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An American Fairie Tale #2
The Forgotten
Across the United States, children are vanishing. Only this time, faeries may not be to blame …
Dante, Regent of the fae's Rogue Court, has been receiving disturbing reports. Human children are manifesting magical powers in record numbers. Shunned and forgotten, they live on the streets in ragtag groups with the already-booming population of homeless changelings. But the streets aren't a haven; someone, or something, is hunting these children down.
Wraith, a teenage spell slinger, has no home, no family, and no real memories of her past. She and her friends SK, Fritz, and Shadow are constantly on the run, fleeing from a dark and unknown enemy. But when her companions are taken by "the snatchers," Wraith is their only hope. Her journey to find them will test the limits of her magic—and her trust. A dark force is on the rise, and it could spell the end of our world as we know it.
Dante, Regent of the fae's Rogue Court, has been receiving disturbing reports. Human children are manifesting magical powers in record numbers. Shunned and forgotten, they live on the streets in ragtag groups with the already-booming population of homeless changelings. But the streets aren't a haven; someone, or something, is hunting these children down.
Wraith, a teenage spell slinger, has no home, no family, and no real memories of her past. She and her friends SK, Fritz, and Shadow are constantly on the run, fleeing from a dark and unknown enemy. But when her companions are taken by "the snatchers," Wraith is their only hope. Her journey to find them will test the limits of her magic—and her trust. A dark force is on the rise, and it could spell the end of our world as we know it.
- GenresFantasyParanormal
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2015
23 people are currently reading
507 people want to read
About the author
Bishop O'Connell
10 books65 followersBishop O'Connell is the author of the American Faerie Tale series, a consultant, writer, blogger, and lover of kilts and beer, as well as a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. Born in Naples Italy while his father was stationed in Sardinia, Bishop grew up in San Diego, CA where he fell in love with the ocean and fish tacos. After wandering the country for work and school (absolutely not because he was in hiding from mind controlling bunnies), he settled in Richmond VA, where he writes, collects swords, revels in his immortality as a critically acclaimed "visionary" of the urban fantasy genre, and is regularly chastised for making up things for his bio. He can also be found online at A Quiet Pint (aquietpint.com), where he muses philosophical on life, the universe, and everything, as well as various aspects of writing and the road to getting published.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 17, 2015
I broke one of my sacred reading rules with The Forgotten. I read the series out of order. It's something I've only done once before and something I don't plan on making a habit of. Even though I didn't read The Stolen, I never felt like this took away from my enjoyment of the story. Also, I discovered that the lead characters in book 1 are not the same as in this sequel, so that seemed to work out in my favor.
I really enjoyed the magical elements of this world. There were various types of magic users like faeries, fifties (or changelings), wizards, and shapeshifters. There was also a variety of unique talents like the ability to create ground-shaking sonic booms, blinding bursts of light, growing things from the ground, or opening portals.
The story's mystery surrounds an unexplained rise in the number of homeless kids with magical abilities and the snatchers who are kidnapping them off of the streets. O'Connell does a great job of weaving this plot thread into the other elements of the story and bringing it all to an intense and emotional conclusion.
Of all the things I loved about The Forgotten, what really kept me captivated was Wraith. She's a teen spell-slinger who is living in abandoned buildings with other orphan kids. She sees equations in everything around her and is able to manipulate those equations until she gets the desired result. She's an incredibly powerful young heroine, but also one that I felt sympathy for. Not only is she on the streets and trying to avoid being caught by the snatchers, but she also struggles with holes in her memory. She was often confused and had a nagging sense of unease as if something about her situation wasn't quite right. I was fascinated by her character and what she was capable of, but I also came to care about her and wanted everything to work out for her in the end.
The Forgotten's imaginative world, unique characters, and action-packed storyline had me hooked. I would definitely recommend this and I'm looking forward to reading more stories by O'Connell in the future.
I really enjoyed the magical elements of this world. There were various types of magic users like faeries, fifties (or changelings), wizards, and shapeshifters. There was also a variety of unique talents like the ability to create ground-shaking sonic booms, blinding bursts of light, growing things from the ground, or opening portals.
The story's mystery surrounds an unexplained rise in the number of homeless kids with magical abilities and the snatchers who are kidnapping them off of the streets. O'Connell does a great job of weaving this plot thread into the other elements of the story and bringing it all to an intense and emotional conclusion.
