Fairies & Elves Books - Page 6

Bedlam's Bard

Mercedes Lackey, Ellen Guon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 43 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Deadly boring wangst. 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 6 people found this review helpful.

In order to enhance your reading experience, let me introduce a bit of vocabulary before we start. WANGST: noun. "Ridiculously overblown self-pity." (The Urban Dictionary)


I'm used to Lackey's generally lightweight style; I even tend to enjoy it more than I don't. This book, however, is just a stinker.

I've yet to make it past page 150 in "Bedlam's Bard," and that's including extensive skimming. The book is dominated by an unstoppable tag team of wangsty, cardboard characters and an absurd overload of internal dialogue. One at a time either of those might be bearable, but in combination the reader (or this reader, anyway) just begins to wish that there was some way to put these obnoxious people out of their misery.

The book opens as some girl named Maureen dumps Our Henpecked Hero, Eric Banyon, for no particular reason. We must take the authors' word for it that their relationship had some redeeming value, because we never actually see her again. Maureen's sole purpose is to make Eric drunk and wangsty; and indeed, "Maureen" is all we get to hear about for the next hundred pages.

Aha! But the relationship is really only a plot device which (if my skimming is correct) 1) introduces an annoying, overly drawn-out subplot in which Eric is convinced that the elves are a product of his imagination/bad mushrooms/Maureen's spite and 2) eventually causes Eric to hook up with his Wun Twu Wuv. Eric's Wun Twu Wuv, whose name I cannot be bothered to remember, also gets extensive internal dialogue and wangst. For a change of scenery, her wangst is about Eric's immaturity and wangst.

Eric's immaturity and general footloose nature are supposedly a major plot point and have something to do with his Twagic, Juilliard-attending Past (TM); but for all the other characters harp on about it, I couldn't see how, exactly, he was being immature. (Well, apart from the wangst, but everybody in the book does that. I was desensitized.)

A few less-than-fascinating baddies are eventually introduced, but this is where I stopped. The rest will have to remain a mystery. I'm a sucker for bad fantasy, but "Bedlam's Bard" isn't even funny-- just deadly boring. It should have stayed out of print. Take the hideous cover art as a sign, and give this one a wide berth.

Editorial Review:

When Eric Banyon's flute playing accidentally frees elven noble Korendil from a magical prison, he suddenly finds himself caught up in a desperate fight against an evil elf lord who plans to conquer all of California.

A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale

Terri Windling, Wendy Froud

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In a forest called the Old Oak Wood, early on a rosy summer's morn, a young faery named Sneezle wakes in his nest to the clear music of pipes and the warm smell of the sun. At dusk tonight, the Midsummer Eve festivities will begin -- a time of potent magic in the faery realm. But just what will take place remains a mystery, for every year young Sneezle has fallen asleep. Something wonderful will happen, he knows -- or perhaps something dreadful and strange, for the faeries have two sides to their natures.

Something wonderful, something strange...In this enchanting collaboration between renowned doll maker Wendy Froud and award-winning writer Terri Windling, Sneezle's Old Oak Wood comes vividly alive with the magical denizens of the faery kingdom: a fatherly old troll dispensing wisdom from deep in his burrow; faery godmothers washing fragile wings; Titania and Oberon, the great lovers who rule over this faery kingdom; and a host of piskies, pookas, enchanted beasts, and darker spirits. Filled with the mystery and wonder of the very best faery tales, this entrancing story sends our unlikely little hero, Sneezle, into the tangled heart of the forest in an effort to thwart a powerful plot that threatens the Old Oak Wood.

Can the faery kingdom be saved? Can an insignificant little creature like Sneezle succeed in a hero's quest? With dazzling charm and a magical touch that will appeal to readers of all ages, A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale shows us that a good heart can triumph over evil and that humble truths are more powerful than the most elegant artifice.

A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale is the result of a magical collaboration between the doll and puppet maker Wendy Froud and the award-winning author Terri Windling. The faery world they unveil here so vividly features images of Ms. Froud's handmade figures woven into an enchanting faery tale for all ages written by Ms. Windling.

Something Rich and Strange (Ibooks Fantasy Classics)

Patricia McKillip

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Beautiful... 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

"Full fathom five thy father lies, Of his bones are coral made, Those are pearls that were his eyes; Nothing of him that doth fade But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange."

Lovers Jonah and Megan--he the owner of an art store somewhere on the Pacific Northwest coast, she an artist who sketches the sea--find themselves changing into things "rich and strange" when a pair of elusive and fascinating strangers enter their lives. The strangeness begins with little things--images appear of their own accord in Megan's drawings, an enigmatic sculptor named Adam Fin begins to frequent the store--but when a mysterious singer claimed as Adam's sister lures Jonah into her own realm, it changes from a mystery of the everyday world to a mystery of the Otherworld. To find Jonah, Megan will have to first discover and then see past the legends in which Adam and his powerful sister have clothed themselves, and Jonah must learn to look past his fascination with the siren song to see what provokes such terrible beauty, grief, and rage.

The story of "Something Rich and Strange" unfolds like a dream, all the while ringing very true to life. Patricia McKillip's writing is rich in texture and imagery: vivid, precise, and often surreal; she is equally adept at describing the luminous beauty of an undersea kingdom as well as Megan and Jonah's banter over dinner. The images she sculpts have a true ring of otherworldly beauty to them; Adam and his sister speak in human words, but they are not human, and while humans spin stories around their powerful realm, that is not human either. McKillip never lets the reader forget that; her mysterious sea is never ours to claim, only ours to remember and preserve.

Read "Something Rich and Strange" three times: once for the story, once for the jeweled prose, once for its message. And then read it a fourth time, for no reason except that the story deserves it. It will still be good: the changeable sea is eternal.

Editorial Review:

They have lived among us for centuries--distant, separate, just out of sight. They fill our myths, our legends, and the stories we tell our children in the dark of night. They come from the air, from water, from earth, and from fire. What are these creatures that enjoin out imagination? Faeries. Something Rich and Strange creates a faerie story that's not to be missed: Megan is an artist who draws seascapes. Jonah owns a shop devoted to treasures from the deep. Their lives, so strongly touched by the ocean, become forever intertwined when enchanting people of the sea lure them further into the underwater world--and away from each other.

King of the Unblessed (Realm Immortal)

Michelle M. Pillow

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

Editorial Review:

Immortality has a way of changing fate. Merrick, dark elfin King of Valdis, had once been heir to all that was good-happiness and pleasure his domain. Now, trapped as the ruler of mischief, king of necessary evil, he stands on a precipice of choice. On one side, his estranged brother, now ruler of what should have been Merrick's and, on the other, King Lucien of the Damned. Both would sway him. Damnation is winning. Lady Juliana of Bellemare is from a human family, protected by the blessed, coveted by the damned. Betrothed to an old friend of her father's, Juliana is resigned to living out her days close to her childhood home, longing for an adventure, never dreaming she'd get what she wished for. When her fiance is murdered and the children of Bellemare are stolen, Juliana is sent on a quest in a strange realm where appearances are deceiving. Merrick brings more adventure and passion than any woman could want. Can she withstand the temptations of the unblessed king? The spell she weaves over him is more than he can resist and, desperate to be the one to rule her, Merrick offers her a choice; either come with him until he tires of her.or die.

Of Water and Dragons

Kelley Heckart

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

They were destined to meet, but were they destined to be together? Though her heart wanted something different, Nemu knew what had to be done. There was much more at stake than her own suffering or the life of one man. The encroaching Romans threatened many innocent lives. Watching the dark storm clouds gather over the mountains, she thought how odd it was that nature often reflected ones feelings. Would the sun ever appear for her again? She saw herself as a tree battered by the wind and sleet, her heart a frozen knot of roots being ripped out by the damaging winds. There was nothing she could do to escape. She would have to stay strong and hope the storm would lose its strength, leaving her heart intact and Ambiorix safe. Of Water and Dragons takes place on the mystical island of Britannia from the dark enchanted lochs of Scotland to the grand bathhouses of Roman Britain. The battle of Mons Graupius in AD 84 is one of the most profound battles in history when the Romans, though greatly outnumbered, defeat the Celtic tribes of ancient Scotland and furthered the expansion of the Roman Empire. Here, in this untamed land the Romans call Caledonia, lives Nemu (Nay-Moo), a half-human, half-water faery woman. Soon after the battle ends, she finds a wounded Roman soldier name Ambiorix. Despite her distrust of humans, she takes him in and heals his wounds. Though they are from different worlds, they are mysteriously drawn to each other, but unforeseen forces keep them apart until their worlds collide in a fury of fire, blood and darkness. Of Water and Dragons weaves together the Roman history and Celtic lore of ancient Britain to create an unforgettable story of love and sacrifice.

EverQuest: The Blood Red Harp

Elaine Cunningham

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

Lover of bloody good stories! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Let me start by saying that I absolutely LOVED this book and was hoping against hope there was a sequel or a series to follow. I was immediately hooked. This story, as the plot suggests is about an evil and, for once, good looking necromancer who wants to be the one and only Dawnwalker. A Dawnwalker is one who is a vampire by night, with all the super powers that entitles, but is back to his or her old self during the day. So, basically he'd be a powerful necromancer by day and an even more powerful vampire by night.

Now tell me you aren't just dying to read that!

