“Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She’s about to find out she’s also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen’s sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren’t so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn’t exactly what she had in mind . . .”

A wonderful introduction to dark fantasy for older teens, Lament is a well-told tale that relies on celtic lore and delivers romance along with a touch of horror. Driven by memorable characters – among them is James, my favorite, whose unswerving loyalty and humor makes him a standout – this novel will capture your attention from page one. The tone, which hovers around menacing throughout, makes Lament a good choice for adult readers, as well.

A sequel, Ballad, will be released later this year.