A review by moirwyn
Rogue's Possession by Jeffe Kennedy

4.0

This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2015/07/08/rogues-possession-by-jeffe-kennedy/

Rogue’s Possession, the second installation in Jeffe Kennedy’s fantasy romance series Covenant of Thorns, picks up the tantalizing story of a human trapped in the land of the fae. In the previous book, Gwynn (formerly Jennifer) was able to negotiate a deal that kept her from being killed on the spot by angry fae, and it involves having her firstborn child with the handsome but dangerous Rogue. Gwynn realizes that something’s up with the fae wanting firstborn children, but Rogue is physically prevented from talking about their fate because of a spell that Titania, the queen bitch of the fae, has upon him. Rogue’s Possession is the story of Gwynn’s quest to figure out what really happens to the firstborn children before it’s too late.

One of the things that I love about this series is that Gwynn was a scientist back in our own world. The land of the fae is a topsy-turvy Wonderland that reminds me of something out of a Lewis Carroll story. Things don’t make sense or operate according to laws of nature that we’re used to. But Gwynn is still analytical and tries to figure out what rules constrain the fae, what drives them, and how she can not only survive but thrive in their world. Each chapter begins with one of Gwynn’s observations about the fae, and we can see her understanding begin to shift and deepen as the story progresses.

While I do greatly enjoy the magic and the interactions between the characters, I wish there was more of a focus on consent. On the one hand, this is obviously a fantasy story, and the mythological fae are not benevolent creatures. And, as I mentioned in my review of Rogue’s Pawn, she really ought to have known better when making her initial bargain, because this is very basic faery lore. On the other hand, I wish that Gwynn had more of a choice. Now, by this point in the series, I’ve come to respect and trust Rogue, or at least, as much as one can trust a fae. He values Gwynn’s consent, and he wants her to come to him willingly. But there are others who treat everyone else as lesser beings whose agency doesn’t matter. The fact that Gwynn cares about other people’s feelings sets her apart from the rest of the fae, and makes her life more challenging.

My favorite part of Rogue’s Possession though wasn’t the story between Rogue and Gwynn, but rather of two secondary characters, Starling and Athena. Starling’s half human half fae, and as such, she doesn’t really fit into either world. As the book progresses, she starts to learn to value herself even if nobody else sees her as an equal. And then there’s Athena, the punk-rocker dragonfly girl. Dragonfly girls are one of the lesser orders of fae, and they’re pretty much silly and brainless. But due to a spell, Athena becomes self-aware, and like Starling, she makes a place for herself in the world, adopting a punk attitude and becoming a general badass. Seeing each of those characters come into their element was heartening, and I can’t wait to see how they evolve as the series continues.

I love Jeffe Kennedy’s stories, and Rogue’s Possession is no exception. Smart heroines, sexy male leads, and plenty of magic are sure to delight.