A Midsummer Night's Dream is my least favorite work by Shakespeare and at this point book shelves are collapsing under the weight of books with Fey or Faerie characters, so this book was a nice surprise. Author Sydney Cobb apparently likes Midsummer enough to ponder the identity of the child that Oberon and Titania were fighting over and realized there had to be a lot more to the story than Shakespeare knew. Of course the first thing Robin Goodfellow tells us is that Shakespeare didn't get the story quite right in the first place. The second thing he tells us is that he was still young and impulsive back then before admitting that not much has changed. It took a few hundred years but Titania has finally figured out why Oberon wanted her handmaid's child and she complained to her older sister Mab, Queen of the Gray Court, as opposed to Oberon's Green Court, who is now threatening war for the sake of her sister's honor. Naturally, Oberon has turned to his favorite and most trusted courtier to keep the half-fey boy hidden. Matching wits with Mab is exactly as difficult as Robin expects but he's determined to save the young man he loves like a brother even if it costs his immortal life in this twisty faerie-tale.
It may be inspired by Midsummer but the writing style and characters are thoroughly modern. Robin's PoV is snarky and likeable, even as he goes from disaster to disaster. I was surprised by how deep the character is and how believable it seems that this Robin was the inspiration for Shakespeare's puck. The other characters are interesting but only Titania has a similar complexity although Cobb spends less time on her situation. Robin and a changing cast of secondary characters have various adventures that explore both the Faerie and Mortal Realms. I think it's practically a requirement that there be faerie wine at revels, leaves glamoured into cash, and complaints about the iron and pollution in the Mortal Realm. However, there are shockingly few references to sex and only hints of romance between minor characters. It's both a comedy and a tragedy with lots of subtle humor and lethal violence. I think at it's heart this is about family and the complicated relationships that tie them together.
Wander the Night is perfect for faerie-philes or Midsummer fans but its also good if you're just looking for something a bit off-beat with a little humor. For now it's only out in e-book (included with Kindle Unlimited) or in paperback.