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Elfhome #4
Wood Sprites
Series called both ElfHome and Tinker (vol.4 regardless).
Even though they attend a school of gifted students in New York City, child geniuses Louise Mayer and her twin sister Jillian have always felt alone in the world, isolated by their brilliance. Shortly before their ninth birthday, they make an amazing discovery. They’re not alone.
Their real mother was astronaut Esme Shenske and their father was the famous inventor, Leonardo Dufae. They have an older sister, Alexander, living on the planet of Elfhome, and four siblings still in cryogenic storage at the fertility center. There’s only one problem: the frozen embryos are scheduled to be destroyed within six months. The race is on to save their baby brother and sisters.
As a war breaks out on Elfhome and riots start in New York City, the twins use science and magic to plow over everything standing in their way. But when they come face to face with an ancient evil force, they’re soon in over their heads in danger.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
John W. Campbell Award Winner Wen Spencer's love of Japanese anime and manga flavors her writing. Her novel Tinker won the 2003 Sapphire Award for Best Science Fiction Romance and was a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Fantasy Novel. Her Wolf Who Rules was a Top Pick by Romantic Times and given their top rating of four and a half stars. Other Baen books include space opera thriller Endless Blue and Elfhome, third entry in the Tinker series.
About Wen Spencer's Elfhome series:
“Spencer's intertwining of current Earth technology and otherworldly elven magic is quite ingenious.” –Booklist
About Wen Spencer:
“Wit and intelligence inform this off-beat, tongue-in-cheek fantasy. . . . Furious action . . . good characterization, playful eroticism and well-developed folklore. . . . lift this well above the fantasy average. . . . Buffy fans should find a lot to like in the book's resourceful heroine.”—Publishers Weekly on series debut Tinker
The Elfhome Series
Tinker
Wolf Who Rules
Elfhome
Wood Sprites
Even though they attend a school of gifted students in New York City, child geniuses Louise Mayer and her twin sister Jillian have always felt alone in the world, isolated by their brilliance. Shortly before their ninth birthday, they make an amazing discovery. They’re not alone.
Their real mother was astronaut Esme Shenske and their father was the famous inventor, Leonardo Dufae. They have an older sister, Alexander, living on the planet of Elfhome, and four siblings still in cryogenic storage at the fertility center. There’s only one problem: the frozen embryos are scheduled to be destroyed within six months. The race is on to save their baby brother and sisters.
As a war breaks out on Elfhome and riots start in New York City, the twins use science and magic to plow over everything standing in their way. But when they come face to face with an ancient evil force, they’re soon in over their heads in danger.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
John W. Campbell Award Winner Wen Spencer's love of Japanese anime and manga flavors her writing. Her novel Tinker won the 2003 Sapphire Award for Best Science Fiction Romance and was a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Fantasy Novel. Her Wolf Who Rules was a Top Pick by Romantic Times and given their top rating of four and a half stars. Other Baen books include space opera thriller Endless Blue and Elfhome, third entry in the Tinker series.
About Wen Spencer's Elfhome series:
“Spencer's intertwining of current Earth technology and otherworldly elven magic is quite ingenious.” –Booklist
About Wen Spencer:
“Wit and intelligence inform this off-beat, tongue-in-cheek fantasy. . . . Furious action . . . good characterization, playful eroticism and well-developed folklore. . . . lift this well above the fantasy average. . . . Buffy fans should find a lot to like in the book's resourceful heroine.”—Publishers Weekly on series debut Tinker
The Elfhome Series
Tinker
Wolf Who Rules
Elfhome
Wood Sprites
672 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2014
72 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
About the author
Wen Spencer
41 books893 followersJohn W. Campbell Award Winner Wen Spencer resides in paradise in Hilo, Hawaii with two volcanoes overlooking her home. Spencer says that she often wakes up and exclaims "Oh my god, I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific!" This, says Spencer, is a far cry from her twenty years of living in land-locked Pittsburgh.
The Elfhome series opener, Tinker, won the 2003 Sapphire Award for Best Science Fiction Romance and was a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Fantasy Novel. Wolf Who Rules, the sequel to Tinker, was chosen as a Top Pick by Romantic Times and given their top rating of four and a half stars. Other Baen books include space opera thriller Endless Blue and Eight Million Gods.
The Elfhome series opener, Tinker, won the 2003 Sapphire Award for Best Science Fiction Romance and was a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Fantasy Novel. Wolf Who Rules, the sequel to Tinker, was chosen as a Top Pick by Romantic Times and given their top rating of four and a half stars. Other Baen books include space opera thriller Endless Blue and Eight Million Gods.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
March 29, 2019
Wen Spencer creates very unique worlds and characters. This series, and this book, are no exceptions to that. The series and book are exceptionally good. Two 9 year old twin girls wreck havoc on thousands of years old elves, hundreds of years old halflings, and society in general. I loved it!! 7/4/16 re-read: Superb, mind bogglingly enjoyable!
July 23, 2014
I saw this on Netgalley when I was reading the second book in the Ukiah Oregon series which I was enjoying tremendously.
I have to say I liked this book even better. I haven't read the first three books in this series yet, but I followed along easily from just reading the synopsizes of the first three.
I have to say even though there was faeries, elves, dragons, talking robot dogs, and a whole lot of amazing things and what I enjoyed the most was that Wen Spencer did such a beautiful job in making the twins both brilliant and innocent. They made mistakes, they were socially awkward, and mostly lived in a world of my sister and I. Yes there parents were very active in their lives, and so is their almost aunt, it was just that they were so much more ahead of the game than most people. It was fun to see them questioning why others didn't do some of the things they had done, what they found so very easy to do.
The flow of the book was very absorbing, you didn't get pushed out of the story with flubs, or jarring sentences. It's an easy book to read, with very enjoyable characters. I loved the progress in the social lives of the main characters, on how they open themselves up to their school mates almost by accident.
So I recommend this book to pretty much everyone, but mostly to people that love pop culture drops, sarcasm, and just plain brilliant writing.
I have to say I liked this book even better. I haven't read the first three books in this series yet, but I followed along easily from just reading the synopsizes of the first three.
I have to say even though there was faeries, elves, dragons, talking robot dogs, and a whole lot of amazing things and what I enjoyed the most was that Wen Spencer did such a beautiful job in making the twins both brilliant and innocent. They made mistakes, they were socially awkward, and mostly lived in a world of my sister and I. Yes there parents were very active in their lives, and so is their almost aunt, it was just that they were so much more ahead of the game than most people. It was fun to see them questioning why others didn't do some of the things they had done, what they found so very easy to do.
The flow of the book was very absorbing, you didn't get pushed out of the story with flubs, or jarring sentences. It's an easy book to read, with very enjoyable characters. I loved the progress in the social lives of the main characters, on how they open themselves up to their school mates almost by accident.
So I recommend this book to pretty much everyone, but mostly to people that love pop culture drops, sarcasm, and just plain brilliant writing.
June 29, 2020
I adore this book! Takes the time period of Tinker through Elfhome -- with the POV of characters on Earth. Goes through the reactions & reveals the machinations of Oni that infiltrated the multiple layers of government.
At the same time, it still provides heart, humor, action & drama as you would expect from Tinker's 9 year old genius sisters. ;)
I seriously cannot wait for both sides to meet!
Last read: Jun 23 2016
Oct 10 2015
April 5 2015
Aug 6 2014
At the same time, it still provides heart, humor, action & drama as you would expect from Tinker's 9 year old genius sisters. ;)
I seriously cannot wait for both sides to meet!
Last read: Jun 23 2016
Oct 10 2015
April 5 2015
Aug 6 2014
September 22, 2019
The fourth in the Elfhome series, this is not a continuation of the ongoing storyline, but a parallel story overlapping with Tinker and Wolf Who Rules. As such, it would be an acceptable entry point to the series, although the reading experience would be quite different for someone without the background of the other books.
Twin geniuses Louise and Jillian turn nine the week they blow up their playhouse with flour while filming a video about elves. Soon thereafter, they learn that their parents got them from the embryo bank where their father works, that they have an older sister, Alexander Graham Bell, who lives in Pittsburgh on Elfhome, and that there are four more embryos still frozen--embryos that are due to be discarded in a month. Suddenly frantic to save their little brother and sisters from distruction, they turn from feuding with their snooty classmate and trying to hijack the class play to planning to steal an Elven artifact and rescue the babies. In the process, they learn about a sinister plot to take over Elfhome and subvert Earth. Events spiral out of control from there.
Louise and Jillian may be geniuses, expert hackers, and brilliant videographers with an avid online following, but they are also nine years old, with the concomitant lack of experience, understanding, and agency. While trying to save their unborn siblings and the world, they must deal with parents, teachers, schoolmates, that damned class play, bureaucracy, the legal system, and a far-reaching conspiracy. They are in over their heads and know it, but they forge ahead anyway.
A wonderful read, with very real characters.
Twin geniuses Louise and Jillian turn nine the week they blow up their playhouse with flour while filming a video about elves. Soon thereafter, they learn that their parents got them from the embryo bank where their father works, that they have an older sister, Alexander Graham Bell, who lives in Pittsburgh on Elfhome, and that there are four more embryos still frozen--embryos that are due to be discarded in a month. Suddenly frantic to save their little brother and sisters from distruction, they turn from feuding with their snooty classmate and trying to hijack the class play to planning to steal an Elven artifact and rescue the babies. In the process, they learn about a sinister plot to take over Elfhome and subvert Earth. Events spiral out of control from there.
