Iron King review

The Iron King
by Julie Kagawa
Harlequin Teen
February 2010

First line: "Ten years ago, on my sixth birthday, my father disappeared."

I love the whole mythology behind faeries. Not the sweet, rainbow, cute, flower fairies that little girls go crazy for - the ancient, powerful, inhuman yet awesomely beautiful sort. 

16-year-old Meghan Chase is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her father when she was six. In the meantime, her mother has moved the family to a tiny town in Louisiana where they struggle to get by. Like any typical teenager, Meghan is obsessed with getting a car. Sounds like a pretty normal realistic fiction novel so far, right?

Meghan's best friend's name was a huge giveaway that magical things are about to be afoot, at least, for anyone in the know: Robbie Goodfell. He's an inveterate prankster but always manages to look out for Meghan, giving her the nickname, "Princess." Meghan's crushing on quarterback Scott Waldron, who we are given to understand is a good-looking, big, dumb, lunk. Rob's impassioned pleas for Meghan to steer clear of him had me wondering if Rob had feelings for Meghan, despite being friend-zoned.

There are a lot of classic themes here: Meghan's younger half-brother Ethan is kidnapped by fairies, who leave behind an evil proxy changeling in his place. She can't let this go, and is tireless in her efforts to rescue him. The older sister protecting her younger brother is common in Celtic lore. In traditional legends the fae have an aversion to iron, so the idea of having a faery rebel trying to build a powerful faction using iron and magic was a neat twist.

The story really picks up when Meghan is finally in the faerie world and introduced to Prince Ash, a coldly seductive faerie, who may or may not have her best interests at heart. One of the most terrifying things about faeries, is that they just don't have the same agendas or goals as humans. Sometimes they may feel passionately about things and in the next moment they don't care at all. If I had to choose a "team" I'd be Team Robbie, all the way. The whole faerie world is so surreal, like a dream sequence - this book would make a visually stunning movie, for sure. There's a certain art to being able to end a book satisfyingly, while still leaving enough unresolved questions to merit more in the series, and Kagawa definitely delivers on that score.

Compare to:
Lament - Maggie Stiefvater
Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
Dust Girl - Sarah Zettel
Dragonswood - Janet Lee Carety

I borrowed this book from the library.

Darklight review

Darklight

by Lesley Livingston

HarperTeen

December 2009

"The old man lay crumpled on the flagstones in front of a Park Avenue brownstone, his lifeblood oozing from five small holes in his neatly buttoned tweed vest like sap from a maple tree tapped in spring."

This sequel to Wondrous Strange picks up with struggling New York teen actress Kelley Winslow coping with her newly discovered fairy heritage. Her relationship with changeling member of the Janus Guard, Sonny Flannery, is on hold as he seeks out the supernatural Hunters who are linked to dangerous Queen Mabh. Kelley is working on a production of Romeo and Juliet, and there are a few parallels to her relationship with Sonny, who is aligned with a competing clan of fairy folk. While Sonny is away he grows increasingly jealous of fellow Janus Guard Fennrys, whom he'd specifically asked to watch over Kelley while he was gone.

While Shakespeare aficionados will see a lot of allegory in this story, a knowledge of the classics isn't necessary. Any reader of YA fantasy will find lots here to enjoy: magic, action, romance. This sequel has many Romeo and Juliet references, and because it's so closely tied to the previous book, plenty of references to characters and events from A Midsummer Night's Dream as well. The creepiest addition were the leprechauns, who unlike the diminutive fun-loving tricksters of legend, tend to be compulsive drinkers (even slurping spilled booze out of the mud, if necessary) and prone to violence. They are described as exceptionally lanky, wearing distinctive boots, mean-looking and evil-tempered. Definitely not the sort you'd want to run into in a dark alley.

By the end of the story, Kelley discovers she has the rarest of all gifts among fairies... she is able to lie. Most of the fey get around this with careful use of language. Kelley and Sonny each feel that they are endangering each other, and therefore "must" protect each other by staying apart. Readers may find Kelley's immaturity trying at times, but failure to communicate between lead characters is a common trope in plenty of YA novels. The lack of communication between Kelley and Sonny leads to their apparent break-up by the end of the novel.


Compare to:
Lament - Maggie Stiefvater
Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
The Iron King - Julie Kagawa


I borrowed this book from the library.

Wondrous Strange review

Wondrous Strange

by Lesley Livingston

HarperTeen

December 2008

"Puck's tortured words rang in Kelley's ears as she lifted her head, struggling against the darkness that threatened to descend upon her."

