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Bird Without Wings: FAEBLES
Scarlett is sixteen. She’s glad to be finishing high school because she feels unpopular and not especially attractive. Following the mysterious disappearance of her father, and then an attempted date-rape by her best friend’s older brother, Scarlett is confused, friendless and lonely. Then strange things begin to happen. Scarlett discovers a beautiful and mystical world that exists in parallel to the real world, the Fae (Fairy) World, and is happy to escape to this amazing place which is inhabited by some beautiful, friendly and sexy, winged Fae people.,
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2013
830 people want to read
About the author
Cally Pepper
1 book5 followersI have been writing for many years now, but have just had my debut novel published, 'Bird Without Wings' - the first in the FAEBLES trilogy for Young Adults. I have had a trailer made of this book and it can be viewed on youtube, to view please click here. My book is available from December 2013 and I will be doing several giveaways on Goodreads.
When I am not writing, I work part time in a doctors surgery in Liverpool, UK. My other interests include every kind of creative craft and art ... and of course reading.
I am a member of Southport Writers Circle and also write the occasional poem and short story.
I live in Southport in the North West of England with my husband, my two crazy Labrador dogs and my elderly cat Molly.
When I am not writing, I work part time in a doctors surgery in Liverpool, UK. My other interests include every kind of creative craft and art ... and of course reading.
I am a member of Southport Writers Circle and also write the occasional poem and short story.
I live in Southport in the North West of England with my husband, my two crazy Labrador dogs and my elderly cat Molly.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 14, 2013
I recieved this book for free from the goodreads first reafs program. I loved it! When does the next book in the series come out? A coming of age novel with a girl who is just finding out she is fae and that she has to save the fae from destruction. Well written and easily read. Definitely a book I will recommend to friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2014
Faebles...how can I ever leave a review about this book. I am so conflicted. It was freaking amazing. I just might have to read it again.
January 17, 2014
Bird Without Wings: FAEBLES by Cally Pepper
Bird Without Wings: FAEBLES by Cally Pepper we are introduced to Scarlett, who was raised by her father and her aunt. Scarlett is worried about her father because he is missing. On her 16th birthday, Scarlett goes to school to take her last exam and is now down. As she is leaving school, her supposed friend Sasha, verbally attacks her about a date Scarlett had with her brother. Scarlett feels demeaned and mortified. Scarlett gets herself together so that she doesn’t worry her aunt.
Her Aunt Maggie gives her a package that her father wanted her to have on her 16th birthday. In the package she finds a letter telling her she is in transition and a picture of her mother and on the frame it says Fae. Scarlett asks her Aunt what it means. Her Aunt tells her a story about how her parents met and that the picture is of her mother who is a fairy. Scarlett can’t believe anything her aunt is telling her.
The next day, Scarlett takes a walk in Gossamer woods by her house and meets Ainsel and her brother Eldridge who are Fae. After she speaks with Ainsel, she finds out that she is a hybrid, human dad, and a fae mother.
After the woods Scarlett makes a date with Luke who is a neighbor and a fellow classmate. Scarlett and Luke make plans for her to come over and see his studio. Scarlett looks at his paintings and while she is looking at one, she sees how Luke’s parents were killed by Sasha’s brother, Jasper. She doesn’t say anything because she can’t believe what she just saw becaue the canvas was blank.
Scarlett goes for a walk in Gossamer woods and meets Ainsel and Eldridge again and they talk about the Fae world and that she and Eldridge are guards for the Fae world. They are able to disappear and reappear in a different location so they are able to let others know if there is trouble. Scarlett asks who could be a threat to the Fae world and Ainsel tells her that Black Wings are the most dangerous creature to the Fae world.
Scarlett is dancing home when she is chased down and captured by Jasper who she finds out is a Black Wing. Jasper tells Scarlett that he has he mom and dad and that his dog killed her cat. He duck tapes her to the tree and she tries to desperate to escape. Jasper starts to unzip her jeans when her vision blurs and things turn black. She wakes up in Luke’s arms because he heard her yell and came to help her. He saw Jasper and ended up hitting Jasper in the head with a big tree branch. Scarlett finds out that Sasha and Jasper are cousins to Luke and that Luke and Sasha never had sex.
Scarlett has vision of where her father and mother were being held. Luke and Scarlett take a look around Luke’s Uncle Ethan’s property. While there, Scarlett is able to see through a black fog and find her dad and mom. Scarlett devises a plan to get her parents away from Ethan and Jasper. Scarlett and her mother end up kicking some butt and they leave the barn with Sasha who ended up helping them with their escape plan.
Cally Pepper is a brilliant storyteller and has given her readers a new and breathtaking Fae World with wonderful characters. Her writing style makes it easy for a reader to want to read and keep reading. Her words are effortless and flow from page to page. The story line moves along at a great pace, with plenty of great moments. The story does not lag at any point. The ending was a bit of a surprise. It just shows you that the author isn’t afraid not to be different.
Anyone who is a fan of the Fae, this book is a must read.
4.7 Stars
*I won this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. In no way has this influenced my rating or opinion of this book.*
Bird Without Wings: FAEBLES by Cally Pepper we are introduced to Scarlett, who was raised by her father and her aunt. Scarlett is worried about her father because he is missing. On her 16th birthday, Scarlett goes to school to take her last exam and is now down. As she is leaving school, her supposed friend Sasha, verbally attacks her about a date Scarlett had with her brother. Scarlett feels demeaned and mortified. Scarlett gets herself together so that she doesn’t worry her aunt.
Her Aunt Maggie gives her a package that her father wanted her to have on her 16th birthday. In the package she finds a letter telling her she is in transition and a picture of her mother and on the frame it says Fae. Scarlett asks her Aunt what it means. Her Aunt tells her a story about how her parents met and that the picture is of her mother who is a fairy. Scarlett can’t believe anything her aunt is telling her.
The next day, Scarlett takes a walk in Gossamer woods by her house and meets Ainsel and her brother Eldridge who are Fae. After she speaks with Ainsel, she finds out that she is a hybrid, human dad, and a fae mother.
After the woods Scarlett makes a date with Luke who is a neighbor and a fellow classmate. Scarlett and Luke make plans for her to come over and see his studio. Scarlett looks at his paintings and while she is looking at one, she sees how Luke’s parents were killed by Sasha’s brother, Jasper. She doesn’t say anything because she can’t believe what she just saw becaue the canvas was blank.
Scarlett goes for a walk in Gossamer woods and meets Ainsel and Eldridge again and they talk about the Fae world and that she and Eldridge are guards for the Fae world. They are able to disappear and reappear in a different location so they are able to let others know if there is trouble. Scarlett asks who could be a threat to the Fae world and Ainsel tells her that Black Wings are the most dangerous creature to the Fae world.
Scarlett is dancing home when she is chased down and captured by Jasper who she finds out is a Black Wing. Jasper tells Scarlett that he has he mom and dad and that his dog killed her cat. He duck tapes her to the tree and she tries to desperate to escape. Jasper starts to unzip her jeans when her vision blurs and things turn black. She wakes up in Luke’s arms because he heard her yell and came to help her. He saw Jasper and ended up hitting Jasper in the head with a big tree branch. Scarlett finds out that Sasha and Jasper are cousins to Luke and that Luke and Sasha never had sex.
Scarlett has vision of where her father and mother were being held. Luke and Scarlett take a look around Luke’s Uncle Ethan’s property. While there, Scarlett is able to see through a black fog and find her dad and mom. Scarlett devises a plan to get her parents away from Ethan and Jasper. Scarlett and her mother end up kicking some butt and they leave the barn with Sasha who ended up helping them with their escape plan.
Cally Pepper is a brilliant storyteller and has given her readers a new and breathtaking Fae World with wonderful characters. Her writing style makes it easy for a reader to want to read and keep reading. Her words are effortless and flow from page to page. The story line moves along at a great pace, with plenty of great moments. The story does not lag at any point. The ending was a bit of a surprise. It just shows you that the author isn’t afraid not to be different.
Anyone who is a fan of the Fae, this book is a must read.
4.7 Stars
*I won this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. In no way has this influenced my rating or opinion of this book.*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2013
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
So... I found this book to be a quick, easy read. I really liked this book - as is probably obvious from the rating I've given it.
Scarlett was a really interesting, well-rounded character. I did feel that she had realistic strengths and weaknesses. She was really naive at times, but it seemed to fit really well with her character. (She did seem a bit obsessive about her appearance, though, and very contradictory at times).
I really liked the way the Fae world was different to the everyday world. How it was described came across really well - and I liked the different fairies and how they varied to each other.
I really liked Luke - and I have to say that, although I was surprised by what happened at the end, it was much better than the trend I've grown completely sick of. I hope to see more of that relationship forming throughout the next book.
I liked most of the other characters as well. It was nice that Scarlett wasn't incredibly popular, talented, etc. I could really get into her head at times in the story and relate really well with her over certain things - like her need to control what she could in the world. Again, they were things that made her a well-rounded, interesting character.
I really hated Sasha at first, but she eventually grew on me. I would have liked to know more about Jasper's and Ethan's motivations - the best villains are those who think they have good reasons for what they're doing, whether they are or not.
Generally speaking, the writing was really good and made it easy for me to read. Unfortunately, I did notice several errors - missing quotation marks, for one, but Jasper's gender also changed at one point in the story. And the wrong name was used at another point. Also, there were a few sentence fragments that didn't seem to go anywhere.
I'd definitely be interested in reading more books by this same author and in this same series. If it's available on Kindle with text-to-speech enabled, I'll recommend it to a friend of mine who really likes books about fairies... or the Fae.
(This review may contain spoilers).
So... I found this book to be a quick, easy read. I really liked this book - as is probably obvious from the rating I've given it.
Scarlett was a really interesting, well-rounded character. I did feel that she had realistic strengths and weaknesses. She was really naive at times, but it seemed to fit really well with her character. (She did seem a bit obsessive about her appearance, though, and very contradictory at times).
I really liked the way the Fae world was different to the everyday world. How it was described came across really well - and I liked the different fairies and how they varied to each other.
I really liked Luke - and I have to say that, although I was surprised by what happened at the end, it was much better than the trend I've grown completely sick of. I hope to see more of that relationship forming throughout the next book.
I liked most of the other characters as well. It was nice that Scarlett wasn't incredibly popular, talented, etc. I could really get into her head at times in the story and relate really well with her over certain things - like her need to control what she could in the world. Again, they were things that made her a well-rounded, interesting character.
I really hated Sasha at first, but she eventually grew on me. I would have liked to know more about Jasper's and Ethan's motivations - the best villains are those who think they have good reasons for what they're doing, whether they are or not.
Generally speaking, the writing was really good and made it easy for me to read. Unfortunately, I did notice several errors - missing quotation marks, for one, but Jasper's gender also changed at one point in the story. And the wrong name was used at another point. Also, there were a few sentence fragments that didn't seem to go anywhere.
I'd definitely be interested in reading more books by this same author and in this same series. If it's available on Kindle with text-to-speech enabled, I'll recommend it to a friend of mine who really likes books about fairies... or the Fae.
November 20, 2013
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways). My opinion of this story and any other book I may review (free or otherwise) is 100% truthful and honest.
That being said I never would have imagined how perfect this book was for me to read in the first place much less winning an advanced copy on my first try in a Goodreads giveaway. It was hard to put the book down and when I did it was only because I REALLY didn't want it to end. This is a Fae (fairy) story that is a little more "adult" than others I have read and I do love and collect fairy stories. I really felt that Cally Pepper was writing specifically for me because even though it was a fairy story I could relate to the main character and put myself into her feelings and desires. The main character even shares my love for the same drink that is mentioned several times throughout the book, which I got a good smile at every time. I also liked a lot of the new ideas about fairy's and their world that the author added. It definitely wasn't one of those books where you knew what was going to happen next, especially at the end which I actually had to re-read again to make sure I read it correctly! As for the cover I was afraid a white book would get very dirty and ruin the lovely cover image but it was rarely put down so that wasn't even an issue. This book is a great one to have if you love stories about fairies like I do and like to see a new take on them. I am SUPER excited that there will be a second book in the Faebles trilogy for YA/NA!!! I'm hungrily awaiting the next one!!!!! Cally Pepper
That being said I never would have imagined how perfect this book was for me to read in the first place much less winning an advanced copy on my first try in a Goodreads giveaway. It was hard to put the book down and when I did it was only because I REALLY didn't want it to end. This is a Fae (fairy) story that is a little more "adult" than others I have read and I do love and collect fairy stories. I really felt that Cally Pepper was writing specifically for me because even though it was a fairy story I could relate to the main character and put myself into her feelings and desires. The main character even shares my love for the same drink that is mentioned several times throughout the book, which I got a good smile at every time. I also liked a lot of the new ideas about fairy's and their world that the author added. It definitely wasn't one of those books where you knew what was going to happen next, especially at the end which I actually had to re-read again to make sure I read it correctly! As for the cover I was afraid a white book would get very dirty and ruin the lovely cover image but it was rarely put down so that wasn't even an issue. This book is a great one to have if you love stories about fairies like I do and like to see a new take on them. I am SUPER excited that there will be a second book in the Faebles trilogy for YA/NA!!! I'm hungrily awaiting the next one!!!!! Cally Pepper
November 26, 2013
I enjoyed this book. It reminded me alot of the Twilight trilogy but a fairy version of it. Loved how the girls won at the end of the day! It was like they learned about their own strength and were able to appreciate their struggles to get where they got to because of it.
January 15, 2014
I couldn't quite get into this read... It seemed a bit superficial. The characters just didn't have the depth of character that I was hoping for. I'm hoping that we'll be able to see a broader range of emotion from the characters besides the love, lust, evil intent, and sheer superficiality portrayed throughout this first book in this trilogy. And there was one thing, though small, that kept making me want to grind my teeth, when referring to themselves, the Fae would say, "I am a Fae," instead of, "I am Fae." I'm used to seeing the latter, and I also think it's more grammatically correct, so... That being said, I am looking forward to the rest of the trilogy, because there were some things that were left unresolved, Scarlett's exploration of the Fae world, her relationship with her parents, and most importantly, because I am a romantic first and foremost, her budding relationship with Orion. Even this rating seems a little incomplete, I wish I could covey exactly why this book felt lacking but I can't put my finger on it...
July 15, 2014
Picked this up thinking it was a YA book but in fact it is more of a middle grade book. The writing and dialogues are too straight forward and bland. Almost every stories and events start with "once upon a time....", that is why it made me feel like I was reading a children's book. However, it cannot be a children book because of the sexual content. I was confused. And sometimes I found no meaning at all in the dialogues.
The story is also very illogical. Scarlett's parents were held captive by the Black Wings and her father was about to die of sickness but Scarlett still lived her life like normal. Still hanging out with Luke in the woods and thinking of her lust and her sexy Orion. What the heck?!
In conclusion, the writing is bad, the story is bad, the characters are immature. It could really be a good book. The concept was great, but besides that everything was not good.
The story is also very illogical. Scarlett's parents were held captive by the Black Wings and her father was about to die of sickness but Scarlett still lived her life like normal. Still hanging out with Luke in the woods and thinking of her lust and her sexy Orion. What the heck?!
In conclusion, the writing is bad, the story is bad, the characters are immature. It could really be a good book. The concept was great, but besides that everything was not good.
March 26, 2014
This is like a fairy tale for teens - a real fairy tale, rather than the dark or overtly eroticised adult versions that are so popular at the minute. Like a true fairy story this is evocative and touches on deeper secrets...with a meaty battle against good and evil and pretty sparkly fairy wings. What's not to love? I feel this could be the start of a new sub-genre in YA lit and for me brings a fresh twist to tired and tested tropes. There are some areas in which the pace slackens a little and I never quite found Jasper convincing, but I'm really being picky here. It's a fantastic story - indeed a 'fable' - which will appeal to YA and upwards. The main character is well drawn and believable and I didn't want to stop reading about her. Also - this story made me want my own wings!
