Bones of Faerie, by Janni Lee Simner

Bones of Faerie is a post-apocalypse type tale set after a war between the Human and Faerie worlds. The after affects of faerie magic leave a mark upon the human world, such as plants and crops that attack at will, and faerie children born to human parents. Liza was born after the war. Her baby sister was born with trademarks of faerie heritage, and her father leaves her out on a hillside to die, for any trace magic found within their town must be destroyed, including children.

Shortly after Liza’s mother disappears into the dangerous forest surrounding their town, Liza discovers she has the faerie ability to ‘see’, into the past, the future, and so she flees the safety of the town to seek out both her mother and refuge for herself. But what Liza finds is a journey into Faerie and back, and the possibility of healing both the Faerie world and the Human world.

 

This book was shorter than I thought it would be, which does slightly count against it for me. But the story, the characters, and the world make up for the short length.

 

The Recommendation – Those looking for a faerie story similar to other YA faerie stories on the market today probably won’t find it here. But it is a good read, and I think most people can enjoy it.

The Other Books – There will be a sequel to Bones of Faerie tentatively scheduled for sometime in 2011. I haven’t really decided how far up the buy list it will be, but we’ll see as the time gets closer. Factors such as it’s plot and our economic standing have a lot of affect here.

The Vitals* – Bones of Faerie is currently available in hardcover for $16.99, and releases on January 27th in paperback for $9.99.

The Links - Janni Lee Simner's Official Website

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, Book One)

Gemma Doyle is determined to leave her home in British India and seek out a proper education at a boarding school in England. After a brief meeting with a mysterious man with an odd message about a woman named Circe, Gemma’s mother dies. in the light of this, and her father’s growing addiction to laudanum, Gemma is sent to the foreboding Spence Academy for young ladies. There she meets new friends and enemies, and learns that she has a special power to enter a magical place called the realms. With her own powers and the help of her friends, she discovers the dark history of the school, as well as he own heritage and the power she possesses.

 

This book really captured me, and it didn’t take me long to finish it and begin longing for the others. I really how Libba Bray is really able to blend Victorian England with fantasy that really suits the time. Although the magical elements aren’t as bold as, say, Harry Potter, which I usually prefer, it simply suits the story and era so well, that it really melds together. Plus, I really like historical fiction.

Now, when I had originally read about the books, and it mentioned  ‘popular girl’ (Those may not have been the exact words, but that’s essentially the meaning) I was a bit put off because I thought it would be another of the usual YA fantasies filling the shelves, only set back in time a bit. I wrongly assumed that the new girl would be jealous and trying to fit in with the popular crowd. However, Gemma isn’t like that, and the way the relationships develop between all the characters is definitely not the norm.

Gemma has a strong voice, the setting seems accurate (I haven’t done an extraordinary amount of research to know), and all the characters are real and easily imagined. You can easily compare this book to everyday life, which means that the author has done their job of creating a believable story

 

The Recommendation – This book is great for anyone, especially fans of fantasy, YA lit, and historical stories.

The Other Books – Well, I’ve already bought them. So that should tell you something. :) Their reviews are coming up.

The Vitals* – A Great and Terrible Beauty can be purchase in either hardcover($16.95) or paperback ($9.99). Also available in audio for $44.00, and other bindings as well.

The Links - The Official Website of the series ; Libba Bray's Official Website

*=All prices are form Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton

 

When Blake and his sister Duck travel to Oxford with their mother, who is currently separating from their father, they find a mysterious Blank Book. Blake is pushed to uncover the centuries-old secret to gaining the knowledge that the book holds, while burning through the web of lies and and dangers surrounding it.

This book took me about three years to read. It’s not so much that it’s a bad book. It just that every other book that came into my possession was better, and more worth my time. The storyline was great, but I think it could have been executed better. It just never grabbed my interest, never made me burn with wonder at what would happen next.

The moments that are supposed to be ‘thrills and chills’ moments are really geared for a younger generation, even though (as far as I know, my research yields conflicting results.) it is a young adult book, not a children’s book. I just got kind of bored with it. (Maybe I’m so scary immune, it was darker than I thought.) I hate to sound harsh in any way about a book, because it did have its up points. But I think the characters could have had more depth, and it could have had a bit more intrigue. The ‘thrills and chills’ should have been a bit darker, more age appropriate for the group they’re marketing to.

The Recommendation – Despite the apparent harsh review, I still think this book is a good read, especially if you don’t like darker storylines.

The Vitals – Endymion Spring is available in hardback ($17.95) and paperback ($9.99) from Random House.

The Links - Random House's Official Endymion Spring webpage