Unfortunately for our friend, the very very evil necromancer by the name of Chanzoon Nexus, the only way to find out how this works is by playing the blood red harp. Problem is that the harp will only yield its secret when the right bard plays it. Our necro friend won't be stopped by such trivial things so he sets out to torture and kill any and all bards he can get his hands on to find the perfect one. To do this, he has "enlisted" [more like forced] the aid of a very unscrupulous rogue by the name of Davin the Dark. As he is under Chanzoon's spell he has to help him find said bard and he does so by suggesting his ex wife the wood elf Elizerain.

Elizerain and Davin were married for about a year and this, along with the fact that she is a bard AND likes to play the harp [seen by elves as beneath them] has gotten her a reputation amongst her elven clan. She doesn't seem to care much since she is off all over the place in quests and adventures and she travels alone. During one of her travels she goes to Kelethin for a song festival and runs into an old friend by the name of Xander Fletcher whom she used to be in love with. Xander however doesn't think too much of Elizerain after she was involved with the bandit Davin and his band of robbers.

Through a series of [shall I say it? lol] unfortunate events Elizerain is cursed by the necromancer and is forced on a quest to save her life. Xander, as well as a highborn elf by the name of Nyson and Trobe the dwarf join her on this quest but, as with anything in these types of stories, nothing and no one is as they seem.

I couldn't get enough of all the characters, both good and evil. They all fit their parts perfectly and none of them dragged the story down or seemed out of place. Elizerain Greenleaf is a perfect heroine for this quest. She isn't under the illusion that she is better than anyone or that she can do everything herself. She knows exactly what her weaknesses are and she takes them into account when it's time for her to act. I can honestly say that there was only one time where she chose the wrong thing to do and, even then, you can understand where she is coming from as she did it to help someone in need. She is strong yet she is not above following directions or someone else's lead when she understands they know better than she does. I also liked her spunky attitude because it goes well with the adventures they encountered.

As far as the rest of the characters, well, I have no complaints. Chanzoon Nexus, the necromancer and villain of the book was truly evil. He had no scruples and he did whatever necessary to get what he wants. At the same time he is not portrayed as an all-powerful super villain, who usually look ridiculous, and he knows when to back off and rethink his plan.

Xander Fletcher, the wood elf soldier, and Nyson Impholder, the highborn elf, also fit their roles perfectly. Xander was a true hero yet even he had his darker side and Nyson, although a highborn and with every right to have the snobby attitude you'd expect from any aristocratic elf, didn't fall into the dandy or whiny category.

The quest itself was very entertaining and not once did I skim ahead or did the pace of the story bore me. My only complain is that the ending was a bit too fast paced and didn't keep with pace of the rest of the story. To be sure, the outcome and the way everything was solved was in keeping with the story and very satisfying but it should have been a little more detailed, again, in keeping with the rest of the story.

Other than that I've no cause for complain.

Mailyn from Twisted Kingdom Reviews [...]

Editorial Review:

He has the harp - now he needs a bard who can play it well enough to uncover its secrets. But Faydwer's bards consider harps to be quaint folk instruments, unworthy of their attention. Elizerain grew up with a harp in her hands. A merry, fun-loving wood elf, she collects ballads like other adventures collect treasure. If these story-songs are entertaining, she doesn't care if they're accurate. That was before a necromancer's curse gave her a choice: learn the true stories behind her ballads, or die screaming. One such ballad features her new red harp. Intent on her search, surrounded by deadly enemies and treacherous alliances, Elizerain doesn't realize that the real danger may be the harp itself.

The Four Forges: The Elven Ways #1 (Elven Ways)

Jenna Rhodes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

an excellent read, original enough to be worth your time 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

a wonderful novel that effortlessly combines high fantasy plot tropes with a moving story about a simple family and their trails and tribulations when they beoome emmeshed in the plots and machinations of the high and mighty.

JSyv: college student, an avid fantasy reader 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I read fantasy books all the time, almost exclusively. I absolutely LOVED this book, and as other avid readers know, good books ARE hard to find. The Four Forges is refreshing! The story seems a bit complicated at first but once you get into the book it is hard to put down. The author creates wonderful and interesting characters. Some you love and some you hate. The plot is full of twists and turns and there isn't a dull moment. The author builds up each character but it's done in a way that keeps you reading. I felt like she didn't waste any words (like so many other authors do). To sum it up the book follows the lives of Sevryn (an orphaned elf who grows into a deadly fighter), Nutmeg and her family (a lovable bunch of "Dwellers"), Rivergrace (a shy elf with a mysterious past and mysterious powers), Daravan (a shadowy elf who has his own agenda), Quendius (the villain with powerfully deadly demon weapons), and the Queen of the Vaelinars (the elfs)...and that's only a few of the interesting characters. While reading this book you can also look forward to deadly assassins, rowdy brawls, an ominous Dark Ferryman, and lots of laughs. Conclusion: I LOVED The Four Forges by Jenna Rhodes, great book, great characters! I look forward to more books from this author!

Editorial Review:

Brought to the world of Kerith by an unknown cataclysm, the Vaelinar race is both magical and arrogant, considering themselves far superior to the natives whose own magic has been shorn away by a civil war. As hated as they are revered, the Vaelinars have retreated to seclusion after anchoring their magic to the new world by a series of Talent-wrought Ways, passages of power, always hoping that one day they will create the Way back to the world they lost.

Two young people, one broken of soul and the other broken of mind, find their fates intertwined as their mixed bloodlines both curse and bless them. Can a river-borne slave and a street-savvy half-breed find their own personal truth in time to avert another civil war?

Faery Special Romances

Jacquie Rogers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A different kind of romance 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 17 people found this review helpful.

When I first started reading Ms. Roger's story, I didn't know if I would like reading in first person. But Ms. Roger's stories were so fascinating, and her characters were so charming, I was pulled into the book and couldn't stop reading. I laughed out loud several times, and I fell in love with every character...in all ten of her short stories. I'm not sure I can pick a favorite, but I have to admit, I did finished the book wearing a smile because Keely (the Princess Faery who was in all the stories) finally got her own story. It was a great read and I want to congratulate Ms. Rogers for writing such a different kind of romance.

Editorial Review:

Once Upon A Time, the faery princess Keely tried to match . . . . . . a misguided faery maiden and a surly but handsome knight, the pirate Devlin Angell and the ever-hopeful Myra, a faery under the ruse of Lord Kembell and a lady of nobel birth, a blacksmith and a duchess, a flapper and a barnstormer pilot . . . But can Keely keep her own heart? With faery magic, anything can happen! This enchanted carpet-ride features ten romantic faery tales, ten happy couples, and a journey through history with Keely, who grows from a kindergartener to a beautiful young faery woman.

Bad-Ass Faeries

CJ Henderson, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Monica Richards, Adam P. Knave, Lee Hillman, Jesse Harris, James Chambers, Elaine Corvidae, Vincent Collins

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not your average Faerie stories 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This Faerie book isn't your usual batch of `fairy tales'. This anthology is full of hard hitting, hard-core faeries that take no prisoners. None of the faeries in this book are the Disney `Tinkerbell' variation. The book itself if broken into the following five sections: Warrior Faeries, Outlaw Faeries, Wild Faeries, Street Faeries, and Faeries Noir. In this faerie book you will find faeries both noble and foul. There are cyborg faeries, native American faeries, assassin faeries, street smart faeries, and detective faeries. If you like faeries, or just like to read a good story or something a little different, then this book is for you.

Editorial Review:

Clap your hands...Now! Because you'd better believe the world is full of "Bad-Ass Faeries"! Toss out your childhood notions of faeries that are all goodness and light. No golden pixies clothed in gossamer, dancing on the wind, here to make the rainbows shine and the birds sing. These tales are of faeries on the raw edge, battle-worn and in black leather, with a glimmer of darkness in their eyes, if not their very hearts. From the meanest city streets to one dusty, disturbing saloon, on the wing or the back of a Harley, no matter where you look, they are headed your way, trailing attitude, bodies, and a dust devil of magic in their wake. Good or just plain rotten, you'll never look at faeries the same way again.

Crossover: Krisálys Chronicles of Féyree

Claudia D. Newcorn

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Resounding "Wow" 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (1/08)

I give a resounding "Wow!" for Claudia Newcorn's new book, "Crossover: Krisálys Chronicles of Féyree: Scroll 1," a light fantasy with substance. This intelligently written adventure story involving old grudges, ambition, love, and other dimensions of existence, also speaks to the difficulties of growing up and making independent, responsible choices.

The story follows the personal growth of Danai and her possible importance to the future of her people. Danai and the other young sprytes undergo the rituals of Krisálys in order to obtain their féyree wings. However, it quickly becomes apparent that each of the rites involved is going to be far more dangerous than the sprytes realize, as not everyone wants them to succeed, or notice that a dark time in féyree history is about to return. I have to admit that the abundant descriptions, invented vocabulary, and the thee/ye speech on the first few pages made me wonder if I would have the patience to finish the book, but by mid-chapter I was hooked. The tightly written characters and adventures in this volume were engrossing, and although the story can easily be continued in future books, Scroll 1 is complete and satisfying on its own.

Even though I am not a féyree kingdom enthusiast, the terrific storytelling in this book has certainly made me a fan of its author. "Crossover: Krisálys Chronicles of Féyree: Scroll 1," by Claudia Newcorn, will appeal to a variety of ages, and is a good choice for those who think, as I did, that féyree -world stories are generally too fluffy. Interesting and unique, this is simply a wonderfully written, action-filled, thoughtful fantasy book.