Stolen away by Alyxandra Harvey

Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 9781408811320.
(Age: 14+) Paranormal. Eloise Hart is amazed when a gorgeous looking boy carrying a sword kneels at her feet in a car park, embarrassing her in front of her friends. To make matters worse, she begins to see fairies everywhere and they can see her. The glamour protecting her has worn off. When she is threatened by Lord Strahan, King of Faery, she needs all her wits about her and her friends Jo and Devin, to save both the Faery world and the earthly world from chaos.
Harvey has a deft hand when building up her fantasy worlds. Lord Strahan refuses to give up his crown, causing confusion and disorder in the Faery kingdom. His court and the unusual punishments handed out to those who question him are vividly described and very memorable.
The suspense about who are Eloise's allies and who are enemies is kept up until the end. Eloise isn't sure that the warrior Lucas is her protector, and Jo is drawn to Eldric, Strachan's dark and mysterious son, who may be planning to betray them all. There is also a leavening of humour, which adds to the interest.
Told in alternating chapters by Eloise and Jo, the reader gains a clear picture of the different characters. Jo's love interest with Eldric has enough angst to keep those who enjoy a dash of romance in their books interested in how it will turn out. It was good not to be faced with the inevitable love triangle that many paranormal authors seem to favour.
I found this to be a light, entertaining read. I didn't enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed the Drake chronicles by the same author, but it is an easy escapist paranormal read that girls would be sure to enjoy.
Pat Pledger