September 27, 2014
This book wasn't for me, but there were many good things about it that may appeal to another reader.
First, the good. The characters were fun and engaging. The plot was interesting, and all the characters and events were woven together nicely. The author is also very good at writing hot scenes, if you are in to that sort of writing, which I personally am not. Also, I loved the twist regarding the love interest at the end. Charming and hilarious!
The bad. If you are a rape survivor, there were two near-rape scenes that could be triggering. They were not gratuitous, and were important to the plot and character motivation, still. Two. Rape. Scenes. In quite vivid detail.
First, the good. The characters were fun and engaging. The plot was interesting, and all the characters and events were woven together nicely. The author is also very good at writing hot scenes, if you are in to that sort of writing, which I personally am not. Also, I loved the twist regarding the love interest at the end. Charming and hilarious!
The bad. If you are a rape survivor, there were two near-rape scenes that could be triggering. They were not gratuitous, and were important to the plot and character motivation, still. Two. Rape. Scenes. In quite vivid detail.
August 12, 2016
I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways. It in no way effected my review.
Im not even sure how to write a review for this story. It was great! A coming age story of a young girl learning she's Fae and must save those of her kind. Sure you read stuff like this often ut this author made it fresh and new. It was great. An as a red head I must say I loved the cover as well. :)
Im not even sure how to write a review for this story. It was great! A coming age story of a young girl learning she's Fae and must save those of her kind. Sure you read stuff like this often ut this author made it fresh and new. It was great. An as a red head I must say I loved the cover as well. :)
December 28, 2013
I have just finished reading 'Bird Without Wings' by Cally Pepper and I found it really great. The story line held my attention throughout, and the writing style moves along at a good pace. It's modern, and certainly one of the very best books in this genre on the market. You'll love the ending. A great read. Highly recommended.
December 15, 2013
I loved this book so much! It was full of imagination and conjured up the most wonderfull images of the fae world! Exciting, funny, heart wrenching and in the end, heroic! A must read for any young adult!
June 24, 2015
Cute concept, however, the repetitiveness killed me. It pained me to finish this book. If Scarlett wasn't slurping a coke, slurping a bottle of water, she was swallowing hard or gulping. UGH.
February 2, 2014
I received a copy of this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
Initially I wasn't sure about this book, and after reading I'm still not sure about it. I had no problem with the plot, except it felt a little too repetitive in some places. I liked the characters, especially Pandora, but Jasper was a bit too much of a stereotypical bad-guy for me - I would have preferred him to have had a deeper character.
I thought the whole 'the fae world is purer than ours' thing and Scarlett being a fairy princess were way too predictable, but I liked the change in Sasha's character and I definitely did not expect that ending!
One thing I did really like was that it is a young adult book that is set in the UK. A lot of YA books are set in the US, so this one was a nice change.
To be honest it felt like Enid Blyton trying too hard to write for young adults by adding unnecessary sexual stuff. I'm intrigued to know what happens next but probably not enough to make me buy the next book.
Initially I wasn't sure about this book, and after reading I'm still not sure about it. I had no problem with the plot, except it felt a little too repetitive in some places. I liked the characters, especially Pandora, but Jasper was a bit too much of a stereotypical bad-guy for me - I would have preferred him to have had a deeper character.
I thought the whole 'the fae world is purer than ours' thing and Scarlett being a fairy princess were way too predictable, but I liked the change in Sasha's character and I definitely did not expect that ending!
One thing I did really like was that it is a young adult book that is set in the UK. A lot of YA books are set in the US, so this one was a nice change.
To be honest it felt like Enid Blyton trying too hard to write for young adults by adding unnecessary sexual stuff. I'm intrigued to know what happens next but probably not enough to make me buy the next book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews