The Call of Eirian by C. Aubrey Hall

311 pgs.
Target audience: Young adult
Rating: Fairy

 In the second installment of “The Faelin Chronicles,” Cynthe and Diello make their way to their mother’s homeland, the realm of the Embarthi. Here they will seek refuge with their uncle, deliver the dangerous and powerful sword, Eirian, and rescue their kidnapped sister, Amalina. Dogged at every step by goblin attacks, the small group finally arrives in Embarthi to an unenthusiastic welcome. This is in part due to their mother’s betrayal to the royal crown and birthright. Could their journey have led them to a place no safer than the Antrasian realm of their childhood? Their family reunion takes a back seat to the intrigues of the royal court. More than half of the book recounts their journey to Embarthi which is cluttered with chatty and superfluous dialogue drowning the author’s attempt at character development. By the time the pace picks up, many readers will have lost interest. The cast of characters and map do serve as helpful storyline tools. For a more suitable choice in a quest  fantasy, recommend “The Great Tree of Avalon” series by T. A. Barron.
(Book provided for review by Children's Lit  - www.childrenslit.com)
 

Crystal Bones by c. Aubrey Hall

313 pgs.
Target audience: Young adult
Rating: Griffin

Half Fae twins Dielho and Cynthe, born of a Fae mother and human father, are painfully aware of the prejudice against half breeds and know it’s better just to blend in. They eagerly await their thirteenth birthday when their mother will bestow upon them their magical gifts. But when the day arrives, nothing goes as they planned. Instead of celebrating at the village fair, they’re given chores and sent on a boring errand. After delivering cloth to the castle, the temptation is too great to check out the fair, but this detour proves deadly. They are spotted and pursued by a goblin. They escape and return home only to find it burned to the ground, their mother dead. Their father’s last words plunge them into a world of family secrets, enemy goblin hordes, powerful swords and magic. Along with a talking wolf pup, and a half goblin creature named Scree, they set off to find their only relative, a Fae uncle they’ve never met. This fantasy has many traditional elements – magic, mysterious swords, sorcery, quest. Although the plot moves along at a good pace, the characters develop slowly at first giving the book a sluggish appeal at the beginning. The magical gifts of both children seem to be injected into the storyline making it seem like they just knew stuff without learning it. The author cleverly uses language to alter words for this world like “walner” for walnut tree, giving the descriptions a multi-textured, magical feel. The heavy issues of grief and prejudice are addressed realistically keeping the story from becoming too depressing. The end is left open for the next in the “Faelin Chronicles” series.

Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

354 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Wizard

 Lena’s unnaturally elongated hands and fingers have always brought unwanted attention especially in a society where anyone with odd features is known as a Peculiar and an outlaw. All Peculiars are exiled to the northern land of Scree where they live and work in the coal mines. Lena's grandmother and family doctor claim that her hands and feet are the first sign of goblinism, traits passed on by her father who vanished into the land of Scree when Lena was still a child. They say her father was a bad egg which means she’ll turn out the same way. Now eighteen, Lena decides it’s time to find her father and get some answers. Her quest begins on a train where she meets Jimson, a young librarian on his way to Knoster, a city on the edge of Scree, to work in the private library of an eccentric inventor, Mr. Beasley. After an incident aboard the train, Lena loses her purse with most of her money and becomes a person of interest to the local marshal, Thomas Saltre. Upon reaching Knoster, Lena gets a job plus room and board as Jimson’s assistant in a most spectacular library in order to buy supplies for her trip to Scree. Thomas Saltre takes a keen interest in this development and uses Lena to discover the secret happenings at Mr. Beasley’s home, Zephyr House. Although Lena’s not sure Thomas’s motives are entirely honorable, she is baffled and curious about the odd comings and goings at her new job, justifying her meetings with the charming marshal. The more she snoops with Jimson, the more mysterious and possibly ominous her employer’s actions appear. This story takes place in the late 1800’s and has some steampunk flavor with Beasley’s inventions which include a steam-powered flying machine. Magic, adventure, gothic elements, romance, secrets and odd servants abound in this thrilling new fantasy. For cat lovers, there is Mr. Beasley’s marvelously resourceful, intelligent and loyal cat, Mr. Mumbles – read to find out why he’s called that, it will make you smile. My only criticism is that the cover is misleading, it depicts a blond girl with wings when she is in reality a minor character in the story.

Fairy Lies by E. D. Baker
256 pgs.
Target audence" Age 8-12
Rating: Wizard

In this sequel to Fairy Wings, Tamisin, who has recently broken up with her cat goblin boyfriend, Jak, is kidnapped by fairies and taken to Oberon. Tamisin is not just any fairy, she's the daughter of Queen Titania and up until now has believed her father to be human. Oberon insists that Tamisin is his daughter and that he brought her to the fey world to bond with her good 'ole dad. Meanwhile Jak sets off on a quest to rescue her. At this point the story splits and alternates between Jak's ad Tamisin's adventures. The more time Tamisin spends three, the more muddled her thoughts become. There are encounters with trolls, goblins, sea monsters and a hidden enemy who wants to harm Tamisin. This is a fun book for fans of fairies. It is not necessary to read the first to enjoy this one.