This book was SO incredible and fun right from the start. The relationships were great, the lore and worldbuilding were interesting but were kept minimal, and the characters started out good and only got better.

Seelie is a fantastic main character with a unique voice. She's stubborn and driven, but also isn't the best at standing up for herself. Her relationship with her sister is one of the most authentic portrayals of twins I've read. I'm not autistic, so I can't really judge the autism rep, but it did seem genuine and true to the author's own experiences, and it was so cool to see an autistic character in fantasy.

I had no idea going in that this would be part of a series (?), but I'm really glad that we'll be getting to see more of these characters in the future.

This book was amazing.

Neurodivergent people exist everywhere and we rarely see that in any kind of story, let alone fantasy stories. This is also by an autistic author, so it's great!

I loved the main character. Getting to see the world through her eyes and experiences was very interesting. It’s told in first-person POV, so we really get to know Seelie on a deeper level, connect with her emotions, and understand the way she acts and feels. She's so afraid to be who she is because she's been told that she's bad and dangerous and she doesn't want to hurt anyone, so she keeps pushing that part of herself down and trying to hide it for sake of others. Throughout the book, we see her come to terms with that part of herself and learn to control and accept her magic. I love how she bakes for peace of mind because I do that too.

The relationship and dynamic between Seelie and Isolde is amazing. You can see the love shine on every page and interaction. They both want to protect the other like only sisters do, but we also see them fighting and having conflicts, which makes it much more realistic and adds depth to the story.

The other characters were great too, from Isolde, who is great, to Raze and Olani. We see more of Raze than Olani, so I'll talk about him first. The banter between him and Seelie was spectacular, they are reluctant allies but have to learn to work together and eventually form a great friendship that may or may not turn into something else. He was great, sweet at times but also very funny. It was very interesting to see how the bonds between Seelie and the others formed, starting as forced and slowly turning into allies and friends. I also love Birch, he’s such an icon.

The world building is great and I think it really sets you up for much higher stakes in the next book.

I would’ve liked to see more of the villain, Leira. She's like this hanging threat that could come at any moment and even though we get to learn a little bit of how bad she is, its not much, I think we needed a little more backstory on her. We also have Gossamer, who is still a mystery, but I'm really excited to find out more about him in the next book.

Overall, the ending left just the right amount of closure and unresolved questions to keep you looking forward to the next one. The characters are amazing, the plot action packed and so unique that I can't wait for the sequel.

It's so important to support and amplify autistic voices and always give autistic readers and reviewers priority over allistic ones when discussing these stories, we still have a lot to learn.

I will be posting this review on my Instagram over the course of this week.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. In Unseelie we follow Iselia "Seelie" and her sister Isolde on their journey to make enough money to be reunited with their parents. They're identical twins, but they are so different from each other. Isolde loves adventuring and treasure. Seelie on the other hand would be happy to stay at home and bake every day. Not to mention that Seelie is a changeling and Isolde is human.

Reading this from Seelie's point of view felt very relatable. I loved getting to read about how she views her world and the people around her. Her response to others' actions and her emotions felt very real.

I loved the magic and the faerie courts and the dragons and just every bit of magical fantasy goodness in this story. The characters were all enjoyable and their interactions with each other were (usually) fun to read.

The sister relationship between Seelie and Isolde really shines. Their arguments felt realistic and had me emotional a few times. The way a Seelie love her sister with all her heart despite being upset with her is portrayed very well.

I cannot wait for this to be released so I can buy a proper copy. This was so much fun to read.

4.5 stars

Summary: Two twin sisters are on the run. They both may look identical but they are different in so many ways. One searches for fabled treasure. The other sister, a changeling, searches for answers. They must work together in the fae realm navigating unpredictable magic, mysteries, and a search for treasure. What secrets might they uncover of the fae? Are these secrets more precious than the so sought after treasure?


Review: Buckle up, because this was a treat! Ranging from amazing autistic representation to a reimagined fae realm with more secrets than answers. I adored the characters in this twisted tale of two sisters. Although the plot was slightly predictable, this is one of my new comfort stories. Overall my rating for this book is 4/5.


Extended Breakdown:

Story: 4/5

Characters: 4.5/5

Magic System: 4/5

TikTok: @wvbookwitch
Blog: https://wvbookwitch.blogspot.com/

While this tale includes Autistic representation that I found refreshing and showed that we are the ones who separate those with autism in society (the changeling view was fascinating), whether we mean to or not, and how both sides can be justified in their emotions, however, BOTH must come together to overcome and grow.

The sister bond was sweet, and I did enjoy it!

Sadly, this book wasn't enough for me. The story, mainly the journey to the treasure, was so slowly paced, and a few scenarios were repetitive when the exact scene happened before in the story. So it was a little too long before I lost interest when events occurred. But I will say I think this was due to the relationships that were forming and growing, and I'm happy for that, but not when other aspects suffer.

“Unseelie” by Ivelisse Housman

In this fantasy debut, we follow Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove and her twin Isolde on an adventure to gain enough wealth to restore their family. As much as Seelie and Sol are twins, their lives are so different since Seelie is actually a changeling and she’s also autistic. Seelie has struggled her whole life to fit in and also blames herself for her family’s current situation. She also feels like she is somewhat a burden to her sister– the “normal” twin. As they attempt to pull off their biggest theft, the girls get thrown into an adventure where they discover new friends, enemies and even some truths to their heritage.
I quite enjoyed this debut novel, as it is unique to other stories that I have read before.It was insightful learning about Seelie’s struggles of being different and an enjoyable journey to follow on as her self-esteem is built along the way. This is a story of sisterhood, friendship and building trust. The fantasy aspect was also intriguing as we get a glimpse into the history of the division between the Fae and the mortal world. I thought that this book was quite realistic in terms of how we saw the world from Seelie’s perspective as we felt her hurt, anger and frustration due to her circumstances.
Based upon how the book ended, I am hoping that there will be a second book as we dive further into this world and learn more about their newfound friends, Raze and Olani, and even the fae, Gossamer who seems to be a very interesting character. I think that this book has the potential to build a good fantasy world going forward. Since book one only gave a glimpse of that world, I am hoping that the author builds more upon this in the future.
I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to dive into a new fantasy world that features main characters that wouldn’t normally have a chance to voice their stories!
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this arc!

This book would be a wonderful addition to a young person’s library, probably late middle school and above. It is a very tightly-woven story with rich world building and great characters. The characters are not perfect and that makes them realistic. I found myself rooting for everyone--even the baddies-- at some point. The book shows that people are complicated, messy, and any of us can be many different things. It is a great book for fantasy lovers and those dipping their toes into fantasy for the first time--In Unseelie the fairy realms are an interesting place to visit, but I am not sure I would want to live there. I am looking forward to the next book. Unseelie ends on a cliffhanger and I hope to meet these characters again sooner rather than later.

This was my first YA fantasy book with an autistic main character! We're in desperate need of more of those. This book had great representation, characters and plot! It felt like the heist vibes of Six of Crows meets the world of the Cruel Prince. This book follows two sisters, one of which has uncontrollable channeling magic, as they stumble upon a compass to treasure. They get tied up with two others looking for the same thing. There's dragons, a slow burn romance, amazing sister relationship, and a magical wagon with a pet "cat". This book didn't end on an upsetting cliffhanger, but this book needs a sequel and has the potential to be a great series!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion

This book was a really good and fun read. I adored the witty banter between the characters so much. The way it ended makes me actually hope and expect a second book. I really liked the writing in this novel and characters were amazing to read about. The fact that it has dragons should convince everyone to read it

I absolutely adored Unseelie! It was beautifully written. I especially loved the author's note at the beginning. My son lives with Autism, so as a mother and a reader, it was really beautiful reading something so amazing by an author who not only lives with Autism herself, but creates that representation in her novel.

This YA Fantasy explores the bond between sisters, magic, and the world of Faerie through the eyes of an Autistic FMC. I highly recommend reading!

The author and the MC are autistic and that alone is wonderful in its own right. We get to see Seelie’s perspective on her world and how the trails she faces affect her as well as how she triumphs through them.
Just like the other reviewers, I feel as if the relationship between Seelie and Isolde shine through the pages the most. It was nice to see how much Seelie loved her sister through the struggles and how they drifted apart but came back to each other.
There is romance in the book, a slow burn, but the sisterly relationship took the front seat.

It was a pleasure to read.

Unseelie is a debut YA fantasy novel by Ivelisse Housman. Iselia "Seelie" Graygrove is identical to her twin, Isodle, in every way except one: she's a changeling. Along with that and her unpredictable magic she finds it hard to fit in. Somewhat begrudgingly, the twins find themselves thrown in with new allies after a heist goes wrong. Adventuring towards unknown faerie treasure Seelie might just have to find it within herself - and her magic - if she wants to save herself and her sister.

I loved, loved this book! First, I have to mention that this book has wonderful autism rep. I'm neurotypical so I can't really say I know the first thing about autism. This book was enlightening to me and allowed me to see past the bias and stereotypical traits that traditional media would leave you to believe about autism. I think this book is so important to share this perspective and I hope it teaches other people about the subject. I also hope for those with autism to see themselves within this novel.

