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<blockquote data-quote="Snapdragyn" data-source="post: 1563180" data-attributes="member: 12432">While I have no idea how well the representation matchs classical fantasy &amp; folktale, I find Laurell K. Hamilton's presentations of the Fey Courts very appealing. The first book of the series is &quot;A Kiss of Shadows&quot;; it contains a fair bit of mature material, so Eric's grandmother might not wish to read it.In the series, the Seelie court is based on physical beauty &amp; 'purity'. Any taint in form or bloodline means banishment to the Unseelie court. The Unseelie are not by any means all 'ugly', however; many are former Seelie nobles who were exiled for various reasons. Since the Unseelie accept everyone &amp; aren't all caught up in some oppressive culture of 'purity', it's easy to see them as better from a liberal philosophical position. They are, however, often given to open &amp; extreme violence &amp; cruelty -- things that would be more constrained by custom in the Seelie court (though still present to some degree). You thus get a division of the beautiful friendly Seelie (who are rather extreme 'rascists' &amp; can destroy you through diplomacy or just a friendly formal duel) &amp; the varied-in-appearance often cruel Unseelie (who are quite liberal &amp; accepting of differences, but harbor psychopaths at all strata).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Snapdragyn, post: 1563180, member: 12432"] While I have no idea how well the representation matchs classical fantasy & folktale, I find Laurell K. Hamilton's presentations of the Fey Courts very appealing. The first book of the series is "A Kiss of Shadows"; it contains a fair bit of mature material, so Eric's grandmother might not wish to read it. In the series, the Seelie court is based on physical beauty & 'purity'. Any taint in form or bloodline means banishment to the Unseelie court. The Unseelie are not by any means all 'ugly', however; many are former Seelie nobles who were exiled for various reasons. Since the Unseelie accept everyone & aren't all caught up in some oppressive culture of 'purity', it's easy to see them as better from a liberal philosophical position. They are, however, often given to open & extreme violence & cruelty -- things that would be more constrained by custom in the Seelie court (though still present to some degree). You thus get a division of the beautiful friendly Seelie (who are rather extreme 'rascists' & can destroy you through diplomacy or just a friendly formal duel) & the varied-in-appearance often cruel Unseelie (who are quite liberal & accepting of differences, but harbor psychopaths at all strata). [/QUOTE]

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