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Feynard
For Kevin Jenkins, nothing good can come from being kidnapped out of his comfortable old slippers to save Feynard’s mythical Forest from the Blight. He’s bedridden, afraid of beetles, and he doesn’t believe in magic. But his abductors, a Unicorn and a Dryad, think differently.
The Unicorn Zephyr believes he’s the champion the Forest has been waiting for. The Dryad Alliathiune thinks he needs a jolly good slap. Everyone else thinks he’s a wet blanket, an impostor, or by complete coincidence, some sort of mighty High Wizard.
Throw in a Dark Apprentice with a fondness for shiny black boots and slaying everything in sight, a ten-foot swamp monster, a lethal romance, and a prodigal Faun. What could possibly go wrong?
Epic fantasy with a tongue-in-cheek twist
A quest to save the Forest. A mismatched set of companions. Feynard needs a hero, and his name is Kevin.
The Unicorn Zephyr believes he’s the champion the Forest has been waiting for. The Dryad Alliathiune thinks he needs a jolly good slap. Everyone else thinks he’s a wet blanket, an impostor, or by complete coincidence, some sort of mighty High Wizard.
Throw in a Dark Apprentice with a fondness for shiny black boots and slaying everything in sight, a ten-foot swamp monster, a lethal romance, and a prodigal Faun. What could possibly go wrong?
Epic fantasy with a tongue-in-cheek twist
A quest to save the Forest. A mismatched set of companions. Feynard needs a hero, and his name is Kevin.
- GenresFiction
582 pages, Paperback
First published February 13, 2014
23 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Marc Secchia
63 books575 followersMarc is a South African-born dragon masquerading as an author, who loves writing about dragons and Africa, preferably both at the same time. He's the author of over 40 fantasy books in 5 languages including 10 rip-roaring dragon fantasy bestsellers.
His latest releases are Khyrial and the King, an absorbing Fantasy Romance and the hilarious epic fantasy Call me Dragon which won gold in the 2021 IPPY Book Awards for best Fantasy novel.
When he's not writing about Africa or dragons Marc can be found travelling to remote locations. He thinks there's nothing better than standing on a mountaintop wondering what lies over the next horizon.
His latest releases are Khyrial and the King, an absorbing Fantasy Romance and the hilarious epic fantasy Call me Dragon which won gold in the 2021 IPPY Book Awards for best Fantasy novel.
When he's not writing about Africa or dragons Marc can be found travelling to remote locations. He thinks there's nothing better than standing on a mountaintop wondering what lies over the next horizon.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 18, 2015
Glorious Feynard!
Feynard is an uninhibited, fully realised grand fantasy and engages the reader in a wonderful, complex story. The land of Driadorn is under threat from a mysterious blight, and a saviour must be found.
Kevin Jenkins is the quintessential unlikely hero - weak, sickly, abused and hopeless. He spends his life in his room, or in the library of Pitterdown Manor with the books he loves, when he's not recuperating from being the family whipping boy. Sometimes he has strange dreams, and increasingly he dreams of a barefoot girl dressed in leaves. Then there's Great-grandmother Victoria's distinctly strange legacy...
Kevin finds himself in the world of Feynard, an invalid in the care of a honeybear (a healer named Zinfandir), a unicorn and a dryad, who seem to believe that he's some kind of warrior (ha ha). Feynard is in trouble, and someone needs to save the world. Kevin's focus is on wondering how long it will be before he dies of asthma without his pump.
The unicorn is Zephyr, intelligent, amusingly arrogant, and kind. The disturbingly attractive dryad is Alliathiune - whom Kevin irreverently calls "Thooney" when he gets drunk. Alliathiune seems to have the kind and gentle nature of a bramble bush, at least on first acquaintance. Then again, brambleberries are delicious! Among other notable character creatures is the large and endearing swamp Lurk from Mistral Bog nicknamed 'Snatcher'.
The world of Feynard is a wonderfully rich and original creation, which I felt was fully realised. There is a great diversity of lands and creatures, and of the kinds of magic that are used. Flora and fauna of Driadorn and elsewhere are referred to and described, casually or in detail, in a way that comes across as completely natural and as if of a world one has really visited. I find it hard to get across just how well developed every creature is. The dryads in particular, and the unicorns, are revealed in every facet of who and what they are: biology, society, magical abilities, lifestyle and character.
The monsters are scary and their characters are almost as fully developed as those creatures of the 'good' side, with complex motives and their own plans and tactics. The good allies are also not simplistically depicted, and co-operation must sometimes be obtained in spite of divergent motives and priorities.
