CSFF Blog Tour - Day 3 - The Final Day

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter
Friends Come in All Sizes and Places, Both Faery and Human.


(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

*Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/006155474X
Author Web site - http://www.rj-anderson.com/
Author blog - http://rj-anderson.livejournal.com/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/rj_anderson

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy
of this book from the nice people at HarperCollins Publishing.

As Knife/Byrony's story progresses, she seems to feel everyone is against her. Catching sight of a human, leads Byrony to the kitchen where Mallow assigns Byrony the hardest, dirtiest jobs. She felt limited because Wink, her foster mother, watches and restrains her too much. When assigned to Thorn, the Oakenfolk Hunter, Byrony feels Thorn doesn't have any faith in her and is too critical in every attempt. Later, when Byrony wakes to find herself in a strange place she feels trapped by the human, Paul.

Yet, as the story ages and grows, Knife matures herself. From Paul she learns to put others first, and not only do the things that benefit only you. This is at odds with what she has heard and learnt her whole life within the tree. Knife finds that as she opens herself to others, and cares for others, she grows a little herself. With each new expression of compassion and caring, knife strengthens the bonds between herself and others. Increasing her value in the sight of her friends.

It's a good thing too, as each struggling step forward in her quest for truth requires help from these friends she'd earlier thought disliked or ignored her. Thorn's orders and harsh training enabled Knife to survive the outside world and even triumph over larger foes, for Thorn saw Knife's greater potential beyond her early missteps. Wink deeply cared for Byrony, and wanted to protect Byrony from any potential harm, not suffocate her with rules and restrictions. Mallow? Well, she never became a friend as such, but Knife gained her grudging acceptance if not her respect. Paul at one point encloses Knife in a box, but not to trap her; rather to protect her from unknown dangers.

The Gardener put each of these, and others, into Knife's life so that she might accomplish her life's mission. Even Mallow served as purpose in Knife's development. Through Mallow, Knife learned first hand about hard work, and learning not to grumble. You don't give up even when things seem impossibly hard, for there may be a new direction in your life greater than you could ever imagine.

I think that's one of the lessons learned from Faery Rebel. The Gardener has a purpose for everyone. It might not be easy, or even seem fair, but looking back later you may realize that without learning what you did, you would never have arrived at your destination at this point of your life.

If the Faery Rebel blog tour postings piqued your interest that's good. It's not every day you have the opportunity to finish a book that leaves you feeling good about life and maybe a little hopeful. The world of the Oakenfolk is a fun place to visit, and I'm looking forward to R. J. Anderson's return to Faery world.


*Participants’ Links:

Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Amy Browning
Melissa Carswell
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
Nissa
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

CSFF Blog Tour - Day 2

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter
Faery Magic, One Size Does Not Fit All In the Gardener's Eyes


(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

*Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/006155474X
Author Web site - http://www.rj-anderson.com/
Author blog - http://rj-anderson.livejournal.com/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/rj_anderson

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy
of this book from the nice people at HarperCollins Publishing.

Magic has left the Oakenfolk, except for Queen Amaryllis. It wasn't always so, but since before the time of the Queen the faery folk are unable to work magic. At times of stress, small magic or changes can be worked, but the spells soon wear off returning the people or objects to they way they were before. Born into the repressive life of the old oak tree, Byrony yearns for something more, something larger than her world inside. She even questions why The Gardener, the whole world's creator, would make such a big world and expect faeries to remain secluded inside.

Faeries have lost their creative abilities along with their magic. No one has created new art, or new dresses, or new songs since the magic has left the Oakenfolk. It may be that their magic helped create these things. With power to create unavailable the faeries must preserve the irreplaceable beauty of the past and only bringing these items out during very special occasions

Early in the story Bryony escapes through a large window in the seamstress room and encounters a young human boy. The chance meeting surprises both, and Byrony scurries back inside the tree. The Queen hears of Byrony's unprotected venture out of the tree, and Byrony is hurried to their physician. Inside, Byrony encounters her first case of the Silence as it has hit one of the older faeries of their tree. No one knows for sure of the cause, only that the results are final, but most think the disease comes from contacts with humans lik ethe one Byrony just met.