Seventeen year old Kelley Winslow is ready for a fun summer in New York performing in a production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in the park. She's soon pulled into a secret world of destructive and dueling faeries battling for control of the faerie realm. Some of the Shakespeare allusions come across as a little heavy-handed, but readers who aren't as familiar with the Bard's works will probably appreciate a lot of the exposition.  Rescuing what she believes to be a drowning horse (actually, a kelpie) Kelley is  dismayed when the horse reappears in the bathtub of her upper-story apartment. This whole exchange is played with humor, as Kelley frets over what she will feed it (turns out the kelpie has a taste for Lucky Charms cereal) or how she will clean up after it (luckily, the supernatural horse doesn't leave any messes behind.)

Angry, lonely Sonny is a changeling - a human child raised by faeries and sworn to service as a protector of them. After a chance meeting with Kelley in the Central Park one night, he soon suspects that she could be Faerie King Auberon's long-lost daughter.  A strained romance begins between the two, as Sonny struggles to keep the faery world and his duties within it a secret from Kelley for as long as he can.

One of the surprises in the book is one of Kelley's fellow actors, Bob, turns out to be the real Puck, a wisecracking, sticky-fingered guy, who's secretly been keeping an eye on Kelley, and manipulating things behind-the-scenes for years.

The climax of the book takes place on actual midsummer night, as the portal between human and faery worlds threatens to open, and hell hounds chase through Central Park.  Sonny and his fellow members of the Janus Guard are prepared to do battle to keep the rest of Manhattan safe, but ultimately, it is Kelley's faery heritage which saves the day.

This novel's blend of Celtic mythology, Shakespeare and romance will more than satisfy fans of urban paranormal fantasy.

Compare to:
Lament - Maggie Stiefvater
Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
The Iron King - Julie Kagawa


I borrowed this book from the library.

Fragile Eternity review

Fragile Eternity
by Melissa Marr
Harper Collins
April 2009

First line: "Seth knew the moment Aislinn slipped into the house; the slight rise in temperature would've told him even if he hadn't seen the glimmer of sunlight in the middle of the night."

The third book in the Wicked Lovely series returns to Aislinn's perspective as she continues to navigate the intersection of the mortal and faery realms. Having defeated the Winter Queen's curse, she has transformed from awkward high-schooler into the faery Summer Queen, taking her place beside her faery king consort, Keenan. Meanwhile, her all-too-human boyfriend Seth is unfortunately no longer able to bear her burning touch. Keenan faces a similar problem with his former lover, the Winter Girl, Donia, who has now taken the deposed Winter Queen's place.

In truth, I found Aislinn so very changed by all she had experienced in Wicked Lovely, at times I almost forgot that she was the same character. Gone is the shy, fearful girl with second sight. This new Aislinn might be somewhat new to her role as the Summer Queen, but that doesn't stop her from being outspoken and attempting to bully her new faery subjects into submission.

Plenty of political machinations follow, with the Summer and Winter Courts now in accord, and Winter's influence ebbing, the Dark Court (featured in Ink Exchange) is in trouble. Bananach, a faery patron of War, has long affiliated herself with the Dark Court, but sensing trouble, she goes to her sister, Sorcha, the Queen of the High Court to make threats.

With Keenan's and Aislinn's attraction growing as the summer season waxes, frustrated Seth decides the only solution is to become a faery himself. Hoping to sow further strife, Bananach brings him before the reclusive High Queen, who agrees to grant him immortality, as long as he agrees to spend part of the year with her. Much to my surprise, the two of them develop a mother-son relationship, with Sorcha feeling fiercely protective of Seth. What she fails to tell him is that a few days in her realm equal months on the mortal plane. When Seth finally returns to Aislinn, he is mortified to discover that nearly half a year, she's finally given up on him, and has begun to settle down with Keenan.

Readers should definitely start at the beginning of the series, with Wicked Lovely. This book, the middle of the quintet, shares many characteristics typical of a second book in a trilogy; a complex backstory which requires coming to the book with a firm foundation in the world that Marr has built, a complicated web of romance and intrigue with less plot advancement, and a cliffhanger ending which leaves much unresolved. Fans of urban fantasy will find this alternate take on immortality interesting.


I borrowed this book from the library.

Ink Exchange review

Ink Exchange
by Melissa Marr
Harper Collins
January 2008

First line: "Irial watched the girl stroll up the street: she was a bundle of terror and fury."