The story offers grand fantasy adventure, daunting challenges and a complicated romance - very complicated, because humans and dryads, while related, are not the same species! This is an important part of the amazing - excuse me! - climax to the whole wonderfully complex tale.
Criticisms are hard to point out and frankly I don't really want to criticise this book because I loved it so much! However, I did notice that some character responses, rarely, are a little implausible. Snatcher's heartache, for example, is too readily healed. The writing, as always with Marc Secchia, flows well and is easy to read; however, in this book he uses a somewhat bigger (and more old-fashioned) vocabulary than in his more recent books. I prefer this style which I feel is appropriate to the fantasy setting, and the editing seems flawless. The pace of the book is very good, although some may feel that the early parts drag a little, especially where Kevin is whining and feeling sorry for himself. Personally, I was very happy with the pace throughout, and hoped for a slightly slower ending - but perhaps that was because I was running out of book, and just didn't want it to end at all!
I have not read such a good fantasy book since Tolkien. Were I to compare this to something, it would be to Terry Pratchett's original Landover book: Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold!, except that this is far bigger, better and more satisfying. I cannot understand why Feynard is not much more widely known except that, of course, it's Indie.
This is for anyone who loves fantasy - or even just likes it in a lukewarm sort of way. Get Feynard. Read Feynard. Love Feynard. Tell the world!
My thanks to the author, who provided me with a free review copy for an honest and objective review.
Feynard is an uninhibited, fully realised grand fantasy and engages the reader in a wonderful, complex story. The land of Driadorn is under threat from a mysterious blight, and a saviour must be found.
Kevin Jenkins is the quintessential unlikely hero - weak, sickly, abused and hopeless. He spends his life in his room, or in the library of Pitterdown Manor with the books he loves, when he's not recuperating from being the family whipping boy. Sometimes he has strange dreams, and increasingly he dreams of a barefoot girl dressed in leaves. Then there's Great-grandmother Victoria's distinctly strange legacy...
Kevin finds himself in the world of Feynard, an invalid in the care of a honeybear (a healer named Zinfandir), a unicorn and a dryad, who seem to believe that he's some kind of warrior (ha ha). Feynard is in trouble, and someone needs to save the world. Kevin's focus is on wondering how long it will be before he dies of asthma without his pump.
The unicorn is Zephyr, intelligent, amusingly arrogant, and kind. The disturbingly attractive dryad is Alliathiune - whom Kevin irreverently calls "Thooney" when he gets drunk. Alliathiune seems to have the kind and gentle nature of a bramble bush, at least on first acquaintance. Then again, brambleberries are delicious! Among other notable character creatures is the large and endearing swamp Lurk from Mistral Bog nicknamed 'Snatcher'.
The world of Feynard is a wonderfully rich and original creation, which I felt was fully realised. There is a great diversity of lands and creatures, and of the kinds of magic that are used. Flora and fauna of Driadorn and elsewhere are referred to and described, casually or in detail, in a way that comes across as completely natural and as if of a world one has really visited. I find it hard to get across just how well developed every creature is. The dryads in particular, and the unicorns, are revealed in every facet of who and what they are: biology, society, magical abilities, lifestyle and character.
The monsters are scary and their characters are almost as fully developed as those creatures of the 'good' side, with complex motives and their own plans and tactics. The good allies are also not simplistically depicted, and co-operation must sometimes be obtained in spite of divergent motives and priorities.
The story offers grand fantasy adventure, daunting challenges and a complicated romance - very complicated, because humans and dryads, while related, are not the same species! This is an important part of the amazing - excuse me! - climax to the whole wonderfully complex tale.
Criticisms are hard to point out and frankly I don't really want to criticise this book because I loved it so much! However, I did notice that some character responses, rarely, are a little implausible. Snatcher's heartache, for example, is too readily healed. The writing, as always with Marc Secchia, flows well and is easy to read; however, in this book he uses a somewhat bigger (and more old-fashioned) vocabulary than in his more recent books. I prefer this style which I feel is appropriate to the fantasy setting, and the editing seems flawless. The pace of the book is very good, although some may feel that the early parts drag a little, especially where Kevin is whining and feeling sorry for himself. Personally, I was very happy with the pace throughout, and hoped for a slightly slower ending - but perhaps that was because I was running out of book, and just didn't want it to end at all!
I have not read such a good fantasy book since Tolkien. Were I to compare this to something, it would be to Terry Pratchett's original Landover book: Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold!, except that this is far bigger, better and more satisfying. I cannot understand why Feynard is not much more widely known except that, of course, it's Indie.
This is for anyone who loves fantasy - or even just likes it in a lukewarm sort of way. Get Feynard. Read Feynard. Love Feynard. Tell the world!
My thanks to the author, who provided me with a free review copy for an honest and objective review.
April 2, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Kevin Jenkins has a miserable life. But when his dreams and clues left by his great aunt lead him to the land of Feynard all that changes. At least to start with, in Kevin’s mind, not necessarily for the better.
Feynard is a land of fabulous creatures, under threat from the mysterious blight. Kevin, the most reluctant ‘mighty high wizard’ is left with no choice but to help them. Not that he has any idea how he might be of use. His adventure takes him all over Feynard together with a magical Unicorn, that likes his the sound of his own voice, a Feisty four foot tall Dryad and a ten foot tall Lurk (you’ll have to read it to find out).
An original, well written tale that had me captivated from the start.
Feynard is a land of fabulous creatures, under threat from the mysterious blight. Kevin, the most reluctant ‘mighty high wizard’ is left with no choice but to help them. Not that he has any idea how he might be of use. His adventure takes him all over Feynard together with a magical Unicorn, that likes his the sound of his own voice, a Feisty four foot tall Dryad and a ten foot tall Lurk (you’ll have to read it to find out).
An original, well written tale that had me captivated from the start.
December 14, 2015
What an absolutely fantastic read! Mr. Secchia is truly a master of vivid imagery and writing so poetic it's lyrical. As soon as Jenkins unwillingly travels to Driadorn, you travel there with him. It's like you can get lost in this world (and I wish it was real!). The characters are amazing and well developed. Jenkins can be a miserable wart, and he can get very annoying (to the point you want to wring his neck...), but that just goes to show how well written he is. All the other characters are great too; my favorite is Snatcher.
This story is magical and a little dark. It has a lot of humor, action and romance. It's like Narnia and Lord of the Rings had a beautiful love child. I highly recommend this book.
This story is magical and a little dark. It has a lot of humor, action and romance. It's like Narnia and Lord of the Rings had a beautiful love child. I highly recommend this book.
December 15, 2014
Some time ago I decided that life was too short to finish books I didn't enjoy. There are so many good books out there, why force yourself to read one that isn't? Today I decided that I was not going to finish "Feynard".
Its not that the plot itself is not good, its just that you never really get to it.
The main character (Kevin) is such a whiny self indulged brat that about 40 % of the time you spend listening to his complaints and self doubt. And just when you think that he is starting to come around , he is sent on another adventure and starts feeling sorry for himself again and we get to share it all with him.
Now, I don't have anything against a lead who has self doubt, and I am sure that if I was sucked into a fairy land with talking unicorns, it would take me a while to believe my own eyes and ears as well, but the there is a point in every story where the whining goes from building a credible character, to annoying, and finally to boring. That line was crossed pretty early on in the book.
The one good thing I can say about this book is that every once in a while you realize that everyone else in the book feels the same about Kevin.
Luckily, whilst they are stuck with him on this loooooong quest, all I need to do is just close the book. :)
Its not that the plot itself is not good, its just that you never really get to it.
The main character (Kevin) is such a whiny self indulged brat that about 40 % of the time you spend listening to his complaints and self doubt. And just when you think that he is starting to come around , he is sent on another adventure and starts feeling sorry for himself again and we get to share it all with him.
Now, I don't have anything against a lead who has self doubt, and I am sure that if I was sucked into a fairy land with talking unicorns, it would take me a while to believe my own eyes and ears as well, but the there is a point in every story where the whining goes from building a credible character, to annoying, and finally to boring. That line was crossed pretty early on in the book.
The one good thing I can say about this book is that every once in a while you realize that everyone else in the book feels the same about Kevin.
Luckily, whilst they are stuck with him on this loooooong quest, all I need to do is just close the book. :)
June 13, 2018
Am I the only one who sees similarities between Kevin and Thomas Covenant? Granted, it's been over 30 years since I read the Chronicles but neither Kevin nor Thomas are healthy individuals and seem to be thrust into their other worldly adventures against their will. As I recall, Thomas also complained a lot.
I found the creation of the words darktime (night) and lightime (day) an unnecessary affectation.
I felt there were too many unanswered questions. Where did Kevin's great-grandmother get all those keys? It probably would be more interesting to learn how she accumulated them than how Kevin tries to figure out how to use them. How did his father and brother transport back and forth between Feynard and Earth? Why wasn't Kevin given the same ability? Did the great-grandmother know that Kevin's father and brother were evil? It seems impossible that she wouldn't have ascertained this and done something about it. She must have gone to Feynard at some point, else why would she have magical items that work there. Kevin was 27 (I think) and Brian was his older brother so why did Brian wait so long to make his move to take over/destroy Feynard? Surely he had the ability long before Kevin was summoned.
Had Kevin's deceased mother had any kind of magical ability?
Our heroes encounter Elliadora during their mission. She created Elliadora's Well to protect the Forest and was said to be one of the original Magi. She should have been able to heal the soil of her garden but instead had Alliathiune do it. Why was she now doing nothing other than offering cryptic advice? She must have retained some magical ability as she not only knew the names of the travelers but was able to predict their futures.
Why did Brian have two flying machines so that Kevin and cohorts could conveniently steal one?
Sadly, some of the lesser characters die at different points in the story. As if to make amends for this, Kevin manages to "fix" beliefs that had been in play for eons to make for a happy ending. I don't buy it.
I found the creation of the words darktime (night) and lightime (day) an unnecessary affectation.
I felt there were too many unanswered questions. Where did Kevin's great-grandmother get all those keys? It probably would be more interesting to learn how she accumulated them than how Kevin tries to figure out how to use them. How did his father and brother transport back and forth between Feynard and Earth? Why wasn't Kevin given the same ability? Did the great-grandmother know that Kevin's father and brother were evil? It seems impossible that she wouldn't have ascertained this and done something about it. She must have gone to Feynard at some point, else why would she have magical items that work there. Kevin was 27 (I think) and Brian was his older brother so why did Brian wait so long to make his move to take over/destroy Feynard? Surely he had the ability long before Kevin was summoned.
Had Kevin's deceased mother had any kind of magical ability?
Our heroes encounter Elliadora during their mission. She created Elliadora's Well to protect the Forest and was said to be one of the original Magi. She should have been able to heal the soil of her garden but instead had Alliathiune do it. Why was she now doing nothing other than offering cryptic advice? She must have retained some magical ability as she not only knew the names of the travelers but was able to predict their futures.
Why did Brian have two flying machines so that Kevin and cohorts could conveniently steal one?
Sadly, some of the lesser characters die at different points in the story. As if to make amends for this, Kevin manages to "fix" beliefs that had been in play for eons to make for a happy ending. I don't buy it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2016
DNF and was very glad when I quit. The MC, Kevin, was a whiny prat with no self esteem that I was happy to quit reading about. I felt sorry for the abuse he suffered, but I hated his character in the book. The writing was supposed to be archaic and British, but I thought it sounded confusing and irritating. The unicorns and the MC dryad were not "people" I was looking forward to hearing from in the story. They were arrogant and obnoxious, with little to recommend them.
This is the fourth book by this author that I have read and the second one not finished. I am going to return the remaining books I own and wash my hands of him. I recommend finding other, better, authors to purchase books from. There are many to choose from so don't waste your money on this one.
This is the fourth book by this author that I have read and the second one not finished. I am going to return the remaining books I own and wash my hands of him. I recommend finding other, better, authors to purchase books from. There are many to choose from so don't waste your money on this one.
Read
April 21, 2015"Feynard is an uninhibited, fully realised grand fantasy ... the land of Driadorn is under threat from a mysterious blight, and a saviour must be found. Were I to compare this to something, it would be to Terry Pratchett's original Landover book: Magic Kingdom for Sale / Sold!, except that this is far bigger, better and more satisfying." - David Rose, Author
"Lots of character development, combined with a beautifully constructed alternative universe and a most unusual romance, make this a lot of fun." - Old Eagles Fan
"Lots of character development, combined with a beautifully constructed alternative universe and a most unusual romance, make this a lot of fun." - Old Eagles Fan
November 22, 2016
Eh, I really wish I could say that I liked it more than I did considering fantasy is one of my favorite genres, but this book never really pulled me in. I could not connect with any of the characters except the Lurk and in fact the main character Kevin drove me crazy. The book gets off to a very slow start and until I was half way through I would have only given it 2 stars. Then when it finally starts to get good, it rushes to a conclusion that left me thinking "really? That's it?"
Not a terrible book by any means just not what I was hoping for.
Not a terrible book by any means just not what I was hoping for.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews