My life was normal. It sucked, but it was normal. At least until I got this new power. I can control fire. It would be cool if it wasn't so dangerous and if I knew how to use it. Pretty much my sucky life took a nose dive once I got it. Yup, everything gone. I suppose I should be thankful some uncle I never heard of took me in. Turns out the whole family isn't normal and my power is a lot more dangerous than I thought. I thought things couldn't get any worse. I was wrong. They banished me to Ever.
Jen Wylie was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.
Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.
Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories.
Jennifer resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her two boys and a disagreeable amount of wildlife.
EBook review copies available upon request. Please see website for email.
The thing about short stories is that they are really hit-or-miss for me. I don't know if it's the fact that they are, indeed, too short as I'm spoiled by novels... or they just lack in some way. I didn't find this to be the case with Banished. From the very beginning, the writing had me hooked. It was grammatically correct, short and simple, yet completely enthralling.
The main character, Misha, is very easy to relate to. She's just an ordinary girl with ordinary feelings, but she just happens to have an extraordinary ability. She's really alone in the world, yet not weak. Quite the opposite, she's a very capable and strong character.
This was a very quick and easy read, with all of the key components that make a wonderful story for me. The ending was satisfying, yet still left us with a small thirst for more. If you're looking for a story that flows smoothly with a simple plot and good cast of characters, I'd recommend trying Banished out for size.
The first short story that I read written by Jen Wylie was The Forgotten Echo and at the time I said she was an exciting new author for me. Well the first installment in the Tales of Ever series confirmed that statement! I don’t want to give any spoilers away but let me just say that Wylie’s imagination takes you on an absolutely crazy ride through Ever. The world she creates is incredible. When I read the first description of Ever, with its multi-coloured plants and killer ducks, I didn’t know what to expect from the rest of the story. Banished went down the route to utter fabulousness! Ever is such a twisted place and Wylie did an amazing job bringing it to life!
After being banished to Ever Misha meets Jadus who is willing to help her navigate Ever and hopefully help her survive her first day there. He tells her that most people do not spend more than a day in Ever because it is such a dangerous place. I love that Misha is written as a strong character and is not willing to lie down and accept her fate in Ever.
“Jadus turns to smile at me ‘Read to head back?’ ‘Yep” I’m ready to learn as much as I can from my new friend. Eventually, I’m going to kick Ever’s butt.”
The Tales of Ever contains 6 short stories and one story is released each month. I think this is a fantastic format and love the idea of a monthly release; it is something fun and exciting to look forward to! I never thought that a short story would have me so excited but I absolutely cannot wait to read the next installment in the Tales of Ever series. Jen Wylie, is an author to watch out for!
I received a free copy of Banished from the author (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I received this from the author for review. This did not in any way affect my review.
This is the first short story in the Tales of Ever series. This is the second short story by Jen Wylie that I have read. She introduced me to short stories. I really enjoy reading them now.
This is about a girl named Misha who has the ability to control fire. When her mom dies, a uncle that she has never met or heard of claims her and takes her to live with his family. Soon after they find out that she is "wild" cause of her ability. They banish her to Ever, a spell protected place. There she meets Jadus who she thinks is cute and different. He has the ability to see the past and present but not the future. He takes her into the jungle to find food and teach her how to survive Ever. Most people don't survive their first day in Ever. They come across creatures and plants that try to eat them. I loved how the sky changes so you know what time of day it is or when it's going to rain.
I hope I didn't give away too much, cause I think you all should read this. This is such an interesting and different story. The way the author describes the scenery and the creatures is very visual. It felt like I was right there with them telling Misha to run.
This author writes such good stories in such a small amount of pages. I can't wait to read the next books in this series.
I liked the first instalment of Tales of Ever. It tells the story of Mischa, a girl who can control fire. She’s got a tragic life, her father mysteriously disappeared and only his burnt out car was found, and at the age of 16, her mother dies. This is only the beginning of her story.
This is my first real introduction to Jen Wylie’s work. I orginally rated it 5 stars on goodreads and reread it yesterday, it’s still an awesome read. I’m looking forward to reading Fire Girl and the rest of the instalments as soon as possible.
Okay, this is what I liked about it. The use of pop culture references makes it easy to identify with the young girl. She’s completely thrown out of her element, I would explain that statement but that might spoil the story for other readers, so as Mischa has to adapt with her new situation the reader is pulled along for the ride. Jen has written a story that helps us feel sympathy for the character.
Prior to watching the movie 'Inception' I had heard people describing it as going into the rabbit hole, then going into another rabbit hole, and another, and another until you weren't sure which one you were in anymore. I would also give this description to Jen Wylie's 'Banished.' It does not continue along the lines you would expect and Jen Wylie has a talent for commenting on the 'traditional' cues found in books and movies--those things that we might consider canned or stereotypical. She's able to address these things in a fresh light and make them all her own.
I can't wait to read her other Tales of Ever. This was a fun ride and I'm amazed at how far the story ends from where it began in such a short length of time. She doesn't sacrifice quality of story for the pace, however. The reader is really drawn into how the MC feels as her world continues to change around her.
I certainly recommend this and cannot wait for the others. :)
I'm a huge fan of Jen Wylie's works. With that being said, I was thrilled to pick up her new short story series for children. If you have an eReader, I HIGHLY suggest buying this and giving it to your kids to read. Not only were the characters fun, but the world she created was absolutely the most clever idea i've ever seen for a series. Remember all those books you read as a kid where an evil magician or sorcerer banishes someone forever? Ya, that's what EVER is. The dumping ground for all those poor souls who got the crap end of the banishing stick!
Your kids will love this story, and you will too. It has everything from pyrokinesis to carnivorous ducks! The world of ever isn't a place you'd want to end up. I know I will be following the series to see what happens next! Well done, Miss Wylie!
Banished by Jen Wylie Tales of Ever Book One (Short Story)
Misha is normal girl with a pretty normal life that is until she learns that she has a powerful, totally cool but scary new power. She can control fire. Misha is glad to know that she isn’t the only one with this power. But then she gets banished to Ever a dangerous realm where deadly creatures and unknown people live. Helpfully having the power will help Misha survive her first day.
Banished is great start to a new series, just a little background and a lot of questions, makes you count down the days until you can find out more. Misha is a girl I feel like if we ever met we would be fast friends. She’s easy to understand and relate to even if you don’t have powers. Banished is a short story that is totally worth reading. Round of applause, Ms. Wylie, job well done.
Banished is the first in a series that I am sure to continue reading. From the very beginning the reader is sucked into this story of a girl that discovers she has special abilities. When she is banished, because of these abilities she finds herself in the strange world of Ever where everything is dangerous and she will be lucky if she survives her first day. But if she does, she just mithg find her father, who had disappeared years earlier. Turns out, he may have been banished too.
With the aid of a new friend, Jadus, she begins an adventure that adults and young adults alike can enjoy.
I got a copy of Banished through a LibraryThing member giveaway and am so glad I won. This is a short but intense deeply addictive intro to a great world with a fabulously real heroine. I can't wait to read the rest in this series!
I read this in the Tales of Ever vol 1-6 edition. Simply amazing. I recommend for readers of all ages. It is an engaging story and I hope to read more soon :)