Fairies & Elves Books - Page 4

Unshapely Things (Connor Grey, Book 1)

Mark Del Franco

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Ace Amazon Marketplace: 64 new & used starting at $1.10

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General AAS
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Fantasy -> Contemporary

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The title didn't make the story good enough 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I loved the idea of this book, as I'm very fond of Rob Thurman... And this book kept my interest for a little bit, but then it just failed.
The characters have to grab me within the first ten pages, and unfortunately this book did not have a strong enough characters to not only grab it but kept my attention for the entire book.
It was okay story/characters/plot, average, not GREAT.

Editorial Review:

In the alleys of the decrepit Boston neighborhood known as the Weird, fairy prostitutes are turning up dead. The crime scenes show signs of residual magic, but the Guild, which polices the fey, has more "important" crimes to investigate and dumps the case on human law enforcement.

Boston police call in Connor Grey, a druid and former hotshot Guild investigator-whose magical abilities were crippled after a run-in with a radical environmentalist elf. As Connor battles red tape and his own shortcomings, he realizes that the murders are not random, but part of an ancient magical ritual. And if Connor can't figure out the killer's M.O., the culmination of the spell might just bring about a worldwide cataclysm.

Sister of the Dead (The Noble Dead)

Barb Hendee, J.C. Hendee

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Roc Amazon Marketplace: 107 new & used starting at $0.02

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Horror -> Dark Fantasy
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Fantasy -> Epic
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Fantasy -> Dark

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Informative; Not as Entertaining 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Although this was easily the least interesting of the first three books in the series, this is the one you need to read to understand how Magiere came to be a Dhampir. The story itself seems like it was added afterwards to give the story a narrative flow, and has the weakest plot of all the books. There are fewer fights, fewer interchanges between the main characters, and many of the fight scenes seem to be here solely to have fight scenes. Chap is given a more prominent role than Leesil, which is unfortunate because Chap simply doesn't have the personality that Leesil has.

A step down from the previous entries, but I'm still ready and eager to move on the fourth installment.

Editorial Review:

The Noble Dead saga continues as Magiere and Leesil, the slayers of the undead for DHAMPIR and THIEF OF LIVES, embark on a quest to uncover the secrets of their mysterious origins - and those responsible for orchestrating the events that brought them together....

Magiere is a dhampir - half human, half vampire - sired for the purpose of slaying the undead. Outside the village of Chemestúk, where she was born and raised, stands her father's keep. Within its walls, she hopes to discover the secrets of her past and figure out why a vampire would wish to breed a creature capable of slaughtering his own kind....

But there are those who don't want Magiere to learn the truth—and when her half-elf partner, Leesil, makes a startling discovery in the keep, he can understand why. Before Leesil can reveal the truth to Magiere, they must vanquish a creature of unimaginable and unlimited power who has damned a small village of people with a horrifying curse...

Widdershins (Newford)

Charles de Lint

Amazon Price: $20.40 List Price: $27.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tor Books Amazon Marketplace: 78 new & used starting at $3.45

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General AAS
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( D ) -> De Lint, Charles

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Jilly Coppercorn and Geordie Riddell. Since they were introduced in the first Newford story, "Timeskip," back in 1989, their friends and readers alike have been waiting for them to realize what everybody else already knows: that they belong together. But they've been more clueless about how they feel for each other than the characters in When Harry Met Sally. Now in Widdershins, a stand-alone novel of fairy courts set in shopping malls and the Bohemian street scene of Newford's Crowsea area, Jilly and Geordie’s story is finally being told.

Before it’s over, we’ll find ourselves plunged into the rancorous and sometimes violent conflict between the magical North American “animal people” and the more newly-arrived fairy folk. We’ll watch as Jilly is held captive in a sinister world based on her own worst memories—and Geordie, attempting to help, is sent someplace even worse. And we’ll be captivated by the power of love and determination to redeem ancient hatreds and heal old magics gone sour.

To walk “widdershins” is to walk counterclockwise or backwards around something. It’s a classic pathway into the fairy realm. It’s also the way people often back slowly into the relationships that matter, the real ones that make for a life. In Widdershins Charles de Lint has delivered one of his most accessible and moving works of his career.