Louise and Jillian may be geniuses, expert hackers, and brilliant videographers with an avid online following, but they are also nine years old, with the concomitant lack of experience, understanding, and agency. While trying to save their unborn siblings and the world, they must deal with parents, teachers, schoolmates, that damned class play, bureaucracy, the legal system, and a far-reaching conspiracy. They are in over their heads and know it, but they forge ahead anyway.
A wonderful read, with very real characters.
June 17, 2014
Wen Spencer has been one of my favorites since the first book in this series, Tinker. This book continues to live up to the promise of the other three in this collection. The book's timeline runs along side Tinker and has spoilers for that story, so I would recommend reading them in the order they were published. (Which is Tinker, Wolf Who Rules, Elfhome, then this one.)
The world-building is as bright and shiny, as easy to visualize as ever. The main character, twin Louise is understandable, someone to root for, and thoroughly developed. If I had a criticism, it would be the deus ex machina of the sisters' uber genius.
The copy I read was an E-ARC, but I purchased it from the Baen Books website; so I feel like this is a fair and honest, if early, review. There were still a few errors littered through the book. Words missing in sentences, "that" and "which" confused, Elle replaced by Ella once ... small errors, and probably less than a dozen in the 400-page tome.
And as was my complaint with the last novel, I was just sad when it ended. I'm greedy and want more and more. The book was awesome in its scope of imagination. For lovers of modern fantasy, this series is a must, and this book is a fantastic addition to it.
Wen Spencer, thank you for the book; I'm waiting breathlessly for more.
The world-building is as bright and shiny, as easy to visualize as ever. The main character, twin Louise is understandable, someone to root for, and thoroughly developed. If I had a criticism, it would be the deus ex machina of the sisters' uber genius.
The copy I read was an E-ARC, but I purchased it from the Baen Books website; so I feel like this is a fair and honest, if early, review. There were still a few errors littered through the book. Words missing in sentences, "that" and "which" confused, Elle replaced by Ella once ... small errors, and probably less than a dozen in the 400-page tome.
And as was my complaint with the last novel, I was just sad when it ended. I'm greedy and want more and more. The book was awesome in its scope of imagination. For lovers of modern fantasy, this series is a must, and this book is a fantastic addition to it.
Wen Spencer, thank you for the book; I'm waiting breathlessly for more.
September 25, 2019
This is the e-arc of Wood Sprites! Totally enjoyed it!
2019 - Reread as I wait for Harbinger! I love the twins and the personalities of the babies!
2019 - Reread as I wait for Harbinger! I love the twins and the personalities of the babies!
August 1, 2014
I received this Kindle ARC through NetGalley
I’ve been Ms. Spencer’s fan since I read her Ukiah Oregon books. Her Tinker (my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) is one of my favorite fantasy novels. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I jumped at the opportunity to read and review it.
The novel takes place at exactly the same time as Tinker but in a different city, New York, and with different protagonists. Louise and Jillian are nine-year-old genius twin sisters, attending a school for the gifted children. When they discover they were adopted, or rather artificially implanted as embryos in their mother, they start researching their biological parents on the internet, which necessitated hacking into various protected websites (geniuses, remember).
They find much more than they expected, including several other embryos, their full siblings, still in a cryogenic facility. Unfortunately, the payments for the frozen embryos’ storage have stopped coming, and the embryos are scheduled for termination in a few months. The book follows the girls’ mind-twisting adventures, as they scramble against time and mysterious adversaries to save their unborn siblings from a garbage bin. From a school musical to a museum heist, from movie making to magic making, from their dog-robot nanny to the alien villains, the twins hurtle towards their future at an accelerated rate.
Humor and tension interlock in this novel, driving the reader. Every interruption I had in my reading – to eat or sleep – felt painful. I didn’t want to stop. Consequently, the novel’s cliff-hanging finale was a slap in the face. I wanted to know how the story ended, and after over 400 pages, I still didn’t get my wish.
Although the story is told from the POV of one of the twins, Louise, they seem inseparable. Jillian is always there, beside Louise, a part of her. The dynamics of twins’ relationship is not a common topic in literature, and the author handles it surprisingly well.
The girls are charming and vulnerable, utterly devoted to each other, but despite their sky-rocketing IQs, they are still nine-year-olds. Jillian craves a lead role in a class show, and they conspire to get her one. Louise wants a pet. They both dislike a snobby classmate and cringe at deceiving their loving parents. To tell the truth, they lie to their mom and dad constantly and inventively. As they are good kids, no doubt about that, the book serves as a warning to parents: be aware!
The world building is fascinating and elaborate. In the first three books of the series, we see it from the perspective of Pittsburgh, a human city transported by accident to the elven planet of Elfhome. In this volume, #4 in the series, we finally get to see what is happening on the Earth side of the situation. It would’ve been even more interesting if the protagonists were older and understood the interplanetary and intercultural complications better.
Actually, the choice of young children, even as precocious as Louise and Jillian, as protagonists in a clearly adult novel has me divided. I can’t say I dislike it but I’d prefer them older, maybe teenagers. Because of their outstanding mental abilities, they constantly outwit their centuries-old enemies, but I find it hard to read about nine-year-olds having enemies. I have two children of my own, so I probably project, but I wanted the girls to play and have fun, not race across the US to deal with evil alien conspirators. That’s what adults and armies are for.
Another of my problems concerns the quality of writing. In all the books of this author I’ve read, and I read them all, she often gets technical, but never as technical as in this one. In all the previous books, the specific details are kept to a minimum necessary to understand the plot. In this book, the info dumps inflate like balloons. They occupy pages and pages at a time, with intricate explanations of 'what' and 'how' of the girls’ online antics, the preparations for a school show, or a birthday bash of one of their friends. None of it is needed for the plot. As a result, the text is cluttered by piles of extraneous words that slow down the action. I’m guessing that this novel didn’t get as good an editor as all the previous ones, if it got an editor at all.
Other than this one serious flaw, it was a delightful read. I look forward to the next book.
I’ve been Ms. Spencer’s fan since I read her Ukiah Oregon books. Her Tinker (my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) is one of my favorite fantasy novels. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I jumped at the opportunity to read and review it.
The novel takes place at exactly the same time as Tinker but in a different city, New York, and with different protagonists. Louise and Jillian are nine-year-old genius twin sisters, attending a school for the gifted children. When they discover they were adopted, or rather artificially implanted as embryos in their mother, they start researching their biological parents on the internet, which necessitated hacking into various protected websites (geniuses, remember).
They find much more than they expected, including several other embryos, their full siblings, still in a cryogenic facility. Unfortunately, the payments for the frozen embryos’ storage have stopped coming, and the embryos are scheduled for termination in a few months. The book follows the girls’ mind-twisting adventures, as they scramble against time and mysterious adversaries to save their unborn siblings from a garbage bin. From a school musical to a museum heist, from movie making to magic making, from their dog-robot nanny to the alien villains, the twins hurtle towards their future at an accelerated rate.
Humor and tension interlock in this novel, driving the reader. Every interruption I had in my reading – to eat or sleep – felt painful. I didn’t want to stop. Consequently, the novel’s cliff-hanging finale was a slap in the face. I wanted to know how the story ended, and after over 400 pages, I still didn’t get my wish.
Although the story is told from the POV of one of the twins, Louise, they seem inseparable. Jillian is always there, beside Louise, a part of her. The dynamics of twins’ relationship is not a common topic in literature, and the author handles it surprisingly well.
The girls are charming and vulnerable, utterly devoted to each other, but despite their sky-rocketing IQs, they are still nine-year-olds. Jillian craves a lead role in a class show, and they conspire to get her one. Louise wants a pet. They both dislike a snobby classmate and cringe at deceiving their loving parents. To tell the truth, they lie to their mom and dad constantly and inventively. As they are good kids, no doubt about that, the book serves as a warning to parents: be aware!
The world building is fascinating and elaborate. In the first three books of the series, we see it from the perspective of Pittsburgh, a human city transported by accident to the elven planet of Elfhome. In this volume, #4 in the series, we finally get to see what is happening on the Earth side of the situation. It would’ve been even more interesting if the protagonists were older and understood the interplanetary and intercultural complications better.
Actually, the choice of young children, even as precocious as Louise and Jillian, as protagonists in a clearly adult novel has me divided. I can’t say I dislike it but I’d prefer them older, maybe teenagers. Because of their outstanding mental abilities, they constantly outwit their centuries-old enemies, but I find it hard to read about nine-year-olds having enemies. I have two children of my own, so I probably project, but I wanted the girls to play and have fun, not race across the US to deal with evil alien conspirators. That’s what adults and armies are for.
Another of my problems concerns the quality of writing. In all the books of this author I’ve read, and I read them all, she often gets technical, but never as technical as in this one. In all the previous books, the specific details are kept to a minimum necessary to understand the plot. In this book, the info dumps inflate like balloons. They occupy pages and pages at a time, with intricate explanations of 'what' and 'how' of the girls’ online antics, the preparations for a school show, or a birthday bash of one of their friends. None of it is needed for the plot. As a result, the text is cluttered by piles of extraneous words that slow down the action. I’m guessing that this novel didn’t get as good an editor as all the previous ones, if it got an editor at all.
