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Flicker #1
Flicker
Lee Capren’s life is perfectly ordinary, thank you very much—right up until she’s spirited away by faeries and forced to serve them as a portrait artist. She escapes with the help of Nasser, a human boy whose magic has always been more of a curse than a gift. But what felt like a night in Faerie spanned years in the human world, and Lee returns only to find that her old life is gone.
Now living above a shop that caters to the city’s beguiling magical crowd, Lee doesn’t think her life can get more complicated. Then again, she never expected clashes with Filo, her prickly new roommate and unwilling magic tutor, her growing feelings for Nasser—or the cunning faerie bent on dragging her back to the world she just escaped.
Now living above a shop that caters to the city’s beguiling magical crowd, Lee doesn’t think her life can get more complicated. Then again, she never expected clashes with Filo, her prickly new roommate and unwilling magic tutor, her growing feelings for Nasser—or the cunning faerie bent on dragging her back to the world she just escaped.
278 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2012
51 people are currently reading
2107 people want to read
About the author
Kaye Thornbrugh
7 books63 followersMild-mannered reporter. Hufflepuff. Aspiring dungeon master. Author of the Flicker series.
Kaye Thornbrugh lives in the beautiful Inland Northwest, and though she hasn’t seen any faeries in the woods just yet, she remains optimistic.
Kaye Thornbrugh lives in the beautiful Inland Northwest, and though she hasn’t seen any faeries in the woods just yet, she remains optimistic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
January 14, 2016
***2.5/5 Stars***
Oh no. This book was not for me. The premise was interesting, the world building was fun, but the characters and I did not hit it off. At all. And for me? That’s one of my favorite parts of a book. To feel everything they are going through. To hold my breath, to smile, to cry, to be nervous right along with them. Not only then do I became lost in the pages, but I truly feel immersed in the story. Sadly, that did not happen with Flicker. I became adrift, confused and could not find a way to care about any of the characters.
But at first, I was completely intrigued in chapter one. The story started off with Lee and her best friend at a house party. What seemed normal, quickly escalated into something else when Lee would catch a glimpse of an image that truly could not be there. A girl with green hair and black spines growing from her back, a girl with pointed ears, a boy with a snout and wolf’s ears….but when she would take a second glance, they were just normal teenagers. When things started to become too uncomfortable for Lee, she escaped the party and ended up in the land of the Fey. Where she stayed for the next 7 years (not by choice)! At this point, I was SO intrigued. I was nervous about what was going to happen to Lee and I couldn’t wait to see how she was going to escape.
In the next chapter, everything seemed to change. We were introduced to two boys, Filo and Nasser, but I quickly became lost. We would spend a few pages with one of them and then quickly switch to the other. Then after only a few pages with that one, then we would go back to the other character. While the switching between characters did eventually become more spaced out, I could never feel attached to any of them. To know Lee, Nasser or any of the other characters inside out. Or at the very least to understand their voices. And with each switch, a lot of times I felt discombobulated. I never really knew who we were starting out with. Their voices blended together and felt blurred to me.
I also struggled with the introduction of so many characters within the first few chapters. We meet Lee, Alice, Morgan, Newman, Jason, a hob, a dryad, Rodney and a lot of names from the Summer Court. Oh my goodness, I became so confused. Honestly, it took me close to 32% to have a good grasp on who was who without having to look at my highlighted notes. Usually the characters I read about became vivid in my mind and I can visualize every detail about them. But in Flicker, I wasn’t able to do that. Their descriptions became long forgotten. Especially since I struggled with just keeping up with who was who.
So unfortunately, Flicker was not for me. While the premise was definitely interesting, I struggled with the changes of viewpoints and the influx of characters. What connection I had initially made, became disjointed and then lost. So suffice to say, I will not be continuing on with this series.
***ARC was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***
For more of my reviews, please visit:
Oh no. This book was not for me. The premise was interesting, the world building was fun, but the characters and I did not hit it off. At all. And for me? That’s one of my favorite parts of a book. To feel everything they are going through. To hold my breath, to smile, to cry, to be nervous right along with them. Not only then do I became lost in the pages, but I truly feel immersed in the story. Sadly, that did not happen with Flicker. I became adrift, confused and could not find a way to care about any of the characters.
But at first, I was completely intrigued in chapter one. The story started off with Lee and her best friend at a house party. What seemed normal, quickly escalated into something else when Lee would catch a glimpse of an image that truly could not be there. A girl with green hair and black spines growing from her back, a girl with pointed ears, a boy with a snout and wolf’s ears….but when she would take a second glance, they were just normal teenagers. When things started to become too uncomfortable for Lee, she escaped the party and ended up in the land of the Fey. Where she stayed for the next 7 years (not by choice)! At this point, I was SO intrigued. I was nervous about what was going to happen to Lee and I couldn’t wait to see how she was going to escape.
In the next chapter, everything seemed to change. We were introduced to two boys, Filo and Nasser, but I quickly became lost. We would spend a few pages with one of them and then quickly switch to the other. Then after only a few pages with that one, then we would go back to the other character. While the switching between characters did eventually become more spaced out, I could never feel attached to any of them. To know Lee, Nasser or any of the other characters inside out. Or at the very least to understand their voices. And with each switch, a lot of times I felt discombobulated. I never really knew who we were starting out with. Their voices blended together and felt blurred to me.
I also struggled with the introduction of so many characters within the first few chapters. We meet Lee, Alice, Morgan, Newman, Jason, a hob, a dryad, Rodney and a lot of names from the Summer Court. Oh my goodness, I became so confused. Honestly, it took me close to 32% to have a good grasp on who was who without having to look at my highlighted notes. Usually the characters I read about became vivid in my mind and I can visualize every detail about them. But in Flicker, I wasn’t able to do that. Their descriptions became long forgotten. Especially since I struggled with just keeping up with who was who.
So unfortunately, Flicker was not for me. While the premise was definitely interesting, I struggled with the changes of viewpoints and the influx of characters. What connection I had initially made, became disjointed and then lost. So suffice to say, I will not be continuing on with this series.
***ARC was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***
For more of my reviews, please visit:
August 24, 2012
I just couldn't get into this.
First try I had to put it down -it was just mind-boggling.
I couldn't keep up with the story. And honestly, I found it a little boring which didn't help matters when I was already growing confused.
I decided to pick it back up the next day and try again although my confusion kept growing and I decided to start again from the beginning- at this point I was becoming agitated and frustrated with it all.
But the same happened I grew bored and tired of it and yes, confused. I kept reading hoping it would pick up and something would grab my attention. I hoped that my confusion would pan out as I got more into it. And it did. Soon I picked up exactly what was going on and worked through my scrambled thoughts.
And although I finally grasped the context and what was going on I was still bored. Nothing grabbed my attention and demanded me to read it, I simply read it-to read it. As I can't NOT leave a story unread once I begin.
I think some people will enjoy this, it just simply wasn't to my taste.
It's a good story it just wasn't for me.
First try I had to put it down -it was just mind-boggling.
I couldn't keep up with the story. And honestly, I found it a little boring which didn't help matters when I was already growing confused.
I decided to pick it back up the next day and try again although my confusion kept growing and I decided to start again from the beginning- at this point I was becoming agitated and frustrated with it all.
But the same happened I grew bored and tired of it and yes, confused. I kept reading hoping it would pick up and something would grab my attention. I hoped that my confusion would pan out as I got more into it. And it did. Soon I picked up exactly what was going on and worked through my scrambled thoughts.
And although I finally grasped the context and what was going on I was still bored. Nothing grabbed my attention and demanded me to read it, I simply read it-to read it. As I can't NOT leave a story unread once I begin.
I think some people will enjoy this, it just simply wasn't to my taste.
It's a good story it just wasn't for me.
September 7, 2012
My original review is posted over on Girls *Heart* Books but I am gonna post another one here. Why? Because I can. Allow me to begin-
Hot. Mother.
I will be honest with you all and say I've been in a Faerie Funk after "Lament" (Maggie Stiefvater) because I love Luke, and I haven't really been sucked into any others since I read that. I'm not sure why. A "Book Hangover" I suppose. But I've been wanting to get back into the Fey novels, so when Kaye contacted Mel and I about reviewing her book, I was interested. I had high expectations that this would be really good, but I was scared I would be disappointed- After all, I was comparing it to "Lament" of all things.
GOD. This book blew any other book about the Fey out of the water. I have never been so enamored in a story before, nor have I ever read something where not ONE ship left me disagreeing. No, no. I found myself doing this-
-more times than I'd like to admit. It's embarrassing how obsessive I got with Nasser, Filo, Alice, Jason and Lee.
SPEAKING OF FILO.
Luke, love, you have some serious competition if someone doesn't snatch up that boy, and soon. Ahemhemhem.
All right, let's not give away more spoilers... ANYWAY. Enough of my drooling. Back to crying. Because the end was coming way too fast. And I was gonna have a serious issue without more Filo- I mean, more Flicker. Yeah.
But! Then! I come to find out there is a sequel. It is titled Brightly. It is scheduled for publication sometime in 2013- Early!
My life is made.
So, um... I guess the waiting needs to start now, huh?
...meanwhile, you should all go read this. Like, really. Stop reading my review. Get on Amazon, and download this baby to it.
Don't have a Kindle?GET ONE. Then order a physical copy, dammit! And wait, at the front door, for the mail man to get to your house, and when he does, hug him, because he has just brought you the best book of the fey in the history of all time.
The End.
Hot. Mother.
I will be honest with you all and say I've been in a Faerie Funk after "Lament" (Maggie Stiefvater) because I love Luke, and I haven't really been sucked into any others since I read that. I'm not sure why. A "Book Hangover" I suppose. But I've been wanting to get back into the Fey novels, so when Kaye contacted Mel and I about reviewing her book, I was interested. I had high expectations that this would be really good, but I was scared I would be disappointed- After all, I was comparing it to "Lament" of all things.
GOD. This book blew any other book about the Fey out of the water. I have never been so enamored in a story before, nor have I ever read something where not ONE ship left me disagreeing. No, no. I found myself doing this-
-more times than I'd like to admit. It's embarrassing how obsessive I got with Nasser, Filo, Alice, Jason and Lee.
SPEAKING OF FILO.
Luke, love, you have some serious competition if someone doesn't snatch up that boy, and soon. Ahemhemhem.
All right, let's not give away more spoilers... ANYWAY. Enough of my drooling. Back to crying. Because the end was coming way too fast. And I was gonna have a serious issue without more Filo- I mean, more Flicker. Yeah.
But! Then! I come to find out there is a sequel. It is titled Brightly. It is scheduled for publication sometime in 2013- Early!
My life is made.
So, um... I guess the waiting needs to start now, huh?
...meanwhile, you should all go read this. Like, really. Stop reading my review. Get on Amazon, and download this baby to it.
Don't have a Kindle?
The End.
July 2, 2012
Alright, so I have to start off this review by saying that I freaking LOOVE this cover! I just love it so much! And was happy to find that Lee is a redhead! <3 I so love red hair, it must be because I have it, as well as my daughter! But yes, the cover is gorgeous and I also love the font they chose for the title. So about the story, I also really enjoyed it! I think it is a wonderful debut novel and am going to be looking forward to more from Kaye.
Flicker revoles mostly around Lee, a 16 year old artist, who wanders into a faerie revel and loses the next seven years of her life. Lee is finally recscued when Nasser comes to the revel looking for his brother Jason, only he sees Lee and makes a trade to free her. When the faerie Prince and Queens find out that someone has traded her off when the Prince is so attached to her, they send that person, who is a dryad named Bryony, after Lee to bring her back. Bryony is quite desperate to bring her back as she loves the Prince and would do anything to be able to be with him. So there is a lot going on in the story because Lee finds out that she can use magic and she really, really likes Nasser. But her comes Bryony trying to capture her and take her from her new life. So the story line is pretty fun and I was always eager to see what would happen next.
There are a lot of major characters in this story. There's Lee of course. Nasser, her love interest and hero. Jason, Nasser's brother. Filo, a grumpy Seer who hates everything and everyone, especially Lee, who has been left in his care. Then there is Alice, who isn't as big of a character, but she is still pretty awesome. And then Bryony, a vindictive dryad who lets nobody get in her way of her love.
Overall, Flicker is a fun read. It's full of heartbreak, adventure and romance. I felt terrible for Lee, losing seven years of her life, but then look what comes of it. She meets a great guy. I think Kaye Thornbrugh is an author that you should watch out for and if you are at all into books about faeries, you should definitely give this book a read. If you've never read a book about faeries, maybe you should start with this one. It's definitely a cute, fun read.
Flicker revoles mostly around Lee, a 16 year old artist, who wanders into a faerie revel and loses the next seven years of her life. Lee is finally recscued when Nasser comes to the revel looking for his brother Jason, only he sees Lee and makes a trade to free her. When the faerie Prince and Queens find out that someone has traded her off when the Prince is so attached to her, they send that person, who is a dryad named Bryony, after Lee to bring her back. Bryony is quite desperate to bring her back as she loves the Prince and would do anything to be able to be with him. So there is a lot going on in the story because Lee finds out that she can use magic and she really, really likes Nasser. But her comes Bryony trying to capture her and take her from her new life. So the story line is pretty fun and I was always eager to see what would happen next.
There are a lot of major characters in this story. There's Lee of course. Nasser, her love interest and hero. Jason, Nasser's brother. Filo, a grumpy Seer who hates everything and everyone, especially Lee, who has been left in his care. Then there is Alice, who isn't as big of a character, but she is still pretty awesome. And then Bryony, a vindictive dryad who lets nobody get in her way of her love.
Overall, Flicker is a fun read. It's full of heartbreak, adventure and romance. I felt terrible for Lee, losing seven years of her life, but then look what comes of it. She meets a great guy. I think Kaye Thornbrugh is an author that you should watch out for and if you are at all into books about faeries, you should definitely give this book a read. If you've never read a book about faeries, maybe you should start with this one. It's definitely a cute, fun read.
August 1, 2012
Must-Read YA Fantasy!
I was immediately drawn into Flicker! Kaye does an amazing job of throwing the reader right into the deep end along with sixteen year old Lee as she is taken from everything she knows and forced to serve in Faerie. When happenstance puts Nasser, a seer, in the same faerie revel as Lee, their lives change forever. Once Lee is freed from her Faerie prison of endless painting she discovers she can never go back home. What was only days in Faerie has been years in the real world. Nasser takes her back to Bridgestone City, to his friends, and to a world Lee could have never imagined co-existing with her own. The story follows Lee, Nasser, and three others with different magical abilities as they fight to grow up, discover themselves, and avoid getting stolen back to Faerie.
I am a fanatic about character development and this story had it all! One of my favorite elements is the way Kaye has woven Faerie folklore in with other mystical creatures. I’m not a huge fan of Faeries, in fact, they sort of creep me out, much like clowns- so it was easy to be on the side of this misfit band of teens as they fought off the evil Faeries. I definitely am a fan of Neman and Morgan, the nasty folk who had apprenticed Filo, one of the most conflicted characters in the book. They are nasty with a capital 'N' and I love it! There are so many opportunities for other stories to spawn from these four amazing characters, and I really hope Kaye brings them back. Although she played a minor role in this book, I have a feeling Alice has an amazing story to tell about where she has been and what lies ahead.
Overall I enjoyed the plot, it was very well developed. The perspectives of the main characters and those of the Faeye were very well written and delivered seamlessly. I almost think the book could stand on its own without the first chapter and all of its ‘normal’ teen drama; focusing on Lee and her experience at the park. I definitely recommend Flicker as it appeals to a wide range of readers! Read and Reviewed for TracyRiva.com / Tracy Riva Books and Reviews.
I was immediately drawn into Flicker! Kaye does an amazing job of throwing the reader right into the deep end along with sixteen year old Lee as she is taken from everything she knows and forced to serve in Faerie. When happenstance puts Nasser, a seer, in the same faerie revel as Lee, their lives change forever. Once Lee is freed from her Faerie prison of endless painting she discovers she can never go back home. What was only days in Faerie has been years in the real world. Nasser takes her back to Bridgestone City, to his friends, and to a world Lee could have never imagined co-existing with her own. The story follows Lee, Nasser, and three others with different magical abilities as they fight to grow up, discover themselves, and avoid getting stolen back to Faerie.
I am a fanatic about character development and this story had it all! One of my favorite elements is the way Kaye has woven Faerie folklore in with other mystical creatures. I’m not a huge fan of Faeries, in fact, they sort of creep me out, much like clowns- so it was easy to be on the side of this misfit band of teens as they fought off the evil Faeries. I definitely am a fan of Neman and Morgan, the nasty folk who had apprenticed Filo, one of the most conflicted characters in the book. They are nasty with a capital 'N' and I love it! There are so many opportunities for other stories to spawn from these four amazing characters, and I really hope Kaye brings them back. Although she played a minor role in this book, I have a feeling Alice has an amazing story to tell about where she has been and what lies ahead.
Overall I enjoyed the plot, it was very well developed. The perspectives of the main characters and those of the Faeye were very well written and delivered seamlessly. I almost think the book could stand on its own without the first chapter and all of its ‘normal’ teen drama; focusing on Lee and her experience at the park. I definitely recommend Flicker as it appeals to a wide range of readers! Read and Reviewed for TracyRiva.com / Tracy Riva Books and Reviews.
April 15, 2014
Flicker is Kaye Thornbrugh's brilliant debut novel and the first in what will be a new series. We were very lucky to be contacted by the author and offered the chance to review this book. Lana and I were both instantly interested in the story. So, of course, we had to say yes. This is one of my new favorite books about the fey.
Written in the third person perspective, the narrative flows beautifully making it nearly impossible to stop reading. I simply had to know what would happen next to the amazing characters Thornbrugh created. Superbly plotted and vividly descriptive, this book captivated me from the very beginning. I had no idea what would happen next and I loved it.
I love these characters. Even the slightly (and not so slightly) evil ones are compelling. I love that none of them are perfect; everyone has their demons and flaws. It helps make them more believable and makes it very, very hard to not like them. And they grow and adapt as the plot unwinds, learning from their mistakes.
All the characters are fun to read about but my favorites are Filo and Nasser. Nasser has to be one of the sweetest male characters I have ever read. Not only does he rescue Lee from the revel, he is determined to protect her, his brother and friends with little regard for his own safety. His loyalty and bravery are beyond commendable. Where Nasser is sweet and protective, Filo is all rough edges and terrified of showing any kind of real emotion. For all his outward harshness, Filo is the most dynamic and interesting of all the characters. Yes, you sometimes want to smack him for his seemingly callous treatment of the others but if you look a little closer you can see his struggle to protect himself from further pain and loss. Mostly, I wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would work out.
This book is the total package; intriguing, fast paced and peppered with both humor and sadness. It's unique, very well written and leaves you feeling bereft when it's over.
Written in the third person perspective, the narrative flows beautifully making it nearly impossible to stop reading. I simply had to know what would happen next to the amazing characters Thornbrugh created. Superbly plotted and vividly descriptive, this book captivated me from the very beginning. I had no idea what would happen next and I loved it.
I love these characters. Even the slightly (and not so slightly) evil ones are compelling. I love that none of them are perfect; everyone has their demons and flaws. It helps make them more believable and makes it very, very hard to not like them. And they grow and adapt as the plot unwinds, learning from their mistakes.
All the characters are fun to read about but my favorites are Filo and Nasser. Nasser has to be one of the sweetest male characters I have ever read. Not only does he rescue Lee from the revel, he is determined to protect her, his brother and friends with little regard for his own safety. His loyalty and bravery are beyond commendable. Where Nasser is sweet and protective, Filo is all rough edges and terrified of showing any kind of real emotion. For all his outward harshness, Filo is the most dynamic and interesting of all the characters. Yes, you sometimes want to smack him for his seemingly callous treatment of the others but if you look a little closer you can see his struggle to protect himself from further pain and loss. Mostly, I wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would work out.
This book is the total package; intriguing, fast paced and peppered with both humor and sadness. It's unique, very well written and leaves you feeling bereft when it's over.
August 15, 2012
I Absolutely LOVED this book! Miss Thornbrugh is a wonderful story teller who pulled me in and held me thru the whole story. I often use reading as an escape, which I was able to do with the characters and places in this book. I truly hope there will be a sequel. Would love to find out what happens with Nasser and Lee, Filo and Alice. And whether Nem and Morgan come back. How Lee's powers grow. Great writing and quite engaging tale. Will watch with baited breath for a sequel.
September 27, 2015
Likable characters, deep friendships, harsh lessons, court intrigue, colorful magic, and an abundance of perseverance make for a fascinating tale. Kaye Thornbrugh weaves a vivid world dancing just beyond normal sight. Flicker is a great read. I look forward to reading future works by this author. This is Kaye's first novel and I think she did fantastic!
September 13, 2012
AMAZING. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ. Kaye has a wonderful gift with words. She makes you feel a part of the story and her world. I look forward to reading more from Miss Kaye in the future.
July 5, 2012
I really loved this book. It had everything I like to see in a fantasy--faeries, adventure, and great characters!
June 14, 2012
Flicker was a book I'd never stumbled upon until Kaye Thornbrugh, the author, contacted me asking if I'd be willing to review her book. I totally jumped on the chance and said yes! It sounded like an interesting story and the cover instantly pulled me in.
Lee Capren is just a normal nerdy sixteen year old girl who likes comic books and often gets lost in her head when she draws. She's totally normal with her red hair bright green eyes and freckles... or so she thought. Little did she know that all around her there were things that were there, but she couldn't see them. Little did she know that she had magic inside of her. Lee is suddenly thrust into a world full of magic and fairies and soon she's got a faerie out looking for her. A faerie who from the start doesn't like Lee one bit and she'll do anything it takes to get Lee where she wants her.
Lee was a character I instantly connected with. She was a character who was easy to like and the more you got to know her and the more she grew the more you connected and liked her. We first meet Lee and she's on a swing and she's seeing some creatures out of the corner of her. But before she can really look at them, their gone. Lee is a really well developed character, as are all of the characters in this book. She starts off a bit scared as she adjusts to this new life, but she grows into this really strong character.
Instantly you know that this is a book that is going to take off in the action immediately. This book doesn't waste time it dives right into the crazy world Lee didn't know even existed. Though it does take right off, it isn't one of those books you think took off a bit to early. It starts and finishes and you don't feel like you missed out on anything important and I really liked that about this one. You could get immediately thrust into the world full of Seer's and faerie and there wasn't a second of confusion. Kaye Thornbrugh describes everything so clearly and vividly that each creature was unique and easily created in my head.
Flicker is told from a lot of different point of views. This surprised me. I don't know why I'm always surprised when books are told from different points of views. I suppose its because I'm just expecting one point of view. But I really liked that this one was split up in the different points of views. It allowed you to see some characters in a better light than you might have without them having their own point of view. My favorite's would have to be Filo's and Lee's. Those were my two favorite characters and I liked it best when it was told from their point's of view on things.
