Book Review: Paid with a Kiss - Fairy Connections

Here’s the synopsis from publisher Moon Books: 

“Paid with a Kiss gives a wide-ranging look at fairies, sex, gender, and human belief through history in Western Europe, focusing primarily on Irish, UK, and French evidence. By examining mythology, folklore, literature, and anecdotes, this book answers common questions of what we know about sex and sexuality among fairies and how they interact with humans, including human-fairy relationships and offspring. Aiming to answer an array of questions on humans, fairies, and intimacy that the author has been asked over the years, Paid with a Kiss is a deep dive into nearly two millennia of folk belief.”

I always look forward to reading anything by Morgan Daimler, because I know it will be well researched and brilliantly written. This book is no exception. It offers a wonderful insight into how our views of romance, sex and marriage with otherworldly beings has changed over the centuries, as well as looking at gender-related issues. 

As Morgan Daimler writes: “Sex and love with fairies is a risky business.” Some fairies are depicted as “implicitly sexual and deadly by nature”, such as the Leannán sidhe, which translates as “fairy lover”. WB Yeats depicted the Leannán sidhe as a dark muse who inspired poets but shortened their lives. However, they are referenced as far back as the 10th century, and Paid with a Kiss delves into older folk beliefs. Earlier accounts show them helping warriors in battle, and being familiar spirits offering supernatural aid and magical knowledge, as well as sometimes taking their partners to Fairyland.

That’s just one example. Chapters look at literary sources, early modern fairy lore, how the Victorians changed how fairies were viewed, 20th and 21st century depictions, and encounters with them. At the end there’s a discussion of questions that frequently get asked, including whether oral sex with a fairy constitutes the much-warned-against sharing food and drink. The answer is: probably not, but you might choose to be cautious anyway.

About the author

Morgan Daimler teaches classes on Irish myth and magical practices, fairies, and related subjects in the United States and internationally. She has been published in multiple anthologies as well as presenting papers at university conferences as an expert on all things fairy. Besides the titles available through Moon Books, Morgan has a high fantasy novel Into Shadow through Cosmic Egg and has an urban fantasy/paranormal romance series called Between the Worlds. 

You can find Paid with a Kiss at publisher Moon Books’ website (linked to earlier), and view it on Amazon.

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