In either late 2015 or early 2016 I read a novel that was due to come out soon, Borderline, by a debut author called Mishell Baker. I had known Baker for a while online, and had met her at the World Fantasy convention at Saratoga Springs in the winter of 2015. We were then, and are now, friends.
But the thing is, reading Borderline also made me a huge fan of Baker's. I'll quote from my own Goodreads review:
BORDERLINE is, simply, a terrific novel that does a whole bunch of things really well. There's a great urban fantasy premise, a swift and energetic plot, and an excellent cast of characters.
But what makes the book a five star book, and one I've been championing to anyone who would listen, is Millie, the protagonist. Millie is a disabled women with Borderline personality disorder. This is a little understood, often misdiagnosed disorder, that is extremely hard to live with. Baker knows what she's talking about, as she has BPD. That firsthand knowledge shines through. You are not likely to read a clearer, more powerful first hand depiction of a mental disorder any time soon.
The novel was originally written as a stand alone, but Baker's editor at Saga Press, Navah Wolfe, saw a trilogy. And she made Baker see it too. Now, after finishing the third volume, Impostor Syndrome, I'm very glad she did. I wasn't as certain after the second book, Phantom Pains . It took a while to really take off, and never felt as deeply personal as the first one. It was still very good, it I didn't love it as deeply as I did Borderline.
But in Impostor Syndrome, Baker manages the nearly impossible feat of making the book both more epic and more personal. The novel pays off every promise of the first two books, while leaving the door open to more books in that universe. In ways big and small, this series is incredibly relevant and absolutely timely.
As I'm reviewing a trilogy, I won't go into any plot details more more than what you can find in my original Goodreads review, which isn't much. All you need to know is this: A mentally and physically disabled woman is recruited into a shadowy organization that regulates the interactions between humanity and the two faerie courts. Shenanigans and tragedy ensue. Buy it. Read it. Thank me later.
