Discomforting creatures

Fairies are just not what they used to be. They used to be sweet, flowery and sentimental little creatures that flew around, sprinkling magical fairy dust on everything.

But not any more. Fairies have come a long way since Tinkerbell flapped around and landed on Peter Pan's shoulder.

Holly Black's Tithe bills itself as a modern tale about fairies, so be warned that changes are in order. You would certainly not wish to have the fairies featured in the bestselling novel at the bottom of your garden. They spell trouble.

Tithe begins with a graphic description of the grim and sordid edge of modern-day urban life. Sixteen-year-old Kaye leads an unsettling life in seedy bars and filthy hotels, due to her mother's pursuit of rock 'n' roll fame.

Kaye travels from city to city with her starstruck mother's rock band and she sees the underbelly of life that no teenager should see. It's not just her unsavoury lifestyle that makes Kaye feel like a freak. She has a secret. When she was a child, she was able to communicate with fairies. How normal is that?

Kaye's life becomes even more grim. Her mother is attacked by a jealous boyfriend and Kaye herself goes on a no-holds barred stealing spree. Everything around her is spinning towards destruction. Unearthly help is needed to save Kaye from herself. A move back to the town where she grew up changes Kaye's direction but puts her in a different kind of danger.

She comes across Roiben, a fairy knight, who begs her for help. But Kaye's childhood fairy friends warn her that Roiben is a member of the Unseelie Court, the treacherous dark side of the fairy world.