The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two

Fairyland #3

by Catherynne M. Valente

September misses Fairyland and her friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. She longs to leave the routines of home, and embark on a new adventure. Little does she know that this time, she will be spirited away to the moon, reunited with her friends, and find herself faced with saving Fairyland from a moon-Yeti with great and mysterious powers. Here is another rich, beautifully told, wisely humorous and passionately layered book from New York Time s bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente. Praise for the FAIRYLAND 'One of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century.' Time Magazine ( A Time Best Book of 2012) 'A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian fairy-tale, done with heart and wisdom.' Neil Gaiman 'A mad, toothsome romp of a fairy-tale - full of oddments, whimsy and joy.' Holly Black , author of Zombies vs. Unicorns and the Spiderwick Chronicles 'September is a clever, fun, stronghearted addition to the ranks of bold, adventurous girls. Valente's subversive storytelling is sheer magic.' Tamora Pierce , author of The Immortals series 'Valente is making new myths right now, before our eyes. Don't miss the show.' Lev Grossman 'One of the strongest fantasy novels for young readers I've had the pleasure of getting lost in...There's as much Phantom Tollbooth here as there is Narnia...Shot through with menace and heroism, you never know what's coming next.' Cory Doctorow

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Adventure

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Catherynne M. Valente was born on Cinco de Mayo, 1979 in Seattle, WA, but grew up in in the wheatgrass paradise of Northern California. She graduated from high school at age 15, going on to UC San Diego and Edinburgh University, receiving her B.A. in Classics with an emphasis in Ancient Greek Linguistics. She then drifted away from her M.A. program and into a long residence in the concrete and camphor wilds of Japan.

She currently lives in Maine with her partner, two dogs, and three cats, having drifted back to America and the mythic frontier of the Midwest.

Reviews

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Catherynne M Valente's writing, and recommend her to others only second to my beloved Diana Wynne Jones. My first introduction to her was the first book in the Fairyland series, which grabbed hold of me such that I was ecstatic to see the prequel short and overjoyed that a second book came out. I only just today learned that this is to be a five book series, and I had this one, the third, on Kindle pre-order the moment I learned of it. I have talked up her Orphan's Tales series beyond all measure, and I've even bought the first Fairyland book as a gift for a friend, though I rarely do that because it's such a risk. It's safe to say I love these stories and I love Valente's writing.

I didn't love this book. Oh, Ms Valente, you forgot something so important! You forgot to work on the story! It takes (according to the Kindle calculator) 44% of the book to even begin the story. Up to that point it's one person lecturing September after another. She stands in one place and hears pages of lecture on one subject, then she moves to a new place and stands there to hear pages of lecture on another subject. We hear about the imaginary nature of money and about being co-dependent so that you live only to create the happiness of others. We hear about the way countries are run and about how clothes make the man. We do not hear a story. It takes almost half the book for September to do the following: sigh around Omaha; cross a boundary into Fairyland's Moon; get dressed; travel a short distance on a moon road; be turned away by the creature she was told to see; arrive at the moon Library. In this time September has no control, makes no attempt to take control, she simply follows one lecture after another. She is completely inactive. Unfortunately, the lectures don't stop once September finally makes contact with her friends and starts on her big journey to do a big thing. There's a lecture at the library, a lecture at the circus, a lecture from the human-headed donkey. It's a page of story for every chapter of lecture. The final 10% of the book improves, though there are still lectures from Yetis and grown Marids and such. Still standing around doing nothing but listening to lessons. Crammed in around the edges are too many ideas. Descriptions galore, which Valente is good at, but too much. In previous books they've been measured, you can see and feel what she's describing and the world comes to life. Here there's no introduction to a new idea, just suddenly 500 words of adjectives. September can't walk through a forest or converse with a friend or pick up a box or get in a car without drowning in adjectives. I can't picture half of what's described because it's OVER-described. Too much everywhere. Economy of language doesn't mean constant silence, it means parsing it out carefully so that there's the right amount, not too much and not too little. Valente has not been economic with her language, she's just poured it on like a 5 year old pours syrup on her pancakes. So much that the pancakes become a soggy sodden mess that break apart and cannot be eaten without being ill.

The farther into the series we go, the less possible it is to understand without having read the previous books, which is fine, I've never understood why people suggest it's important for series books to stand alone. That's fine for Hercule Poirot and The Three Investigators, it's not necessary for books of this type. Here we have absolutely reached the point where you will not understand without reading the first two books (prequel if you like, though it's not necessary like the others). You won't know what a Hreinn is, why the Wyverary references the second half of the alphabet the way he does, how a Marid works, what September did with the Marquess and her Shadow, etc.

I've missed September and her friends so much, and I was so happy that she would spend actual time with her friends, since she didn't get to in the previous novel. I've been so excited about this book, and I'm so downcast not to be able to love it. But when the story is neglected, especially in a fairy story, you're left with thinly-disguised asides to the adult readers and characters standing around yawning behind their hands, waiting for their author to get back to them again. That does not a wonderful book make. I desperately hope Valente or her editor shakes this out before the apparent fourth book.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the language is beautiful and still bright, and while we've got a little older September to contend with, I don't think this is the best of the Fairyland books.

She's growing up, learning that Yeti's hands can control serious time and Words have a magic that is all the greater because it belongs not only to Fairies, but to everyone, and the clothes you wear are like the words you use. It's sweet, and it's good, but there was something missing in the middle of the book.

Direction.

I loved the descriptions, the imagination, the characters, and the Rights of Tools, but there wasn't a center impetus to push the plot forward. I don't mind if we meander, and there was a lot of meandering, but I like to know that we're shooting for the moon, too.

I am NOT saying this was a bad book, because her works are so brilliant that they outshine the sun. I just don't think it matches the strengths of the previous two. Even if Saturday has turned into a budding Love Interest for September. :) So cute. Love the Timey-Wimey stuff.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

[June 28, 2015] This was probably never going to be anything less than five stars. I love it, I'm invested, some of my favorite characters are here, and at the end of the day, Valente can tell us just about anything in the most beautiful language. She can make up any land and any creature and just brings it all to life with wit and clever phrases. I love reading these words so much, it's hard to hold anything else against them.

