Book Review: The Road to Bedlam

The Road to Bedlam by Mike Shevdon

The Road to Bedlam by Mike Shevdon is the second book in the Courts of the Feyre series.

And I can’t wait for more. Mr. Shevdon has created a world I want to spend a long time in and with Niall Peterson, our hero of these stories, I know I’ll be in good hands.

The story in The Road to Bedlam begins nine months after the concluding events in Sixty-One Nails. Niall is training hard to be a Warder of the courts and Blackbird is well on her way to being a mom for the first time in her 800 year existence (give or take a few years, don’t quote me on her age). But not all is well in Feyre land for these two because after the devastating loss of his daughter, Alex, the Untainted have come for a visit. And despite what they may say and no matter how charming Raffmir may seem, nothing good can come of that. Niall is again pitted against both himself and the will of the courts in his quest to save his daughter and, unknowingly, the rest of the mongrels; half-Fey, half-human, the Tainted or Gifted.

After the mysterious death of his daughter, Niall and Blackbird are trying to recover from the grief of such a devastating loss but have no time to do it because the Untainted have come for a visit. Niall is whisked away to a seaside town to handle a minor, possibly Fey, mystery while the rest of the Warders protect the Court from whatever negotiations the Lord of the Seventh Court wishes to hold. Because Niall is new and because Blackbird is pregnant and because the Untainted’s one and only goal is to kill the mongrels, especially waithkin mongrels like Niall, he’s got to go. Gavin, the head of the Court’s Warders sends him to find out why girls have gone missing in a small seaside town.

During his investigation that has Niall consulting with a priest and Raffmir, his Untainted cousin, Niall is torn between protecting Blackbird who has run from the safety of the court and finding out what happened to Alex because she’s not dead. A government agency has her. Using his Fey magic and a dream creature, Niall is manipulated into doing exactly what the Untainted want: destroy the facilities that hold Alex and obtain something that would change the balance the Seven Courts have maintained for centuries.

Though not has fast paced as the first in this series, Mr. Shevdon does not disappoint. There fight scenes are real and gritty, and the characters develop depth and nuances that will keep you guessing about their motives. The use of magic is described in vivid shades of black, gray and violet, evoking some really cool imagery. I’m definitely hooked on the series, and I think you will be, too. Give ‘em a try.

Highly recommended.

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