Unseelie was written in a lyrical way that drew me directly into the story. Woven into the words I felt like I was really in a land of changelings, fae and magic. Houseman's writing also made it so easy to get connected to the main character, Seelie. I felt as if I could really understand her. I laughed when she laughed, cried when she cried and felt anger boiling within me when she was mad.

The magical world and magic system in this novel was rich and clearly understandable. I don't think I was ever really confused by how something worked (unless the times we were meant to and the plot points were explained later). The author's writing style only fed into the world more making it seem fresh and real in the images in my mind while I read.

I would definitely recommend Unseelie to anyone who wants to read about an amazing MC, twins, and a magical road trip. Actually, just anyone who likes YA fantasy in general. This one's for you.


Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for an arc of this novel. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I want to thank #Netgalley for letting me read #Unseelie in exchange for a fair and honest review. I really enjoyed this book. I have always been fascinated by the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Changelings have also always been an intrigue of mine. So getting my to read a book with all of those things is great. Let’s not forget the Wagon with a mind of its own and the brownie who tends to be grumpy living within. The book is full of magic, mystery and intrigue. Plus let’s be honest most books with the fae are pretty good. I can’t wait until the sequel to this amazing book comes out!

Eek! This was such an incredibly fun adventure read!

I had my eye on this one for a while and was thrilled when I was approved for an ARC. Right from the very start, the writing has a wonderful magnetism that drew me in and kept me reading chapter after chapter. This also went a direction I did not expect at all, but I loved the magical vibes and aesthetic of this entire world so much! But to be fair, I think it was more owed to the characters, my inability to put it down.

Seelie is the main star of the book, an autistic changeling who really does not have a good grip on her fae magic and honestly, she doesn't really want to either. I liked her a lot, and I enjoyed her character arc just as much. She doesn't exactly trust others easily aside from her twin (and non-fae) sister, would like the thieving pair of them to stick together until they can safely go home to their parents again, and gets frustrated by her magic and people in general. And why wouldn't she, when she has to be stuck travelling with people like Omani and Raze? Raze especially, pushes every single one of her buttons, and their combative, misfit dynamic was a lot of fun. I didn't quite like him at first, but I eventually warmed up to him as Seelie did.

Someone compared this to Ella Enchanted, and you know what? I can see it. There's a certain touch of whimsy to this story that made it so endearing. The girls have a magical wagon that runs away when it gets stressed and hosts a brownie that pretends to be a cat. There are faeries and dragons and magical compasses and shapeshifters, yet it keeps itself firmly within YA territory in a way that impressed me so much. It's mature and well-thought out with a lot of story to bite into and get attached to.

My only complaint is that some of the scenes were difficult for me to follow. Mostly the action scenes. There was a lot going on, either in the people involved or just in the flow of it all, and I found myself glazing over and going back to re-read, or skimming to get past it. I actually may have to re-read the last couple chapters because those were the most murky to me.

I thought this was a standalone and was super confused as I neared the end because nothing seemed to really be wrapping up. However, it clearly is not a standalone and I am really looking forward to the sequel and seeing what Seelie will do!

Plot: This was such a well written fantasy! I don't want to say too much about the plot of this one, because there are some twists that I don't want to spoil for anyone. But just know that I loved the turns the story took, and it managed to surprise me towards the end!

Characters: Seelie was a lead character that I absolutely loved reading the POV from, and I am so happy that we got a YA fantasy with an autistic lead. The side characters, from her sister Isolde, to Raze and Olani, and others that I won't mention by name here, were all really well written and fantastic characters, whether they were allies or villains.

The Cover: I like it a lot! I love illustrated fantasy covers.

Overall: This was such a wonderful book, that I can't recommend enough! It is definitely a new favorite. If you love fantasy novels, I highly recommend reading this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Seelie is a unique fantasy that follows a changeling girl and her twin sister as they find themselves in the middle of an unexpected adventure.
The girls are determined to create the perfect world for themselves, one where Seelie is accepted even though she isn’t fully human. She’s spent her whole life pushing down her magic and truly struggles to accept her own power. But when their heist of a manor goes wrong and they end up reluctantly working with another pair, she’s forced to figure out how to use her magic to protect them on their journey.

The world building in this book is smooth - the necessary information is slowly revealed in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming at all.

