EJ Russell continues her incredible stories of the group of fae brothers who ranked high in the Faerie’s Seelie Court as Queen’s Champion (Alun), Queen’s Enforcer (Mal), and Queen’s Bard (Gareth). In ‘The Druid Next Door: Fae Out of Water Book 2’, Mal Kendrick has been exiled from Faerie for preventing the death of his brother Alun by removing the would-be assassin’s (the faerie queen’s consort) sword hand. Because of faerie law, he is cursed with a useless right hand and is dismissed from his position as Queen’s Enforcer. His life becomes even more complicated when it is discovered that his attractive next-door neighbor, Bryce MacLeod, is a druid in need of guidance and training. Dr. Bryce MacLeod is in touch with nature in a way that extraordinary having acquired knowledge from his grandmother by the time he was twelve years old. David’s aunt is notified about the unaffiliated druid next door and she takes him on as an apprentice and charges Mal to teach him about the supernatural world after magically bounding them to each other, to ensure the lessons are taught. His unhappiness with all of the changes in his life drives Mal to get drunk and a mysterious stranger offers him an opportunity to regain all that he’s lost and he goes for it only to discover an ancient secret binding the fae to the ultimate will of a druid. The stranger’s proposition offers a way to save the realm from ultimate destruction if only the Seelie Queen can be persuaded to see value in his unorthodox offer. There were so many delightful twists and turns in this exciting novel. The pacing (the rate at which the writer introduces key elements in the story) and balance (distribution of varying types of element in the narrative) is impeccable, offering a reading experience that’s free of dull points, sparse subplots, and frustrating oppositions. Though conflicts in the current story are beautifully resolved, challenges for the series arc exist for readers to happily anticipate. Goodness, how I’ve enjoyed this book!