Of all the things I loved about The Forgotten, what really kept me captivated was Wraith. She's a teen spell-slinger who is living in abandoned buildings with other orphan kids. She sees equations in everything around her and is able to manipulate those equations until she gets the desired result. She's an incredibly powerful young heroine, but also one that I felt sympathy for. Not only is she on the streets and trying to avoid being caught by the snatchers, but she also struggles with holes in her memory. She was often confused and had a nagging sense of unease as if something about her situation wasn't quite right. I was fascinated by her character and what she was capable of, but I also came to care about her and wanted everything to work out for her in the end.
The Forgotten's imaginative world, unique characters, and action-packed storyline had me hooked. I would definitely recommend this and I'm looking forward to reading more stories by O'Connell in the future.
March 19, 2015
3.5/5
Mon avis en Français
My ENglish review
I really loved the first book and I was eager to read on to discover more about this world that the author had presented earlier. I think that I have a little less adhered to this new story, perhaps because we focus on other characters but that does not change the fact that I still had a good time with the novel. Indeed, while we followed Caitlin, Edward, Donovan and Dante in the previous volume, we are this time more focused on Dante’s history and a whole new character encountered here: Wraith.
I enjoyed Dante in the first volume, and it is true that it was a pleasure to have him here and learn more about him. As I said we alternatively follow the two characters but I was always more carried away when we were on his side of the story and I was curious to learn more. While this was less the case with Wraith, I took great pleasure in knowing and discovering this out of the ordinary girl. Indeed, she has some quite extraordinary abilities and the fact that she does not remember who she is, is very intriguing as well. I was very curious to know the reasons for her amnesia, she hides many secrets and I wanted to see what impact it would have on her life.
As explained in the summary, children disappear from all sides and Dante is determined to understand what is happening and if the fae are responsible. This story will take him further than he thought though. This will help us to discover the past of Wraith and to see Dante in action throughout the story and to realize what is happening with the children living in the streets. We will also have at the same time, the chance to see the characters of the first volume even if they remain set back and we meet some new players that I let you discover by yourself.
So I had a good time even if it is true that I preferred the first volume. We don’t have much action but it was interesting to find out more about Bishop O’Connell’s universe and I am curious to read up more again.
Mon avis en Français
My ENglish review
I really loved the first book and I was eager to read on to discover more about this world that the author had presented earlier. I think that I have a little less adhered to this new story, perhaps because we focus on other characters but that does not change the fact that I still had a good time with the novel. Indeed, while we followed Caitlin, Edward, Donovan and Dante in the previous volume, we are this time more focused on Dante’s history and a whole new character encountered here: Wraith.
I enjoyed Dante in the first volume, and it is true that it was a pleasure to have him here and learn more about him. As I said we alternatively follow the two characters but I was always more carried away when we were on his side of the story and I was curious to learn more. While this was less the case with Wraith, I took great pleasure in knowing and discovering this out of the ordinary girl. Indeed, she has some quite extraordinary abilities and the fact that she does not remember who she is, is very intriguing as well. I was very curious to know the reasons for her amnesia, she hides many secrets and I wanted to see what impact it would have on her life.
As explained in the summary, children disappear from all sides and Dante is determined to understand what is happening and if the fae are responsible. This story will take him further than he thought though. This will help us to discover the past of Wraith and to see Dante in action throughout the story and to realize what is happening with the children living in the streets. We will also have at the same time, the chance to see the characters of the first volume even if they remain set back and we meet some new players that I let you discover by yourself.
So I had a good time even if it is true that I preferred the first volume. We don’t have much action but it was interesting to find out more about Bishop O’Connell’s universe and I am curious to read up more again.
May 22, 2015
This sequel to Bishop O'Connell's The Stolen expands on the premise of the original by dialing the action up to eleven. Featuring part of the cast from the previous book, this one introduces a new protagonist that takes center stage in a hidden, magical war on the streets of Seattle.
Though there is some confusion at points, it is mostly due to the main character's memory issues. The plot threads are also woven much more tightly this time around, and converge, rather than diverge, into a thrilling and explosive climax.
If you liked the first book even a little bit, you'll love this one. And with the promise of more to come, I can't wait to see where this series heads.
Though there is some confusion at points, it is mostly due to the main character's memory issues. The plot threads are also woven much more tightly this time around, and converge, rather than diverge, into a thrilling and explosive climax.
If you liked the first book even a little bit, you'll love this one. And with the promise of more to come, I can't wait to see where this series heads.