The second book in the Wicked Lovely series departs from the story of Aislinn, cursed with faerie sight. Ink Exchange focuses on Leslie, one of Aislinn's classmates, who is struggling with a difficult home life. Leslie is consumed with depression and self-destructive tendencies after her alcoholic father and missing mother fail to protect her from a rape arranged by her drug-abusing pimp older brother. Grim stuff indeed.

A lot of the story here revolves around a tattoo that Leslie decides to get. The description of the gritty tattoo parlor and the tattooing process all sounded believable to me. Leslie unknowingly picks a particular piece of art which links her to Irial, the Faery King of the Dark Court. Her friend Niall, an advisor to the Summer Court, and a former member of the Dark Court, tries to protect Leslie, but she gets pulled in to their intrigues anyhow. The Dark Court feeds off of negative emotions, and soon, bloodthirsty Irial is using his connection to Leslie to subject her to terrifyingly violent, chaotic scenes, as he drains her dry of feelings. It's scary stuff, but cathartic too, as Leslie uses the horrors she undergoes to purge herself of her fears, and ultimately, to move forward without Irial.

Even more ominous in tone than the first in the series, the serious subject matter with scenes that range from eerie and mystical to disturbingly violent makes this horror/fantasy suitable for older teens.

Compare to:

Wondrous Strange - Leslie Livingston

City of Bone - Cassandra Clare

Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson


I borrowed this book from the library.

Dust Girl review

Dust Girl

by Sarah Zettel

Random House Books for Young Readers

June 2012

First line: "Once upon a time, I was a girl called Callie."

I was highly skeptical when I heard about this faery-inspired alternate history that takes place in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. I had trouble imagining how heartless foreboding faeries (which I always picture as woodland dwellers) would fit into the dry and dusty climate of 1935 Kansas. It turns out Zettel did an amazing job - the malevolent otherworldly creatures are masters of illusions, and are fond of extracting promises which they honor to the letter if not the spirit.

Callie LeRoux is growing desperate as her mother has disappeared and money and supplies at their bed and breakfast are running perilously low. Naturally, no new business is forthcoming, as the remote village of Slow Run is quickly becoming a ghost town. People are abandoning their lives, picking up and moving away in the night, in hopes of finding any kind of relief from the crushing poverty they face in Kansas.

Callie's certain the sudden arrival of the haughty and demanding Hopper family, clearly well-to-do, is just the stroke of luck that will help her pull things together. Unfortunately, she couldn't be more wrong. She and hobo runaway Jack end up fleeing for their lives, as Callie struggles to hide her biracial heritage from both humans and fae. I loved the imagery of the evil fae as locusts over the land. Much of the book feels lonely as Callie flees across the empty Midwest towards California. You know that dream you have where you're being chased and you're running and running, but just can't seem to get away? It feels like that. This book was a lot scarier and less romantic than I had thought. I'd recommend this for mature middle-grade and teen readers who enjoy a bit of a scare along with their history.

Compare to:
Chime - Franny Billingsly
The Thirteenth Child - Patricia C. Wrede
A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray
The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Dragonswood review

Dragonswood

by Janet Lee Carey

Dial Books

January 2012

First line: "I am seven years old. My father takes me to a witch burning."

This story has a strong sense of the medieval time period... if faeries and dragons co-existed in an uneasy truce with humans. Seventeen year old Tess lives in a small peasant cottage with her mother and abusive stepfather on the edge of a tiny village. She fights her compulsion to explore the nearby cursed Dragonswood on a daily basis, but gives in nearly every night, sneaking out to enjoy nature and spy on dragons. Tess lives in terror of being married off to a gross wealthy old man chosen by her father, or worse of being accused of witchcraft - she didn't ask to be gifted with fire-induced visions.

Following the death of her infant brother, and the arrival of an aggressive witchhunter, Lady Adela, who seems eager to fill a quota, Tess and her two best friends, Meg and Poppy, make a run for it. It takes Tess a long time to warm up to Garth Huntsman, a ranger they encounter in their travels. Of course, he turns out to be the same man from Tess's visions. As various elements from an ancient prophecy begin to come together, Tess finds herself negotiating between Onadon, the former fey king, Lord Kahlil, a very senior dragon and the (mostly) human royal family. A nice treat for fantasy fans, Carey skillfully weaves several mythologies seamlessly together into a rich and complicated world.

Compare to:
Dragon's Keep - Janet Lee Carey
Seraphina - Rachel Hartman
Firelight - Sophie Jordan
Alchemy and Meggy Swann - Karen Cushman

I borrowed this book from the library.

Waiting on Ironskin

It's a fairy re-telling of Jane Eyre. I'm looking forward to this one.

Ironskin
by Tina Connolly
Tor Books

October 2012

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.

Iron King review

The Iron King
by Julie Kagawa
Harlequin Teen
February 2010

I do love the whole mythology behind faeries. I don't mean the sweet, rainbow, cute, flower fairies that little girls go crazy for - I mean the ancient, powerful, inhuman yet awesomely beautiful sort. 

16-year old Meghan Chase continues to be haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her father when she was six. In the meantime, her mother has moved the family to a tiny town in Louisiana where they struggle to get by. Like any typical teenager, Meghan is obsessed with getting a car. Sounds like a pretty normal realistic fiction novel so far, right?

Meghan's best friend's name was a huge giveaway that magical things are about to be afoot, at least, for anyone in the know: Robbie Goodfell. He's an inveterate prankster but always manages to look out for Meghan, giving her the nickname, "Princess." Meghan's crushing on quarterback Scott Waldron, who we are given to understand is a good-looking big dumb lunk. Rob's impassioned pleas for Meghan to steer clear of him had me wondering if Rob had feelings for Meghan, despite being friend-zoned.

There are a lot of classic themes here: Meghan's younger half-brother Ethan is kidnapped by fairies, who leave behind an evil proxy changeling in his place. She can't let this go, and is tireless in her efforts to rescue him. The older sister protecting her younger brother is common in Celtic lore. In traditional legends the fae have an aversion to iron, so the idea of having a faery rebel trying to build a powerful faction using iron and magic was a really neat twist.

The story really picks up when Meghan is finally in the faery world and introduced to Prince Ash, a coldly seductive faery, who may or may not have her best interests at heart. One of the most terrifying things about faeries, I find, is that they just don't have the same agendas or goals as humans. Sometimes they may feel passionately about things and in the next moment they couldn't care less. If I had to choose a "team" I'd be Team Robbie, all the way. The whole world is so surreal, like a dream sequence - this book would make a visually stunning movie, for sure.

There's a certain art to being able to end a book satisfyingly, while still leaving enough unresolved questions to merit more in the series, and Kagawa definitely delivers on that score. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series... now I just need to carve out enough time to do so!

I borrowed this book from the library.

Waiting on Dragonswood

I haven't heard a lot of buzz about this book, but I am so excited about it. Dragons? Fairies? Fleeing for one's life? Forbidden romance? Oh man, I am sold on this thing. January can't come soon enough. Everything's better with dragons.

Dragonswood
by Janet Lee Carey
Penguin Young Readers Group

January 2012

Wilde Island is in an uproar after the recent death of its king. The uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is fraying, and a bloodthirsty witch hunter with a hidden agenda whips villages into frenzies with wild accusations. Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, finds herself caught in the crosshairs of fate when she is accused of witchery and has to flee for her life along with her two best friends.

Not even Tess’s power to see the future can help the girls as they set off on their desperate journey, but she keeps having visions of a man wielding a sword. And when she finally meets him, Tess has no idea how to handle the magnetic attraction she feels for him, or the elusive call she hears from the heart of the Dragonswood.

In this epic romance, an ancient prophecy comes true in a way neither dragon, fairy, nor human would have predicted.

The Princess Curse review

The Princess Curse
by Merrie Haskell
Harper Collins
September 2011

In this re-telling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, 13 year-old Reveka is an apprentice herbalist in a medieval castle in Romania. She's striving to find some kind of herbal cure to the curse that seems to make the twelve princesses shoes fall apart, and causes them to be sleepy all day. Frighteningly, anyone who tries to observe the princesses at night is stricken by a coma. Whoever breaks the curse will be rewarded with either one of princess's hands in marriage, or a great sum of money. Reveka is hoping to come up with the cash to continue her studies as a master herbalist.

This is a richly imagined world full of little details that truly bring everything to life. I liked Reveka's sense of humor and pragmatic sensibility. After much research, she comes up with the makings of an invisibility cap, and discovers the dancing princesses underneath the castle. This portion reminded me of Beauty and the Beast as the princesses have been held captive by a zmeu - a shape-changing dragon who is trying to convince one of them to give up her mortal life to marry him and remain in the Underworld. Here, the story takes a definite turn towards the Persephone legend, as Reveka bargains for the princesses freedom in exchange for her own. While she agrees to marry the zmeu - and she's startled to learn that she even had a little crush on him in his human form of Prince Frumos, she's disgusted by his demonic form, that of Lord Dragos. Her father, and her loyal sheepherder friend Mihas attempt to rescue her from the underground kingdom with limited success. She holds out on eating or drinking anything, knowing that will bind her permanently to the land. In the meantime, Reveka decides to investigate the failing flora in her new kingdom, something which holds the key to zmeu's waning power. The pressing magical darkness is another hurdle Reveka has to overcome as she struggles to hold on to her former life aboveground. Her decision to finally give in and eat the pomegranate seeds is tempered by her clever ability to bargain a compromise with Dragos for visiting time in the world above where the princesses are happily married off to foreign princes, and even Reveka's father finds happiness with a new wife.

