Novel: Sidhe-Devil
Overview
Sidhe-Devil continues the saga of Harris Greene, an ordinary man thrust into an extraordinary struggle after the events of Doc Sidhe. The story follows Harris and a shifting band of mortal and magical allies as they confront an almost elemental threat intent on tearing the boundary between the human world and the sidhe realm. The novel moves quickly between investigative urgency and outright combat, maintaining a steady tension as time runs out and the stakes grow ever larger.
Main Characters and Conflict
Harris remains the emotional center: skeptical, resourceful, and increasingly forced to accept responsibilities he never sought. His companions include both human friends whose loyalty is tested and sidhe figures whose motives are inscrutable, creating an uneasy alliance that must hold if catastrophe is to be averted. The antagonist is a deadly supernatural force whose presence warps reality, undermines equations of trust, and escalates from local menace to existential crisis as boundaries between worlds begin to fray.
Plot Arc and Key Scenes
The narrative begins with small puzzles and uncanny incidents that gradually reveal a pattern: the enemy is not merely powerful but intent on reshaping the metaphysical rules that keep two realms apart. As clues accumulate, the tempo shifts into a race against time, with Harris juggling research, battlefield improvisation, and moral choices. Encounters range from tense negotiations with capricious faerie lords to visceral confrontations in locations where magic leaks into the mundane, producing moments of both wonder and horror. The climax hinges on a high-risk gambit that tests the characters' courage and forces some to pay meaningful costs to protect the larger world.
Setting and Tone
Sidhe-Devil blends modern urban settings with mythic imagery, letting ordinary streets and institutions collide with ancient magic. The sidhe realm is portrayed as both beautiful and alien, its aesthetics and logic juxtaposed against the procedural, often bureaucratic sensibilities of the human characters. The tone balances brisk, action-oriented storytelling with moments of wry observation and introspection, allowing the novel to be both entertaining and thoughtful about the consequences of crossing thresholds that should remain closed.
Themes and Resonance
At its heart, the book examines what it means to be accountable when knowledge confers responsibility. Harris's evolution from skeptic to defender underscores questions about leadership, sacrifice, and the limits of power. The uneasy cooperation between mortals and sidhe highlights themes of trust and the costs of alliance, while the antagonistic force serves as a metaphor for uncontrolled change that threatens cultural and cosmic continuity. Alongside these larger questions, the novel probes the personal toll of heroic action, asking whether victory is worth the losses incurred and how a world rebuilt after trauma carries its scars.
Reader Experience
Sidhe-Devil offers an engaging mix of fast-paced plotting, imaginative worldbuilding, and character-driven stakes. Fans of urban fantasy and mythic adventure will appreciate the way the book treats folklore as a living, dangerous presence that can be negotiated with but not easily tamed. The prose favors clarity and momentum, keeping readers invested in the mystery and the fates of the principal characters while delivering several memorable confrontations that emphasize both spectacle and psychological consequence.
Sidhe-Devil continues the saga of Harris Greene, an ordinary man thrust into an extraordinary struggle after the events of Doc Sidhe. The story follows Harris and a shifting band of mortal and magical allies as they confront an almost elemental threat intent on tearing the boundary between the human world and the sidhe realm. The novel moves quickly between investigative urgency and outright combat, maintaining a steady tension as time runs out and the stakes grow ever larger.
Main Characters and Conflict
Harris remains the emotional center: skeptical, resourceful, and increasingly forced to accept responsibilities he never sought. His companions include both human friends whose loyalty is tested and sidhe figures whose motives are inscrutable, creating an uneasy alliance that must hold if catastrophe is to be averted. The antagonist is a deadly supernatural force whose presence warps reality, undermines equations of trust, and escalates from local menace to existential crisis as boundaries between worlds begin to fray.
Plot Arc and Key Scenes
The narrative begins with small puzzles and uncanny incidents that gradually reveal a pattern: the enemy is not merely powerful but intent on reshaping the metaphysical rules that keep two realms apart. As clues accumulate, the tempo shifts into a race against time, with Harris juggling research, battlefield improvisation, and moral choices. Encounters range from tense negotiations with capricious faerie lords to visceral confrontations in locations where magic leaks into the mundane, producing moments of both wonder and horror. The climax hinges on a high-risk gambit that tests the characters' courage and forces some to pay meaningful costs to protect the larger world.
Setting and Tone
Sidhe-Devil blends modern urban settings with mythic imagery, letting ordinary streets and institutions collide with ancient magic. The sidhe realm is portrayed as both beautiful and alien, its aesthetics and logic juxtaposed against the procedural, often bureaucratic sensibilities of the human characters. The tone balances brisk, action-oriented storytelling with moments of wry observation and introspection, allowing the novel to be both entertaining and thoughtful about the consequences of crossing thresholds that should remain closed.
Themes and Resonance
At its heart, the book examines what it means to be accountable when knowledge confers responsibility. Harris's evolution from skeptic to defender underscores questions about leadership, sacrifice, and the limits of power. The uneasy cooperation between mortals and sidhe highlights themes of trust and the costs of alliance, while the antagonistic force serves as a metaphor for uncontrolled change that threatens cultural and cosmic continuity. Alongside these larger questions, the novel probes the personal toll of heroic action, asking whether victory is worth the losses incurred and how a world rebuilt after trauma carries its scars.
Reader Experience
Sidhe-Devil offers an engaging mix of fast-paced plotting, imaginative worldbuilding, and character-driven stakes. Fans of urban fantasy and mythic adventure will appreciate the way the book treats folklore as a living, dangerous presence that can be negotiated with but not easily tamed. The prose favors clarity and momentum, keeping readers invested in the mystery and the fates of the principal characters while delivering several memorable confrontations that emphasize both spectacle and psychological consequence.
Sidhe-Devil
Sidhe-Devil is a sequel to Doc Sidhe and follows Harris Greene and his magical allies as they race against time to find a deadly supernatural adversary who is threatening the very fabric of their world.
- Publication Year: 2001
- Type: Novel
- Genre: Urban Fantasy
- Language: English
- Characters: Harris Greene, Doc Sidhe, Fionna Kenmare, Leslie Kef
- View all works by Aaron Allston on Amazon
Author: Aaron Allston
Aaron Allston, acclaimed sci-fi author and game designer known for Star Wars novels and role-playing games.
More about Aaron Allston
- Occup.: Novelist
- From: USA
- Other works:
- Galatea in 2-D (1993 Novel)
- Doc Sidhe (1995 Novel)
- Iron Fist (1998 Novel)
- Wraith Squadron (1998 Novel)
- Starfighters of Adumar (1999 Novel)
- Solo Command (1999 Novel)
- Mercy Kill (2012 Novel)