Each of her books seems to have a theme at the heart of them and as will be obvious to anyone reading, this third book is about growing up. I love, love books about growing up and coming of age stories, so I was totally enamored with it. Plus, we get the extra wonderful spin of both Saturday and September being people out of time. People who experience past, present and future all in a jumble. September grapples with who she will become and what fate means and if she has any choice or control in the matter.

My heart went out to Saturday in such a great way in this book. What a wonderful boy and excellent counterpart for September.

The middle bits did seem to amble along and sometimes, Valente seemed to lose the string of storytelling and fuzzy some of the main plot points. If you asked me to tell you about this book, I could more tell you about all the stops on their trip and who they met than the unifying main story line, though the ending was perfect and that I remember. September busted into Fairyland when no one came to get her, so it stands that she had an adventure unlike the two others we've seen. While this kind of scattered middle has caused some people to deduct a star or two, I cannot. The thrown about adventure and ambling about just prop up a story that is about the scattered and ambling process of growing up.

Maybe that's me giving it too much credit, but again, I was predisposed to love this to pieces.

I'm just so darn glad to have this series and a little sad to finish it soon and a little worried about having to wait for so long for the next one. But so it goes.

[April 28, 2016] Much of what I was thinking to share about this story I already talked about in the review above, so high five for past me. I will clarify that what I attributed to an ambling middle I would now call a fuzzy plot. I've got the general idea of what September was meant to do, adventure-wise, but it can become the slightest bit muddled, especially when it comes to action. Valente can kind of rush and over-describe her action so that you leave a block of text thinking, "I'm not entirely sure what just happened, but it sure was pretty!" If I could be objective about this book, I'd probably rank it a 4.5 stars primarily for this reason.

It does more than make up for it with the characters we meet. Tell me how Valente can make a better character out of an old car with a flower steering wheel than most authors can make their main characters. Everyone is so rich and lovely and every place has Lessons to Teach and Very Important Things to say and I just gobble that up.

I mentioned in my original review that I love stories about growing up and YES. Everything this book said about the confusion of trying to figure out who you are and how we spend a childhood growing a heart, only to have people tell us that being an adult means hiding it away was beautiful.

[April 15, 2020] Marking for reread.

[December 4, 2020] I started a reread of the whole series earlier in quarantine, but didn't make it all the way through, so I decided to come back to it before the end of the year. In April, I had pretty much the same experience with the story I always had, so I'm astounded that some very long and very short months later, I've found so much more to enjoy.

There are themes here about missing your friends that have to mean even more to me at the tail end of 2020. September and Saturday and El's heartaches about missing their friends felt so real to me, especially even as they are together, and still missing the time they've spent apart. Your friends grow up and change and go on adventures without you, and there is certainly a kind of ache in that, particularly as you see them changing without you. I loved that more than I ever had before.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me quite a long time to finish this book. Why? I'll get to that later.

The book series started out in 2009 as a crowdfunded middle-grade online novel (originally, a fictional children's book in the author's other book Palimpsest). I know, right?! How come this series is so "old", yet barely known throughout the world?! Doesn't seem appropriate.

As anyone following my reviews knows, I was absolutely smitten with the first book and equally delighted with the second (although the first book in a series usually holds a special charm over me). This was book #3 and I must say that it is obvious that Catherynne Valente is a master (I mean, this is the "weakest" in the series and it's still a 4,5 star)!


A short description:
September gets back to Fairyland, again a bit later than exactly one year after her last trip (what's up with that?) but needs to hitch a ride with the Blue Wind this time to get there.
I did NOT like that one. Sometimes I understood the criticism but overall I wanted to throw some punches and completely understand why this wind doesn't have a Great Cat of Nephelo anymore!
So, naturally, the deal is foul and September has to do a deed for the wind, taking her to Fairyland's Moon! A wonderful new setting, again full of wonders and quirky creatures (some well-known by now, some completely new).


It is true that I, too, thought this book somewhat lacked direction (something Brad said in his review as well). We had the beginning in book #1 and repercussions of that in book #2 and all those different places those story lines took us to (and we knew where September had to go to solve the respective problem, more or less at least), but here I was kind of waiting for the point of it all. I guess the "only" point was for September to go back to Fairyland, have adventures and get firmly nailed to Fairyland so she can't go home anymore.

Well, no, that does this book great injustice.
She did go back to be there and finally enjoy delicious and unusual food, to fly with her beloved Wyvern, have fun. But the reason she wants to be there is that she wants to escape our world, enjoy herself, spend time with her friends, finally not being bullied because she's different, not having to fight one battle or another (one could say she's tired), not having to grow up (of which she is just as afraid as most of us are) and she might even know, deep down, that she always learns tons when she's in Fairyland. Because she does.

Oh, the wonderful lessons for young and old in each and every one of these books!
In this case (as you can see by some of the quotes I've liked), the lessons are about money (not actually having power but still working some sort of power over humans, just like magic), politics (just because you like someone and think he/she might make a good ruler, doesn't mean it will be so when that person actually is in power) and so much more.
And the author explains these things in her typical, magical way. It was delightful as usual.

The hardest lesson however, the driving force behind this book? I think that it's about the fact that no matter how scary and/or hurtful, we can't stop time or turn it back. It's not about what we want and picking the best moments so we can have the greatest life - it's about dealing with what comes your way, the good and the bad. Like September - who was just as brave, level-headed and savvy as usual.
But there was also this restlessness, at least in me while I was reading the book, which is why the following line was so accurate:

"It's the Sea of Restlessness," he said. "Fills you up with go go go, like you're a bowl full of reaching and wanting but you don't know what you're wanting for."

Truly wonderful was also the following:

"You are September!" Candlestick roared. "And whoever that is, it is somebody! Who are you? You are the person with something to say! Only the dead don't argue. And even then there are exceptions. Didn't anyone tell you? Respect your elders is just a secret weapon, and like most secret weapons, it's a cheap trick. It shuts everyone else up for free, without having to break a sweat. And she who shuts up first loses."

I think I was taught a thing or two by Candlestick because my family tries this very same trick. Always. And it barely worked on me when I was a kid, let alone now. :D

Another truly magical thing that not every author can pull of: the real world, where September (and we all) is originally from is just as important as Fairyland. Thus, we get a little more background on September's parents and get to know about her father's troubles now that he's home from war which makes the whole reading experience complete.

I completely felt with September when she was anxious about whether or not her friends would think her too old or only wanted her company when some war had to be fought because I can sympathize with doubts creeping in. Fortunately, though, as usually is the case in such books A-Through-L (I still think this is one of the most brilliant names ever) didn't care the slightest bit and was a true friend. As I said many times before: books have spoiled me. I simply have too high expectations now.

I did very much like the relationship the author depicted between September and Saturday! That she doesn't just accept fate, is aware and weary of choosing and its importance and is willing to fight Saturday over it.

Maybe the best thing to describe Fairyland, what it means to September AND what it means to me is this quote:

Fairyland is what I have where a ship has ballast. In high seas it keeps me upright.

Now I'll have to read a book almost completely without September (book #4 is from another perspective) before the end of the series.
*already shudders when thinking that the wonderful journey will have to come to an end*

As for the layout, never fear: the images were as wonderful as ever as you can see from the ones I have included here.



P.S.: Another, very personal note is the following quote that also is very accurate in what I had to discover about myself:

That is the trouble with standing up to people, of course. Once you start doing it, you can hardly stop.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let it be known that I love, love, love Catherynne Valente's Fairyland books. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making was one of those books that I think justifies an author's entire career all by itself — its language, its heart, its ability to seize grown-up hearts as readily as it speaks to those of children. It's a book that makes me wish I had children so I could read it to them.

Do not speak against TGWCFIASOHOM. I will defriend you. (Kidding. Maybe.)

That was the first Fairyland book, in which twelve-year-old September, still Somewhat Heartless, went to Fairyland for the first time, and met her Wyverary A-Through-L and her blue Marid boy Saturday, and grew up, just a little.

In The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, September went back to Fairyland, and this time the lesson she learned was that you have to Clean Up Your Messes. Because her first visit was not without consequences.

And so we come to the third book. Catherynne Valente has said that she plans, I believe, five books in the series, which will take September almost up to adulthood. In The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, September is now fourteen. It's been a year since her last visit to Fairyland, and she's been thinking about little else but her next trip. She fully expects one of the Winds to come get her every year, as they promised.

In the meantime, she's now old enough to drive (it's 1920s Omaha, after all) and so she is running all over the place doing odd jobs for neighbors, trying to save up money so that next time she's dumped into Fairyland, she will be prepared. Points to September for thinking ahead this time, though I never did quite understand what good she thought Yankee dollars would do her in Fairyland.

Well, to make the first, long part of the book short, she does indeed wind up in Fairyland, thanks to a considerably less friendly Wind than before.

"Have you never known a cruel wind? What an easy, balmy, tropical life you must have! I never tease, madam! I coax, I beguile, I stomp, I throw tantrums, and for certain, I freeze — I am the Coldest and Harshest of all the Harsh Airs! I am the shiver of the world! But I do not tease. You can cause ever so much more trouble by taking folk seriously, asking just what they're doing and doing just what they ask."

This time September is carried off to Fairyland with a Model A named Aroostook, and then finds herself going on a detour to the Moon. Where she meets up with her friends A-through-L and Saturday and many others, and they ride off on exciting adventures that involve saving the Moon-city of Patience from a rampaging Yeti.

"The Girl Who Soared..." is full of Catherynne Valente's usual beautiful language and pages full of mineable quotes. And September is growing up a little more in each book. In this one, she is feeling the stirrings of romance, and wrestling with the fact that she has already seen bits of her future, and being a willful and obstinate girl, this does not sit entirely well with her.

"Does that mean nothing can change?" asked September. "If what you said is true then it's all a circle and I'm stuck in it. And I'll have a daughter with Saturday because I already had one that I haven't had yet and the verbs are very difficult but they seem to add up to the future is a fist and it won't let me go even if I put a hammer right through it."

I do love these books.

And yet... and yet... it pains me, but I must give The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two a mere four stars.

Because, my goodness, Ms. Valente, it took you so long to get anywhere. I do love your language, and I adore September, whether it's her adolescence in Omaha or her adventures in Fairyland, but really, we know which of those we're picking up these books to read about, right? And once September gets to Fairyland, well, as she remarks herself (initially) this time she's coming as a visitor, not yanked there for a crisis (though she does eventually find one, except it's on the Moon) but because she wants to see her friends again.

And there is so much descriptive imagery, so many weird surreal landscapes (a city that is a whelk on the Moon, a land of photographic exposures, a cosmic black dog) all those creative bursts of imagination we so love Valente for, and yet they seemed less controlled this time around. I was having to slow down and reread to figure out what it was that I'm supposed to be picturing and what is actually happening. I really got the feeling that Catherynne Valente kind of meandered around for a while figuring out where her story was going to go, and then never edited that part into a proper narrative.

The ending, though, redeems most of chaotic fuzziness in the middle.

Every fairy story has darkness at its heart.

Valente has been building each Fairyland story onto the previous one, and while they are not precisely stand-alone, they have been self-contained adventures. But in this third book, it becomes necessary to understand what has gone before as September comes to understand certain things about Faeries. And here, Valente also departs from the pattern of the last two books, which end with September being whisked back to her farm to await her next Fairyland adventure.

I am not entirely sure that this wasn't cheating. That same feeling I got that the author's floundering in the middle was not edited out of the manuscript also makes me wonder if the ending was the author having trouble deciding what to do next. But it is an ending that makes me wonder what she's going to do next, and I will of course pre-order the next Fairyland book like wow.

Yes, of the three Fairyland books so far, this one is my least favorite and I would be so disappointed to be disappointed again. But "disappointment" is relative because I still give "Girl Who Soared" an unhesitating 4 stars. Even a slightly wobbly and undisciplined Catherynne Valente book is full of more concentrated brilliance and win than most authors can manage in an entire career.

I await The Girl Who Will Return in the Next Fairyland Book.

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just because it's imaginary doesn't mean it isn't real



this is September, a.k.a. The Girl Who Captured My Heart and Took It On A Marvellous Ride to Fairyland ...

... for the third time. Repeat offender this cutie, but I don't mind. On the contrary, I hope she makes plans for many more wacky, bittersweet, tenderly wistful returns to the land where Imagination runs free and where she can follow the imperatives of her Criminal heart.

That's right, you heard me! The denizens of Fairyland have dubbed Saturday a professional Criminal, licensed and outfitted her properly in black silks and guild hat. Readers familiar with her previous adventures already know she deposed a tyrant of the land in the first book and messed with the proper order of the shadowy undeground realm in the second one. So she's considred a professional and unrepentant troublemaker. Now she's heading for the third sphere, up in the air where the Moon is shaken to its very foundations by an angry Yeti. Who will be called to save the Moon but our freshly dubbed Criminal!

Here is everything that soared up high and got lost, everything that wanted to keep safe from marauders below. This tenderhearted old world catches everything thrown too far and too hard, keeps everything fragile whole: baseballs and stuffed bears and birds' nests and last autumn leaves, zeppelins and Icarus and Leonardo's flying machine, Fairies and pterodactyls and cherubims and hot air balloons and a Russian dog or two.

But reaching the Moon is no easy task : you must pass first by the crocodile Calcatrix ( "It's no fun at all to break the rules if there aren't any.") where your Fate is assessed and where you must pay dearly for the right to travel in the realm. You must also be wary of the untrustworthy Blue Wind and its puffins who delight in putting obstacles in your path. And you must recover and take good care of your steed Aroostook: the 1925 Model A Ford that got sucked into Fairyland together with you.

September's quest is series of lessons in life delivered by each magnificent creature she meets as she tries to solve the mystery of the furious Yeti. Some are old friends like the Wiverary A-Through-L or the Marid Saturday. Most of the others are freshly minted in the forge of Mrs Valente's fancy and wise in the ways of the heart. The parables deal with predestination, growing up and learning responsibility for your actions, the flexibility of time, courage, love, self awareness, friendship, rules and how to break them. The author breaks the fourth wall herself from time to time in the narrative, as she feels the need to cheer side by side with us readers her heroine in her moments of doubt. Like the time when September wonders why should she struggle if everything is already written in her red book of Fate. Here's why:

So it is written - but so, too, it is crossed out. You can write over it again. You can make notes in the margins. You can cut out the whole page. You can, and you must, edit and rewrite and reshape and pull out the wrong parts like bones and find just the thing and you can forever, forever, write more and more and more, thicker and longer and clearer. Living is a paragraph, constantly rewritten. It is Grown-Up Magic. Children are heartless; their parents hold them still, squirming and shouting, until a heart can get going in their little lawless wilderness. Teenagers crush their hearts into every hard and thrilling thing to see what will give and what will hold. And Grown-Ups, when they are good, when they are very lucky, and very brave, and their wishes are sharp as scissors, when they are in the fullness of their strength, use their hearts to start their story over again.

It all revolves around the heart, just as it did in the two earlier books as September got through childhood and through her pre-teen selves. Now she's a young adult, and while the tonality of the book remains whimsical and fanciful, the issues and the dangers she has to deal with have themselves graduated to a higher level.

A heart can learn ever so many tricks, and what sort of beast it becomes depends greatly upon whether it it has been taught to sit up or lie down, to speak or to beg, to roll over or to sound alarms, to guard or to attack, to find or to stay. But the trick most folks are so awfully fond of learning, the absolute second they've got hold of a heart, is to pretend they don't have one at all. It is the very first danger of the hearted. Shall I give fair warning, as neither you nor I was given?

I did struggle a little with this third Fairyland book, as most of the encounters in the quest to find Ciderskin the Yeti seemed random and slightly too childish for the older persona of our heroine. I'm glad I stuck with the story, because everythings comes together masterfully in the end, and every step September takes proves essential to her becoming on arrival something more beautiful and more wise than on departure. I will try not to spoil the actual plot, and limit myself to name some of the creatures September meets in her journey. From their quotes you can probably deduce a good portion of the lessons they deliver. These quotes also serve to illustrate the particular prose style of Mrs. Valente that put her firmly in one of the top spots on my fantasy firmament. Also, be aware that reading in advance about these lessons might be considered spoilers, so treat carefully from this point forward in my review:

let's put a picture of the Blue Wind here, to break the 'spoilers' away:



Hard to pick a favorite to start with, but because I've always loved sailing I'll present you Ballast Downbound the Klabautermann, who runs a salvage operation on the highway to the Moon:

I'm named for the secret, vital core of a ship. Ballast is the the weight down in the deep that keeps a vessel upright in dark water. A ship's not a ship till she got ballast of her own. Down in the belly, a big massy mess of rope and wood and hardtack and love letters and harpoons and old lemons. Anything that ever fascinated the ship, made it sail true, patched it or broke it, anything the ship loved or longed for, anything it could use. [...] Some'll tell you a ship's not born till she gets a name or has a bottle of wanderwhiskey broke over her bow, but it's not so. Whithout ballast, she's just wood.

Next in line is Nefarious Freedom Coppermolt the Third, Lobster of the Watch, here to welcome you to the greatest city on the satelite in the best carnie tradition:

Welcome to Almanack, the All-In-One Sanctuary, Safehouse, Home of the Stationary Circus and the College of Lunar Arts, Number One Destination on the Heavenly Circuit and Capital of the Moon! You'll find Almanack has taken care of all your needs, I promise. Travel by Public Tram, Taxicrab or Regularly Scheduled Trapeze! See the Grand Moonflower Lawn from the sack of a luxury lunar pelican! You'll have no cause to complain, friend!

On the contrary, I say bring me more:

Orrery is the city on the slopes of the Splendid Dress, which is a frightful big and lovely mountain. The Glasshobs built it to keep an eye on the stars, who have a tendency to run off on adventures and forget about how much we downbelow folks need to navigate and cast horoscopes and meet lovers on balconies. A Glasshob is a kind of lantern fish with goat legs, and they carry their breathing parts in silver censers that swing from their fins.

Coming back to Almanack, September is invited to meet with the ruler of the city, the Whelk who has some wisdom to pass on in her turn:

Everyone is hungry and not only for food - for comfort and love and excitement and the opposite of being alone. Almost everything awful anyone does is to get those things and keep them. Even the mites and the mussels. But no one can use you up unless you let them. The whole point of growing is to get big enough to hold the world you want inside you. But it takes a long time, and you really must eat your vegetables, and most often you have to make the world you want out of yourself.



I already knew September will be reunited with her darling Wiverary, and where else could she find it but in Almanack's Library, run by Abecedaria the Catalogue Imp, who's a Periwig of the Aldermanic Order, from the Foxtail Haberdashery. She's mighty fierce in her defense of reading:

A silent Library is a sad Libray. A Library should be full of exclamations! Shouts of delight and horror as the wonders of the world are discovered or the lies of the heavens uncovered or the wild adventures of devil-knows-who sent romping out of the pages. A Library should be full of 'now-just-a-minutes' and 'that-can't-be-rights' and scientifick folk running skelter to prove somebody wrong. It should positively vibrate with laughter at comedies and sobbing at tragedies, it should echo with gasps as decent ladies glimpse indecent things and indecent ladies stumble upon secret and scandalous decencies! A Libray should not 'shush'; It should 'roar'!

Let's clap all our hand, flippers, fins, wings, tentacles, paws for Abecedaria and move on with our adventure, picking up blue Saturday along the way from his trapeze lessons in the origami built Stationary Circus, saying hello to Pentameter the sonnet boy and Valentine the love letter girl. Next stop is an argumentative donkey with a peacock tail named Candlestick. She's teaching lessons about learning:

Every place has a Pluto! It's where the universe keeps the polar bears and last year's pickled entropy and the spare gravity. You need a Pluto or you're hardly a universe at all. Plutos teach lessons. A lesson is like a time-traveling argument. Becasue, you see, you can't argue until you've had the lesson or else you're just squabbling with your own ignorance. But a lesson is really just the result of arguments other people had ages ago! You can't learn anything without arguing!

As our heroine approaches her final destination, maybe it's time to learn something about her fearsome adversary, to better appreciate the task she embarked on and the real danger she has chosen to confront:

A Yeti grows from a little fury snowball to a shaggy monster with black ram's horns and burning red eyes and hands that could crush wine out of boulders quicker than you can say, 'does that avalanche have teeth?' They love the winter and they love the snow; they love the mountains and they love to eat - and all the things that go with eating: squashing and walloping and tearing and ripping and crunching and gnawing.

The final lines I've bookmarked in the novel are the three most important lessons September learns, so I'll need to do an even better job of hiding them from unprepared eyes. It's preferable to follow in the girl's footsteps, or the moral of the story loses its impact.

First is the answer to the existential question everyone of us has to face at one point or another of our journey: Who am I? The answer comes courtesy of an Undercamel from Pluto: "What others call you, you become. It's a terrible magic that anyone can do - so do it. Call yourself what you wish to become!"

Next you must be aware that in order to give of yourself you must first fill yourself with life and wonder, imagination is just like a muscle that needs constant exercising : "Fairyland is what I have where a ship has ballast. In high seas it keeps me upright. And maybe growing up only means getting bigger. As big as Almanack, as a whelk on the moon who can hold a world inside it."

Last but not least comes a bit of love advice delivered by time-challenged Saturday, the Marid who is in the habit of meeting with his younger and older selves:

Listen to me. Love is a Yeti. It is bigger than you and frightening and terrible. It makes loud and vicious noises. It is hungry all the time. It has horns and teeth and the force of its fists is more than anyone can bear. It speeds up time and slows it down. And it has its own aims and missions that those who are lucky enough to see it cannot begin to guess. You might see a Yeti once in your life or never. You might live in a village of them. But in the end, no matter how fast you think you can go, the Yeti is always faster than you, and you can only choose how you say hello to it, and whether you shake its hand.

I hope the next Fairyland book has more two say about these two star-crossed lovers who live in separate worlds and cannot control the time and place of their next date night.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is the 3rd adventure of the girl September (now 14 years old) in Fairyland and upon re-reading, it is still my least favorite of the five books, unfortunately.

By now, we have become accustomed to the fact that September is returned to her world every time she has saved Fairyland. And, as has happened before as well, she's not too happy at "home". Sure, she loves having her mother AND father (despite her father's problems after returning form the war), but she is being bullied for being different and generally doesn't actually feel like this world is her home.
So she is delighted when the Blue Wind offers her a way back.
And boy, I didn't like the Blue Wind at all (also nothing new). But at least his scheme takes us to Fairyland's Moon, which was enchanting!

Just as charming as seeing our old friends again, though I get September's initial anxiety.
Nevertheless, after the first two books and their interconnectedness, this adventure somehow lacked purpose and direction. Sure, one purpose was to further teach September lessons and there is a point that will become apparent more in the final volume, but you only know that by the end of the pentalogy and that means that, on its own, this installment wasn't quite as strong as the others.

Still, it is important to note that this 3rd volume was about standing up to people, about not letting anyone shut you up (no matter how sneakily they try to make you) and about the fact that no matter how scary and/or hurtful it may be, we can't stop time or turn it back. Quite important lessons if you ask me.

As I did for the other books, you can read about more details and see some of the wonderful illustrations in my review of the hardcover edition.
This, however, is the review for the audiobook. And this one was once again read by the author herself. No idea why it is impossible to find all 5 books in audio format, officially, it's a damn shame. Alas. I thought Valente was a bit better, read a bit smoother than she had done in the first book. A really solid performance throughout and I really like her voice in general.

[Megan Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books. I've said it before, and if there are more to come, I'll damn well say it again. I love these books. These are books I'd be so happy to read to children, and I would barely be able to suppress my glee to see what stories they'd come up with themselves, prompted by these inventive and whimsical tales. September, every time she goes to Fairyland, steals my heart.

Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.

In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely third book to the Fairyland series, where September has struggled to return to Fairyland and is wondering if you can ever really go back. The characters left behind in Fairyland have struggled too, missing her and loving her. Life apart is not always easy.

September meets a few versions of Saturday and starts to question whether she gets choices in her life, and between that and the nostalgia of childhood and facing being a grownup and what that means for her fairy land and fairy friends, this book is a bit tinged in sadness. It also includes Valente's amazing imagination that we've seen from her poetry to Palimpsest (still my favorite) to the very underdiscussed Prester John books.

This is the first book of Valente's that I've listened to, and Catherynne M. Valente is a marvelous performer of her own work. Her voice has the versatility of an old-Hollywood actress, with moments of great rich depth. I feel like going back and listening to everything she's ever read. Her performance enriches her worlds, and I highly recommend the audio.

Little bits I liked:

"Marriage is a wrestling match where you hold on tight while your mate changes into a hundred different things. The trick is that you're changing into a hundred other things, but you can't let go. You can only try to match up and never turn into a wolf while he's a rabbit, or a mouse while he's still busy being an owl... It's harder than it sounds."

"A Library should be full of exclamations!"

"All Librarians are Secret Masters of Severe Magic."

"A Library at its ripping, roaring best is a raucous beast to ride."

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

At this point, if you haven’t read the first two books, I definitely don’t suggest you jump in here. If you have, then what’re you waiting for? Fairyland has more enchantment, sadness, and whimsy for you. And in this book, September gets to spend time with Ell and Saturday again — the Ell and Saturday she knew in the first book, and not their shadows.

Once again, September doesn’t go back to Fairyland; at least, not so simply and directly. We have another new setting for the friends to explore, and another new problem for September to try to solve. Or do we? There’s no Marquess or Shadow Self to defeat this time, that’s for sure. I enjoyed the setting, and stuff like the taxicrabs, and all the puffins. I’m not entirely certain what the Blue Wind is up to in this book, and it looks like we might have to wait another book to find out…

My only real criticism is that despite the lovely whimsy, there’s a bit too much of it. The plot doesn’t really get going until nearly halfway through, and instead we seem to sort of sightsee — only for things to then rush past enormously fast. But it does say gorgeous things about friendship and love and having a heart, and growing up.

Just as this was settling into a rhythm, where September goes to Fairyland in the first part, wanders about gathering allies, and then solves all the issues, this book shakes things up a bit. It does take a while to get going, but once it is, things don’t quite turn out the way September expects them to, from prior experience, and it ends differently, too. And I gather the next book shakes things up even more, with new protagonists! I don’t know how much I’ll like that, but I can’t wait to give it a try.

Originally posted here.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has been my favorite of the three that I have read so far, but they are all so unique it is really hard to decide. There were so many times that I had to stop and absolutely admire the author's prose and imagination. The weather descriptions really struck me. Most of them are in my update comments.

If you haven't met September and her friends in this series of unforgettable stories, you are missing out, dear reader!

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: violence.

15/7/2019
On reread I'm bumping this down to 4 stars. I still love the world and the characters a lot, but I feel like this time around it took me literally forever to read it. I still have a lot of feelings for Ell and Saturday. I still think the writing is magnificent. I just kind of feel like maybe I've overdosed a little on this world by reading the first three books in the series back to back...

16/3/2016
4.5 stars.

This was beautiful in so many ways. The writing is magnificent, the characters are wonderful and I had a lot of feelings for Ell and Saturday. It took me a little while to get back into the writing style, and the plot did meander at times, and to be honest I saw the ending coming a long way off.

But frankly? I didn't care. Because it was so feelsy and beautifully written and aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!! Basically, I need to read book 4 as soon as possible.

Favourite (very long) quote:
"Living is a paragraph, constantly rewritten. It is Grown-Up Magic. Children are heartless; their parents hold them still, squirming and shouting, until a heart can get going in their little lawless wilderness. Teenagers crash their hearts into every hard and thrilling thing to see what will give and what will hold. And Grown-Ups, when they are very good, when they are very lucky, and very brave, and their wishes are sharp as scissors, when they are in the fullness of their strength, use their hearts to start their story over again."

[Sonja Arlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have adored this series from the start, with its whimsical and highly imaginative storyline very reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland however this installment was very slow to start as it only really picked up at the 40% mark.

The writing, still beautiful in places, seemed to have become OTT with overly descriptive pages with no room for a plot line to develop. It almost seemed as if the author was trying to hard to show off her vivid imagination.

The storyline:
September has grown up, and is worried that she may have become too old for Fairyland, however if that was the case this would have been a very short story indeed. When she eventually gets to Fairyland (or more specifically the Moon) she is reunited with her old friends Saturday and A-through-L and, as always, adventure ensues.

This was fun while it lasted but I doubt that I will be reading anything further from this series.

[Arden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listen to me. Love is a Yeti. It is bigger than you and frightening and terrible. It makes loud and vicious noises. It is hungry all the time. It has horns and teeth and the fore of its fists is more than anymore can bear. It speeds up time and slows it down. And it has its own aims and missions that those who are lucky enough to see it cannot begin to guess. You might see a Yeti once in your life or never. You might live in a village of them. But in the end, no matter how fast you think you can go, the Yeti is always faster than you, and you can only choose how to say hello to it, and whether you shake its hand.