War for the Oaks: A Novel

Emma Bull

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Orb Books Amazon Marketplace: 70 new & used starting at $3.06

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> United States -> General AAS
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Bull, Emma
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Fantasy -> Contemporary

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 60 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Phoukas, magic and rock and roll, oh my! 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I've come to the conclusion that any story with a phouka (alternately spelled pooka) is better for it. Harvey (with James Stewart) made brilliant use of this creature. Emma Bull does the same in War for the Oaks. Originally published in 1987, this book is set in Minneapolis where Eddi McCandry is trying to make a living as a rock and roll musician. When the novel starts, Eddi's prospects in the music department are not so good. To make matters worse, she is soon recruited by the Seelie Court to help them make war. That's right, Eddi is drafted into a faerie war. In order to keep her safe (until she has to risk her life in battle), the phouka is dispatched as her bodyguard.

There is something kind of awesome about a book that can combine rock music with something as fantastical as faeries. Bull does it wonderfully. Each chapter title is a song. Music excerpts abound throughout, sure to entertain even those of us unfamiliar with music of that period. Bull also spends a lot of time describing the process of making music--what the band sounds like on stage, how rehearsals go, etc. Instead of being boring or draggy, they're really interesting and show how very much effort goes into this process.

At times the plot seemed a little predictable, but I'm still not sure if that's just because I've been reading quite a few fantasy books lately instead of from anything in the writing. It doesn't really matter though because it's not a bad predictability. Rather, it's the kind that leaves a sense of satisfaction because it feels like the plot is going along as it should be.

Bull's writing style was down to earth without being stale and her characters will not easily be forgotten. The phouka, in particular, is a favorite for too many reasons to enumerate here. So, if you haven't guessed, I strongly recommend this book. If you like music, if you like phoukas, if you like fantasy, if you need something to read, if you believe in magic--this book is for you.

Editorial Review:

Acclaimed by critics and readers on its first publication in 1987, winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel, Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks is one of the novels that has defined modern urban fantasy.

Eddi McCandry sings rock and roll. But her boyfriend just dumped her, her band just broke up, and life could hardly be worse. Then, walking home through downtown Minneapolis on a dark night, she finds herself drafted into an invisible war between the faerie folk. Now, more than her own survival is at risk—and her own preferences, musical and personal, are very much beside the point.

By turns tough and lyrical, fabulous and down-to-earth, War for the Oaks is a fantasy novel that’s as much about this world as about the other one. It’s about real love and loyalty, about real music and musicians, about false glamour and true art. It will change the way you hear and see your own daily life.

Fairie-ality: The Fashion Collection from the House of Ellwand (Fairie-ality)

David Downton, Eugenie Bird

Amazon Price: $26.40 List Price: $40.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Candlewick Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $14.82

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General AAS
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> Commercial -> Fashion Design

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Do you believe in fairies? How about high fashion? Enter the exquisite world of fairie fashion - where feathered hats are designed for maximum lift, oak leaf jackets boast ample wing vents, and flower-petal flats are easily removable for flight.

In the fairie world, there is only one top designer of couture and accessories . . .

Prepare to be enchanted! While humans go about their workaday lives, there is a secret world of well-dressed fairies flitting about in fragile fashions that would take your breath away - if only you could see them. Well, now you can. For the first time ever, elusive fairie couturier Ellwand allows mortals a peek at his ethereal designs in FAIRIE-ALITY, a catalogue so spectacularly crafted it befits a fairie queen herself. Showcased are nearly 150 creations - including dresses, jackets, trousers, shoes, hats, and delicate unmentionables - fashioned wholly from feathers, flower petals, shells, seeds, and other materials from nature. Consider these special features:

Extraordinary production elements, including three specially selected paper stocks; metallic inks; fold-out booklets; vellum envelope with removable fashion card; and numerous half-, third-, and quarter-pages, notably to showcase garments for a playful mix & match, offering dozens of outfits to create.

Drawings by celebrated fashion illustrator David Downton, capturing the graceful, but rarely glimpsed, fairie attired in Ellwand’s designs.

Witty and delightfully romantic captions by Eugenie Bird.

A breathless narrative by a young fairie guiding us from The Season’s start through May Day revelry and a Fairie Tale Wedding.

Filled with authentic fairie lore that will lure fairie lovers by the legion, this superbly designed volume also offers many clever nods to human fashion history. Its fun, fanciful costume descriptions will amuse the fashion-savvy everywhere, while the stunning array of fashions themselves - a veritable dress-up dream - will leave readers of all ages spellbound.

The King of Elfland's Daughter (Del Rey Impact)

Lord Dunsany

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Del Rey Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $3.79

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> British -> 20th Century
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> British -> General AAS
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Fantasy -> Epic

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 56 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The illusive boundary between the fields we know, and the fields that we do not... 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I'll be brief here. Quite simply, I wish that I would have been introduced to this book three or four decades ago. I've read fantasy off and on for most of my life but somehow I missed this gem of the first and best. It is immediately obvious where Tolkien received much of his inspiration, but it is also equally recognizable where this book heavily influenced later writers such as Moorcock. In fact, it seems that nothing since has really matched Lord Dunsany's works- they are the original inspiration from whatever source they sprang. All else is a fading echo.

One thing did confuse me. It was my understanding that Dunsany stopped writing his fantastic tales of the "edge of the world" after the First World War and the head wound that he received. This work was copyrighted in 1924. Then I realized that most of it is a remembrance and a quest for a kingdom once known but then tragically lost. This is a remembrance of Elfland written by one who could no longer find it. That gives it a much different flavor than the tales that were composed before the war.

The introduction by Neil Gaiman is perceptive, brief and less irritating than most introductions. However, I would disagree with him on the subject of the 17th Earl of Oxford...

Editorial Review:

The poetic style and sweeping grandeur of The King of Elfland's Daughter has made it one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time, a masterpiece that influenced some of the greatest contemporary fantasists. The heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess is a masterful tapestry of the fairy tale following the "happily ever after."

Elvenborn (Halfblood Chronicles)

Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tor Fantasy Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $2.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lackey, Mercedes -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lackey, Mercedes -> Paperback
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lackey, Mercedes -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this long-awaited new novel in The Halfblood Chronicles, fantasy greats Norton and Lackey tell the enthralling story of the reclusive elvenlord Kyrtian, who emerges as a hero in a world torn by politics and war. When his cousin, Aelmarkin, tries to prove that Kyrtian is unfit to run his estate, the plan backfires, and soon Kyrtian, who doesn't share the venal, greedy nature of his cousin, finds himself with more power than he ever wanted.

Like his father before him, Kyrtian has always treated the humans on his estate like servants, instead of enslaving them as other elvenlords do. His father's legacy also leads Kyrtian to learn ancient military skills long since lost to elvenkind through the carelessness of the elvenlords. Kyrtian's rediscovered knowledge piques the interest of the current elvenlords, and soon Kyrtian finds himself appointed the new commander of the army, to the relief of his ruling peers.

For the sons of the most powerful elvenlords, the Young Lords, have rebelled against their fathers and are waging war. But by taking advantage of both the privileges of his new command and the help of some unexpected new friends, Kyrtian finally gains the resources to embark on his own, personal quest--resuming his father's search for the Great Portal, the magical doorway through which the original elvenlords entered this world.

As war rages between some sons and fathers, Kyrtian searches desperately for his own lost father, hoping to uncover not only the mystery of his disappearance, but also the secret behind the origin of elvenkind.

Master of the Moon (Mageverse, Book 3)

Angela Knight

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Berkley Amazon Marketplace: 106 new & used starting at $0.04

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Romance -> Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost
Subjects -> Romance -> Romantic Suspense
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Fantasy -> Fairies & Elves

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Better than the first book - 3.5 stars 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Continuing on from MASTER OF THE NIGHT, Angela Knight gives us a better understanding of the Sidhe way of life by featuring their King of Cachamwri, Llyr Gallatyn. This novel starts a week after Arthur and Llyr takes on the evil Geirolf who, although was defeated, left a legacy of evil in the form of thousands of bad vampires who are now scattered all over the world. Now it is up to Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table and the Sidhe people to rid our Earth of them.

In the small town of Verdaville, South Caroline, Diana London lives a regular as the city manager. Unbeknownst to the townspeople, Diana is descended from the Dire Kind - a werewolf breed made by Merlin as insurance in case the Magus or Sidhe turn bad. Diana doesn't mind being a shape-shifter. Unless she's on her Burning Moon - the time of the year when her physical needs must be sated. So along with her hunt for the vampire wreaking havoc in her town, she must also deal with the Burning Moon. Fortunately for her, Merlin's magic is only too happy to find the man for her.