The characters were all really fascinating. Seelie has Autism, so it was interesting to hear from her perspective. She sometimes finds herself stuck or unable to admit that she is scared. She sometimes isn’t sure how to express her thoughts. These are things that people don’t always understand about Autism, so it’s awesome for readers to be able to see things how she does. It was great seeing her learn how to be comfortable with who she is, even if it makes her different from everyone else.

Her sister is adventurous and a little impulsive, but she knew exactly what Seelie needed whether it was space or comfort or just patience. Raze was goofy and deep down really full of a lot more than expected. Olani is bold and powerful and the voice of reason in the group. The four worked together really well despite bickering quite a bit and it was fun following them on their adventure.

The pace was a little slow at first, but it was hard to put the book down because I was excited to see how Seelie came into her own power.

Overall, I can’t wait to share this story with my students. So many will be excited to see someone who struggles with the same things they do - all while going on an adventure that involves magic and dragons!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early. I can’t wait to buy a physical copy in January.

The allure of magic, bonds of sisterhood and the steady thrill of adventure live at the heart of Ivelisse Housman’s UNSEELIE, a beautifully written and genre-defining young adult fantasy.

Told from the perspective of Iselia, or Seelie for short, a determined protagonist on a quest to get back home, readers are introduced to a slew of well-developed characters in UNSEELIE — from Isolde, Seelie’s fiercely protective twin sister to Olani, a mercenary-adventurer-turned-ally, to Raze, a budding love interest, readers are brought along on a perilous journey with an unlikely group of treasure hunters that leads them to unexpected places and encounters with dangerous adversaries.

Most significantly, Seelie is autistic, and the author — who is also autistic — vividly brings to life her feelings and experiences being neurodivergent in a world that refuses to accept those that are different. She does this in a way that invokes empathy, understanding and inspiration for Seelie and what she goes through, while still spotlighting and celebrating her unusual power — one which stems from the very parts of herself Seelie fights to silence.

The relationships between the characters in this book are another of my favorite elements; especially the unconditional love shared by Seelie and Isolde, both sisters by birth and chosen family. They have their struggles, especially as the two grow to long for different things in life, but it’s heartwarming to follow how they navigate any tension — always choosing one another in the end. Their bond is, in my humble opinion, the real highlight of the book; although Seelie and Raze’s slow-burn romance adds a lively, will-they-or-won’t-they dimension to the text.

We don’t spend much time with the other characters, including the antagonists — still not entirely sure what to make of Gossamer and Leira in all of it — but I expect more backstories will come with the next installment, which I’m now eagerly awaiting.

Where the author leaves the story is also a delicious cliffhanger of sorts — several questions have been answered, but so many more have emerged in the wake of those discoveries. It is the best kind of ending, in that it is both simultaneously satisfying and leaves you wanting so much more.

UNSEELIE is a gloriously crafted, fantastical tale that gives readers insight into autism by spotlighting an autistic MC — which is a kind of inclusivity that YA as a genre could desperately use more of. I can’t wait to read what comes next from Ivelisse Housman. If it’s anything like UNSEELIE, it’s bound to be remarkable.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

(3.75 rounded up)

this was a really solid fantasy book. it was good and honestly, it's only going to get better.

i connected to the characters pretty much right away. i loved the sisterly bond between seelie and isolde and was definitely the highlight of the story; seelie was such a compelling lead and i could really relate to her. i also really loved the side characters and the implied romance between seelie and raze is kind of... everything to me??? i think their dynamic was really well written and their dialogue / banter read as very natural to me. i also really love the worldbuilding, how it put a different spin on fae and a lot of fantasy elements that we are used to seeing (changelings, dragons, et cetera) and i thought the author did a very good job with that.

i came into this with almost no expectations and was very pleasantly surprised with this read. i pretty much devoured it all in one sitting and i hope to see a sequel on my shelves sometime soon!!

Thank you, Inkyard Press, for allowing me to read Unseelie early!

I just couldn't connect with this book and I'm so sorry. because it sounded very exciting initially.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book before it releases!

This book was such a fun read. The witty banter between the characters was amazing. It’s a bit on the long side but it was great throughout the whole story. I never got bored or wanted to put it down.

I didn’t really like Raze at the beginning but he quickly grew on me and he may be my favorite character from this story. I’m excited to see where this story goes because the way it leads off, there has to be a second book in progress and I am impatiently waiting to get my hands on it. I want to see if anything becomes of Raze and Seelie. I feel like there is a connection but nothing really happened in this book to really put you on the border of a relationship between the two.

Did I mention it has dragons? Any books that has dragons is a book I want to read lol. Also, I feel like this was really well written. I will definitely be buying an actual copy of this book!