The Boy Who Was Mistaken for a Fairy King

Whimsical to a fault, Fullerton’s fragmented fairy tale debut conjures ogres, gremlins, and erlkings in present-day Upstate New York. Born with deer antlers sprouting from his head, Carl King has always drawn attention from people in his small town. As Carl and his antlers grow, trolls, talkative tree sprites, and other magical creatures seek him out and address him as their king, but Carl is more interested in his developing romance with the local hunting family’s daughter, Evangeline Chase. When a doppelgänger of Carl appears in town and calls for a ritual called the Hunt in an attempt to claim the territory for his own, Carl and Evangeline must fight all manner of fanciful beasts in order to stay alive. Though Fullerton’s woods are full of wonders, the meandering plot and shallow characters combine to keep the magic of the forest from jumping off the page. Readers looking for more traditional escapist fantasy will not find it here, but fairy tale fans will enjoy this winding pagan fever dream. (Nov.)