Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier is a gorgeous dreamlike fantasy for teens, remarkably realistic and lovingly researched. The cover is a beautiful, almost Baroque style painting with figures that almost match the characters describe. (You can't imagine how annoyed I am when the covers don't match the inside of a book!) The words are magical, spirited, sensitive.

This novel combines elements of fairytales, such as the Frog Prince and the 12 Dancing Princesses, with Russian mythology about vampires, faeries and of course, Baba Yaga. The story is told by the sensible one of the dancing daughters, as she tries to protect her sisters from the troubles that assail them during a long winter. These dangers include not only their domineering cousin, but also dark visitors from Fairyland, the vampire folk.

Overall, an enjoyable, intense and satisfying read, but for one disturbing fact that often shows up in historical fantasy novels. I won't mention it here for fear of spoiling a reader; not that it's terribly disgusting, but it's kinda predictable, perhaps? But my love for the story and characters overcomes this plot point, so I'm cool with it.

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer, a teen fantasy novel by Laini Taylor, is an enjoyable and fresh-faced romp through a dangerous world in which miniature fairies live in isolation, forgetting the apex of their power. An adventurous fairy named Magpie, accompanied by her crow friends, discovers that she is the fated one capable of defeating a monstrous being that swallows up life and leaves no trace. Along the way, she revives the king of Djinn, the creator of the world. With her newfound allies, 2 other young fairies with unusual magical powers, and battling traitors and other demons, she shakes the world of the fairies to the core.

What I like best about this series is the unique language style used, based on Scottish brogue or Irish dialect, I suppose. The mythology of the Djinn and Ifrit, probably unfamiliar to anyone not versed in Middle Eastern folklore, is always interesting to me. And of course, Magpie, stubborn and eventually way too over-powered, still retains a sincere and down-to-earth personality, which really impresses me in my long and jaded career of reading about stubborn and eventually way too over-powered teen heroes and heroines. Overall, an exciting read that I would recommend to anyone who won't snicker at the idea of a Tinkerbell fighting tooth and nail to save the world.

music and magic - more teen novels

I haven't updated in many moons because I've been busy with school and just haven't had access to a good library. But now that it's summer, I'm making up for lost time with my good friend, the local public library. Here are some titles that I will review later - I just wanted to note them before I forgot the authors and all that.

The Naming by Alison Croggon, also The Riddle and The Crow
A series set in a fantasy land where bards are able to perform magic. A teenage girl discovers that she is the fated one who will defeat an evil wizard. With the help of trusted friends, including a mysterious older man as her mentor, she comes into her power, finds a long-lost brother and in a race against time, they try to solve the riddles of the tumultuous past. The first book describes a typically Tolkienesque medieval world, while the second book ventures into the wild wintry north, and the disappointing third novel takes place in a burning south tainted by evil. Now where do they go next?!!

The Singer of All Songs by Kate Constable, part of a trilogy
A series set in a fantasy land where chanters are able to perform magic. A teenage girl discovers she is the fated one who will defeat an evil wizard. With the help of trusted friends, including a mysterious older man as her mentor, she comes into her power... wait a minute!!! Hah hah, but seriously, both series are charming, with breathtaking adventures, adorably stupid characters and confident world building. They're just very similar to each other sometimes. This book was compared to a version of Earthsea, rich and complex with ancient mystery.

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
This is a remarkably interesting retelling of a fairy tale, set in the plains of Mongolia and told in the form of an illustrated diary. Two girls are trapped in a tower, with the princess courted by two different princes, one kind, the other evil. The clever servant-girl, who also has the ability to sing magically, struggles along with her mistress until they finally escape and end up rescuing a kingdom from a terrifying fate. I love how the author sensitively describes the thoughts of the servant girl, who narrates the story, and incorporates elements of a culture not many would know.

Standard Hero Behavior by John David Anderson
A cute, saucy parody of the average fantasy story. A young bard (hah hah, I have a theme going on) and his humorous sidekick unwittingly find themselves on a quest to save their hometown from an army of orcs and goblins. Little do they realize that they would help bring back the long-lost heroes of their father's time on their misadventures throughout the countryside. While definitely ironic, this author does not deal his sarcasm too heavily, and the moral was more sweet than cheesy. Recommended for a light-hearted read.