Filo Shine. The moment he graced the page I liked him. I honestly can't begin to tell you why I liked him because he was this moody guy who never cracked a smile. But I liked him. And the more there was of Filo Shine the more I liked him. And the fact I liked Filo so much is probably why I didn't connect to much with Nasser. Don't get me wrong though I did like Nasser, I really did. He's got all the qualities you want in a love interest, but the moment I fell for Filo Nasser just didn't stand a chance. I will also admit I was secretly hoping Filo and Lee would end up together. I just didn't feel the chemistry between Lee and Nasser like I did with Filo and Lee. Let me just say there is a very high chance that I was not feeling the chemistry between these two because of the fact the whole time reading in the back of my mind I was rooting for Filo and Lee. I don't foresee anything actually happening between these two but I couldn't help while reading hoping something would.
There were so many amazing characters in this book worth mentioning in this review. Like Jason, Nasser's younger brother, I really liked him. I felt he was misunderstood a lot by Nasser. Jason acted out for a reason Nasser just couldn't see. Alice, she was a really interesting character. I liked the fact that she was a female character who could handle herself and for being so small was tough. Morgan and Neman. I hated Morgan, there was nothing about her to like. She was just...cruel. Neman on the other hand as much as I wanted to dislike her...I just couldn't. Yes she's been cruel herself, but I felt like she had some nice and redeeming qualities in her. Granted she didn't do anything when Morgan had a rage..but I still I just couldn't dislike her. And that scene at the end! Kaye Thornbrugh made it so hard to hate Neman even though she probably deserved to be disliked. There are so many fantastic characters in this book that this review would be a mile long with all the good things I could say about them.
This book ended great. I wasn't expecting that big thing that happened at the end, but I loved it and Lee got to show that even though she hasn't been around magic long she can handle it. She's strong. It all ended so perfectly that I can't wait to see what is in store for Lee and her friends in the next one!
I haven't read to many books containing fey in them, but I felt like this book had a nice unique touch to it. Everything about the creatures and the way the world worked was so well thought and described it made it so easy to fall into the story. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Kaye Thornbrugh. Flicker is getting 4.5 out of 5 stars from me. Flicker was a captivating read with fantastic characters and a well developed world. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good read or books containing faerie.
Lee Capren is just a normal nerdy sixteen year old girl who likes comic books and often gets lost in her head when she draws. She's totally normal with her red hair bright green eyes and freckles... or so she thought. Little did she know that all around her there were things that were there, but she couldn't see them. Little did she know that she had magic inside of her. Lee is suddenly thrust into a world full of magic and fairies and soon she's got a faerie out looking for her. A faerie who from the start doesn't like Lee one bit and she'll do anything it takes to get Lee where she wants her.
Lee was a character I instantly connected with. She was a character who was easy to like and the more you got to know her and the more she grew the more you connected and liked her. We first meet Lee and she's on a swing and she's seeing some creatures out of the corner of her. But before she can really look at them, their gone. Lee is a really well developed character, as are all of the characters in this book. She starts off a bit scared as she adjusts to this new life, but she grows into this really strong character.
Instantly you know that this is a book that is going to take off in the action immediately. This book doesn't waste time it dives right into the crazy world Lee didn't know even existed. Though it does take right off, it isn't one of those books you think took off a bit to early. It starts and finishes and you don't feel like you missed out on anything important and I really liked that about this one. You could get immediately thrust into the world full of Seer's and faerie and there wasn't a second of confusion. Kaye Thornbrugh describes everything so clearly and vividly that each creature was unique and easily created in my head.
Flicker is told from a lot of different point of views. This surprised me. I don't know why I'm always surprised when books are told from different points of views. I suppose its because I'm just expecting one point of view. But I really liked that this one was split up in the different points of views. It allowed you to see some characters in a better light than you might have without them having their own point of view. My favorite's would have to be Filo's and Lee's. Those were my two favorite characters and I liked it best when it was told from their point's of view on things.
Filo Shine. The moment he graced the page I liked him. I honestly can't begin to tell you why I liked him because he was this moody guy who never cracked a smile. But I liked him. And the more there was of Filo Shine the more I liked him. And the fact I liked Filo so much is probably why I didn't connect to much with Nasser. Don't get me wrong though I did like Nasser, I really did. He's got all the qualities you want in a love interest, but the moment I fell for Filo Nasser just didn't stand a chance. I will also admit I was secretly hoping Filo and Lee would end up together. I just didn't feel the chemistry between Lee and Nasser like I did with Filo and Lee. Let me just say there is a very high chance that I was not feeling the chemistry between these two because of the fact the whole time reading in the back of my mind I was rooting for Filo and Lee. I don't foresee anything actually happening between these two but I couldn't help while reading hoping something would.
There were so many amazing characters in this book worth mentioning in this review. Like Jason, Nasser's younger brother, I really liked him. I felt he was misunderstood a lot by Nasser. Jason acted out for a reason Nasser just couldn't see. Alice, she was a really interesting character. I liked the fact that she was a female character who could handle herself and for being so small was tough. Morgan and Neman. I hated Morgan, there was nothing about her to like. She was just...cruel. Neman on the other hand as much as I wanted to dislike her...I just couldn't. Yes she's been cruel herself, but I felt like she had some nice and redeeming qualities in her. Granted she didn't do anything when Morgan had a rage..but I still I just couldn't dislike her. And that scene at the end! Kaye Thornbrugh made it so hard to hate Neman even though she probably deserved to be disliked. There are so many fantastic characters in this book that this review would be a mile long with all the good things I could say about them.
This book ended great. I wasn't expecting that big thing that happened at the end, but I loved it and Lee got to show that even though she hasn't been around magic long she can handle it. She's strong. It all ended so perfectly that I can't wait to see what is in store for Lee and her friends in the next one!
I haven't read to many books containing fey in them, but I felt like this book had a nice unique touch to it. Everything about the creatures and the way the world worked was so well thought and described it made it so easy to fall into the story. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Kaye Thornbrugh. Flicker is getting 4.5 out of 5 stars from me. Flicker was a captivating read with fantastic characters and a well developed world. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good read or books containing faerie.
August 16, 2012
This review originally appeared on my blog, My Life is a Notebook, with an interview with Kaye and a giveaway that ends August 30, 2012! Click HERE!
I will readily admit that Flicker is not the kind of book I would pick up at first glance. For reasons of personal preference, I don’t often read books about fairies. However, when Ms. Thornbrugh contacted me about reading her novel, I was intrigued enough to say yes.
And I’m so very glad for that.
Actually, the book got off to a fairly rocky start with me. It opens up with Lee worrying about very cliché things I see in almost every single teen novel where the MC goes to some form of high school, where the main character is the loner type losing her best friend to the lust for popularity. Lee’s best friend, Kendall, was fairly stock and not overly interesting. I could already see several cliché plotlines coming up.
And then Thornbrugh went and blew them all away.
Anything cliché about this book disappeared after Nasser rescues Lee from Faerie. One of the things that hit me instantly was the quality of all the characters after that fact. Nasser, Lee, Nasser’s brother Jason and their friends Filo and Alice are all interesting, real people with depth and a definite 3D nature. Even the background characters had layers to them. This is hardly a common occurence in teen lit, and it made me practically overjoyed.
However, that transition into all these new characters wasn’t entirely painless. The rest of the novel is told from several points of view, and directly after Lee is rescued from Faerie they are a little squashed together. Four or five POVs literally switch within paragraphs of each other. Though there are clear paragraph breaks, it was almost a little bit too much to handle, especially because we hadn’t been introduced to all these characters yet, or even know why they existed at all.
Still, after that transition evens out at the POVs stop switching so quickly, it settles into being a really enjoyable read. Another thing that struck me was that there wasn’t just one thing going on. Sometimes in teen lit, you have one plot where the characters are trying to get from point A to point B and they go there in a straight line, with everything they do pertaining in some way to that goal. Thornbrugh had legitimate subplots and side adventures, which helped not only give other characters depth, but also keep the story moving without pause while continually being interesting.
I also tip my hat to her for the romance. While Nasser and Lee didn’t exactly have a huge base on which to begin their relationship, they felt real to me. Also, with so much going on, there wasn’t an overly large amount of time dedicated to their relationship, which was nice. I’m all for romance, but I don’t like when it is THE focal point of a story. Nasser and Lee were just two people who ended up falling in love in the midst of several bigger conflicts. My favorite kind.
I did, however, dock a few points for some subplot holes that didn’t make sense, but they weren’t numerous and really don’t matter to the overall plot. They were just me being nitpicky because of Thornbrugh’s excellent writing up until that point.
It should be mentioned that Thornbrugh is a very descriptive writer. Some people like this, some people don’t–in fact, I usually don’t. I prefer the book to move as fast as possible at all times. However, with the emphasis put on magic and art, I found her lyrical and descriptive prose to be the perfect way to tell the story, and it didn’t really bog down anything all that much.
Overall, Flicker was a definite love for me. It had plenty of action, magic and gorgeous description, as well as a FANTASTIC group of characters that made me so happy at every page. There was romance, but not an overly large amount, but it felt real the way that it happened–two pluses for me. I’ve seen this book on a couple of “maybe” lists on Goodreads, but in my personal opinion it should be on some “definitely read” lists! It certainly is going on my “recommended” one!
I will readily admit that Flicker is not the kind of book I would pick up at first glance. For reasons of personal preference, I don’t often read books about fairies. However, when Ms. Thornbrugh contacted me about reading her novel, I was intrigued enough to say yes.
And I’m so very glad for that.
Actually, the book got off to a fairly rocky start with me. It opens up with Lee worrying about very cliché things I see in almost every single teen novel where the MC goes to some form of high school, where the main character is the loner type losing her best friend to the lust for popularity. Lee’s best friend, Kendall, was fairly stock and not overly interesting. I could already see several cliché plotlines coming up.
And then Thornbrugh went and blew them all away.
Anything cliché about this book disappeared after Nasser rescues Lee from Faerie. One of the things that hit me instantly was the quality of all the characters after that fact. Nasser, Lee, Nasser’s brother Jason and their friends Filo and Alice are all interesting, real people with depth and a definite 3D nature. Even the background characters had layers to them. This is hardly a common occurence in teen lit, and it made me practically overjoyed.
However, that transition into all these new characters wasn’t entirely painless. The rest of the novel is told from several points of view, and directly after Lee is rescued from Faerie they are a little squashed together. Four or five POVs literally switch within paragraphs of each other. Though there are clear paragraph breaks, it was almost a little bit too much to handle, especially because we hadn’t been introduced to all these characters yet, or even know why they existed at all.
Still, after that transition evens out at the POVs stop switching so quickly, it settles into being a really enjoyable read. Another thing that struck me was that there wasn’t just one thing going on. Sometimes in teen lit, you have one plot where the characters are trying to get from point A to point B and they go there in a straight line, with everything they do pertaining in some way to that goal. Thornbrugh had legitimate subplots and side adventures, which helped not only give other characters depth, but also keep the story moving without pause while continually being interesting.
I also tip my hat to her for the romance. While Nasser and Lee didn’t exactly have a huge base on which to begin their relationship, they felt real to me. Also, with so much going on, there wasn’t an overly large amount of time dedicated to their relationship, which was nice. I’m all for romance, but I don’t like when it is THE focal point of a story. Nasser and Lee were just two people who ended up falling in love in the midst of several bigger conflicts. My favorite kind.
I did, however, dock a few points for some subplot holes that didn’t make sense, but they weren’t numerous and really don’t matter to the overall plot. They were just me being nitpicky because of Thornbrugh’s excellent writing up until that point.
It should be mentioned that Thornbrugh is a very descriptive writer. Some people like this, some people don’t–in fact, I usually don’t. I prefer the book to move as fast as possible at all times. However, with the emphasis put on magic and art, I found her lyrical and descriptive prose to be the perfect way to tell the story, and it didn’t really bog down anything all that much.
Overall, Flicker was a definite love for me. It had plenty of action, magic and gorgeous description, as well as a FANTASTIC group of characters that made me so happy at every page. There was romance, but not an overly large amount, but it felt real the way that it happened–two pluses for me. I’ve seen this book on a couple of “maybe” lists on Goodreads, but in my personal opinion it should be on some “definitely read” lists! It certainly is going on my “recommended” one!
July 23, 2012
We meet the heroine of the book right from the start. Lee Capren is a 16 year old girl, who loves to draw, and does not socialize much, and even alienates her one friend. Lee takes a walk into the woods after her argument with her friend, and her mother. She steps into an unseen realm of the fey.
Filo Shine and Nasser meet up, while Nasser is looking for his brother, Jason. Once close friends, Nasser and Filo only talk when necessary. But Nasser needed to find Jason, and asked Filo for help. Later Nasser steps into the Fey realm to look for his brother. Nasser, being seer, has enough magic to prevent the Fey from reaching out to him. It is there, that Nasser sees the beautiful young girl, totally out of it, drawing all kinds of designs. Something about the girl attracts Nasser. He tries to take the girl away, as he knows she is human. But Byrony, a drayad, and a deal is made to allow Nasser to take the girl. Something that will come back to haunt them later on.
When Lee is taken by Nasser to stay temporarily with Filo, to keep her safe, she doesn’t understand why she can’t go home. She finds out, though it takes her time to believe it, that in what she thinks is only a short time, perhaps an hour or two has passed, Lee discovers 7 years have passed. Fey time moves faster then the human world.
I have to admit, in the beginning of this book, the story went back and forth between first Lee, then to Filo, then to Nasser, and I found it somewhat confusing. It really wasn’t until all of them came together, that I found the story to start get interesting.
I found myself liking Lee a lot. Wheras, Filo and Nasser had the sight and magic, Lee did not. But she did have some ability for magic, as seen in her drawings. Filo, though not happy that Lee was there early on, gives her books to read on learning how to use magic.
Kaye Thornbrug creates a different world, with faeries and the creatures that they are. But what I find very well done, is the characters that she has created. They are mostly likable, developed characters. I enjoyed Lee; Filo at first was annoying, but he got better; Nasser was a nice guy from the start, and you knew he and Lee would be a pair, keep in mind, in the first book at least, there is no romance at all; Jason was a nice guy, who also did not have the sight, but like Lee, he had some magic and his talent was music; then there was Alice, who grew up with the three guys, and also left Filo, like Nasser and Jason. I really like Alice, and she has potential to be a great character. Alice has magic, and the sight, as much as Filo and Nasser. Very good characters that you end up caring about by Thornbrug.
We get to see some of the Faerie world, as they play a huge part of the story, but more so in the eyes of the 5 above and the Byrony, the dryad, who is out to get them. We also get to see two faeries (Morgan and Neman), that own Filo, and how they have taken care of him all his life. We see their cruel, and at times (not often) nice side, and their treatment of Filo & humans. We also get a nice look at Umbriel, the faerie prince, who kept Lee for 7 years (or 1 hour in her mind), as a pet, but he was at least nice, and very handsome.
The last third of the book was very well done, adventure, action, and an exciting climax. Lee was my favorite character, and I would like to see how she matures in future books, and I also would like to see more of Alice, not to mention Filo, Nasser and Jason. They made a nice team. Kaye Thornbrugh did a good job with this world building, and her characters. I did feel the book was slow and somewhat confusing early, switching back and forth. But once the team came together, it turned out to be a good book.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
Filo Shine and Nasser meet up, while Nasser is looking for his brother, Jason. Once close friends, Nasser and Filo only talk when necessary. But Nasser needed to find Jason, and asked Filo for help. Later Nasser steps into the Fey realm to look for his brother. Nasser, being seer, has enough magic to prevent the Fey from reaching out to him. It is there, that Nasser sees the beautiful young girl, totally out of it, drawing all kinds of designs. Something about the girl attracts Nasser. He tries to take the girl away, as he knows she is human. But Byrony, a drayad, and a deal is made to allow Nasser to take the girl. Something that will come back to haunt them later on.
When Lee is taken by Nasser to stay temporarily with Filo, to keep her safe, she doesn’t understand why she can’t go home. She finds out, though it takes her time to believe it, that in what she thinks is only a short time, perhaps an hour or two has passed, Lee discovers 7 years have passed. Fey time moves faster then the human world.
I have to admit, in the beginning of this book, the story went back and forth between first Lee, then to Filo, then to Nasser, and I found it somewhat confusing. It really wasn’t until all of them came together, that I found the story to start get interesting.
I found myself liking Lee a lot. Wheras, Filo and Nasser had the sight and magic, Lee did not. But she did have some ability for magic, as seen in her drawings. Filo, though not happy that Lee was there early on, gives her books to read on learning how to use magic.
Kaye Thornbrug creates a different world, with faeries and the creatures that they are. But what I find very well done, is the characters that she has created. They are mostly likable, developed characters. I enjoyed Lee; Filo at first was annoying, but he got better; Nasser was a nice guy from the start, and you knew he and Lee would be a pair, keep in mind, in the first book at least, there is no romance at all; Jason was a nice guy, who also did not have the sight, but like Lee, he had some magic and his talent was music; then there was Alice, who grew up with the three guys, and also left Filo, like Nasser and Jason. I really like Alice, and she has potential to be a great character. Alice has magic, and the sight, as much as Filo and Nasser. Very good characters that you end up caring about by Thornbrug.
We get to see some of the Faerie world, as they play a huge part of the story, but more so in the eyes of the 5 above and the Byrony, the dryad, who is out to get them. We also get to see two faeries (Morgan and Neman), that own Filo, and how they have taken care of him all his life. We see their cruel, and at times (not often) nice side, and their treatment of Filo & humans. We also get a nice look at Umbriel, the faerie prince, who kept Lee for 7 years (or 1 hour in her mind), as a pet, but he was at least nice, and very handsome.
The last third of the book was very well done, adventure, action, and an exciting climax. Lee was my favorite character, and I would like to see how she matures in future books, and I also would like to see more of Alice, not to mention Filo, Nasser and Jason. They made a nice team. Kaye Thornbrugh did a good job with this world building, and her characters. I did feel the book was slow and somewhat confusing early, switching back and forth. But once the team came together, it turned out to be a good book.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
October 19, 2012
I had a hard time getting into this book at first. To me, it didn't seem like the friendship between Lee and her 'best friend' seemed very deep. The friend seemed to not understand Lee, or agree with who she was. I liked the anger that Lee showed to her friend when her friend pushed her to change in a way that she didn't want. No, there is nothing wrong with branching out and meeting new people at a party, but no one should be forced to do things that would make them unhappy. Lee's personality was more quiet and subdued. Not unfriendly, or unhappy, just easy going. She seemed very comfortable to be herself, which is really a good thing for a teenage girl. I wished that there had been more of a foundation for their friendship.
I didn't get pulled into the book until Nasser saw Lee when she was painting in the revel. It really sparked my interest. I wanted to know what was so special about Lee, that made Nasser risk giving his name to a Fairy in order to save her. Giving your name gives the Fairy control over you, which you would avoid at all costs. It seemed extreme to do that for someone you didn't know anything about. I also liked that he was willing to risk everything, for something he saw in her.
I was sad to see that Lee no longer had the mother she loved, and the way it was written, brought up the right emotions in the character for the circumstances.
I did not like Filo. He seemed cold, hard,and uncaring toward the people he had regarded as family, but as the author built the story, and took you back through some of the experiences that Filo had lived through, you understood that he was just protecting himself from further hurt. His emotions and reactions were dead on with how people react in real life. I ended up loving and identifying with Filo. When we are hurt as people, we shut them out, and put up walls, to prevent ourselves from letting anyone else in, and getting hurt again in the process. He leads a very lonely life, trying to fill up the empty places in his heart with work, and more work. You could see his personal struggle to respect Neman and Morgan because he didn't like the cruelty that they were capable of, but they were all he had left. What I didn't like about the Fairy's was the cruelty that they showed to him when he did something they didn't like. No child, no matter how grown up they feel they are, deserve to be cut or bruised or beaten to get them to fall into line.
I do understand that as you get to know them more, you see that in their own way they are trying to get him to stand up and be himself, and take control of his own life, but I still don't like the way they went about it. I do understand that this is also part of the Fairy persona.
I like how when Lee realizes that she is not going to go back to her old life, she decides to make the best of the circumstances she is in, without too much wallowing. She helps Filo, even if it isn't wanted, and she teaches herself magic. I liked the way the author described the way that Lee felt the colors and feelings of other peoples magic. It was a unique but effective way to make this story stand apart from other magic stories.
I loved the fact that the romance between Nasser and Lee, was not a ridiculous love at first sight, can't be away from each other for two seconds love story that makes me want to give up on the book. The beauty of relationships is when you start small, and it develops deeply on its own.
There are several reasons that I would read this book again, and the top two are this: Very believable characters, and a reasonable start to an epic romance.
I didn't get pulled into the book until Nasser saw Lee when she was painting in the revel. It really sparked my interest. I wanted to know what was so special about Lee, that made Nasser risk giving his name to a Fairy in order to save her. Giving your name gives the Fairy control over you, which you would avoid at all costs. It seemed extreme to do that for someone you didn't know anything about. I also liked that he was willing to risk everything, for something he saw in her.
I was sad to see that Lee no longer had the mother she loved, and the way it was written, brought up the right emotions in the character for the circumstances.
I did not like Filo. He seemed cold, hard,and uncaring toward the people he had regarded as family, but as the author built the story, and took you back through some of the experiences that Filo had lived through, you understood that he was just protecting himself from further hurt. His emotions and reactions were dead on with how people react in real life. I ended up loving and identifying with Filo. When we are hurt as people, we shut them out, and put up walls, to prevent ourselves from letting anyone else in, and getting hurt again in the process. He leads a very lonely life, trying to fill up the empty places in his heart with work, and more work. You could see his personal struggle to respect Neman and Morgan because he didn't like the cruelty that they were capable of, but they were all he had left. What I didn't like about the Fairy's was the cruelty that they showed to him when he did something they didn't like. No child, no matter how grown up they feel they are, deserve to be cut or bruised or beaten to get them to fall into line.
I do understand that as you get to know them more, you see that in their own way they are trying to get him to stand up and be himself, and take control of his own life, but I still don't like the way they went about it. I do understand that this is also part of the Fairy persona.
I like how when Lee realizes that she is not going to go back to her old life, she decides to make the best of the circumstances she is in, without too much wallowing. She helps Filo, even if it isn't wanted, and she teaches herself magic. I liked the way the author described the way that Lee felt the colors and feelings of other peoples magic. It was a unique but effective way to make this story stand apart from other magic stories.
I loved the fact that the romance between Nasser and Lee, was not a ridiculous love at first sight, can't be away from each other for two seconds love story that makes me want to give up on the book. The beauty of relationships is when you start small, and it develops deeply on its own.
There are several reasons that I would read this book again, and the top two are this: Very believable characters, and a reasonable start to an epic romance.
