Review of A Fae in Finance by Juliet Brooks
I learned about Juliet Brooks’ book, A Fae in Finance (Orbit Works, 2025), while I was at Seattle’s Worldcon in August, when I chatted with another attendee who was a friend of the author. When said friend explained it as “human trapped in the realm of the fae but still has to work her day job,” the premise absolutely resonated with me as a theme I’ve seen in a handful of stories and books that have come out during and since the pandemic. I’ve got some thoughts on why that idea has become popular, but I’ll save those for another post!
Miri works as an investment banker in a world where supernatural beings have emerged from hiding their true natures. They aren’t always well accepted in the human world, though said beings are working to integrate themselves into that world. However, when she attends a client dinner in Faerie, and her client/the ruler of a portion of that realm tricks her into eating fae food (rather than the promised “safe” food), she winds up stuck in Faerie indefinitely. Though the fae bring her irritable cat, Doctor Kitten, to her new residence, Miri still wants to get back home to her family and friends, and maybe even the job she increasingly hates.
Miri is a fantastic protagonist, with the first person narration reflecting her slightly snarky personality as she navigates her new circumstances. It was wonderful to see her grow over the course of the story, and her decisions at the end of the book were particularly delightful. A Fae in Finance is listed as book 1 in the “How to Do Business in Faerie” series, which makes me hopeful for more books featuring Miri, Doctor Kitten, and the various fae she interacts with in this book!
If you like contemporary fantasy novels with a sassy and relatable female lead, check out A Fae in Finance when it comes out on October 21!
The publisher provided me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for review consideration.
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