For 1600 hundred years, Llyr Galatyn has been King of the Faeries. Along with the burden of caring for his people is the search to provide them with a queen. And having lost four wives due to his evil brother's greed, Llyr needs someone strong and able to defend herself. Is the shape-shifter who takes delight in driving him mad the queen he's been searching for? And how can he finally put an end to his brother's evil machinations?

MASTER OF THE MOON is certainly an improvement from the first book. While the romance still leaves a lot to be desired, there is plenty of humor that kept me entertained. The action scenes are quite good and the sex definitely sizzles and is an obvious trademark in Knight's books. All her books should come with a warning to those who like their romance books on the gentle side. If you want a fast-paced, witty and sizzling story, and don't mind if the romance is on the weak side, then you will enjoy this book.

Editorial Review:

Unknown to the citizens of her small town, policewoman Diana London is a shape-shifting werewolf on the track of a killer vampiress. Through erotic dreams, she is drawn to Llyr, king of the faeries. But despite sparks, Llyr is a complication in her life. Until the vampiress at large finds an ally, Diana and Llyr have no one to turn to but each other.

Elvenbane (Halfblood Chronicles)

Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tor Books Amazon Marketplace: 157 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lackey, Mercedes -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lackey, Mercedes -> Paperback
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lackey, Mercedes -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

From the author of Tales of Ancient Xenar 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I started reading this book after finishing Terry Brooks Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Antrax. I was a victim of Hurricane Wilma which put out my power for almost 2 weeks and reading was all I had.
I don't give this book a perfect 5 because there are a few problems. For one, Norton and Lackey made elves the bad guys in this. They made elves into despotic slave-driving being who conquered the human world after leasving their home world. They destroyed their home world by using their magic to mess up the environment in their world and they are doing the same in this. If I were either Norton or Lackey, I'd have made the bad guys dark elves. In most other stories, elves were good beings trhat coexisted with their environment and didn't try to interfere with the natural orders.
Another problem I found with this book was that it went against what I have been taught about writing fiction. Too much detail was put into the story. Much of the wordly details were completely irrelevant to the story.
But the story I liked. The main character Shana is a very likeable character. She was the halfblood child of an elven lord named Dyran and one of his human concubines. We watch her being born in the desert then get adopted by a dragon named Alara. Alara takes Shana back to her lair and gives her to her son Keman. Keman gave Shana her name and treated her like a pet then later like a sister. Shana grows up with the dragons until the age of twelve then is exhiled from the Lair. There is a lot more to the story which I can't get into. But this story flows well. I give this 4 stars

Editorial Review:

Two masters of epic fantasy have combined in this brilliant collaboration to create a rousing tale of the sort that becomes an instant favorite. This is the story of Shana, a halfbreed born of the forbidden union of an Elvenlord father and a human mother. Her exiled mother dead, she was rescued and raised by dragons, a proud, ancient race who existed unbeknownst to elven or humankind. From birth, Shana was the embodiment of the Prophecy that the all-powerful Elvenlords feared. Her destiny is the enthralling adventure of a lifetime.

Vulnerable: The First Book of the Little Goddess Series

Amy Lane

Amazon Price: $16.15 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: iUniverse, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $7.77

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Horror -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Horror -> General AAS
Subjects -> Romance -> Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 58 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

a beautiful book 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I can't put into words how much I loved this book. I really got attached to the characters, especially Green, but also Cory, Adrian, Brack, and Arturo. The setting was beautiful, Green's paradise was definitely a place I wanted to crash and the plot had really good pacing. I'm dying for the next book to arrive, I didn't hesitate to buy the series and Bitter Moon!

I couldn't finish it. 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I ordered Vulnerable on a whim after reading The Twilight series. I didn't buy it because of the reviews. I bought it because it sounded interesting. Unfortunately, I gave up on it. I read almost half of it and realized I couldn't keep reading it -- I didn't want to keep reading it. I was under the impression that this was a vampire book, but there was too much focus on other creatures: elves, were-cats etc. It was just too much for me. Not my kind of thing.

Editorial Review:

Working graveyards in a stop & rob seemed a small price for Cory to pay in order to get her degree and get the hell out of Nor-Cal. She was terrified of disappearing into the aimless vortex that awaited the lost and the young that haunted her neck of the woods. Until the night she actually stopped looking at her books and looked up. What awaited her was a world she had only read about—one filled with fantastical creatures that she was sure she could never be.

And then Adrian walked in—and she discovered that risking your life was nothing compared to facing who you really were. And then falling in love.