Tag Archives: Fae

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Stardust

Title: Stardust
Author: Neil Gaiman
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fae, Fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Headline
Year: 1999
5th sentence, 74th page: Such a nice name.

Synopsis

THE SLEEPY ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE…

At the dawn of the Victorian era, life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall. Young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester, but Victoria is as cold and distant as the star she and Tristran see fall from the sky one evening. For the prize of Victoria’s hand, Tristran vows to retrieve the star for his beloved. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn swain over the town’s ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining…

Thoughts

I had to buy this because I have loved the movie Stardust since I was a kid. Actually, I didn’t even realise that this was a book until it showed up in my suggested buys list. And, honestly, I was not disappointed for one single moment. This story was phenomenal, and fun, and took me on a wild adventure that I really couldn’t put down. Which was a problem, because I am an adult with other responsibilities…

Having watched the movie before reading the book, I knew roughly what was going to happen. And the main storyline really didn’t differ much between the two. Normally this annoys me in a movie adaptation, but it worked so brilliantly well. Gaiman’s lyrical writing and vivid descriptions sweep you away all on their own. The beauty of his words and the joy of the storyline just take you away as your toes curl up with the joy (and slight absurdity) of the story.

One of the things that I like about this story is that it leaves the world so open. Gaiman is a master of showing without telling, and there is so much that is left open to the readers’ imagination without getting bogged down in all of the details. I loved that even after I closed the final page of this book, I still continued to visit Faerie in my mind’s eye, imagining the many places that Tristan Thorn was able to visit throughout his life.

 <- Snow, Glass, ApplesStories: All New Tales ->

Image source: Amazon

Dangerously Fierce by Deborah Blake

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Dangerously FierceTitle: Dangerously Fierce
Author: Deborah Blake
Series: Broken Riders #3, Baba Yaga World #6
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Mythology, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Deborah Blake
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: She’d bang her head against the bar a couple of times, but with her luck, she’d just crack that too.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

The Riders… three legendary brothers who kept the Baba Yagas safe. The Riders’ immortality was stripped away, along with their mission. But they are still much more than Human, and their story is far from over…

His brothers may have found new paths to follow, but Alexei Knight isn’t even looking. If he can’t have the life he was meant to lead, there is no second choice. So he is bent on drinking and brawling his way across the country until he winds up on Cape Cod in a bar called The Hook and Anchor, where he finds challenges he was never expecting, a feisty red-haired bartender, and maybe a lot more than that…

Bethany McKenna left behind an almost-completed law degree to return home and care for her cranky disabled father and run his bar for him. If that wasn’t enough, she also agreed to foster a very pregnant Great Dane. She has enough to deal with without adding in a giant bearded brawler, no matter how appealing he is. Yet somehow he ends up living in the guest-house, taking care of her father, and sneaking his way into her heart…

Alexei and Bethany both think the lives they wanted have come to an end, but after dealing with a mysterious sea monster, pirates, dragons, and some adorable puppies, they might just discover that love is the greatest adventure of all…

Thoughts

I’m really glad that Blake decided to self-publish this book. As soon as I received it I was kind of frustrated, the book was so much bigger than the rest of the books in the Broken Riders series. And then I read the forward – the publishers decided not to go ahead with Alexei’s story, so Blake did instead. And, I for one, am very, very, very glad. I would have been constantly wondering what happened to the third brother and how he found his happy ending.

There is a bit of a difference in reading a self-published book and one that is produced by a publishing house. And it’s fairly obvious when reading Dangerously Fierce. But other than a few slight issues in the grammar or spelling, this story is just as amazing as the rest of Blake’s stories. The romance is sweet and endearing, the characters vivid and all strong in their own way, and the sense of pain in Alexei is heart-rendingly real.

My favourite thing about this story was the fact that it was set in a bar on the coast. The nautical feeling (including the presence of pirates) fed perfectly upon the idea of a small bar run by a busty red head. I’m not sure why red heads always seem to be feisty and busty, but it works perfectly in this tale. Especially when she gets out her baseball bat and threatens a bar full of large lads. From the very beginning, this had such a great vibe and a great feel to the setting. It might actually be my favourite Baba Yaga world location – there is just something about a bar on the sea.

 <- Dangerously Divine Review Dangerously Driven Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Wrath of Mulgarath by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
The Wrath of Mulgarath

Title: The Wrath of Mulgarath
Author: Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black
Series: The Spiderwick Chronicles #5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fae, Fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: “They’re all dragons.”

Synopsis

Three ordinary kids, Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace, have entered another world — without leaving this one! Two remarkable talents, New York Times best-sellers Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, have risked everything to bring this remarkable account to light. Five books — one thrilling adventure — the Spiderwick Chronicles!

Their world is closer than you think.

Thoughts

Throughout the past week or so of reading this series, I’ve been a little perplexed. Some of the bits and pieces I remember seeing in a movie from a long time ago, but there was a lot that I didn’t remember. Which, to be completely honest, is fairly typical for a book turned movie. It really wasn’t until reading this story that I 100% was like, YES! I did see that movie!

The rest of the Spiderwick books have been a great read before bedtime – they’re short and sweet, and quite easy to put down halfway through. Not so with this tale. Which, since it’s the conclusion to a series, should probably have been a little more expected. After all, they’re tying up loose ends, neatening a storyline and finishing off a great tale that ends with the Grace children sending their letter to the authors – the instigator for this whole series.

I really liked how everything in this series feels like it has come full circle at the conclusion. There is still room for more tales, but there isn’t the overwhelming urge to find out what happens next. It’s neat, tight and kind of sweet. Just what I like in a good children’s books’ ending…

 <- The Ironwood TreeThe Field Guide ->

Image source: Simon and Schuster

The Ironwood Tree by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
The Ironwood Tree

Title: The Ironwood Tree
Author: Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black
Series: The Spiderwick Chronicles #4
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fae, Fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: Jared looked at him with surprise.

Synopsis

First a pack of vile, smelly goblins snatch Simon. Then a band of elves try to entrap Jared. Why is the entire faerie world so eager to get their hands on Spiderwick’s Guide? And will the Grace kids be left alone, now that the Guide has mysteriously disappeared? Don’t count on it.

At school, someone is running around pretending to be Jared, and it’s not Simon. To make matters even worse, now Mallory has disappeared and something foul in the water is killing off all the plants and animals for miles around. Clues point to the old abandoned quarry, just outside of town. Dwarves have taken over an abandoned mine there. And the faerie world’s abuzz with the news that a creature with plans to rule the world has offered them a gift to join with him — he’s given them a queen…

Thoughts

Throughout The Spiderwick Chronicles so far, Mallory has seemed like a bossy, tough, almost larger than life character. Probably because you’re almost seeing the story through the lens of one of her younger brothers. There is a sense of not-quite-hero-worship, and antagonism between Jared and Mallory, so it’s kind of fun that in this tale of the Grace children, it is Mallory who needs to be saved.

The problems that have slowly been building with Jared’s actions, the fae and the fieldguide finally start to come to a boil in this story. Not only are they forced to confront kidnappers and a shapeshifting horror, but they also find themselves betrayed, and confronted with Mulgarath for the first time. It’s a great way to open up the storyline for the next (and final) tale in this series.

Actually, this tale was such a great way to open up the storyline for the next Spiderwick Chronicles, that it took me a lot of willpower to turn off the light and go to sleep…

 <- Lucinda’s SecretThe Wrath of Mulgarath ->

Image source: Goodreads

Lucinda’s Secret by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Lucinda's Secret

Title: Lucinda’s Secret
Author: Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black
Series: The Spiderwick Chronicles #3
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fae, Fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: “We were looking for some trace of our great-uncle.”

Synopsis

Let the story of my niece and nephews be a warning. The more you know, the more danger you’re in. And trust me, you don’t want to meddle with the Little People. — S.S.
One thrilling adventure — The Spiderwick Chronicles!
Their world is closer than you think.

Thoughts

The Grace siblings seem to steadily get pulled further and further into the world of the fae. From every book I’ve ever read, this just doesn’t seem to be such a great idea… but, the Grace children haven’t read as much as I have. You know, and they’re fictional children’s characters designed to emphasise that idea.

I loved the imagery of Aunt Lucinda in her little home, and the reasons why she was put there… the back story to the Spiderwick estate just seems to keep getting better and better too. After all, there’s a great tale there that is slowly being unfolded in front of your eyes. So much so that I actually struggled to put this book down, when the first two novels were much simpler to put down and walk away from.

Now I just can’t wait to open The Ironwood Tree… where will the Grace children find themselves next?

 <- The Seeing StoneThe Ironwood Tree ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

The Seeing Stone by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
The Seeing Stone

Title: The Seeing Stone
Author: Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black
Series: The Spiderwick Chronicles #2
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fae, Fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: Giving them the handkerchief was nice, but it could still be a trick.

Synopsis

we said no still you looked
now instead
someone gets cooked

The Grace kids are just beginning to get used to Aunt Lucinda’s strange old mansion when Simon suddenly disappears. Jared and his sister have to rely on the help of a mischievous house boggart, a nasty bridge troll, and a loud-mouthed hobgoblin to get him back.

Thoughts

At the end of The Field Guide, the Grace siblings are warned that they are putting themselves in danger by keeping the, well, field guide. So, it comes as no surprise that in this next story, one of them gets kidnapped. By creepy, gross goblins.

Something that I love about this series is that it is an easy read, but not one that I can’t put down. I actually stopped reading this halfway through, and then finished it the next night.

The ability of the children to put each other before themselves and constantly try to save one another. Add that to the fact that Simon is also trying to save whatever animal and creature he can find… it’s a pretty feel good story this one. That’s if you don’t count the creepy, gross goblins…

 <- The Field GuideLucinda’s Secret ->

Image source: Simon and Schuster

The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
The Field Guide

Title: The Field Guide
Author: Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black
Series: The Spiderwick Chronicles #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fae, Fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: They did all kinds of work for a plain old bowl of milk.

Synopsis

It all starts when Jared Grace finds their great uncle’s book, ‘Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastic World Around You’ and the Grace kids realize that they are not alone in their new house. Now the kids want to tell their story but the faeries will do everything they can to stop them.

Thoughts

I’ve had the second book in the Spiderwick Chronicles for ages. But I haven’t actually had the chance to get / read the first one in a long time. Finally, I managed to get my hands on a copy, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. This is a cute, quick, easy to read story that brings to life the world of the fae and the journey of the Grace children. I can’t actually remember what the movie was like, but this makes me want to rewatch it regardless…

I love the pictures that are scattered throughout this book. They bring to life the words, and I can imagine pouring over this very short tale with my children in the future. Accompanied by the fact that this is written about a young trio that have just lost their father, it’s a great way to show their strength and that anyone can do anything – even if they are young.

It’s difficult to write a long review on a book that I read in half an hour. Which is kind of why I thoroughly enjoyed this book – it was just nice, quick and easy to spend half hour before bed. A great way to switch off after a long day.

 <- The Wrath of MulgarathThe Seeing Stone ->

Image source: Reading for Sanity

Dangerously Divine by Deborah Blake

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Dangerously DivineTitle: Dangerously Divine
Author: Deborah Blake
Series: Broken Riders #2, Baba Yaga World #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Mythology, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Even from halfway across the room, she could tell that something wasn’t right.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

The Riders: Three immortal brothers who kept the Baba Yagas safe, now stripped of their summons to protect. But fate is not finished with them – and their new callings are even more powerful…

Though his physical wounds have healed, Gregori Sun, the eldest of the Riders, reamins in spiritual turmoil. His search for his mother, the one person able to heal his soul and save his life, is failing – until he crosses paths with a beautiful and fascinating librarian who might be the key to his salvation…

Ciera Evans’s bookish ways are just a guise. The product of a difficult past, she has dedicated her life to saving lost teens – by any means necessary. She works alone, but when a dark, brooding stranger proposes they team up to solve both their problems, she is tempted – in more ways than one…

After Ciera and Sun’s plans are derailed by dangerous enemies, they find themselves entangled in an ungodly affair – one that will force them to find new strength together, or be forever haunted by their pasts alone.

Thoughts

I read this story in a day. Which is always a good indication that it was amazing and I loved it. Alright, I’ve basically done this with each of the stories set in the Baba Yaga universe, but there was something about Dangerously Divine that I especially loved. Maybe it was the fact that although there was still the aspect of the Otherworld throughout, it didn’t have as large a place in the storyline. Something a little different to the other tales in this series. There were no journeys into the Otherworld, and, although there are gods and goddesses throughout, the fact that the entire story is based in one city with some very mortal enemies was a great change of pace.

After meeting Gregori a little better in Dangerously Charming, it was hard to imagine what kind of woman he would end up with. Honestly, I had kind of imagined somebody who was immensely spiritual, and maybe a little bit of a hippy. Ciera is nothing like that. And her tragic past just make her all the more engaging as a heroine. I’ve loved every one of the women and characters throughout the Baba Yaga series, but the fact the Ciera was from such a troubled past, and battled her own inner demons as much as Sun does kind of made me lover her the most.

Ciera and Gregori’s battles collide in this great book, and, ultimately deal with a serious issue in our culture. Drugs, homelessness and violence collide with freak snow storms, mystical healing abilities and a sense of justice that prevails above all else. This intense collision is one that is going to stick with me for a long time. It was everything that I want in a good paranormal romance.

 <- Dangerously Charming Review Dangerously Fierce Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Dangerously Charming by Deborah Blake

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Dangerously CharmingTitle: Dangerously Charming
Author: Deborah Blake
Series: Broken Riders #1, Baba Yaga World #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Mythology, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: He leaned down to pocket the ball.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

The Riders are three immortal brothers who protect the mythical Baba Yagas. But their time serving the witches has ended – and their new destinies are just beginning…

Ever since a near-fatal mistake stripped Mikhail Day and his brothers of their calling to be Riders, Day has hidden from his shame and his new, mortal life in a remote cabin in the Adirondack Mountains. But when a desperate young woman appears on his doorstep, he cannot resist helping her – and cannot deny how strongly he’s drawn to her…

For generations, women in Jenna Quinlan’s fmaily have been cursed to give up their first born child to the vengeful faery Zilya. When Jenna finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she is determined to break her family’s curse and keep her baby, even if it means teaming up with a mysterious and charismatic man with demons of his own…

To unravel the curse, Jenna and Day will have to travel deep into the Otherworld. But the biggest challenge of the journey might not be solving an ancient puzzle but learning to heal their own broken hearts…

Thoughts

I liked that the point of view was switched a little in this story. The Baba Yaga stories had a strong female lead who travelled around (and then eventually found their loved one). I loved this fact, but after three novels, a change was certainly needed. Dangerously Charming provided this, but kept me in the world that I have fallen madly in love with.

Following the first of the (now mortal) Riders, Dangerously Charming still has a strong female lead. It still has all of the paranormal and mythological aspects that I have fallen for. But, it has a differently damaged lead – a now mortal immortal. It also took someone who was damaged and trying to find a new way in life and helped them to find the way. Yes, this is still a paranormal romance. And it is still predictable that the main characters are going to fall for one another. But really, I don’t mind that kind of predictability. The ways in which they fall, and how they beat the baddy (in this case, a not-so-big, bad faery) are just murky enough that it is impossible to put the book down.

I liked Jenna’s spunk and vulnerability. Pregnancy makes most women emotional (or so I’m told), but somehow she manages to combine this with a strength and gumption that is completely unique. The Baba Yagas are supposed to be strong. And, quite frankly, are expected to be more than a little kick ass, but that’s not expected of a pregnant mortal. Yet, Blake takes these differences and gives Jenna a strength and independence all of her own. One that was actually all the more relatable for the increased vulnerability.

 <- Wickedly Spirited Review Dangerously Divine Review ->
Image source: Penguin Books Australia

The Enchanted by Cecilia Dart-Thornton

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
The Enchanted

Title: The Enchanted
Author: Cecilia Dart-Thornton
Series: Bitterbynde Companion
In: Legends of Australian Fantasy (Jack Dann & Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fae, Romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Collins Australia
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘I wish that your coming-of-age would befall tomorrow, Mistress Blythe,’ said Hawkmoor as they strolled.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

In the enchanted and magical world of Erith, danger comes to Kelmscott Hall as the trows seek to claim Mazarine’s baby. But it is Thrimby, the mysterious servant of the master of Kelmscott who will save them all from the most dangerous of bargains …

Thoughts

Stories that feature the fae are always something that I enjoy sinking my teeth into, and this three-part journey was one such beautifully constructed novella. I also really enjoyed that, for me at least, there were three distinct parts of this story, each with its own mini beginning, middle and end. It, would, theoretically make it easier to put the story down after each point of conflict passed. It didn’t. But, maybe for one less geeky it would.

Starting with Miss Blythe’s quiet brownie friend, her trials and romance are impacted by the presence of the fae throughout her battles against her guardian. The fact that she falls for the man’s son just seems to compound the difficulties that she is forced to face in an attempt to find her happily ever after. Yet, as with all stories, it is her position as an heiress that seems to get her (and her loved ones) in the most trouble. Alright, so some of the story line is a little predictable, but it still has this beauty and sweetness to it that made me fall in love within the first few pages.

After our sweet, and somewhat unassuming chief protagonist loses the man she loves, is forced into an unwanted confrontation with her guardian and leaves her temporary home, she has a whole new set of circumstances that become difficult to face. Again, the grey ones are lingering on the edges, but it is her strength and willingness to see justice that helps to carry her through the second trial of the novella. And, of course, when all seems lost, her love comes to the rescue. At the risk of his own demise.

It is in the third bit of this story that Dart-Thornton really plucks at my heart strings. There is an overarching feeling of the happy ending, everything seems right, and everyone is alive and healthy. And then a baby is due to arrive and the guardian again rears his ugly head. Now is the part of the story that really draws upon fae folklore, and it is the humorous, intriguing way in which this is dealt with that has stuck with me, even days after I finished this story.

I can’t recommend this novella enough – it combines folklore, love and tragedy in one neat package. And although some of it is a little predictable, it is still incredibly enjoyable.

 <- The Battle of Evernight ReviewThe Ill-Made Mute Review ->
Image source: Amazon