The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
On sale
7th April 2026
Price: £10.99
Genre
‘As irresistible as a faerie bargain, this book is riveting, magical and wonderful! I absolutely adored it!’ Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
‘I adored this one . . . its like cosy fantasy meets snarky fae dimplomacy, and I’m here for it’ Reader review
Discover a world of enchanted contracts, faerie intrigue and French toast, in this delightful debut packed full of wit, charm, adventure and heart, with a dash of magical bureaucracy and a sprinkling of romance.
When Poppy Hill was a child, she was stolen from her family’s Montana homestead and taken ‘Otherside’ to the land of the Fae, where she spent more than a century as a cook in the Wild King’s castle. Now back in the human world, she works for a company that brokers faerie bargains, checking for loopholes in their contracts.
But when a bargain that Poppy is negotiating goes disastrously wrong, she must return to the world she grew up in to try to rectify her mistake, facing danger, intrigue and a pesky ex-boyfriend along the way.
‘There is simply not enough time or space for me to say everything I loved about this book. This had Holly Black-level Fae, T. Kingfisher-level plotting, and Naomi Novik-level wit. It was as if Heather Fawcett and Holly Black had a book baby with the perfect blend of contemporary and high fantasy . . . what a breath of fresh air’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review
‘Unforgettable and utterly addictive’
Lyra Selene, author of A Feather so Black
‘The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains is as funny and witty as it is enchanting. Poppy Hill is a first-class heroine – full of sharp edges and quiet resolve – and her journeys through modern bureaucracy and fantastical Fae courts alike are utterly enthralling’
Julie Leong, author of The Teller of Small Fortunes
‘A charming and warm-hearted tale of family and friendship with a plot as twisty as a faerie bargain’
M. Stevenson, author of Behooved
‘The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains snatches you away into a world of enchanted contracts, faerie intrigue and French toast that you’ll never want to come back from’
Molly O’Neill, author of Greenteeth
‘A brilliant, tongue-in-cheek weaving of folklore and the hell of modern bureaucracy, combined with a twisty adventure and a dash of romance . . . A book that I was reluctant to close at the end. McCarty is a talent!’
Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy
‘Five stars without hesitation. I’m always searching for books that capture the same magic I find in Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde or Holly Black’s Folk of the Air, and The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains absolutely delivered. To sum it up: This modern faerie novel is utterly captivating and stands out from the usual stereotypes with its distinctive storytelling, memorable characters and engaging plot. Brilliant!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review
‘I adored this one . . . its like cosy fantasy meets snarky fae dimplomacy, and I’m here for it’ Reader review
Discover a world of enchanted contracts, faerie intrigue and French toast, in this delightful debut packed full of wit, charm, adventure and heart, with a dash of magical bureaucracy and a sprinkling of romance.
When Poppy Hill was a child, she was stolen from her family’s Montana homestead and taken ‘Otherside’ to the land of the Fae, where she spent more than a century as a cook in the Wild King’s castle. Now back in the human world, she works for a company that brokers faerie bargains, checking for loopholes in their contracts.
But when a bargain that Poppy is negotiating goes disastrously wrong, she must return to the world she grew up in to try to rectify her mistake, facing danger, intrigue and a pesky ex-boyfriend along the way.
‘There is simply not enough time or space for me to say everything I loved about this book. This had Holly Black-level Fae, T. Kingfisher-level plotting, and Naomi Novik-level wit. It was as if Heather Fawcett and Holly Black had a book baby with the perfect blend of contemporary and high fantasy . . . what a breath of fresh air’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review
‘Unforgettable and utterly addictive’
Lyra Selene, author of A Feather so Black
‘The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains is as funny and witty as it is enchanting. Poppy Hill is a first-class heroine – full of sharp edges and quiet resolve – and her journeys through modern bureaucracy and fantastical Fae courts alike are utterly enthralling’
Julie Leong, author of The Teller of Small Fortunes
‘A charming and warm-hearted tale of family and friendship with a plot as twisty as a faerie bargain’
M. Stevenson, author of Behooved
‘The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains snatches you away into a world of enchanted contracts, faerie intrigue and French toast that you’ll never want to come back from’
Molly O’Neill, author of Greenteeth
‘A brilliant, tongue-in-cheek weaving of folklore and the hell of modern bureaucracy, combined with a twisty adventure and a dash of romance . . . A book that I was reluctant to close at the end. McCarty is a talent!’
Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy
‘Five stars without hesitation. I’m always searching for books that capture the same magic I find in Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde or Holly Black’s Folk of the Air, and The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains absolutely delivered. To sum it up: This modern faerie novel is utterly captivating and stands out from the usual stereotypes with its distinctive storytelling, memorable characters and engaging plot. Brilliant!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review
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Reviews
As irresistible as a faerie bargain, this book is riveting, magical and wonderful! I absolutely adored it!
A charming and warm-hearted tale of family and friendship with a plot as twisty as a fairy bargain. The pages brim with love for the Montana landscape, with descriptions that beckon the reader into their terrain - both in 'reality' and 'Otherside'. I really enjoyed this adventurous fantasy quest!
Wistful and witty with exquisite worldbuilding, McCarty's sprawling epic challenges notions of identity, loyalty and the places one calls home. It's a thrilling start
With a clever, determined heroine and a cast of devious, uncanny fairies, The Tricky Business of Fairy Bargains is as irresistible as fae fruit - sharp, unforgettable and utterly addictive
Come for the fascinating world of corporate-brokered fairy bargains - stay for the adventure, intrigue, and betrayal! With a relatable mortal protagonist way over her head in a fairy realm as compelling as it is dangerous, this book casts an entrancing glamour!
A fresh, unexpected foray into the lands of Faerie, The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains is as funny and witty as it is enchanting. Poppy Hill is a first-class heroine - full of sharp edges and quiet resolve - and her journeys through modern bureaucracy and fantastical Fae courts alike are utterly enthralling
Full of that oh-so-human creativity, The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains snatches you away into a world of enchanted contracts, faerie intrigue and French toast that you'll never want to come back from
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains is a brilliant, tongue-in-cheek weaving of folklore and the hell of modern bureaucracy, combined with a twisty adventure and a dash of romance. An unflinching rendition of fae as they should be written - beautiful, bizarre, cruel, and always terrifying. A book that I was reluctant to close at the end. McCarty is a talent!