Byrony's curiosity gets the better of her, and she begins searching for answers the Oakenfolk, especially the Queen, would rather she didn't ask. Turned away from the answers by her elders, Byrony, who becomes Knife, searches the Library. Her thirst for knowledge impresses the librarian who takes her to a special room holding old books from the time before the loss of magic. Shocked to find a glimpse of the real reason behind the Oak's loss of magic, Byrony now known as Knife, begins to doubt the truth of those around her, especially the Queen.

It seems that once one question is answered, a new question begs creation. Is the Silence to blame for the loss of Faery magic? If so, where did the Silence originate? Was it something members of their tree did to disappoint the Gardener. Maybe it was a disease caught from the giants known as humans.

At first I thought it odd that all the characters were female. Instead of giving birth, faeries lay a magical egg that changes into a faery youngling over time. That made sense as magical beings would reproduce in a magical manner, but it begged the question of what happened to the male faeries. Midway into the book even Byrony asks this question. Her search eventually leads to an answer so odd, so outlandish that she denies it could have ever been true.

Her answer worked on multiple levels. The story struck me as an allegory for our own world. Over time, the faeries had become so seperated from the Gardener's plan, that they lost their way and had come to think of their limited, inwardly-directed lives as the way life was meant to be. Questioning society upsets the status quo because 'that's the way we've wlways done it.'

On the third and final day, I'll discuss how friends care about you especially when they don't always agree with you.


Tomorrow - Friends Come in All Sizes and Places, Both Faery and Human.





*Participants’ Links:

Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Amy Browning
Melissa Carswell
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
Nissa
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

CSFF Blog Tour - Day 1

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter
Tinkerbell for the 21st Century




(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

*Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/006155474X
Author Web site - http://www.rj-anderson.com/
Author blog - http://rj-anderson.livejournal.com/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/rj_anderson

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book
from the nice people at HarperCollins Publishing.

When I first heard the title, Faery Rebels, I half-expected something along the lines of Artemis Foul meets Lord of the Rings. It sounded fun, but maybe a bit predictable. Happily, I was way off base. Faery Rebels recounts the tale of a young faery named Bryony that lives in an ancient oak tree located at the forest edge. The faery community has survived for centuries within the same tree. Over time, the population has dwindled due to fewer and fewer births, and a growing number of faeries succumbing to the Silence, a degenerate disease that is always fatal. Bryony is the only young faery in the midst of older faeries who all live in the tree

Inside the great oak, everyone has a job, from the lowest cook to Queen Amaryllis, who protects them all with her more powerful magic. I'll touch a little more on the magic aspect in tomorrow's blog.

You may wonder, like I did, how Bryony becomes the faery, Knife. Within the great tree the Oakenfolk, as they call themselves, are each given a job based on a vision by the Queen. The appointments allow everyone to use their gifts and talents in the most beneficial way for the community. Over time, the Oakenfolk have become petty and selfish. They never offer to freely help one another, only exchange goods for services or favors. This barter system struck me as a sad commentary on our own society. Few help others out of the goodness of their hearts any more. Even volunteers may be helping with the idea of a future benefit. When Byrony freely receives help, she is unsure why the other person would help. She keeps expecting an angle in play by the giver; no one gives something of value away without a reason.

As a very young faery, Bryony catches a glimpse of the world outside their home. Her greatest wish is to become a Gatherer; one of the select faery groups allowed into the dangerous world outside the tree. While the outer world is fresh and green and beautiful, Gatherers must stay on a constant lookout for dangerous animals like foxes, or worse, crows, while gathering food for the faery community. Byrony is granted a job, but not what she expected, or had even dreamed of receiving.

R. J. Anderson does a great job with setting and characterization in Faery Rebel, and without giving away the story, I thought the ending created a strong start for a new story. On her website, I found that Faery Rebel is the first book in a new faery series. The next book in the series is available in the United Kingdom as Rebel, and as Wayfarer in the United States. Wayfarer is available for Amazon pre-order with a June 22ND release date. What's the future of the faery series books? On her web site, Mrs. Anderson mentions Arrow and Swift as two books due for a U.S. release in 2011 and 2012.

Amazon lists Faery Rebels as appropriate for ages 9-12. Readers who enjoy a good fantasy tale with an strong, upbeat ending may also find the book enjoyable. I finished reading Faery Rebels and left feeling pleasantly surprised by how quickly time passed while immersed in the story.

Tomorrow - Faery Magic, One Size Does Not Fit All In the Gardener's Eyes.

*Participants’ Links:

Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Amy Browning
Melissa Carswell
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
Nissa
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher