know what happens to them next.

Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy with a difference.
9/10 ...more

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Aug 09, 2020 Alana Bloom rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy, kindle-unlimited

This was an intense end to a great trilogy! If you haven't read the previous two books, then I highly suggest you pop on over to wherever you buy books.

The Violent Fae is one of those books where I was yelling "Seriously, Phil?!" then desperately reading on to see what else he would inflict on my favorite unbalanced characters. There is so much going on during this book and yet Williams managed to juggle multiple POVs expertly and manipulating that tension as competing interests collide. I was ...more

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Nov 05, 2019 Billie rated it it was amazing

They hid among us, until she exposed them.
They'll destroy everything to be hidden again.
Pax is discovering that the smallest mistakes can have the deadliest impact. To protect her city, she's uncovered monstrous truths and involved terrible people. The consequences are coming for her.
The Sunken City is unstable. The Fae are armed for war.
Can Pax stop the coming disaster?
In this closing chapter of the Sunken City trilogy, Williams weaves the complex strands of Pax's misadventure into a truly thri ...more

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Oct 10, 2019 Ami rated it it was amazing

The Violent Fae, believe it or not, actually surpasses the previous books in The Ordshaw series. And that, dear readers, is saying a lot. It is well-written, tension-filled and brimming with action and suspense. I loved every second of the roller-coaster ride it is. I highly recommend it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this ebook from the author and this is my honest and freely given opinion.

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Nov 12, 2019 Janice Drake rated it it was amazing

Third book in the series of Ordshaw and quite a show stopper. Pax is on a non-stop action-packed ride along with crazy fairies, monsters, and devious humans. Williams has created a wonderful world in Ordshaw and I wonder how many other strange cities he will visit. Each one of the books has gotten better. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend the series.

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Nov 14, 2019 Phle rated it it was amazing

A great addition to the Ordshaw world. This installment is fast paced and packed with action, suspense and intrigue from start to finish and continues to develop the characters we know and love really well. I want a booze swilling, pistol wielding, Fae bestie as well! Producers heads up, this would adapt well to the big screens!

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About Phil Williams

Phil Williams

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Phil Williams writes contemporary fantasy and dystopian fiction and non-fiction grammar guides. His novels include the interconnected Ordshaw urban fantasy thrillers, the post-apocalyptic Estalia saga and the action-packed Faergrowe series. He also runs the website English Lessons Brighton, and writes reference books to help foreign learners master the nuances of English.

Phil lives with his wife ...more