“Do your worst, Wicked Nix, foulest of the fairies! This cottage is mine, and I will never leave!”
Wicked Nix is a quick magical yet heart touching story.
Nix is the foulest of Fairies. He is rotten and plays nasty tricks on the peoples who live in the village near his forest that he must protect in the name of the The Good Queen Fairy, I mean that’s the reason she left him behind right? Because he is the foulest and was clearly chosen to protect this forest. That’s the only way it makes sense as to why the Good Queen left him, right? His world takes a turn when a man-people steps outside of the road and walks into his forest, to the abandoned cottage and decides, he will live there.
Wicked Nix if full of just enough whimsical elements to make you feel like you have been dragged off to the world of fairies. While also being full of just enough moments that make you understand the reality of the situation Nix is in and it pulls at your heart strings. The story is simple and very easy to follow and while it doesn’t put a new spin on the story telling involving fairies its still a sweet and sad story all rolled into one. As an adult it was pretty easy to guess where the narrative was going and while it wasn’t a surprise for me, looking through my child like glasses (that I always wear when reading middle grade stories) I would have been a little surprised, not shocked or taken aback but I would have seen the ideas coming together the closer I got the reveal, which for me means the Coakley did a wonderful job weaving the clues together.
Its a very simple story, I manged to get though it in an hour, the opening was a bit rough to follow as I had to get used to Nix’s voice as Coakley did go the route of a wicked little fairy who doesn’t speak in the same manner as us peoples as he calls us. But it only took about one chapter and then you fell into the rhythm of how Nix talked and told his story as it’s in 1st person perspective. Wicked Nix includes, fairies, peoples, a wise little girl who knows all, and of course a lovely inclusion of Mr. Green. As a person who loves the tale of The Green Man I very much enjoyed his inclusion, who he is and what he does was explained in the most simplest manner yet the main points of who he is came across loud and clear and it was done without losing the focus of the main story.
While not really bringing anything new to the world of stories about evil fairies and the horrible horrible tricks they play on people, and while being a very short but compelling tale, Coakley managed to weave together a sweet tale of loss but also re-connection, she showed the length at which some will go to lie to themselves, and what some will do gain everything back what was taken from them, but also making sure to add the magic we all desperately wish was truly there.
Wicked Nix is sweet, magical and touching all rolled into one.
Also my copy is filled with art done by Jamie Zollars, and the illustrations really help bring the magical story of Wicked Nix, the foulest fairy who was left behind, alive.
Intotheheartwyld 
I love the art. You know I’m going to have an adorable witchy A-frame in the forest one day. ❤
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