Not *quite* as good as the previous two books in the series, but still beautifully, beautifully written. September and Saturday are the cutest. Ell is lovely. The whole gang is precious.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than the second book because Ell and Saturday were in it for a good chunk. However, I didn't enjoy as many of the new characters as I remember enjoying in the first book. The plot was extra convoluted. Sometimes I didn't understand how we had gotten from one point to another. And that cliffhanger was very cliffy and hangery. I will continue with the series eventually though.

[Marieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escapism at its best. The most magical fairytale you’ll ever read and I fully understand why people compare it to Alice in Wonderland. The only difference is that the Fairyland series sometimes misses the fast pace Alice in Wonderland has, I’d say. Especially in this installment, the monologues and lectures made me lose concentration from time to time, but that’s my only complaint. I feel like September and A-through-L and Saturday are my friends and I was so happy that we finally got a lot of scenes with the whole little group together, their relationships are adorable. Honestly I really don’t know what I will do with myself when I finish this series... except starting all over again with book 1.

[Vanessa Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also not quite as good as the first, although better than the second, since it reunites the characters that the first book put so much work into investing us in.

And I did highlight some things. For instance:

"That's your first hint that something's alive. It says no... No is the heart of thinking."

Also,

"At the bottom of philosophy something very true and very desperate whispers: Everyone is hungry all the time. Everyone is starving. Everyone wants so much.. Everyone is hungry and not only for food - for comfort and love and excitement and the opposite of being alone. Almost everything awful anyone does is to get those things and keep them... Most often you have to make the world you want out of yourself."

And-

"Though it is true that no one understands other people. Other people are the puzzle that will not be solved."

And as with the earlier books, some references that kids could surely never pick up on are scattered throughout. Such as a character named Turing who says:

"I am alive as makes on difference. I do all the things an alive thing does. Do you know another test for living."

I am sure I am a geek because I laughed and laughed at that.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Cathrynne Valente's language in this series, and the way she weaves a variety of folktale creatures into her tale about September's adventures in Fairyland. I was a little surprised by the ending of this installment, but loved how Valente showed how September was grappling with growing up.

[Wiebke (1book1review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to be back in Fairyland. I forgot how twisted her writing is at times, I had to read sentences multiple times to understand them fully. I also forgot how much the book questions everything and forces us to rethink everything by changing perspective on it, or just highlighting certain aspects we normally ignore or blindly accept.
Needless to say, glad I decided to pick the series back up again.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Purchased via Audible.com

"Just because it's imaginary doesn't mean it isn't real."

In The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, September fears that now that she is 14 years old that she is much too old to be able to travel to Fairyland. Her fears become unwarranted as one afternoon she suddenly finds herself leaving her ordinary world once again. She’s joined again with her dear friends Saturday and A through L but instead of journeying to Fairyland, she finds herself on an adventure to the very moon itself.

'Shall I tell her? Shall I be a kind and merciful narrator and take our girl aside? Shall I touch her new, red heart and make her understand that she is no longer one of the tribe of heartless children, nor even the owner of the wild and infant heart of thirteen-year-old girls and boys? Oh, September!'

From the very beginning of the Fairyland series it has been said that are heartless and they have not yet grown a heart which is why they are able to do all the wonderful and amazing things one does when they are a child. The types of things that grown-ups with hearts frown upon and look on in fear. When children remain heartless they still retain their innocence. In this story, September finds herself in possession of a new, red heart and she’s not quite sure how to handle this. She fears that once she acknowledges its existence that the fun will all be over, that she will be forced home and will never be able to return to the wonderful world of Fairyland.

Having read the two previous Fairyland installments, I've grown used to (and grown to love) Valente’s florid use of words. Something seemed off with this one though. It was almost, dare I say, excessive? Her typical style of writing felt a tad overdone this time around and too ornate at times. While this installment may overuse the flowery writing, this entire series is a truly brilliant read. They are anything but simplistic and are actually extremely smart and sophisticated. The target audience may be middle graders and one might argue that they are much to complex for children of that age and they may be right. But technically there’s nothing wrong with a book that challenges a young reader. But personally, I think these stories serve as a tribute to those much loved children’s classics that Valente clearly draws deeply from such as Peter Pan, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Alice in Wonderland. And more so, I feel that they’re intended as a catalyst for those readers that still remain heartless to ease their concerns that the adventure isn't over just because you’re grown up.

While Valente’s stories draw deeply from those classic children’s novels, she incorporates an eclectic blend of mythology, folk tales and fairy tales that make them wholly unique. Her novels will forever be a wonderful adventure to find yourself on.

[Sonja P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just my favorite of the fairyland books, and how it is all about choice and choosing the world you want to make and calling yourself what you want to become and it is just so lovely and so hopeful and so good, and I love love love it so much.

Anyone who has been around me knows how I feel about the fairyland books; I think they are wonderful and that Valente can WRITE. The first two were some of my favorite children's books ever written, but this one just solidifies Fairyland as my second favorite series of all time (behind LOTR, of course). The writing in this is absolutely breathtaking, and I can't wait for Valente's next offering. Whereas the previous books were beautifully written and extraordinary adventures, this one felt so much more personal. Perhaps it came in a time in my life when I really needed to hear what Valente says; after all, September's struggles mirrored my own. She too struggles with knowing what to want in life, and feeling frustrated with where she is. She wants to rewrite her fate.
This book is all about time and fate and making yourself into a person, and about love. Valente has some truly spectacular moments and creatures, and I don't want to ruin them. But I'll leave you with my very favorite quote from the entire series:

"So it is written-but so, too, is it crossed out. You can write over it again. You can make notes in the margins. You can cut out the whole page. You can, and you must, edit and rewrite and reshape and pull out the wrong parts like bones and find just the thing and you can forever, forever, write more and more and more, thicker and longer and clearer. Living is a paragraph, constantly rewritten. It is Grown-up Magic......
And grown-ups, when they are very good, when they are very lucky, and very brave, and their wishes are sharp as scissors, and when they are in the fullness of their strength, use their hearts to start their story over again."