September 8, 2012
First, I’d like to thank the author for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Second, obviously I really enjoyed it if I’m giving it four stars. There were a lot of good points to this book, but I’ll start with the best: Filo. I know that technically Lee and Nasser were supposed to be the central characters of the story (or I assume so since the summary is about them), yet in the end I felt that role went mainly to Filo. He has the most face time being in nearly every scene written from Lee’s and Nasser’s “point of view,” in addition to having some solo parts. This, however, isn’t a bad thing as he wound up being my favorite character. He’s awesome. There isn’t one thing I don’t like about how he was written. I also thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between him and Lee to the point where I’d almost ship them as a couple. I knew it wouldn’t happen, it was quite obvious she’d end up with Nasser, but all the same they had a nice chemistry together, even if it remained a platonic chemistry. In the end, while Filo stole the show, I also wound up liking the other characters. Lee slightly annoyed me at times, but on the whole she was a nice heroin. Nasser was a bit bland, yet also had enough of a personality for me to connect to him. Alice seemed terrific, though sadly wasn’t what I’d consider a “major” player. It definitely would have been great to see her in some more scenes, yet that might have made things seem crowded, so perhaps it’s best she wasn’t. Jason winds up being a fifth wheel when you consider everything from a romantic aspect, but he still held importance to the story and I liked his humor and “perfect timing” in some scenes. Oh, and though Rodney isn’t technically part of the gang, he won me over at the end of the novel with his remarks to Byrony. He seems like such a little demon, and I love it.
If there’s any weak point to the novel, it’s the plot. The first half of it is very info-heavy. Now, this does not mean there were info dumps, as I felt the author did a fairly good job at putting in all the information she needed to without clumping it all into one chapter, etc. However, when I stopped to consider what actually happened in the first half of the book, it wasn’t much. Majority of it is small events and more dialogue/explaining. Therefore, someone who’s looking for a lot of action probably won’t like this book. I didn’t really mind the pacing so much because the characters kept me engaged in the story, and the mention of what was to come with Byrony let me know that eventually things would pick up. It took a little longer than I expected, but nonetheless I never found myself bored while I was reading. One thing I was really appreciative of with this novel is the fact the romance is toned down. It is by no means the focus, which is a nice pace from most YA novels nowadays. My main gripe with the book is the ending. It was satisfactory, but I also felt it took the easy way out in how the main conflict was solved.
I’ll definitely be reading book two, though I’m curious to know what direction the author will take it in, as Flicker could solidly stand on its own. Everything more or less got resolved/tied up, which leaves me with very little clues as to the subject of the next book. I can’t wait to read it when it comes out!
Second, obviously I really enjoyed it if I’m giving it four stars. There were a lot of good points to this book, but I’ll start with the best: Filo. I know that technically Lee and Nasser were supposed to be the central characters of the story (or I assume so since the summary is about them), yet in the end I felt that role went mainly to Filo. He has the most face time being in nearly every scene written from Lee’s and Nasser’s “point of view,” in addition to having some solo parts. This, however, isn’t a bad thing as he wound up being my favorite character. He’s awesome. There isn’t one thing I don’t like about how he was written. I also thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between him and Lee to the point where I’d almost ship them as a couple. I knew it wouldn’t happen, it was quite obvious she’d end up with Nasser, but all the same they had a nice chemistry together, even if it remained a platonic chemistry. In the end, while Filo stole the show, I also wound up liking the other characters. Lee slightly annoyed me at times, but on the whole she was a nice heroin. Nasser was a bit bland, yet also had enough of a personality for me to connect to him. Alice seemed terrific, though sadly wasn’t what I’d consider a “major” player. It definitely would have been great to see her in some more scenes, yet that might have made things seem crowded, so perhaps it’s best she wasn’t. Jason winds up being a fifth wheel when you consider everything from a romantic aspect, but he still held importance to the story and I liked his humor and “perfect timing” in some scenes. Oh, and though Rodney isn’t technically part of the gang, he won me over at the end of the novel with his remarks to Byrony. He seems like such a little demon, and I love it.
If there’s any weak point to the novel, it’s the plot. The first half of it is very info-heavy. Now, this does not mean there were info dumps, as I felt the author did a fairly good job at putting in all the information she needed to without clumping it all into one chapter, etc. However, when I stopped to consider what actually happened in the first half of the book, it wasn’t much. Majority of it is small events and more dialogue/explaining. Therefore, someone who’s looking for a lot of action probably won’t like this book. I didn’t really mind the pacing so much because the characters kept me engaged in the story, and the mention of what was to come with Byrony let me know that eventually things would pick up. It took a little longer than I expected, but nonetheless I never found myself bored while I was reading. One thing I was really appreciative of with this novel is the fact the romance is toned down. It is by no means the focus, which is a nice pace from most YA novels nowadays. My main gripe with the book is the ending. It was satisfactory, but I also felt it took the easy way out in how the main conflict was solved.
I’ll definitely be reading book two, though I’m curious to know what direction the author will take it in, as Flicker could solidly stand on its own. Everything more or less got resolved/tied up, which leaves me with very little clues as to the subject of the next book. I can’t wait to read it when it comes out!
July 1, 2012
Originally posted @ Book Whales
When I saw Kaye’s invitation to review the book, I easily accepted it. Who wouldn’t? The cover is gorgeous and it's about fairies and magic. I’ am a sucker for fantasy reads and the author is just 19 years old! This book will capture the taste of fairy lovers, who seek adventure with a hint of romance.
Lee Capren was abducted by faeries. Her talent to draw portraits attracted the feys. They had kept her as a prisoner. The story took a great turn when a handsome seer saw her. He made a deal in exchanged for her freedom. Nasser is no ordinary human. He is a seer, sighted to see the fey realms. Nasser, plunge Lee to a world filled with magic. Someone wants her dead! Why does the cunning dryad wants Lee? Is she a seer as well? You have to read this book to find out.
The world building is good. The pacing was a bit slow at the beginning. Though, I love how the author introduced the array of unique characters. I appreciate how the author took her time in introducing them. I didn’t have a hard time, picturing each of them in my head. I was deeply absorbed inside the book. I love how the author describes the life of being a seer. How the domineering fairy masters harassed them. It was too much at first. The cruelty and punishments made my blood boil in anger.
As for the character building, I was impressed. I connected to Lee instantly. It is because we are the same, minus the talent in drawing –haha-. She is passionate, courageous and weird in a good way. Her mind wanders and can easily lose track of time. Again, it reminds me of me. Nasser is one of my favorite characters in the book. He is responsible, smart and caring. And did I mention that he is hot too? Yep, he made my mouth-water a few times. I love his protectiveness over his brother and Lee. Then Filo, I really don't like his character at first. He is always irritated and angry. But once I got to know him better, his life story broke my heart into tiny pieces. There are more characters in this book that will capture your interest. I would leave them for you to find out.
Lastly, there is little when it comes to the love-angle. The story focuses more on the problem regarding the feys. I was a bit disappointed in that. I wanted more between Nasser and Filo. I hope book two will change that.
Overall, this book is a vibrant read. Fairy lovers and adventure seekers will like this book.
Rating:
When I saw Kaye’s invitation to review the book, I easily accepted it. Who wouldn’t? The cover is gorgeous and it's about fairies and magic. I’ am a sucker for fantasy reads and the author is just 19 years old! This book will capture the taste of fairy lovers, who seek adventure with a hint of romance.
Lee Capren was abducted by faeries. Her talent to draw portraits attracted the feys. They had kept her as a prisoner. The story took a great turn when a handsome seer saw her. He made a deal in exchanged for her freedom. Nasser is no ordinary human. He is a seer, sighted to see the fey realms. Nasser, plunge Lee to a world filled with magic. Someone wants her dead! Why does the cunning dryad wants Lee? Is she a seer as well? You have to read this book to find out.
The world building is good. The pacing was a bit slow at the beginning. Though, I love how the author introduced the array of unique characters. I appreciate how the author took her time in introducing them. I didn’t have a hard time, picturing each of them in my head. I was deeply absorbed inside the book. I love how the author describes the life of being a seer. How the domineering fairy masters harassed them. It was too much at first. The cruelty and punishments made my blood boil in anger.
As for the character building, I was impressed. I connected to Lee instantly. It is because we are the same, minus the talent in drawing –haha-. She is passionate, courageous and weird in a good way. Her mind wanders and can easily lose track of time. Again, it reminds me of me. Nasser is one of my favorite characters in the book. He is responsible, smart and caring. And did I mention that he is hot too? Yep, he made my mouth-water a few times. I love his protectiveness over his brother and Lee. Then Filo, I really don't like his character at first. He is always irritated and angry. But once I got to know him better, his life story broke my heart into tiny pieces. There are more characters in this book that will capture your interest. I would leave them for you to find out.
Lastly, there is little when it comes to the love-angle. The story focuses more on the problem regarding the feys. I was a bit disappointed in that. I wanted more between Nasser and Filo. I hope book two will change that.
Overall, this book is a vibrant read. Fairy lovers and adventure seekers will like this book.
Rating:
September 21, 2012
You see something out of the corner of your eye, and do a double take and nothing is there. Are your eyes playing tricks on you? On the other hand, could it be something more?
Lee has a gift for drawing and always carries a sketchbook with her. She draws images of what she “sees” however never seems to be there when she looks back. Lee gets in a fight with her best friend when she wants to go to a party where all the popular kids will be. This just is not Lee’s thing. They say hurtful things to each other and Lee leaves.
Lee is walking through the forest when she hears music and is completely drawn towards it. She walks into a field where there are strange beings everywhere and she is mystified. She starts to lose the memory of why she is upset, and begins to paint…and paint…and paint…
Nasser stumbles into this same field when he is out looking for his brother. He sees Lee, and bargains with a fairy to take her. When Lee returns, it is 7 years later, and her whole life will been changed. She learns that Magic exists, and all those images she was seeing before were real. Lee has to learn a completely new life. However, things are not going to be easy when the fairy that Bargained for her decides Lee needs to come back. With the help of Filo and the other magical humans, they are in a battle and adventure they will never forget. I immediately fell in love with this story.
I was completely spellbound by the uniqueness of it, and a little freaked out by it because I CONSTANTLY see things out of the corner of my eye, but when I go to focus, nothing is there. One example is just the other night, I woke up for some reason and SWORE I saw a huge spider on my leg the size of my fist. I did the whole leg kicking and arm frailing ordeal to realize that nothing was there. My immediate thought was, “Stupid Fairies playing tricks on me.” This made me think of this story, Flicker, in the middle of the night. Now to me, that is some powerful and creative writing when it remains in your sub conscience that way and you do not forget it. Each character in this story has a heartfelt drama on how they ended up where they are. Without knowing it, they have become a family and watch out for each other. With the difficulties in this story, and the adventure with it, it is an amazing read and all should try it!
Lee has a gift for drawing and always carries a sketchbook with her. She draws images of what she “sees” however never seems to be there when she looks back. Lee gets in a fight with her best friend when she wants to go to a party where all the popular kids will be. This just is not Lee’s thing. They say hurtful things to each other and Lee leaves.
Lee is walking through the forest when she hears music and is completely drawn towards it. She walks into a field where there are strange beings everywhere and she is mystified. She starts to lose the memory of why she is upset, and begins to paint…and paint…and paint…
Nasser stumbles into this same field when he is out looking for his brother. He sees Lee, and bargains with a fairy to take her. When Lee returns, it is 7 years later, and her whole life will been changed. She learns that Magic exists, and all those images she was seeing before were real. Lee has to learn a completely new life. However, things are not going to be easy when the fairy that Bargained for her decides Lee needs to come back. With the help of Filo and the other magical humans, they are in a battle and adventure they will never forget. I immediately fell in love with this story.
