Faerie Wars (Faerie Wars, #1) - Herbie Brennan
Genre: YA Sci Fi/Fantasy
# of pages: 368 (UK paperback)
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Recommended for: 14+
This is book 1 in the Faerie Wars series that I read approximately a year ago. They are not as well known in the US as in their original release country of the UK, so let's try to give them some exposure, eh?
Though this is a "faerie story," the faeries portrayed in this series are unlike any that I've ever read before. Brennan blends fantasy with science fiction to create practically a new style of fiction. Henry's journey from the Analogue World to the Faerie World is, by a long shot, truly unique and exciting. The action definitely starts when Henry and his crusty neighbor find a little faerie in the yard - the previous chapters dealing with Henry's dysfunctional family life are skip-worthy. Once the action gets started, though, there's no stopping it in this story.
This is most certainly a "third person omniscient" story in that you as the reader follow literally EVERY character. Sometimes I felt a bit overwhelmed by the back-and-forth coverage, but as the story progressed, it became very necessary to see the plot unfold from different directions.
Characters: I found the main protagonist - Henry Atherton - very enjoyable and heartwarming and lovably cute! But he's certainly no dummy, and when he finds himself dropped entirely in a new world, he shows readers how resourceful and intelligent he really is. I found myself wondering what I would do if I found myself in the situations he faced. And the faerie brother-sister duo, Pyrgus and Blue, are to this day some of my favorite characters in YA fiction. Blue is the perfect girl character: she's sassy, a wee bit bossy, incredibly intelligent, but never mean or snarky. She and Henry complimented each other perfectly.
Now here's a little disclaimer: I found the series in the Teen Fiction section, and to me that's a very appropriate place. This is a very action-packed series, and yeah there's conflict: and not wishy-washy glossed over conflict, either. These are bad guys who do bad things. I wouldn't use the word "pervasive," but there certainly are violent aspects of the story. To me, I didn't find the violence out of place or even unnaturally heightened...it had a purpose: to be contrasted with good. Also, some "magick" magic references really steer this series more toward the upper end of YA... Older middle schoolers and high schoolers will just eat this series up.
Overall: A very satisfying beginning to a fun, entertaining 4-part series. I'm certainly glad I gave the Faerie Wars series a try.
Add them to your TBR today!
Final Rating:
Genre: YA Sci Fi/Fantasy
# of pages: 368 (UK paperback)
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Recommended for: 14+
This is book 1 in the Faerie Wars series that I read approximately a year ago. They are not as well known in the US as in their original release country of the UK, so let's try to give them some exposure, eh?Though this is a "faerie story," the faeries portrayed in this series are unlike any that I've ever read before. Brennan blends fantasy with science fiction to create practically a new style of fiction. Henry's journey from the Analogue World to the Faerie World is, by a long shot, truly unique and exciting. The action definitely starts when Henry and his crusty neighbor find a little faerie in the yard - the previous chapters dealing with Henry's dysfunctional family life are skip-worthy. Once the action gets started, though, there's no stopping it in this story.
This is most certainly a "third person omniscient" story in that you as the reader follow literally EVERY character. Sometimes I felt a bit overwhelmed by the back-and-forth coverage, but as the story progressed, it became very necessary to see the plot unfold from different directions.
Characters: I found the main protagonist - Henry Atherton - very enjoyable and heartwarming and lovably cute! But he's certainly no dummy, and when he finds himself dropped entirely in a new world, he shows readers how resourceful and intelligent he really is. I found myself wondering what I would do if I found myself in the situations he faced. And the faerie brother-sister duo, Pyrgus and Blue, are to this day some of my favorite characters in YA fiction. Blue is the perfect girl character: she's sassy, a wee bit bossy, incredibly intelligent, but never mean or snarky. She and Henry complimented each other perfectly.
Now here's a little disclaimer: I found the series in the Teen Fiction section, and to me that's a very appropriate place. This is a very action-packed series, and yeah there's conflict: and not wishy-washy glossed over conflict, either. These are bad guys who do bad things. I wouldn't use the word "pervasive," but there certainly are violent aspects of the story. To me, I didn't find the violence out of place or even unnaturally heightened...it had a purpose: to be contrasted with good. Also, some "magick" magic references really steer this series more toward the upper end of YA... Older middle schoolers and high schoolers will just eat this series up.
Overall: A very satisfying beginning to a fun, entertaining 4-part series. I'm certainly glad I gave the Faerie Wars series a try.
Add them to your TBR today!
Final Rating:
2 shout-outs!:
I've seen this one at the library a few times, and I've read the summary, but it never actually made it home with me. I'm glad you reviewed it, because now it's going on my list! :)
I’ve noticed this title but hadn’t really explored what it was about. It sounds really good. Thanks for the great review!
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