That is what this book is about-its about changing and growing and realizing that you are not too old or too young or too big or too little. It was absolutely my favorite of the three, and my favorite book I read this year. Thank you Valente, for this beautifully written and encouraging book, and for the reminder.

[Alan Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not, objectively, a five star book. It has severe pacing issues, a generally irrelevant overarching plot, and relies so much on exposition at times that I felt like I was in lecture. So, why do I give it five stars anyway? Because I've grown attached to this series, to its characters. I'm not here to review books objectively. I don't think people can do that. I mean, they can look at a book and say "This didn't do as it should have done by the literary laws set forth in creative writing seminars everywhere, so it therefore stinks." They may simply find idiosyncrasies in the book's style too much hindrance to their enjoyment of said book, so they give it a low rating. Because there are certainly idiosyncrasies in style here, which I've pointed out. But do these idiosyncrasies deduct some numerical value from a book? Can you really quantify how successful a book is at doing what books do? Or can you simply say "I liked it," or "I didn't like it"? I enjoyed this book. I liked it, a lot. I've grown fond of September, and of Ell and Saturday, and while the stories they are a part of don't matter all that much to me, they do. These characters do. It's kind of like how you can go to an event you don't really care about going to but then you see an old friend there and come away having had a really good time regardless. That's what these books are to me. So, five stars, and I'll certainly read the next one.

PS: I'll admit it though: exposition crafted so finely as is found here is not really something to truly complain about. Since discovering her work, I've found Valente to be a teacher at heart. And she's a good one, at that.

[Lauma Klintsone · Rating 2 out of 5]

What happened? I read book two just before and loved it. Now I read book three and was in turns bored and confused. Everyone's name seems to be Mr.Exposition, and we keep getting it well over half of the book, when it all comes to an abrupt stop. Lots of fairylandish information that comes in too big chunks, doesn't connect to the specific plot at hand, and, worst of all, has a moralistic undertone more often than not.
Another BIG issue for me as I hate forced character romance: the author keeps pressing on September to Kiss The Boy, but having done some writing myself, I know what it feels like when a character won't flow where you want them - and what it looks like. It looks like the author's godly hands pressing two characters together and saying "NOW KISS!". September even explains how she doesn't feel sure about this! You had to write her being uncertain because you KNOW this romance is not natural. She's only really met him briefly and she's had full years back into the real world inbetween. Give the girl a break and adjust your plot. She doesn't have to kiss him just because the only other male she met there was basically a dragon. A few books ago it was said the character knew some happy single aunts, and she still remembers.

[Bětka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ty 4 hvězdičky jsou hodně způsobené tím, že to v originále vážně není nejjednodušší. Ale zas tam na mě čeká spousta překvapení na další čtení. Tentokrát je to snovější a dospělejší. Ta atmosféra Měsíce mi mnohem víc připomíná fantasy než úplně pohádku, tak jako předchozí díly. Ale příšerky na Měsíci jsou hrozně boží, tradičně. Hlavně taxicrab a lumiové. September řeší otázky dospívání a hledá svůj osud, El a Víkend mají poměrně málo prostoru (někdy doslovně), ale vlastně to ani nevadí a se September a měsíčními bytostmi si vystačíte. V epickém finále s Yettim mě September docela dost štvala a vlastně hrozně moc postrádám tu dětskost první Čarozemě a Zelený vítr vůbec, ale stejně... Pořád je to série mého srdce <3

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read the first few chapters of this months ago, had to put it down for some reason, and went back and started over.
Four stars because I dislike cliffhanger endings that might as well include in large caps, boldface:

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT EPISODE, WHERE ALL MIGHT BE REVEALED (UNLESS I CAN SQUEEZE ANOTHER VOLUME OUT OF THE SERIES.)

Because of that, it is very much a transitional volume, which was great as long as September was actually going and doing. Asking the reader to believe allll that stuff happened in one day was a bit much, though. I mean, we all know (because we are repeatedly informed in the book) that Fairyland Time works on a different scale than Nebraska time, but--really?

Other than that, I enjoyed the rich, delicious language. I liked the interaction with Saturday and A-through-L and the other characters. I devoured it in about 48 hours...until I tripped and stubbed my toe sharply against the cheating non-ending.

Please, Santa Claus, bring us some good writers who can actually write standalone novels. I refuse to believe they all died in 1980.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The writing is absolutely amazing, and the world is so imaginative, it's incredible. Sometimes it feels as if it's all a bit too much though, and that made it hard to follow and sometimes I had no idea how we got from one point to the next. I felt like that a few times in the previous books as well, but not as much as in this one. I have to say I haven't been very focused while reading lately, so it may be just me.

[Chris Greensmith · Rating 2 out of 5]

“It’s saying no. That’s your first hint that something’s alive. It says no. That’s how you know a baby is starting to turn into a person. They run around saying no all day, throwing their aliveness at everything to see what it’ll stick to. You can’t say no if you don’t have desires and opinions and wants of your own. You wouldn’t even want to. No is the heart of thinking. The news went faster than a trade wind: In Parthalia, a Pitchfork said no. In the country of the Giants, a Hairbrush declined. When the Old Crab heard it heralded, he locked himself up in his Thinking Foundry for days and days. When he came out, he had built a new law. It still glowed red-hot in his royal tongs. Tools Have Rights, it said, and he hung it up on the wall of the Hue-and-Cry, which is what he calls the new Parliament most days.”

[Kristin B. Bodreau · Rating 3 out of 5]

This third installment of the series did not have the same whimsy and delight as the first two. I suppose that’s all a part of growing up, like our September must do. However, it made for a duller read. This book also ended us on a cliffhanger, which the previous two did not. Bit of a demerit. I intend to finish the series, but I’m hoping the next recaptures some of the spark of the previous two.

[Cristi-Lael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the magical way Valente writes this series, but I have to admit that I can only take it for a few books in a row before it becomes too much. I think I'll wait to finish the last two books.

[jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is such hard work to keep your heart hidden! And worse, by the time you find it easy, it will be harder still to show it.