Tithe by Holly Black

Tithe, by Holly Black,  is the story of Kaye, who has always been able to see faeries and other creatures invisible to the average human eye. And when she meets Roiben, a knight in the Unseelie Court, and saves his life, the Unseelie queen wishes to offer her up as a tithe to keep control of the kingdom. Kaye, of course, winds up falling in love with the unpredictable Roiben but doubts a relationship could be possible between a human and a faerie. However, when Roiben falls in love with her and plans to save her from the Unseelie queen, Kaye’s secret threatens to tear them apart.  

Tithe is dark, edgy, and filled with memorable characters that will leave you thinking about them long after you have finished the novel.  While this book is not a literary masterpiece, it is well worth the read. I especially like Kaye’s character, who on the surface is a deeply troubled teen who has a difficult home life. However, underneath, Kaye is loyal and brave, willing to risk her very life for those she loves.  This book is a relatively short read (I read it in about three hours), and the plot moves so rapidly, it feels like you’ve been reading for no time at all.