Kooriime

Kooriime is an island paradise populated by elves that has been hidden from humanity for centuries. The elves have flourished in peaceful abundance, but their lives are violently disrupted by the appearance of humans. When outsiders discover the elves, they crave the natural resources of Kooriime and set about kidnapping hundreds of elves for scientific purposes. The elves fight back to protect their own, with the novel following the stories of several elves who are kidnapped, rescued, and find their way to a haven in New York City. Jones has done some solid world-building here, but much of it draws on other works of fantasy and will seem familiar. Many elves in this sprawling, meandering tale are gay, but this just serves to make the many elven characters more indistinguishable and prompt readers to wonder which story of alienation Jones is trying to tell. Fans of the fantasy genre%E2%80%94even contemporary fantasy%E2%80%94won't know quite what to do with this ambitious novel.