Despite their marriage and some stirrings of feelings between Reveka and Dragos, as well as the unrequited feelings that Mihas seems to have for Reveka, on the whole, this does not read like your typical love-triangle YA novel. Reveka's marriage feels more like something out of a fairy-tale and very much in line with the middle-grade audience for this book.


I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Blogger Hop 12

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books.

This week's question is:

What's the LONGEST book you've ever read?


Gosh! I turned straight to Goodreads for the answer to this one. Looks like the longest book I've read in the last couple of years was Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. 1,024 pages, but it was a fast read. It's set in an alternate Napoleonic England, and features two dueling mages and heartless meddling faery folk. I loved it! This has to be one of my favorite books of all time.

Paranormalcy review

Paranormalcy
by Kiersten White
Harper Teen
August 2010

Kiersten White recently said in a series of interrelated Twitter posts:
"My writing is... not full of quiet grace. It's more like a sparkly pink baseball bat. To the face. But in a friendly way. Mostly. For example, @haleshannon's writing says, 'Oh, hello dear friend. Come with me on a beautiful, thoughtful journey. Drink me in. Savor.' My writing says, OH HI HI HI! LET'S HAVE FUN RIGHT NOW! SHUT UP I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE TIRED! YOU'RE MY FRIEND WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"

Honestly, I thought the peppy enthusiasm of the book really carried things and made this a super fun read. It's not nearly as exhausting as White fears. Much like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 16 year-old Evie is a petite girly, blonde who happens to be great at taking out supernatural creatures such as werewolves and vampires with her pink sparkly gun, "Tasey" while delivering quick-witted, snappy dialogue. Working for The International Paranormal Containment Agency keeps her pretty busy, and she longs to do normal things, like hang-out at the mall, go shopping, go to school. As the story picks up, you start to see how lonely Evie really is and the pressures put on her by her supervisors who are always ready to "bag and tag" the next creature. I wondered how Evie would manage to have a best friend who was a mermaid - it turns out Alisha's lagoon had become so polluted that Alisha, or Lish for short, jumps at the chance to work for IPCA, in a self-contained water bubble command center. Mermaids have eidetic memories and don't need to sleep, making her the perfect employee to run their switchboard. Neat! She speaks with a voice translator that bleeps out any swear words.

In the meantime, possessive and scarily dangerous Reth, a faery, is always popping in and out, threatening to kidnap Evie. Things get really interesting when Evie meets a new type of paranormal - a shapeshifter who calls himself Lend. Against the orders of her superiors, Evie runs off with Lend to discover that IPCA and her own abilities to see past supernatural glamors isn't what she's always been told. 

I liked the whole tone and feel of the book - alternating silliness with incredible danger, a great sense of suspense in all of the fight scenes, the slow and gradual dropping of hints, the prophecy and Evie's visions of the disturbing fiery Vivian were really well handled. The sequel, Supernaturally, was just released. I'll recommend these books for any YA readers who like paranormal, but are getting tired of all the dystopians out there.

I borrowed this book from the library.

Barbie: A Fairy Secret review

Barbie: A Fairy Secret

adapted by Christy Webster, screenplay by Elise Allen
illustrated by Ulkutay Design Group

Random House

January 2011

I don't normally review a book like this, but I feel that I must as the story is absolutely CRAY-ZEE. Friends, I had no idea how truly whacked out the world of Barbie is. Reading this book felt like being a spectator in a nonsense dream, where one strange yet amazing event followed another, seemingly with very little or no narrative follow-through.

The story opens with Barbie, a famous movie star on the red carpet. Ken is by her side, of course, looking quite babyfaced with a "Beiberized" haircut. Barbie's bitchy costar Raquelle "accidentally-on-purpose" rips her gown. Days later, Barbie and Raquelle get in a catfight, but are rudely interrupted, when Ken is suddenly kidnapped by winged fairies! Soon, Barbie is off to the fairy city to rescue Ken from love-spell ensorcelled fairy princess Graciella, who wants Ken to marry her.

Graciella's ex-boyfriend Zane doesn't like this at all. He's a real alpha-male, muscles bulging, with a curly pompadour, costumed in a purple tracksuit, lace-up boots, ugly psychedelic wings, and a random "mean-girl" female fan hanging off his arm. Zane challenges Ken to a magic duel, which of course, completely overwhelms poor Ken. Ken appears meek and feminine, but I've always thought of Ken as being pretty milquetoast so this didn't surprise me.

In the meantime, Barbie is busy riding flying ponies! Yeah! Sparkling rainbow pegasi provide the final leg of her journey to the fairy city. As soon as she arrives, Graciella traps her in a magic bubble, and heartbroken Barbie looks on as a humiliated Ken is forced to bend on one knee and ask Graciella to marry him. Trapped in floating bubbles with random household junk like a lamp, a teddy bear, sunglasses and a set of dentures, Barbie and Raquelle finally make amends. The love force of their friendship bursts their prison and turns them into real fairies! Ringed by acid trails, they save Ken and release Graciella from the love-spell. Now that Graciella is ready to marry Zane, she sends Barbie and Ken home.

Despite a few obvious plotholes (whatever becomes of Barbie's friends Carrie and Taylor, from the beginning of the book? Who put that love-spell on Graciella in the first place?) this short little book offers an action-packed thrill ride (Hollywood glamour! Catfights! Kidnapping! Fairies! Magic battles! Flying ponies! Imprisonment! Betrayals! Unlikely alliances! Girl power! Defeating evil!) that would put any soap opera to shame. Short sentences, simple vocabulary and super girly-girl themes with an abundance of exclamation marks makes this a breathless tour-de-force. Highly recommended.


I borrowed this book from the library.

Replacement review

The Replacement
by Brenna Yovanoff
Razorbill
September 2010

Mackie Doyle's family loyally covers for the fact that he isn't human. He's a changeling - the "replacement" for the real Mackie Doyle, who died years ago. He's allergic to most metal (especially iron), cannot enter hallowed ground and has always had a fragile constitution. Not being able to enter churchyards poses a special problem, as his father is the local minister, but he covers for his son by building an outbuilding for children's programs just off the edge of the consecrated property. I loved the sense of the open secret which is at the heart of this book. Everyone in town knows. Nobody talks about it. Mackie's mother knows for certain the fae are real - she herself had been stolen by them once, but managed to escape, something which she does not ever care to discuss. She feels Mackie's being sent to her is a "punishment" for removing herself from the faery world. Mackie's best ally is his sister, Emma, who frequently goes to extreme lengths to protect her brother.

It turns out that the town of Gentry has long ago struck a bargain with the underworld - increased wealth and prosperity, and an unusual amount of good luck for the occassional human sacrifice. The Fae -- duplicitous, grotesque, weird and scary, seem to do very, very little to hold up their end of the bargain. They most certainly collect on their blood debt - kidnapping a human child every few years, and replacing it with an ailing castoff child of their own. But the town of Gentry has been financially hurting for years, and is now dominated by a crumbling ironworks factory. The Fae occassionally put on rock concerts, which leave the human audience members enthralled and enraptured, and for the moment they consider this payment enough.

Mackie is drawn in to some intrigue when a girl that he has a crush on tells him she believes that her dead baby sister is in fact, a changeling, and her true sister may still be living as one of the pets of the underground Fae.

I was reminded just a little, of the grim hopelessness of M.T. Anderson's Thirsty, about a inhuman boy whose loyalty is firmly with the human family that has raised him. Fans of horror with gory scenes such as The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong will probably enjoy this book. I loved the cover of the hardcover, with it's terrifying mix of sharp implements and baby carriage and shiny silver background, but teens will probably find the paperback cover, featuring a hunky but moody Mackie, even more appealing.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

The Night Fairy review

The Night Fairy

by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Angela Barrett

Candlewick

2010

I've been hearing lots and lots of Newbery buzz about this book, and decided to check it out for myself. This story, about a tiny but tough fairy named Flory and her adventures in a suburban garden wilderness reads like an instant classic. The language is beautiful and expressive -- it feels like an old-fashioned fairy-tale.

Flory faces many trials and tribulations after a bat mistakenly crushes her wings, leaving her flightless, but not defenseless. She temporarily switches her allegiance and attempts to live as a day fairy, carving out an existence for herself in a tree trunk, learning minor magic spells by instinct more than anything else, and corralling a greedy lug of a squirrel, named Skuggle, into serving as her roommate and traveling steed.