I was completely spellbound by the uniqueness of it, and a little freaked out by it because I CONSTANTLY see things out of the corner of my eye, but when I go to focus, nothing is there. One example is just the other night, I woke up for some reason and SWORE I saw a huge spider on my leg the size of my fist. I did the whole leg kicking and arm frailing ordeal to realize that nothing was there. My immediate thought was, “Stupid Fairies playing tricks on me.” This made me think of this story, Flicker, in the middle of the night. Now to me, that is some powerful and creative writing when it remains in your sub conscience that way and you do not forget it. Each character in this story has a heartfelt drama on how they ended up where they are. Without knowing it, they have become a family and watch out for each other. With the difficulties in this story, and the adventure with it, it is an amazing read and all should try it!
July 14, 2012
I stumbled across this book in the Amazon Kindle store and bought it on a whim, and I'm so glad I did! Kaye Thornbrugh is a truly talented author, and I'll definitely be looking forward to her books in the future.
The writing was lush and descriptive, really gorgeous--I felt like I was right there with the characters, experiencing everything right along with them. Also, the faerie mythology was really intriguing. Fans of Melissa Marr and Holly Black, or other YA faerie fans, will find some familiar elements of mythology, but the author puts her on unique twist on everything. Flicker tells a side of the kidnapped-by-faeries story that I haven't seen before in other books, so this was a very fresh read.
The characters! Flicker had one of the most engaging casts of characters I've read in a long time. I really felt for each and every one of them. Lee, the main character, was awesome. She's an artist and a bookworm, and she prefers to get lost in her own imaginary worlds while she's drawing. Still, I sympathized with her right away, and my heart just broke for her when she realized that, even after escaping the faeries, she couldn't go home. I love, love, loved Nasser. He's not your typical broody YA love interest, but he's completely romantic and swoon-worthy (especially when it came to that language of flowers stuff)! It was refreshing to see a hero like him.
And Filo! Where do I begin? Filo is moody, no-nonsense, and often a stick in the mud, but I found myself liking him anyway--maybe because he's so open about it. He's kind of a jerk, but he makes no bones about it, which was interesting to see. Once his backstory was revealed, and I started to see more and more of why he is the way he is, I just fell in love!
Overall, Flicker was a beautiful and unique urban fantasy with a rich mythology, amazing characters, and a really lovely romance. Highly recommended!
The writing was lush and descriptive, really gorgeous--I felt like I was right there with the characters, experiencing everything right along with them. Also, the faerie mythology was really intriguing. Fans of Melissa Marr and Holly Black, or other YA faerie fans, will find some familiar elements of mythology, but the author puts her on unique twist on everything. Flicker tells a side of the kidnapped-by-faeries story that I haven't seen before in other books, so this was a very fresh read.
The characters! Flicker had one of the most engaging casts of characters I've read in a long time. I really felt for each and every one of them. Lee, the main character, was awesome. She's an artist and a bookworm, and she prefers to get lost in her own imaginary worlds while she's drawing. Still, I sympathized with her right away, and my heart just broke for her when she realized that, even after escaping the faeries, she couldn't go home. I love, love, loved Nasser. He's not your typical broody YA love interest, but he's completely romantic and swoon-worthy (especially when it came to that language of flowers stuff)! It was refreshing to see a hero like him.
And Filo! Where do I begin? Filo is moody, no-nonsense, and often a stick in the mud, but I found myself liking him anyway--maybe because he's so open about it. He's kind of a jerk, but he makes no bones about it, which was interesting to see. Once his backstory was revealed, and I started to see more and more of why he is the way he is, I just fell in love!
Overall, Flicker was a beautiful and unique urban fantasy with a rich mythology, amazing characters, and a really lovely romance. Highly recommended!
June 28, 2012
When I received the email from the author, I immediately jumped at this book. The author secured my interest with comparisons to Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, and Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series. Of course, I did wonder if it would be a little presumptuous, and if nothing else, I just had to find out. I really wasn’t disappointed with this book – both of those comparisons were entirely accurate!
Whilst this book is relatively short, the world building was incredible. I loved the way that the faery world and human worlds were overlapped in this novel, and the fact that only some mortals could see, and even fewer were aware. The faery realms and revels were also described in a beautiful way, and I could really imagine the bright colours and events.
As a character, I really did like Lee. I felt that she reacted in a realistic way to waking up in a strange apartment with strange guys, and I liked that she knew her own mind and was determined to make contributions to everything. As some of you guys know, as soon as there’s a strong female character in a book, I’m more or less sold.
I also liked that when the story was told by different characters, the voices were distinct. The only criticism I had for this book was that at the beginning I felt a bit lost as all the characters were introduced. However, when I got a grasp of who was who, it was fine, and I really got into the story.
This is definitely one to check out if you liked the Iron Fey series, I’m really hoping there’s more!
Whilst this book is relatively short, the world building was incredible. I loved the way that the faery world and human worlds were overlapped in this novel, and the fact that only some mortals could see, and even fewer were aware. The faery realms and revels were also described in a beautiful way, and I could really imagine the bright colours and events.
As a character, I really did like Lee. I felt that she reacted in a realistic way to waking up in a strange apartment with strange guys, and I liked that she knew her own mind and was determined to make contributions to everything. As some of you guys know, as soon as there’s a strong female character in a book, I’m more or less sold.
I also liked that when the story was told by different characters, the voices were distinct. The only criticism I had for this book was that at the beginning I felt a bit lost as all the characters were introduced. However, when I got a grasp of who was who, it was fine, and I really got into the story.
This is definitely one to check out if you liked the Iron Fey series, I’m really hoping there’s more!
August 4, 2012
When I started this book, I wasn't expecting much. I got it for free and even though the cover is gorgeous I was unsure of the story description. Anyway, I started reading. The first 30 pages seemed to prove my initial thoughts right. It was OK, but not another good read.
Then I got hooked. I don't know when it happened or what part of the story sucked me in, but I was awake, intrigued, and not ready to put the book down even though my kids and husband were trying to get me to do some of the errands we had (please, errands when I have a good book.. in the words of a Valley Girl.... as if).
I really enjoyed this book. It was satisfying and I loved that it finished in one book and is not a series (at least, that I'm aware of....yet). I loved the complex relationships behind the characters (all of them) and how some characters that you think are small supporting characters turn out to have large impactful parts. The author did a great job with world building and working through the complex emotions.
One of my other favorite parts was the love story. It builds slowly. There is an initial spark that captures the attention and then it just builds. It isn't instalove, it isn't forced, it is slow, sweet, and so well done. I also enjoyed the lack of a love triangle.
Great book and I can't wait to read more from this author!
Then I got hooked. I don't know when it happened or what part of the story sucked me in, but I was awake, intrigued, and not ready to put the book down even though my kids and husband were trying to get me to do some of the errands we had (please, errands when I have a good book.. in the words of a Valley Girl.... as if).
I really enjoyed this book. It was satisfying and I loved that it finished in one book and is not a series (at least, that I'm aware of....yet). I loved the complex relationships behind the characters (all of them) and how some characters that you think are small supporting characters turn out to have large impactful parts. The author did a great job with world building and working through the complex emotions.
One of my other favorite parts was the love story. It builds slowly. There is an initial spark that captures the attention and then it just builds. It isn't instalove, it isn't forced, it is slow, sweet, and so well done. I also enjoyed the lack of a love triangle.
Great book and I can't wait to read more from this author!
January 28, 2016
I absolutely adored this book. I was a little skeptical at first because of how it started (redheaded girl with some sort of supernatural ability finds a faery ring and stumbles into their world) but I'm glad I gave it a chance. It has a TMI-y vibe to it but it was different and fun; and I love everything TMI so that definitely wasn't an issue for me.
I liked that the year/time frame wasn't given -- it made it feel like it could be at any time. This allowed me to not think too much about the outside technology or world as I remember it (or know it) but think just about the world that the author created.
World-building is huge to me and I loved the bits and piece of fae mythology we got in this novel, but even the magic mythology in general was good. It was different and exciting and made me wish I had some sort of natural ability to draw magic from.
Lee was a good character, but I'd like to see the story shift to Filo and have much more Alice next time. I like the bits and pieces of the backstory of Filo-Jason-Nasser-Alice friendship but I need more.
I'm definitely going to pick up the second book and am really looking forward to following the story.
Overall: 3.5/5 stars but rounded up to 4 for the star counter thingy!
I liked that the year/time frame wasn't given -- it made it feel like it could be at any time. This allowed me to not think too much about the outside technology or world as I remember it (or know it) but think just about the world that the author created.
World-building is huge to me and I loved the bits and piece of fae mythology we got in this novel, but even the magic mythology in general was good. It was different and exciting and made me wish I had some sort of natural ability to draw magic from.
Lee was a good character, but I'd like to see the story shift to Filo and have much more Alice next time. I like the bits and pieces of the backstory of Filo-Jason-Nasser-Alice friendship but I need more.
I'm definitely going to pick up the second book and am really looking forward to following the story.
Overall: 3.5/5 stars but rounded up to 4 for the star counter thingy!
July 19, 2012
Crazed Bookie: Flicker by Kaye Thornburgh
The cover is absolutely beautiful! It's why I immediately was intrigued, then the blurb.
This book was a little confusing in the beginning. It's written in a 3rd person POV and at first it jumps back and forth between characters before you can manage to get much of a grip on them. I'm not a huge fan of a story written in third person, and to have it confuse me was... well a bit annoying. That little nuisance aside, the story was great. It was very cute and magical with faeries and seers and all those wonderful things. I'm a huge romantic so this book left me longing to see a bigger relationship development between Lee and Nasser, so that's definitely something to look forward to in book two. Thornburgh is great at description, I mean she really takes you there. It's like being transported; your mind flooded by this fantastical place. I think that may have been the best part of all; the way I could imagine everything with clarity, and of course the fey.
The cover is absolutely beautiful! It's why I immediately was intrigued, then the blurb.
This book was a little confusing in the beginning. It's written in a 3rd person POV and at first it jumps back and forth between characters before you can manage to get much of a grip on them. I'm not a huge fan of a story written in third person, and to have it confuse me was... well a bit annoying. That little nuisance aside, the story was great. It was very cute and magical with faeries and seers and all those wonderful things. I'm a huge romantic so this book left me longing to see a bigger relationship development between Lee and Nasser, so that's definitely something to look forward to in book two. Thornburgh is great at description, I mean she really takes you there. It's like being transported; your mind flooded by this fantastical place. I think that may have been the best part of all; the way I could imagine everything with clarity, and of course the fey.
January 7, 2013
I bought this book directly from Kaye Thornbrugh at our local Hastings bookstore. Kaye was a pleasure to meet, I got my book signed and I’m so glad I meandered my way over to check out her novel, FLICKER!
FLICKER is full of wonderful characters, great plots/subplots, the world is well thought out and believable and the romance in the story builds slowly which works beautifully! What I truly liked about the story was that it was different and the elements were very deep in nature which made for a great reading experience.
Kaye is a very talented author with a great muse and FLICKER, being her first novel, is a fantastic start to her career and I seriously can’t wait to read more from her in the future!
FLICKER is full of wonderful characters, great plots/subplots, the world is well thought out and believable and the romance in the story builds slowly which works beautifully! What I truly liked about the story was that it was different and the elements were very deep in nature which made for a great reading experience.
