The Fairies of Sadieville

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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For many years [the Tufa] were on the wrong side of the South's color line, and suffered for it. Their secretive ways and legendary musical aptitude spawned rumor and legend, which in turn prompted more and more withdrawal.

But now the twenty-first century, with its pervasive interconnectedness, pushed against this isolation. More and more Tufa risked the consequences of leaving and sought their way in the world. They all knew they would someday have to come back, since all Tufa were inextricably tied to Needsville. But they also knew that the seclusion of the past was no longer practical. Like it or not, the world now knocked on their door.

The Hum and the Shiver

The Hum and the Shiver

Gather Her Round

The Hum and the Shiver

The Tufa series has come to a fitting end. When Alex announced that THE FAIRIES OF SADIEVILLE would be the final book in the series, I was of two minds about it: on one hand, an author should be allowed to end his series when he feels like it, but on the other hand, the Tufa of Cloud County were important to me, and I would miss them. In the final installment of this beautiful, critically-acclaimed series, the mysteries of the Tufa are revealed, and the book is closed on Cloud County. It is a beautiful and wonderful end to the series.

However, given the nature of the story and the mechanisms in the book, it makes this book VERY difficult to review without dropping major spoilers.

I will say that, as always, Bledsoe's prose is wonderful and lyrical. His ear for dialogue is enviable, and his writing flows like a Tennessee River. The characters, all the Tufa that have become so familiar over the years, make their appearances, coming by to wave good-bye one last time throughout the book. The hinted mysteries of this strange race of banished fairy-folk are revealed in glorious detail, and when you read that final page, you will be both sad to see them go, but fulfilled by the fact that it ended so well.

I hate to see books like this end, but at the same time, you don't want a series to overstay its welcome. For example, as much as I love the TV series ‘MAS*H,' the last three seasons of it are almost unwatchable. It's hard for any series to maintain its strength through a simple trilogy, let alone the six books we were given in the Tufa series. Bledsoe managed to wrangle six perfect books out of the series, and is now galloping on to greener pastures. I cannot wait to see what he will do next.

I will miss Bronwyn, Bliss, Mandalay, and even Junior, and the rest of the Tufa. There were probably plenty more stories nestled in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, and maybe if we listen hard enough to the Night Wind, we'll catch inklings of them.

Well done, Alex. Thanks for the ride.