Faerie Tale

A Hollywood screenwriter relocates his family to a secluded estate in upstate New York, seeking a simpler life away from the entertainment industry. The property includes extensive woodlands and a rich local history that dates back centuries. The family - consisting of the writer, his wife Gloria, teenage stepdaughter Gabbie, and 8-year-old twins Sean and Patrick - begins experiencing unexplained phenomena on their new property. What starts as subtle disturbances escalates into encounters that challenge their understanding of reality and force them to question the boundary between the mundane world and ancient realms of magic. This contemporary fantasy thriller merges elements of traditional European fairy lore with modern American life, exploring the darker aspects of faerie mythology. The narrative examines the persistence of ancient powers in the modern world and the price of disbelieving in things beyond ordinary human experience.

Readers describe Faerie Tale as a darker take on fairy folklore, noting its blend of horror and fantasy elements. The book maintains a 3.8/5 rating on Goodreads from over 11,000 ratings and 3.9/5 on Amazon from 450+ reviews. Readers appreciated: - The creepy atmosphere and building tension - Authentic incorporation of Celtic mythology - Complex family dynamics - The upstate New York setting Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in the first third - Too many character perspectives - Uneven tone between family drama and horror elements - Dated portrayal of female characters Several reviewers mention being unable to read it at night, with one noting "had to put it down after dark." Multiple readers compare it favorably to Peter Straub's Ghost Story in terms of atmosphere. A frequent complaint centers on the "meandering middle section" and "unnecessary subplots." Some readers expected more fantasy than horror based on Feist's other works.

Little, Big by John Crowley A multi-generational saga follows a family living in a mysterious house with connections to the fairy realm, blending modern American life with ancient magic.

The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson A family inherits an apple orchard in Georgia and confronts dark entities from folklore that have claimed the land through ancestral pacts.

Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon A coming-of-age tale set in a small Alabama town where a boy discovers magic beneath the surface of everyday life while investigating local mysteries.

The Good House by Tananarive Due A woman returns to her grandmother's house in a Pacific Northwest town and faces supernatural forces connected to the property's history.

The Wood Wife by Terri Windling A poet inherits a house in the Arizona desert and becomes entangled with mythical beings from the local landscape who blur the line between art and reality.

• Feist's 1988 standalone horror novel marked a dramatic departure from his beloved Riftwar fantasy series, exploring contemporary supernatural terror. • The book draws heavily from Celtic and Germanic folklore, weaving ancient faerie mythology into modern suburban America with unsettling results. • Despite Feist's massive fantasy following, Faerie Tale received mixed critical reception and remains his only published work outside the fantasy genre. • The novel explores themes of environmental destruction and urban encroachment on wild spaces, reflecting 1980s ecological anxieties through supernatural lens.