THE RIGHTEOUS

To rescue loved ones following the events of The Damned (2020), Arjun and Pippa venture into the dangerous Otherworld.

The Court of Lions begs half-human, half-fey Arjun to go to the Otherworld—the place vampires have been exiled from—to convince a fey healer to come and save Odette. He’s on a strict time limit, though, with his promise of servitude to the Winter Court’s king hanging overhead. After Arjun leaves, Pippa investigates his home in search of clues about Celine, her missing best friend, and ends up following him through the tare. The fey of the Summer Court are vicious to “halfbloods” like Arjun, who at least has protection from his mother’s status; when Pippa ends up being discovered and is seriously endangered, Arjun claims her as his fiancee to protect her. While they’re attracted to each other, Pippa already has a fiance—a good, rich man she needs to marry to take care of her family—but the fey marriage rite means forever. Pippa and Arjun’s compatibility allows for a quickly building romance despite the circumstances. Occasional viewpoints from other characters’ perspectives give hints at more Otherworld politics. In the last act, the worldbuilding further expands with deceptions and dangerous fey schemes coming to fruition just in time for the sequel. Racism, colorism, and colonialism are confronted (Pippa’s White and British; Arjun’s human half is Indian); queer fey are accepted.

Characters’ relationships aside, essentially an extended setup for the next installment.