Schlitz says that she was "motivated by the girls who come into the library where she works, seeking books about fairies. They adore the prettiness of fairies, the miniature-ness." This book delivers on that score. While many books about fairies seem to set their scale as being about Barbie-doll height or perhaps a little shorter, Flory is probably only as tall as an acorn. The gorgeous full-color illustrations show her dwarfed by the squirrel and even the praying mantis and spider that she battles with, tower over her.

My immediate reaction was that this is exactly the sort of book that teachers and parents desperately wish would win the Newbery. It has everything to charm and delight, and nothing to offend. There are difficulties to be overcome, but no one dies. There is no love interest or coarse language. The Night Fairy is simply a sweet, readable fairy-tale, without straying into pablum. It's a solidly middle-grade read, with no reason to class it with YA (which has it's own Printz award).  I'd say The Night Fairy is appropriate for grades 2-4, although it would work well as a read-aloud for younger children as well. What's my verdict? Will it win? Schlitz has won before for her collection of medieval reader's theatre, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village.  The Night Fairy is so unique... I can't think of another book quite like it.  I could definitely see this garnering an Honor nod, at least.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Darklight review

Darklight

by Lesley Livingston

HarperTeen

2010

This book picks up right where Wondrous Strange left off. Struggling teen actress Kelley Winslow is coping with her newly discovered fairy heritage in New York. Her relationship with changeling member of the Janus Guard, Sonny Flannery, is on hold as he seeks out the supernatural Hunters who are linked to dangerous Queen Mabh. Kelley is working on a production of Romeo and Juliet, and there are a few parallels to her relationship with Sonny, who is aligned with a competing clan of fairy folk. While Sonny is away he grows increasingly jealous of fellow Janus Guard Fennrys, whom he'd specifically asked to watch over Kelley while he was gone.

While Shakespeare aficionadoes will see a lot of allegory in this story, a knowledge of the classics isn't necessary. Any reader of YA fantasy will find lots here to enjoy: magic, action, romance. This sequel has many Romeo and Juliet references, and because it's so closely tied to the previous book, plenty of references to characters and events from A Midsummer Night's Dream as well. The creepiest addition were the leprechauns, who unlike the diminutive fun-loving tricksters of legend, tend to be compulsive drinkers (even slurping spilled booze out of the mud, if neccesary) and prone to violence. They are described as exceptionally lanky, wearing distinctive boots, mean-looking and evil-tempered. Definitely not the sort you'd want to run into in a dark alley.

By the end of the story, Kelley discovers she has that rarest of all gifts among fairies... she is able to lie. Most of the fey get around this with careful use of language. Kelley and Sonny each feel that they are endangering each other, and therefore "must" protect each other by staying apart. I was surprised and disappointed by Kelley's immaturity at times. The lack of communication between Kelley and Sonny leads to their seeming break-up by the end of the novel. The upcoming third book in the trilogy will almost certainly be about they work this out and get back together.


I borrowed this book from my local library.

Wondrous Strange review

Wondrous Strange

by Lesley Livingston

HarperTeen

2008

Having read Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely novels I was looking for something in the same vein, and was not disappointed by Wondrous Strange. Kelley Winslow is a young actress in New York working on a production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in the park. While I thought some of the Shakespeare allusions came across as a little heavy-handed, readers who aren't as familiar with the Bard's works will probably appreciate a lot of the exposition.  Rescuing what she believes to be a drowning horse (actually, a kelpie) Kelley is  dismayed when the horse reappears in the bathtub of her upper-story apartment. This whole exchange is played with humor, as Kelley frets over what she will feed it (turns out the kelpie has a taste for Lucky Charms cereal) or how she will clean up after it (luckily, the supernatural horse doesn't leave any messes behind.)

Angry, lonely Sonny is a changeling - a human child raised by faeries and sworn to service as a protector of them. Upon meeting Kelley in the Central Park one night, he quickly begins to suspect that she could be Faerie King Auberon's long-lost daughter.  A strained romance begins between the two, as Sonny struggles to keep the faery world and his duties within it a secret from Kelley for as long as he can.

One of the surprises in the book is one of Kelley's fellow actors, Bob, turns out to be the real Puck, a wisecracking, sticky-fingered guy, who's secretly been keeping an eye on Kelley, and manipulating things behind-the-scenes for years.

The climax of the book takes place on actual midsummer night, as the portal between human and faery worlds threatens to open, and hell hounds chase through Central Park.  Sonny and his fellow members of the Janus Guard are prepared to do battle to keep the rest of Manhattan safe, but ultimately, it is Kelley's faery heritage which saves the day.