Kaye is a very talented author with a great muse and FLICKER, being her first novel, is a fantastic start to her career and I seriously can’t wait to read more from her in the future!
August 9, 2012
I really loved the characters and the story! The idea of being whisked away as a plaything for the Fae, only to find the world has passed you by, is very intriguing.
There were a few grammatical/spelling errors, and there were spots where the story changed perspectives without it being clearly marked so it got a bit confusing figuring out who was the one speaking/thinking. It would be nice to have some sort of marker between perspectives just to help the readers follow along a little better.
The only thing holding this back from getting 5 stars is that it needs that little bit of editing!
There were a few grammatical/spelling errors, and there were spots where the story changed perspectives without it being clearly marked so it got a bit confusing figuring out who was the one speaking/thinking. It would be nice to have some sort of marker between perspectives just to help the readers follow along a little better.
The only thing holding this back from getting 5 stars is that it needs that little bit of editing!
September 9, 2012
My review can also be found on Reading Lark: http://readinglark.blogspot.ca/2012/0...
Have you ever thought you caught something unusual out the corner of your eye only to look again more closely and couldn't find anything out of the ordinary?! And then you shake your head and reason with yourself that your imagination was just running away from you...again?! Yes, I think that has happened to many of us a time or two, which was how this story, Flicker, by 19 year old Kaye Thornbrugh, pulled me in. It was a very imaginative and entertaining debut by such a young author, and I was quite impressed with this adventurous and fun little story.
It seems to me that Flicker is rooted on the premise that virtually anyone who is creative in some way...any type of artist...has repressed magic hidden away...and all it needs is some coaxing for it to surface. Weatherly (Lee) Capren loves to sketch and is quite talented. She is also a self-admitted geek and having that reputation doesn't seem to bother her one bit...but it turns out to be a source of friction between her and her best friend Kendall. After an argument with her friend, Lee retreats to the comfort of her organized bedroom and begins to draw. Drawing has always been her escape and she can literally lose herself in her sketches...where hours have passed and she has no recollection of having made all those drawings. Her talents do not go unnoticed by members of the Otherworld--faeries--and Lee soon finds herself spirited away to serve them at one of their most recent celebrations. During the faerie revels, a young seer, Nasser Rew, out looking for his younger brother comes across the young, talented (and beautiful) Lee--feverishly drawing portraits for her captors. There is an inexplicable draw Nasser feels towards Lee which leads him to making an impromptu decision that ultimately has serious repercussions that follow them back into the human world. And as it turns out for Lee, what felt like a day or two in the faerie realm evolved into several years that have passed back home, and that leaves Lee's hopes to return to her normal life a futile dream.
I really liked Lee...even though I had a bit of trouble connecting with her in the beginning. But as she grew with the story, so did my appreciation for her and her plight. Even though her first experience with faeries pretty much turned her world 180 degrees, she still stayed true to herself. She was trusting and naive at times, but she grew in self-confidence and spirit, and I always appreciate that in a heroine. The highly contentious 'friendship' that was forced upon her and her roommate was intriguing, and I loved how that developed through Lee's persistence and her wanting to learn about her own magic. And I simply adored Nasser--the boy who rescued Lee! The oldest out of this circle of 'friends' (for lack of a better word), Nasser always feels he has to take care of everyone and take their burdens on himself. But he did sort of feel like a much older soul than his 19 years, probably due to all he's been through in his relatively young life being around magic and often cruel supernatural creatures. Nasser's attraction to Lee was sweet. Their romance was subtle at first, but as they hung out more and more with each other, it grew in an adorable way.
Flicker is told in third person from multiple perspectives so this story was viewed from many sides and gave us more than one or two central characters to focus on (and I will interject here that this did not clutter the story--it flowed very well.) In that light, and as much as this is Lee's story, another character that shares the spotlight in Flicker is Filo Shine. An ornery and angry young apprentice, honing his magical skills under the tutelage of two very cruel faerie sisters who are not above being physically abusive with him and the other seers tied to Flicker (which is like a magical supply store for supernaturals.) I soon came to really love Filo as his story developed alongside Lee's. Having felt abandoned by the only friends he ever really had, and feeling incredibly alone and overwhelmed, I understood why his social skills were so lacking and why he was so sour and angry at everyone. Unfortunately, his wrath was mostly directed at Lee once she was dumped on him. But Filo was a lot more complex than his outward self and his character arc was one of the things I loved most about this book--perhaps more so than Lee's!
The complimentary cast of characters were colourful and intriguing. And of course, there was a ruthless villain that you loved to hate. And as with so many stories of the fey, there is always a good mix of faerie court politics and treachery and I enjoyed Kaye's spin in her own world. However, I will say that Umbriel left me wanting a little bit more.
While I do admit that sometimes I had the distinct feeling that I was being purposely kept out of a conversation...I believe it was part of Kaye's creative writing style and world building. I soon learned to be patient and realized that we would be getting the full story in short order. As well, some things, I felt, came together a little too neatly or some aspects felt a little too far-fetched, but I can't take anything away from the fact that I was still thoroughly entertained. The ending wrapped up nicely with each character getting their closure and I overall felt very satisfied with how everything was resolved.
I don't want to harp on the fact that the author is only 19 but I sort of do have to make mention of it again because I strongly feel that this is impressive work from someone so young. Miss Thornbrugh's creative twist on the capricious and cruel faeries we have come to know in so many other stories, along with seers, and how they intertwined in her world, was highly imaginative and fun! And I would gladly read more works by Kaye Thornbrugh in the area of fantasy in the future!
Finally, I'd like to thank the author for the opportunity to read and review her book!
November 27, 2012
3.5 Stars
First of all, I must say that I'm a little surprised about this book. I wasn't expecting such a good reading, so kudos to dear Kaye.
About the Cover:
So gorgeous. Beautiful, simple, sweet, captivating… it is exactly what you'll find in this book.
About the Plot:
16 year old, Lee Capren is abducted by faeries because of her talent to draw portraits. After a mysterious young man rescue her, she realize seven years have passed and all the people she knows believe she'd dead and she doesn't have a home to return.
About this, I don't get how she could leave everything behind without a nervous breakdown in the middle of it. I mean, if you told me that seven years have passed and my family thinks I'm dead, I'd do anything to see them again without even thinking of the consequences. After this, she goes with Nasser who is instantly attracted to her and after that it's a little confusing: why is she staying with them? is she a seer? is she going to work at Flicker? At first, I thought the story was going to focus in the truly identity of Lee or her powers, but in the end, it was about Umbriel and what people around him were willing to do for his affection.
About the Characters:
Lee: a free spirit, an artist. Drawing has always been her escape and she can literally lose herself in her sketches. I really like her even though I had a bit of trouble connecting with her in the beginning. We don't know anything about her past, about her family, only that her dad died when she was little, but it was a little sad that we don't get to know her more deeply. What about her mom? she doesn't remember about her other life? did she have another friends? brothers or sisters? what about art club? This was an issue for me while I was reading. The way she disconnected herself so easily from her past and embrace so quickly this new life style.
Filo: (I LOVE him… love, love, love him) such a complex character, his story was so sad, it broke my heart to know about all those years of loneliness and abuse; Neman and Morgan were really easy to hate, even if Norman was less hard on him. You get to understand Filo, why is he so irritated and grumpy
Nasser: a knight in shining armor, beautiful, honest, caring. Yeah, everything a girl wants. But I needed him to be a little more complex, I love an antihero, someone with defects, issues, etc. (I'm thinking about Filo…) There is an inexplicable draw Nasser feels towards Lee which leads him to give his most valuable possession, his name. About that, I though we'd see some kind of dispute between Bryrony and Nasser, how a faery could make a human do whatever she wants just by using their name.
My negative side:
* I didn't get the relationship between Lee and Kendall. I don't understand why she'd need to give that relationship closure. I 'd loved to see that with her mom. (Maybe that's gonna happen in the second book).
* I'd liked to see more of the transition between the two moments in Lee's life. Her confusion, sorrow, missing the people she loved...
* Even if it wasn't a romantic story, I'd loved to see more of Lee, Filo and Nasser.
In the End:
Flicker is told in third person from multiple perspectives and at first it was almost a little bit too much to handle. New characters, new scenarios, etc. But Kaye's creative writing style was so descriptive and colorful that I was really intrigued from the beginning and kept reading. A little slow at first but it paid off. The writer give us a beautiful world of faeries and another captivating creatures. The development of the love story is so beautiful and sweet. For a change, it's not a story focused in two lovers and his mesmerizing eyes, that was refreshing. Do I need to mention that dear Kaye Thornbrugh is only 19 years old? That's impressive. I can't wait to know what's next!
After reading Flicker I realized a second book is going to be released: Brightly ^^ I'm looking forward to read it.
First of all, I must say that I'm a little surprised about this book. I wasn't expecting such a good reading, so kudos to dear Kaye.
About the Cover:
So gorgeous. Beautiful, simple, sweet, captivating… it is exactly what you'll find in this book.
About the Plot:
16 year old, Lee Capren is abducted by faeries because of her talent to draw portraits. After a mysterious young man rescue her, she realize seven years have passed and all the people she knows believe she'd dead and she doesn't have a home to return.
About this, I don't get how she could leave everything behind without a nervous breakdown in the middle of it. I mean, if you told me that seven years have passed and my family thinks I'm dead, I'd do anything to see them again without even thinking of the consequences. After this, she goes with Nasser who is instantly attracted to her and after that it's a little confusing: why is she staying with them? is she a seer? is she going to work at Flicker? At first, I thought the story was going to focus in the truly identity of Lee or her powers, but in the end, it was about Umbriel and what people around him were willing to do for his affection.
About the Characters:
Lee: a free spirit, an artist. Drawing has always been her escape and she can literally lose herself in her sketches. I really like her even though I had a bit of trouble connecting with her in the beginning. We don't know anything about her past, about her family, only that her dad died when she was little, but it was a little sad that we don't get to know her more deeply. What about her mom? she doesn't remember about her other life? did she have another friends? brothers or sisters? what about art club? This was an issue for me while I was reading. The way she disconnected herself so easily from her past and embrace so quickly this new life style.
Filo: (I LOVE him… love, love, love him) such a complex character, his story was so sad, it broke my heart to know about all those years of loneliness and abuse; Neman and Morgan were really easy to hate, even if Norman was less hard on him. You get to understand Filo, why is he so irritated and grumpy
Nasser: a knight in shining armor, beautiful, honest, caring. Yeah, everything a girl wants. But I needed him to be a little more complex, I love an antihero, someone with defects, issues, etc. (I'm thinking about Filo…) There is an inexplicable draw Nasser feels towards Lee which leads him to give his most valuable possession, his name. About that, I though we'd see some kind of dispute between Bryrony and Nasser, how a faery could make a human do whatever she wants just by using their name.
My negative side:
* I didn't get the relationship between Lee and Kendall. I don't understand why she'd need to give that relationship closure. I 'd loved to see that with her mom. (Maybe that's gonna happen in the second book).
* I'd liked to see more of the transition between the two moments in Lee's life. Her confusion, sorrow, missing the people she loved...
* Even if it wasn't a romantic story, I'd loved to see more of Lee, Filo and Nasser.
In the End:
Flicker is told in third person from multiple perspectives and at first it was almost a little bit too much to handle. New characters, new scenarios, etc. But Kaye's creative writing style was so descriptive and colorful that I was really intrigued from the beginning and kept reading. A little slow at first but it paid off. The writer give us a beautiful world of faeries and another captivating creatures. The development of the love story is so beautiful and sweet. For a change, it's not a story focused in two lovers and his mesmerizing eyes, that was refreshing. Do I need to mention that dear Kaye Thornbrugh is only 19 years old? That's impressive. I can't wait to know what's next!
After reading Flicker I realized a second book is going to be released: Brightly ^^ I'm looking forward to read it.
January 3, 2013
In Kaye Thornbrugh's debut novel, sixteen-year-old Lee Capren stumbles into a world not quite her own. Full of magical beings - faeries, dryads, all sorts of spirits - this hazy world enchants Lee and takes her under its spell as she spends her time using her artistic talents to paint portraits of Faerie nobility. However, when Lee is pulled away from this world back into her own, she finds that years have passed her by. Unable to return to the comfort of her past, she settles in with those who have saved her from her servitude. However, it soon becomes aware that she won't escape this magical world so easily and Lee and her new friends must fight for their lives.
With so many novels centered on this sort of fantastic, action and romance driven plot, it can be easy not to notice Flicker. But what makes this book stand out, when stripped of all of the supernatural creatures, is the writing. Reading like prose, Thornbrugh creates a world that is easy for the reader to slip into and to become immersed in. Lavish and rich with details, I found that it was never hard to picture the scenes that are painted throughout the novel. And while this made some of the scenes hard to get through at times, it made for a much more complete picture at the end.
What I found most enjoyable about Flicker were the characters. Lee, Nasser, Filo, Jason, Alice - all of them were absolutely captivating, each with their own unique histories, tendencies, and those minor details that make them feel real. Even Byrony, while an antagonist in the novel, has her own story that the reader can relate to and sympathize with. While I didn't feel as though Kendall's scenes were very necessary to the story, I can see that they provide the circular sense of touching back on where Lee starts.
One thing that I would have liked to see more of was the actual Faerie world. While there were touches of it throughout the novel, I wasn't left satisfied on that part. Because of the similar elements of Flicker to other Fae stories, I was hoping to have more of that entirely magical sense throughout. That said, the hints throughout the novel were wonderfully captured - with the redcaps, the boggarts, the peaks into the Court and the background there, and even where Byrony came from - these scenes were breathtaking. I just would have liked to see more of this.
Overall, I would definitely recommend reading this novel. Beautifully written, with magical prose and captivating characters, Flicker is a must-read for those who love fantasy, romance, and action.
With so many novels centered on this sort of fantastic, action and romance driven plot, it can be easy not to notice Flicker. But what makes this book stand out, when stripped of all of the supernatural creatures, is the writing. Reading like prose, Thornbrugh creates a world that is easy for the reader to slip into and to become immersed in. Lavish and rich with details, I found that it was never hard to picture the scenes that are painted throughout the novel. And while this made some of the scenes hard to get through at times, it made for a much more complete picture at the end.
What I found most enjoyable about Flicker were the characters. Lee, Nasser, Filo, Jason, Alice - all of them were absolutely captivating, each with their own unique histories, tendencies, and those minor details that make them feel real. Even Byrony, while an antagonist in the novel, has her own story that the reader can relate to and sympathize with. While I didn't feel as though Kendall's scenes were very necessary to the story, I can see that they provide the circular sense of touching back on where Lee starts.
One thing that I would have liked to see more of was the actual Faerie world. While there were touches of it throughout the novel, I wasn't left satisfied on that part. Because of the similar elements of Flicker to other Fae stories, I was hoping to have more of that entirely magical sense throughout. That said, the hints throughout the novel were wonderfully captured - with the redcaps, the boggarts, the peaks into the Court and the background there, and even where Byrony came from - these scenes were breathtaking. I just would have liked to see more of this.
Overall, I would definitely recommend reading this novel. Beautifully written, with magical prose and captivating characters, Flicker is a must-read for those who love fantasy, romance, and action.
September 6, 2012
My Thoughts:
I received this book from the author in exchange for review.
When I read the summary for Flicker, I was really excited to give faeries another try. The only other series I have read about them, is Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey. Now that is some big shoes to fill and live up to and I was looking forward to seeing if I enjoyed it also. I really loved Kay Thornbrugh's storytelling and Lee was definitely a character that I could get behind.
Lee was just your normal teenage girl, she loved to paint and draw, and she was shy, and she didn't mind not being noticed. The last thing she remembers is painting in the forest and then waking up in a strange room with two boys who she has never seen before and doesn't remember. The two boys, Filo and Nassar, then inform her that she was kidnapped by the fey and she was rescued from them by Nassar, himself. Lee was such a strong character throughout the book, I really admired that about her. I couldn't imagine waking up in a strange place with strange people, I would freak out and think they kidnapped me. Then, to add assault to injury, they inform her they faeries and magic exists. She handled each little piece very well, not believing at first and finally coming around and accepting her fate and coming to terms with it in the end.
There was such a great cast of secondary characters in this book, who really made the story. After Nassar saved Lee from faerie he takes her to the one place that he knows, Flicker. Nassar and his brother Jason, along with two other teenagers Filo and Alice, grew up there being apprentice's to fey. Nassar, Alice, and Filo are all seers, humans who have the second sight and can see fey. Each one of the characters felt so real to me, none of their personalities seemed farfetched or fake.
The romance in this book was understated and I really enjoyed that. Nassar and Lee have a growing relationship throughout the book, it didn't seem rushed or contrived and it was completely believable. No drama surrounding it and the story was not focused on it, it just added to the story making it even better.
Overall, Flicker was a great read. Faeries and magic abound it held my attention and I loved each and every moment of the story. I highly recommend this one, Kaye Thornbrugh has created a wonderful plot full of memorable characters and adventure, and the type of romance in YA that feels real and left me smiling by the end. Definitely give it a try!
Happy Reading!
Kristin
I received this book from the author in exchange for review.
When I read the summary for Flicker, I was really excited to give faeries another try. The only other series I have read about them, is Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey. Now that is some big shoes to fill and live up to and I was looking forward to seeing if I enjoyed it also. I really loved Kay Thornbrugh's storytelling and Lee was definitely a character that I could get behind.
Lee was just your normal teenage girl, she loved to paint and draw, and she was shy, and she didn't mind not being noticed. The last thing she remembers is painting in the forest and then waking up in a strange room with two boys who she has never seen before and doesn't remember. The two boys, Filo and Nassar, then inform her that she was kidnapped by the fey and she was rescued from them by Nassar, himself. Lee was such a strong character throughout the book, I really admired that about her. I couldn't imagine waking up in a strange place with strange people, I would freak out and think they kidnapped me. Then, to add assault to injury, they inform her they faeries and magic exists. She handled each little piece very well, not believing at first and finally coming around and accepting her fate and coming to terms with it in the end.
There was such a great cast of secondary characters in this book, who really made the story. After Nassar saved Lee from faerie he takes her to the one place that he knows, Flicker. Nassar and his brother Jason, along with two other teenagers Filo and Alice, grew up there being apprentice's to fey. Nassar, Alice, and Filo are all seers, humans who have the second sight and can see fey. Each one of the characters felt so real to me, none of their personalities seemed farfetched or fake.
The romance in this book was understated and I really enjoyed that. Nassar and Lee have a growing relationship throughout the book, it didn't seem rushed or contrived and it was completely believable. No drama surrounding it and the story was not focused on it, it just added to the story making it even better.
Overall, Flicker was a great read. Faeries and magic abound it held my attention and I loved each and every moment of the story. I highly recommend this one, Kaye Thornbrugh has created a wonderful plot full of memorable characters and adventure, and the type of romance in YA that feels real and left me smiling by the end. Definitely give it a try!
Happy Reading!
Kristin
September 12, 2012
Let me start by telling you how much I adore Kaye's writing style. She is beautifully descriptive. The words flow almost poetically. Yet, not overly so. There is an understated elegance to her writing and I enjoyed it very much. She writes in a way that I would expect from an adult fantasy novel and it's refreshing to know there are authors that believe the young adult genre can be poetic too.
I did have my problems with the book. At the start we are introduced to so many characters, so quickly, that I found myself almost lost. I am a character driven reader. I need to connect fairly quickly with the main characters to keep my interest up. I struggled with that because it jumps around to a handful of different people. After several chapters I began to get a feel for everyone.
However, the pace of the book was still fairly slow. It didn't pick up until about seventy-five percent of the way through and the next thing you know, it's over. While the story is fine in itself, it is just not very action packed.
What I did love, aside from the writing, was the world building. The human and fairy worlds exist together but only those with a fair bit of magic can see both worlds. All the supernatural creatures were interesting and some fairly creative. I like that it takes place in a human city and not a alternate fairy universe. It gives it a bit more realism.
Though I had some issues, it was still a solid enough read that I am glad I had the opportunity to review. I will be keeping my eye on Kaye's career, as I am definitely a fan of her style.
*A copy of this title was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*
I did have my problems with the book. At the start we are introduced to so many characters, so quickly, that I found myself almost lost. I am a character driven reader. I need to connect fairly quickly with the main characters to keep my interest up. I struggled with that because it jumps around to a handful of different people. After several chapters I began to get a feel for everyone.
However, the pace of the book was still fairly slow. It didn't pick up until about seventy-five percent of the way through and the next thing you know, it's over. While the story is fine in itself, it is just not very action packed.
What I did love, aside from the writing, was the world building. The human and fairy worlds exist together but only those with a fair bit of magic can see both worlds. All the supernatural creatures were interesting and some fairly creative. I like that it takes place in a human city and not a alternate fairy universe. It gives it a bit more realism.
Though I had some issues, it was still a solid enough read that I am glad I had the opportunity to review. I will be keeping my eye on Kaye's career, as I am definitely a fan of her style.
*A copy of this title was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*
September 8, 2012
Is there a second book? Originally I was attracted to read Flicker because of the ridiculously appealing cover, I mean look at her! This book did not disappoint, it was filled with all sorts of magic, action, friendship and romance. I really liked how the story showed glimpses of Lee, Alice, Filo and Nasser in the beginning and then intertwined them all together. When I first read Lee lost 7 years to the summer revel, I was stunned; I couldn't believe she was gone for so long and how she lost her life in what seemed to her to be one night. But her story is not a hopeless one for she learns how to move on, I thought this was great. I liked the effect she had on Filo too, she seemed to make him less hostile during her stay at Flicker. He's like one of those stubborn wizards that hates people but in reality he's got a kind heart.
I really adored Umbriel's character, he might just be my favorite, no scratch that, he is my favorite. A faerie who radiates a warmth like the sun and shines on everyone? Plus he's a prince to top it all off. Even his name is unique and mesmerizing, when I first read it the name reminded me of a pokemon. It's too bad he didn't find someone to love during the span of the book, but it was sweet how he doted on Lee and worried about her.
Besides the amazing set of characters, I loved all the magic and the idea of summer/spring/winter revels; it was a refreshing idea. I could go on and on about everything I loved about this book but that would be such a bore. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's fond of faeries, magic, and awesome stories in general.
I really adored Umbriel's character, he might just be my favorite, no scratch that, he is my favorite. A faerie who radiates a warmth like the sun and shines on everyone? Plus he's a prince to top it all off. Even his name is unique and mesmerizing, when I first read it the name reminded me of a pokemon. It's too bad he didn't find someone to love during the span of the book, but it was sweet how he doted on Lee and worried about her.
Besides the amazing set of characters, I loved all the magic and the idea of summer/spring/winter revels; it was a refreshing idea. I could go on and on about everything I loved about this book but that would be such a bore. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's fond of faeries, magic, and awesome stories in general.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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