Other than this one serious flaw, it was a delightful read. I look forward to the next book.
May 3, 2014
This highly anticipated (by me!) book #4 in the Elfhome series is all about two girls who discover that they were 'leftover' embryos related to Tinker, the heroine of the first 3 books. The timeline runs concurrent with said 3 novels in a meticulous way that makes me be grateful to Ms. Spencer. Too many times, authors seem careless of the headaches they give their readers with shoddy craftsmanship!
I loved this novel! The action is non-stop and events are heartbreaking, giving us a glimpse of the Earth side of the story we hadn't had previously. The twins are a delight. Even though they are geniuses, Ms. Spencer gives them enough 'childishness'(?) to make them real as characters. When the going gets tough, the twins get going!
My only problem is that, having read this one the day it came out on e-arc from Baen, I'll have to wait Lord knows how long for the next one!
I loved this novel! The action is non-stop and events are heartbreaking, giving us a glimpse of the Earth side of the story we hadn't had previously. The twins are a delight. Even though they are geniuses, Ms. Spencer gives them enough 'childishness'(?) to make them real as characters. When the going gets tough, the twins get going!
My only problem is that, having read this one the day it came out on e-arc from Baen, I'll have to wait Lord knows how long for the next one!
May 15, 2014
wish there was more it ends to soon
September 15, 2025
Louise and Jillian are 9-year-old twin geniuses. They have just learned that their parents are not their genetic parents and are searching for information about their genetic parents. They are surprised to discover that their father is the genius who built the gate that has the side effect of making Pittsburgh shift between Earth and Elfhome on a scheduled basis and their mother is an astronaut who took off for Alpha Centauri. They learn that their parents stole their eggs; that they have an older sister in Elfhome; and that they have four younger siblings still in egg form in the cryobank. They also learn that those eggs are going to be destroyed in a short amount of time.
Naturally, the first thing the girls need to do is find a way to rescue their baby brother and sisters. In their research they learn that they are part elf and they learn that bad elves who want to start a war with Elfhome would like to find and use them. They discover a complex plot where elves who have been on Earth for hundreds of years are getting ready to overthrow the government on Elfhome and take over.
This was a complicated fantasy that seems to be taking place concurrently with Elfhome which is Tinker's story while this one is the story of Tinker's unknown younger sisters. I liked the combination of magic and science fiction. I liked the way the two girls depended on each other and loved each other. I liked their determination to protect their unborn siblings. I also liked that their personalities, strengths and weaknesses made them unique individuals.
Despite the age of the characters, I don't really think that this was a young adult book even though older science fiction fans will enjoy the story. It does have an epic fantasy feel with lots of political intrigue. For full enjoyment, I suggest reading the three earlier books in the series - Tinker, Wolf Who Rules, and Elfhome.
Naturally, the first thing the girls need to do is find a way to rescue their baby brother and sisters. In their research they learn that they are part elf and they learn that bad elves who want to start a war with Elfhome would like to find and use them. They discover a complex plot where elves who have been on Earth for hundreds of years are getting ready to overthrow the government on Elfhome and take over.
This was a complicated fantasy that seems to be taking place concurrently with Elfhome which is Tinker's story while this one is the story of Tinker's unknown younger sisters. I liked the combination of magic and science fiction. I liked the way the two girls depended on each other and loved each other. I liked their determination to protect their unborn siblings. I also liked that their personalities, strengths and weaknesses made them unique individuals.
Despite the age of the characters, I don't really think that this was a young adult book even though older science fiction fans will enjoy the story. It does have an epic fantasy feel with lots of political intrigue. For full enjoyment, I suggest reading the three earlier books in the series - Tinker, Wolf Who Rules, and Elfhome.
May 24, 2014
This book approaches the Elfhome story from the Earth side, and covers a timeline that includes the first three books and ends at approximately the time that Elfhome does.
The primary characters are twins whose embryos were stolen from the same batch of fertilized eggs from which Tinker was taken. Once they realize that they have unborn siblings, the set out on a mission to save them from disposal.
This is an awesome tour de force, and fills in details behind the series as a whole while providing a virtual thrill ride. This book sets up what will be another amazing story in the fifth novel in the series. It also sets up backstory for the author's hilarious Pittsburgh Backyard & Garden adventure published in Baen's 2013 Free Stories collection.
I heartily recommend this series of stories to anyone and everyone who enjoys fiction.
The primary characters are twins whose embryos were stolen from the same batch of fertilized eggs from which Tinker was taken. Once they realize that they have unborn siblings, the set out on a mission to save them from disposal.
This is an awesome tour de force, and fills in details behind the series as a whole while providing a virtual thrill ride. This book sets up what will be another amazing story in the fifth novel in the series. It also sets up backstory for the author's hilarious Pittsburgh Backyard & Garden adventure published in Baen's 2013 Free Stories collection.
I heartily recommend this series of stories to anyone and everyone who enjoys fiction.
January 12, 2017
Very good tale of two twins in New York City who are from the same batch of fertilized eggs as Tinker, only implanted a decade later.
November 20, 2024
This book was a real change of pace for the series. None of the characters we know are in it, and it runs parallel to the first 3 books of the series (at the end, we're told that war has broken out with the oni, and Tinker has gone into hiding...which was the end of book 3, when she goes into hiding to lure her "shadow" and the evil Stone clan members to come after her and into her trap). This book introduces us to some great new characters, largely takes place on Earth, and seems to be setting up the last act of the series.
The main protagonists of this book are two 9 year old girls, who are additional embryos created with Esme and Leo's genetic material. Basically, in IVF you fertilize a bunch, and then implant until one takes (is my loose understanding). These kids were born using the "leftovers" ... so we have direct siblings of Tinker, and we get a lot of the backstory from Esme and Lain's family. All the pieces are coming together, with the boss bad guys revealed in book 3 (Kajo, who seems to be Skin Clan) and in this book (no spoilers, aside from saying elf that is working with their old Skin Clan masters).
I really loved Louise, Jillian, and Team Mischief. I hope the babies are born and don't lose the personalities we met in this book. I hope all these kids get the family they deserve when they meet Tinker and Windwolf, as well as the tengu.
Careening into book 5 now!
The main protagonists of this book are two 9 year old girls, who are additional embryos created with Esme and Leo's genetic material. Basically, in IVF you fertilize a bunch, and then implant until one takes (is my loose understanding). These kids were born using the "leftovers" ... so we have direct siblings of Tinker, and we get a lot of the backstory from Esme and Lain's family. All the pieces are coming together, with the boss bad guys revealed in book 3 (Kajo, who seems to be Skin Clan) and in this book (no spoilers, aside from saying elf that is working with their old Skin Clan masters).
I really loved Louise, Jillian, and Team Mischief. I hope the babies are born and don't lose the personalities we met in this book. I hope all these kids get the family they deserve when they meet Tinker and Windwolf, as well as the tengu.
Careening into book 5 now!
May 30, 2020
This is book #4, but the events start before book #1, and run along #2 and #3. They basically take place in two different worlds, so there's not a lot of overlap. You could read it before--or after the other three and it would still make sense.
Nearly nine-year-old Louise Mayer and her twin sister Jillian are geniuses, which means they don't quite fit in. And then they discover they have an older sibling and four siblings still in cryogenic storage of the fertility center they came from. Their parents are astronaut Esme Shenske inventor, Leonardo Dufae, their sister Alexander Graham Bell. They're thrilled to learn this--and then horrified to discover that their four future siblings will be destroyed in six months.
It's going to take a lot of work to rescue them, work made more difficult by war in Elfhome and riots in New York City. And some enemy of their sister wants the twins for their own reasons. It's going to get complicated.
Though this book doesn't have any of the main characters from the other three books, the ones introduced have a lot in common with the characters I liked from the previous stories. The twins, in particular, share that bright, inventive, wicked mind that Tinker has, which makes them capable of driving the plot forward and earning a laugh or two along the way. A must read for fans of the series, and not a bad place to start for people interested in Urban Fantasy involving some scary elves, magic genetic engineering, portals to another world, geniuses, and a whole lot of trouble. And it seems like the characters from all four books might all end up together in the book #5.
Nearly nine-year-old Louise Mayer and her twin sister Jillian are geniuses, which means they don't quite fit in. And then they discover they have an older sibling and four siblings still in cryogenic storage of the fertility center they came from. Their parents are astronaut Esme Shenske inventor, Leonardo Dufae, their sister Alexander Graham Bell. They're thrilled to learn this--and then horrified to discover that their four future siblings will be destroyed in six months.
It's going to take a lot of work to rescue them, work made more difficult by war in Elfhome and riots in New York City. And some enemy of their sister wants the twins for their own reasons. It's going to get complicated.
Though this book doesn't have any of the main characters from the other three books, the ones introduced have a lot in common with the characters I liked from the previous stories. The twins, in particular, share that bright, inventive, wicked mind that Tinker has, which makes them capable of driving the plot forward and earning a laugh or two along the way. A must read for fans of the series, and not a bad place to start for people interested in Urban Fantasy involving some scary elves, magic genetic engineering, portals to another world, geniuses, and a whole lot of trouble. And it seems like the characters from all four books might all end up together in the book #5.
June 1, 2024
The next book in the series this one is following two genius girls who are sisters to Tinker. It is set at the same time as the first two books and I suggest reading the short story Pittsburgh home and garden, as well, before reading this next installment.
Two super brilliant girls are about to have their world turned up side down. Not only are their parents not really their parents, but they have sisters and a brother that will be destroyed if they don't save them. This seems like a monumental task for two nine year olds. Hilarious ensues and lots of destruction, magic and evil princes.
My favourite scene is when they underestimate the lift of helium balloons in regard to their electronic pet. Meowing as it floated away.
This is a fantastic novel and visit Baen's website if you are like me and can't wait for new novels.
Two super brilliant girls are about to have their world turned up side down. Not only are their parents not really their parents, but they have sisters and a brother that will be destroyed if they don't save them. This seems like a monumental task for two nine year olds. Hilarious ensues and lots of destruction, magic and evil princes.
My favourite scene is when they underestimate the lift of helium balloons in regard to their electronic pet. Meowing as it floated away.
This is a fantastic novel and visit Baen's website if you are like me and can't wait for new novels.
January 16, 2022
New Characters
In a break from the previous novels, Tinker does not actually appear in this book at all. Most of the action takes place on earth, concurrently with the events of the first three books on elfhome.
In a break from the previous novels, Tinker does not actually appear in this book at all. Most of the action takes place on earth, concurrently with the events of the first three books on elfhome.
February 5, 2020
While I love the series, this was probably my least favorite of the series as it has almost nothing to do with Tinker. Can't wait for book 5 to come out so I can finally see how this series ends.
September 26, 2018
Cute book - it dragged during the preparation of the play and constantly finding food for Joy. But otherwise I enjoyed it. I just wish the twins were older.
September 5, 2024
This books takes place at the same time as the first (and maybe second? My memory is dreadful) in New York with a couple of different characters (twins). Their story is parallel to and intertwined with what is going on in the first two (?) books.
It is a very intense read.
If you are continuing with this series, read Project Elfhome Project Elfhome next. Book 5 continues on from that book.
It is a very intense read.
If you are continuing with this series, read Project Elfhome Project Elfhome next. Book 5 continues on from that book.
April 15, 2016
Re-read after reading the first three books. This one is the best of them all, because the two protagonists work together instead of doing their own thing and spending hardly any time together at all. More fun on the re-read because I had back-story for a lot of people.
+++
This is the fourth book in a series, I read none of the previous.
This book was so much fun!!!
Start off with nine-year-old twins blowing up their play-house. It wasn't quite a mistake, they wanted to blow up their barbie doll for a movie - wait, nine year olds are making a movie? - and the explosion was a bit large. Then we find out they're really good liars, their parents are clueless, and there is something off about their blood type.
The twins have so much going on! They blew up their playhouse/filmstudio but they have to put out another film, their parents have saddled them with a robo-dog nanny, they have to suddenly take an interest in socializing with their classmates, and they have discovered that their potential brothers/sisters are to be destroyed at the egg-bank. So much to do!
All the plot threads are vying for space, and the twins are having a hard time juggling all their responsibilities, and figuring out which project is a) the most fun and should have all their time, b) the most important and should have all their time, or c) on a deadline and should have all their time. I wonder when they're going to have to ... explain ... all this to their parents.
Then the magic goes weird, they meet some interesting people, and suddenly making explanations to the parents is not the worst thing in the world.
I'm a little weirded out with the unborn siblings, but hey, magic. and dragons. Things happen.
I absolutely must track down the previous books in this series, and can't wait for the next book.
+++
This is the fourth book in a series, I read none of the previous.
This book was so much fun!!!
Start off with nine-year-old twins blowing up their play-house. It wasn't quite a mistake, they wanted to blow up their barbie doll for a movie - wait, nine year olds are making a movie? - and the explosion was a bit large. Then we find out they're really good liars, their parents are clueless, and there is something off about their blood type.
The twins have so much going on! They blew up their playhouse/filmstudio but they have to put out another film, their parents have saddled them with a robo-dog nanny, they have to suddenly take an interest in socializing with their classmates, and they have discovered that their potential brothers/sisters are to be destroyed at the egg-bank. So much to do!
All the plot threads are vying for space, and the twins are having a hard time juggling all their responsibilities, and figuring out which project is a) the most fun and should have all their time, b) the most important and should have all their time, or c) on a deadline and should have all their time. I wonder when they're going to have to ... explain ... all this to their parents.
Then the magic goes weird, they meet some interesting people, and suddenly making explanations to the parents is not the worst thing in the world.
I'm a little weirded out with the unborn siblings, but hey, magic. and dragons. Things happen.
I absolutely must track down the previous books in this series, and can't wait for the next book.
October 23, 2016
So clever - the twins were a surprising treat. Shifting focus to Earth and whole new characters was a bold choice that paid off. The twins were a delight - their brainy schemes brilliant - yet for them, matter of fact. Splicing the action b/w the girls trying to act like nine years olds, save their unborn siblings and the world - worked well. Loved the whole video side business of Lemon Lime.
Towards the end things shot off in a decidedly wacky way. Suddenly characters are dead - with no more than an off hand explanation. The unborn siblings are a robot dog, inhabit robotic mice and then are racing around in miniature hovercrafts with tasers. Plus we have ostriches and the tengu involved.
Looking forward to the twins meeting Tinker - have a feeling things will explode.
Towards the end things shot off in a decidedly wacky way. Suddenly characters are dead - with no more than an off hand explanation. The unborn siblings are a robot dog, inhabit robotic mice and then are racing around in miniature hovercrafts with tasers. Plus we have ostriches and the tengu involved.
Looking forward to the twins meeting Tinker - have a feeling things will explode.
August 13, 2014
I haven't read any of the other books in the Elfhome series (yet), but I received this as an arc at ALA. When I read the back and saw it was about two 9 year olds, I immediately thought that it wouldn't really interest me. I started paging through the beginning anyway, just flipping to random sections, to get a feel for the author's writing style and surprisingly I was hooked! I had to go back to the beginning and read the whole thing and I didn't put it down until 5am! Don't let the age of the protagonists fool you, this is an excellent novel for adults and I didn't feel like I missed anything by not having read the others in the series. I'm picking them up immediately though!
June 28, 2022
9-year-old twins, siblings of Tinker with the same manic genius = look out world! Louise and Jillian were a hoot, their minds working at warp speed on projects ranging from the class play to saving their sisters. In some ways this book is almost a secret history of the first two Tinker books, as it takes place during the same timeline, but in New York instead of Pittsburgh. (Though I definitely recommend reading the books in order. Wood Sprites references events in Tinker and Wolf Who Rules and cameos characters from Pittsburgh Back Home & Garden.)
Favourite moment: When the twins are speaking random Elvish to screw up the policeman's translator.
Favourite moment: When the twins are speaking random Elvish to screw up the policeman's translator.
October 17, 2014
I've been keeping so busy that it took me forever to finish this, but it's the only book I actually managed to finish lately. It is a retelling of the previous books from a different perspective, so the events of the other books are there in the background, but we get details about what was happening on Earth, rather than Elfhome at the time. Looking forward to the next installment!
August 9, 2016
I bought this as an ARC from Baen. Having such young point of view characters is an interesting choice. I'm not sure I believed everything they did because it was intermixed with a certain lack of knowledge that you would normally expect for that age. I like the characters a lot though, and love how they are seeing the events of the previous books from the outside, and how pieces fit together.
June 21, 2015
Like all Wen Spencer’s books, this was an absorbing page-turner. Very imaginative world-building and I love the way she integrates the magic into the world. But - I thought the ending was a bit of an anticlimax, with infodumps galore on everyone’s motivations, and I just ended up feeling rather confused.
March 22, 2021
This is a great installment in the Elfhome series. It took me a while at the beginning to place when the action was going on and who the players were (not the twins, but everyone else), but once it got going I really enjoyed it.
December 18, 2021
I liked this book better than the originals in the series. At first, I thought it would be a stupid continuation in an attempt to bring in more money for the author. Great story line, I can’t wait to see how it develops.
October 1, 2017
I really hope there's a future to this series. I enjoyed the heck out of this series!
July 5, 2018
I loved this book. I didn't want to put it down but had to at times such as when I needed to sleep. The book starts out before the events of Tinker and doesn't quite reach the point in time at the end of the 3rd Elfhome book by the end of this book despite this book covering events over a much larger period of time than previous books in the series. The book focuses on two characters who weren't really in any of the previous Elfhome books, and the characters are a lot more accessible to children. The book could be read before the other Elfhome books, although there are some things mentioned in this briefly that would spoil bits from the other books. Still, this book could be a great introduction to the series for children. The main characters in this book are fraternal twins who look nearly identical and are really good with technology and producing videos. This book has a much bigger focus on technology than other books in the series because it takes place on Earth rather than Elfhome and so has technology readily available but not magic. I enjoyed the talk of technology quite a bit and found the antics of the twins to be very amusing. The book was awesome, and I would highly recommend it.
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