This novel's blend of Celtic mythology, Shakespeare and romance will more than satisfy fans of urban paranormal fantasy. There is a sequel, Darklight, released earlier this year, which is sitting on my "To Be Read" pile.


I blogged this during the 48-Hour Reading Challenge.
I borrowed this book from the library.

Fragile Eternity review

Fragile Eternity

by Melissa Marr

Harper Collins

2009

The third in a planned series of five books about the intersection of the mortal and faery realms, I was pleased to see this book return to Aislinn's perspective.  Having defeated the Winter Queen's curse, she has transformed from awkward high-schooler into the faery Summer Queen, taking her place beside her faery king consort, Keenan.  Meanwhile, her all-too-human boyfriend Seth is unfortunately no longer able to bear her burning touch.  Keenan faces a similar problem with his former lover, the Winter Girl, Donia, who has now taken the deposed Winter Queen's place.

In truth, I found Aislinn so very changed by all she had experienced in Wicked Lovely, at times I almost forgot that she was the same character.  Gone is the shy, fearful girl with second sight.  This new Aislinn might be somewhat new to her role as the Summer Queen, but that doesn't stop her from being outspoken and attempting to bully her new faery subjects into submission.

Plenty of political machinations follow, with the Summer and Winter Courts now in accord, and Winter's influence ebbing, the Dark Court (featured in Ink Exchange) is in trouble.  Bananach, a faery patron of War, has long affiliated herself with the Dark Court, but sensing trouble, she goes to her sister, Sorcha, the Queen of the High Court to make threats.

With Keenan's and Aislinn's attraction growing as the summer season waxes, frustrated Seth decides the only solution is to become a faery himself.  Hoping to sow further strife, Bananach brings him before the reclusive High Queen, who agrees to grant him immortality, as long as he agrees to spend part of the year with her.  Much to my surprise, the two of them develop a mother-son relationship, with Sorcha feeling fiercely protective of Seth.  What she fails to tell him is that a few days in her realm equal months on the mortal plane.  When Seth finally returns to Aislinn, he is mortified to discover that nearly half a year, she's finally given up on him, and has begun to settle down with Keenan. 

Readers should definitely start at the beginning of the series, with Wicked Lovely.  This book, the middle of the quintet, shares many characteristics typical of a second book in a trilogy; a complex backstory which requires coming to the book with a firm foundation in the world that Marr has built, a complicated web of romance and intrigue with less plot advancement, and a cliffhanger ending which leaves much unresolved.  Fans of urban fantasy, or teens who want a break from vampire books will find this alternate take on immortality interesting.

The first three in the series are all available in paperback.  The newest, Radiant Shadows, was just released in hardcover.

I borrowed this book from my public library.

Ink Exchange review

Ink Exchange
by Melissa Marr
Harper Collins
2008


I just finished racing through this series.  All of them were fast-paced, enjoyable reads.  I reviewed the first in the series about a month ago.  I was a little disappointed at first that Ink Exchange wasn't from Aislinn's perspective.  After reading a few pages, I quickly got into it, however.  The story is quite a bit darker than Wicked Lovely.  In the first of the series, Aislinn is coping with the difficulties of being one of the few humans able to view violent and strange faeries in our midst.  She's fortunate to have the support of her grandmother (also gifted/cursed with the same ability) and her too-wonderful-to-be-believed boyfriend.  Aislinn is barely mentioned in this novel, which instead focuses on Leslie, one of Aislinn's classmates, who is struggling with a difficult home life.  Leslie is consumed with depression and self-destructive tendencies after her alcoholic father and missing mother fail to protect her from a rape arranged by her drug-abusing pimp older brother.  Grim stuff indeed.

A lot of the story here revolves around the tattoo that Leslie decides to get.  I don't know very much at all about tattoos myself, but the description of the tattoo parlor, and the tattooing process all sounded believable to me.  She unknowingly picks a particular piece of art which links her to Irial, the Faery King of the Dark Court.  Her friend Niall, an advisor to the Summer Court, and a former member of the Dark Court tries to protect Leslie, but she gets pulled in to their intrigues anyhow.  The Dark Court feeds off of negative emotions, and soon, bloodthirsty Irial is using his connection to Leslie to subject her to terrifyingly violent, chaotic scenes, as he drains her dry of feelings.  It's scary stuff, but cathartic too, as Leslie uses the horrors she undergoes to purge herself of her fears, and ultimately, to move forward without Irial.

Definitely darker in tone than the first in the series, the serious subject matter with scenes that range from eerie and mystical to disturbingly violent this horror/fantasy is best for older teens.


I purchased this book.