May 26, 2022
Much better than the first book, mostly because of the complete absence of the annoying Brendan and the insipid Caitlin/Edward romance. This book has a lot more of Dante doing his thing, which was my favorite part of the first book. We're also introduced to a sympathetic new character, Wraith, who is a teenager but not a typical irritating, whiny one. The plot contains a decent mystery that took me more than two chapters to guess what was actually going on. I also appreciated the world being fleshed out a bit more. Definitely promising enough to move on to the next book.
tbr-series-sequels-x
April 9, 20208 April 2020: $0.99 on Kindle
June 17, 2025
Great read with lots of twists and turns. Enjoyed the commentary on what it means to have power and how you then use it.
September 17, 2016
Entered in date of completion and nominal rating on 09/17/16. I hope to fill in more later.
One note for this book is that it lost a whole star for its poor use of Seattle landmarks, specifically the Seattle Underground and the Fremont Troll. The article which sent me to these books heavily stressed the research the author had done about the cities that were the settings for each of these books, with this one being Seattle. Honestly, I don't buy it for this one, for the simple reason that it is the FREMONT troll, not the Freemont troll as written in the book. Additionally, the Seattle Underground is just that, an area underneath downtown Seattle and specifically the Pioneer Square neighborhood, whereas the author has it set several miles from the city where when you exit you can see the skyline. NOPE. This irks the everloving shit out of me, especially as apart from these two things (and a scene or two set at the Pike Place Market), this could've been in any city anywhere for all the local flavor that was actually used. Authors, either actually accurately research your locations, or don't advertise your novels as being heavily researched and set in the location stated.
One note for this book is that it lost a whole star for its poor use of Seattle landmarks, specifically the Seattle Underground and the Fremont Troll. The article which sent me to these books heavily stressed the research the author had done about the cities that were the settings for each of these books, with this one being Seattle. Honestly, I don't buy it for this one, for the simple reason that it is the FREMONT troll, not the Freemont troll as written in the book. Additionally, the Seattle Underground is just that, an area underneath downtown Seattle and specifically the Pioneer Square neighborhood, whereas the author has it set several miles from the city where when you exit you can see the skyline. NOPE. This irks the everloving shit out of me, especially as apart from these two things (and a scene or two set at the Pike Place Market), this could've been in any city anywhere for all the local flavor that was actually used. Authors, either actually accurately research your locations, or don't advertise your novels as being heavily researched and set in the location stated.
September 10, 2015
3 stars - barely - on my scale, a 3 star book was an OK read, but I'm likely to give it away as I won't want to read it again.
This book violated Dann's Dictum for authors. Simply put, don't write a series unless you can make every installment top notch work. While the first book was great, I had to work to get through this one.
There was far too much magic that was nebulous. The protagonist almost wanders along in a bit of a fog. The use of higher mathematical symbology for the protagonist's means of expressing magic was a little clunky.
Also, my digital copy of the book contained at least a dozen easy to fix grammar and spelling problems. The publisher just didn't put enough effort into making this the best book possible.
This book violated Dann's Dictum for authors. Simply put, don't write a series unless you can make every installment top notch work. While the first book was great, I had to work to get through this one.
There was far too much magic that was nebulous. The protagonist almost wanders along in a bit of a fog. The use of higher mathematical symbology for the protagonist's means of expressing magic was a little clunky.
Also, my digital copy of the book contained at least a dozen easy to fix grammar and spelling problems. The publisher just didn't put enough effort into making this the best book possible.
April 20, 2015
A great story
This book evidences great story telling and Janey-Wraith, the protagonist is well drawn. The problem is, the book can't stand alone. As second in a sequence the reader really needs to read book one to clearly understand book two. I had to go back and review. O'Connell should have done that for me. Also, there are threads left hanging. Avenues not clearly explored. I got a fuzzy feeling from the narrative, like the author wasn't quite sure where he was coming from or going to sometimes.
This book evidences great story telling and Janey-Wraith, the protagonist is well drawn. The problem is, the book can't stand alone. As second in a sequence the reader really needs to read book one to clearly understand book two. I had to go back and review. O'Connell should have done that for me. Also, there are threads left hanging. Avenues not clearly explored. I got a fuzzy feeling from the narrative, like the author wasn't quite sure where he was coming from or going to sometimes.
April 1, 2015
I have to admit, I'm really happy with how Wraith turned out.
June 23, 2016
Loved it!!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews