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Everleaf #1
Coal
Coal has lived most of his life in the fey realm with his elven best friend, but when a human child he promised to protect unintentionally breaks a law in front of the fey elite, he will have to choose between betraying his best friend or saving the child’s life.
216 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2015
272 people are currently reading
1556 people want to read
About the author
Constance Burris
16 books168 followersConstance Burris is a nerd, writer of diverse fiction, wife and mother. Most of her stories are speculative fiction. She was lost moment she read her first science fiction story in kindergarten about people living on Venus. When she discovered no one live there, she was heartbroken, but it didn't affect her love for all things fantastical.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
March 6, 2016
This little fairytale was so cute, but I never did warm up to Chalcedony. She shouldn't have taken Lizzy in the first place. I liked Coal, and would like to see him as a prince. Can't wait to see what happens in book 2. Good job Constance.
November 28, 2015
Wow, this was such an unusual and absorbing book. It's the story of Coal, a human boy who was taken at a very young age to the fey realm, where he became the best friend--or mere plaything, depending on whose view you take--of Chalcedony, a fey princess. It's also Chalcedony's story. At the start, you have no doubt that Coal and Chalcedony both believe in their friendship, but the surrounding society has always been against them (humans are looked down on and shouldn't even be in the fey realm, at least not in Chalcedony's portion of it), and circumstances are now pushing them apart. A new human child (Lizzy) whom Chalcedony has inadvisedly brought back to the fey realm becomes the wedge that drives them apart. Lizzy wants to go home, but unwittingly commits a capital offense. Will Chalcedony be maneuvered into having the child put to death? Will Coal defy Chalcedony and help Lizzy escape?
Most stories of young love show the characters gradually growing closer: Coal was fascinating to me for showing the two main characters inexorably growing apart, even though their attraction to each other remains. Again and again secret keeping, mistrust, and assumptions widen the rift between them. I have to say I was wholeheartedly on team Coal: what sympathy I had for Chalcedony evaporated pretty early on. (The story also shows how perilous unequal relationships are: no matter how much Coal and Chalcedony felt they were best friends, in society's eyes one was little more than a pet and the other was royalty. That messes things up.)
Secondary characters and plot developments intrigued and surprised me--always in a way that felt right with the story: the surprise felt *good*, not random. Imaginative, unusual. Haline was the secondary character I liked best, but I also really liked Grigory the swordsmith and Queen Isis and her human lover Royden. Queen Isis's realm is an interesting contrast to Chalcedony's.
There were little details that I loved too: swords that accept or reject those who wield them, the concept of a magic null (someone who is immune to magic), and the spidren--personable, but potentially dangerous, giant spiders. The fey realm is much more human-like than some depictions of faery: the dwarves, elves, and giants are very much like people (unlike, say, the fairy folk in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell), and certain details of fey life seem a lot like human life (schools and libraries, underwear).
This is Book One in the Everleaf Series. I very, very much hope to read Book Two and any subsequent book. Coal wraps up the central conflict, but leaves Coal himself in dire circumstances. I want to find out what happens to him next and what his ultimate fate will be. I'm also curious about how (or whether) Chalcedony will change and grow.
Most stories of young love show the characters gradually growing closer: Coal was fascinating to me for showing the two main characters inexorably growing apart, even though their attraction to each other remains. Again and again secret keeping, mistrust, and assumptions widen the rift between them. I have to say I was wholeheartedly on team Coal: what sympathy I had for Chalcedony evaporated pretty early on. (The story also shows how perilous unequal relationships are: no matter how much Coal and Chalcedony felt they were best friends, in society's eyes one was little more than a pet and the other was royalty. That messes things up.)
Secondary characters and plot developments intrigued and surprised me--always in a way that felt right with the story: the surprise felt *good*, not random. Imaginative, unusual. Haline was the secondary character I liked best, but I also really liked Grigory the swordsmith and Queen Isis and her human lover Royden. Queen Isis's realm is an interesting contrast to Chalcedony's.
There were little details that I loved too: swords that accept or reject those who wield them, the concept of a magic null (someone who is immune to magic), and the spidren--personable, but potentially dangerous, giant spiders. The fey realm is much more human-like than some depictions of faery: the dwarves, elves, and giants are very much like people (unlike, say, the fairy folk in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell), and certain details of fey life seem a lot like human life (schools and libraries, underwear).
This is Book One in the Everleaf Series. I very, very much hope to read Book Two and any subsequent book. Coal wraps up the central conflict, but leaves Coal himself in dire circumstances. I want to find out what happens to him next and what his ultimate fate will be. I'm also curious about how (or whether) Chalcedony will change and grow.
September 4, 2016
I'm just gonna start out saying that this book is worth the read but I do have some issues with it.
--While this is well written it isn't for the faint of heart who just want a happy ending.
I read the tease in the back for book two and I don't like the direction it implies for Coal. Hopefully someone gets their happy ending, I'm routing for Coal.
--While this is well written it isn't for the faint of heart who just want a happy ending.
I read the tease in the back for book two and I don't like the direction it implies for Coal. Hopefully someone gets their happy ending, I'm routing for Coal.
January 20, 2019
actual rating: 2.5
I did not like this book nearly as much as the prequel novella. The prequel was very much urban fantasy and also focused on several black kids living in an apartment complex and their brush with the fairy world. This follows off of that because it focuses on one of the kids who got taken to the fairy world when he was very young, but most of the novel takes place there and it has much more of a high fantasy vibe and focuses a lot on politics. It was a radical change from the prequel and not necessarily one I enjoyed, but the next book seems to go back to the human world and bring back a few characters from the prequel so I am going to give it a try despite not really caring for this.
I did not like this book nearly as much as the prequel novella. The prequel was very much urban fantasy and also focused on several black kids living in an apartment complex and their brush with the fairy world. This follows off of that because it focuses on one of the kids who got taken to the fairy world when he was very young, but most of the novel takes place there and it has much more of a high fantasy vibe and focuses a lot on politics. It was a radical change from the prequel and not necessarily one I enjoyed, but the next book seems to go back to the human world and bring back a few characters from the prequel so I am going to give it a try despite not really caring for this.
August 31, 2015
Remarkably enchanting tale that mixes true heart, mind, power, and "life" struggles within each character.
If I didn't have to sleep, I would've read it earlier. This is a must read, as it serves up a heaping of fantasy, hope, and imagination. Read it for yourself, and recommend it to others.
Salute to Constance!! Keep up the greatness. Keep weaving tales with your mind, and drawing us into your delightful web.
If I didn't have to sleep, I would've read it earlier. This is a must read, as it serves up a heaping of fantasy, hope, and imagination. Read it for yourself, and recommend it to others.
Salute to Constance!! Keep up the greatness. Keep weaving tales with your mind, and drawing us into your delightful web.
February 17, 2016
Quick and fun. Magic, fairies, trees, kidnapping... Looking forward to the downfall of the Head Bitch in Charge. Bring on Book 2.
Oct. 18 2015
#BlerdBookClub Chat With @TheLegendBooks & @Constanceburris
Oct. 18 2015
#BlerdBookClub Chat With @TheLegendBooks & @Constanceburris
September 16, 2015
First of all, I want to point out that this book is an easy to follow story. It moves you along from point to point without miring you in details, although you get a very good view of what the world is like. Some may find it too quick or too easy to get through, but I was not left asking "but what about this detail?" It gets to the point without dropping important details, in my opinion. I didn't have to go back and re-read to understand the story. Mentally speaking it's as easy to chew as a Caesar salad but it has the flavorful punch and substance of a Porterhouse steak. And you're gonna come back to re-read this for fun, not to comprehend what you missed the first time around.
Most importantly though, I did not see any continuity errors. That's probably because the author followed the first rule of continuity: don't get so complicated that you lose track of things.
Then there were all the tropes that Mrs Burris smashed in this story. Trust me, one of them is going to be subtle but downright shocking, and to the very observant, extremely controversial and perhaps irritating to small-minded folks with no sense of historical perspective. You'll know it when you see it. Well played, Mrs Burris, well played!
Next, anyone who has ever read Octavia Butler's "Kindred" will notice a strong parallel between Chalcedony and the Kindred's character Rufus. Like Rufus, Chalcedony descended into madness due to her possessive nature, and like Rufus her victims were given no sense of agency or choice as to whether they wanted to stay or leave her realm. Fortunately, the author (intentionally, in my opinion, and that's an infinitely good thing) derailed Chalcedony from going full Rufus - romantic relations with humans were illegal in her land, and almost everyone wanted Coal gone out of there, or dead. Unlike Rufus, she kept her captives - Coal, and then Elizabeth - as toys. Chalcedony used deception and hypnosis to lure in Elizabeth, and a lifetime of outright indoctrination for Coal. The author did a bang up job of presenting this.
Chalcedony's journey to becoming an obsessed maniac was a rocky one, pushed along largely by her chronically scheming lackey Madoc. The author again hit this ball out of the park - I was left shaking my head at the downhill slalom Chalcedony took toward her full blown face-heel turn at the end. It was as totally believable as it was sad to behold. I went from feeling hopeful about their potential relationship to, in paraphrasing one other reviewer on Amazon, "I want to see the downfall of this HBIC." Though I'm not sure which HBIC we're talking about... Chaley, or Madoc? Note to author: do we get to see them both get hit by the bullet train of bad karma?
By the way, there's nothing urban at all about this fantasy story. Two trips to Earth amounting to about five percent of the story doesn't make for urban fantasy. Just wanted to throw that one out there.
Like I said, Constance Burris packed a lot of riveting details into this story and made it all go down easy. I hope they can make this into a movie one day - it's many orders of magnitude better than *ahem* sparkling vampires. The way this story was written they could make quite a stealth blockbuster on a shoestring budget, though CGI dragons and driders can get a bit expensive. Indie directors and gofundme, perhaps?
Most importantly though, I did not see any continuity errors. That's probably because the author followed the first rule of continuity: don't get so complicated that you lose track of things.
Then there were all the tropes that Mrs Burris smashed in this story. Trust me, one of them is going to be subtle but downright shocking, and to the very observant, extremely controversial and perhaps irritating to small-minded folks with no sense of historical perspective. You'll know it when you see it. Well played, Mrs Burris, well played!
Next, anyone who has ever read Octavia Butler's "Kindred" will notice a strong parallel between Chalcedony and the Kindred's character Rufus. Like Rufus, Chalcedony descended into madness due to her possessive nature, and like Rufus her victims were given no sense of agency or choice as to whether they wanted to stay or leave her realm. Fortunately, the author (intentionally, in my opinion, and that's an infinitely good thing) derailed Chalcedony from going full Rufus - romantic relations with humans were illegal in her land, and almost everyone wanted Coal gone out of there, or dead. Unlike Rufus, she kept her captives - Coal, and then Elizabeth - as toys. Chalcedony used deception and hypnosis to lure in Elizabeth, and a lifetime of outright indoctrination for Coal. The author did a bang up job of presenting this.
Chalcedony's journey to becoming an obsessed maniac was a rocky one, pushed along largely by her chronically scheming lackey Madoc. The author again hit this ball out of the park - I was left shaking my head at the downhill slalom Chalcedony took toward her full blown face-heel turn at the end. It was as totally believable as it was sad to behold. I went from feeling hopeful about their potential relationship to, in paraphrasing one other reviewer on Amazon, "I want to see the downfall of this HBIC." Though I'm not sure which HBIC we're talking about... Chaley, or Madoc? Note to author: do we get to see them both get hit by the bullet train of bad karma?
By the way, there's nothing urban at all about this fantasy story. Two trips to Earth amounting to about five percent of the story doesn't make for urban fantasy. Just wanted to throw that one out there.
Like I said, Constance Burris packed a lot of riveting details into this story and made it all go down easy. I hope they can make this into a movie one day - it's many orders of magnitude better than *ahem* sparkling vampires. The way this story was written they could make quite a stealth blockbuster on a shoestring budget, though CGI dragons and driders can get a bit expensive. Indie directors and gofundme, perhaps?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2015
First of all, many thanks to Constance and Diverse Book Tours for providing me a free e-book in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed this diverse high/urban fantasy which I can honestly say is like no other book I've ever read. Why? When was the last time you read a story about a friendship between a black fairy and a black human? Granted, this fairy, Chalcedony, can change her appearance at will, but she chooses to be black like her human friend, Coal. Chalcedony is developing amorous feelings for her childhood friend, Coal, but she's strongly encouraged not to because fairies aren't supposed to like humans. It would be unseemly for a fairy queen to have a human consort. Her indecision on this point, not to mention her own pride, causes a great deal of trouble in the story.
For reasons I'm not quite sure of, Chalcedony snatches another human child on a whim, much the way she snatched Coal when he was younger, and brings the girl to the Fae world. Chalcedony is coming of age and must assume the throne soon. The pressure is on her to be rid of Coal. For some reason she thinks a new human child can replace him? (It was a bit of a sticky plot point for me as a reader because I don't really get her thought process here. Maybe she was irrational?)
When the child accidentally draws Chalcedony's blood, there is a high price to pay. Coal attempts to rescue the child from the harsh punishment required by Fae law, putting his own future at risk.
The story definitely has some unique aspects to it. I especially liked the idea of swords having their own consciousness and the concept of Legacy, the Fae home tree with it's own awareness. In the Fae world, there's a strong high fantasy feel, but in the human world, it feels more like urban fantasy. The transition between the two is a bit jarring in places. I liked the title character, Coal, and I felt for him when Chalcedony's actions were so confusing - can she be trusted or no? I wished he was more determined about his own destiny and more opinionated about the crazy Fae running his life. Chalcedony really seemed to run the show. And the ending does leave you hanging like any good series would. I hope the next book in the series lets Coal shine in his own right. I give Coal two thumbs up for any lover of high fantasy!
For reasons I'm not quite sure of, Chalcedony snatches another human child on a whim, much the way she snatched Coal when he was younger, and brings the girl to the Fae world. Chalcedony is coming of age and must assume the throne soon. The pressure is on her to be rid of Coal. For some reason she thinks a new human child can replace him? (It was a bit of a sticky plot point for me as a reader because I don't really get her thought process here. Maybe she was irrational?)
When the child accidentally draws Chalcedony's blood, there is a high price to pay. Coal attempts to rescue the child from the harsh punishment required by Fae law, putting his own future at risk.
The story definitely has some unique aspects to it. I especially liked the idea of swords having their own consciousness and the concept of Legacy, the Fae home tree with it's own awareness. In the Fae world, there's a strong high fantasy feel, but in the human world, it feels more like urban fantasy. The transition between the two is a bit jarring in places. I liked the title character, Coal, and I felt for him when Chalcedony's actions were so confusing - can she be trusted or no? I wished he was more determined about his own destiny and more opinionated about the crazy Fae running his life. Chalcedony really seemed to run the show. And the ending does leave you hanging like any good series would. I hope the next book in the series lets Coal shine in his own right. I give Coal two thumbs up for any lover of high fantasy!
July 22, 2015
Coal by Constance Burris is the first book in the Everleaf series, a YA fantasy novel. Sixteen year old Coal is a human who has lived in the world of fey most of his life. His best friend Chalcedony, is an elven princess who is about to become queen in a few days. Though they have feelings for each other they are unable to act on them do to hostilities brewing between humans and fae. But when a human child, someone Coal swore he would protect, unintentionally breaks one of the fey's most sacred laws he soon finds himself having to choose vetween doing what is right or choosing to side woth his best friend. Whatever choice he makes has the potential to cause the biggest war the realm has ever seen.
I liked Coal a lot. It's a fast-paced, solid addition to the fantasy genre. It actually reminded me of Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. Both feature a young black protagonist, protecting young spunky charges, as they try not to fall in love with princess in a world nestled closely against our own. Coal is strong entry to the series and Burris leaves just enough mystery that you'll be hungry for book 2. I hope we get to learn more about Coal's past and how he REALLY arrived into the fey realms. More please.
I liked Coal a lot. It's a fast-paced, solid addition to the fantasy genre. It actually reminded me of Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. Both feature a young black protagonist, protecting young spunky charges, as they try not to fall in love with princess in a world nestled closely against our own. Coal is strong entry to the series and Burris leaves just enough mystery that you'll be hungry for book 2. I hope we get to learn more about Coal's past and how he REALLY arrived into the fey realms. More please.
August 1, 2016
Thank you to Goodreads and Constance Burris for the signed copy of Coal that I received via the giveaway. Now for my review - sorry no spoilers here though. I will admit there were a few grammatical / small proof reading type errors in this book. Also I was confused at first that they called Chalcedony both an elf and a fairy. In my experience with fantasy genre books these are two separate species. Once I learned that they were the same species in this book - I started to enjoy it immensely. The rest of the characters are explained well and there are many different species to enjoy. I loved the character of Astra. I have never heard of her species before! (Everyone will have to read to find out what that is....) You have just enough of a backstory on everyone to know what is going on, yet not enough to know the full story so you still want to know so much more. I loved the way the author drew me in from the start of the book and kept me guessing clear to the end. This book has everything - fantasy, a little bit of romance, mystery, tragedy, comedy - it is good all the way around. I can't wait to read Chalcedony (book #2) to see what happens next.
April 6, 2016
I've been meaning to read this novel for quite some time. Between the great reviews and beautiful cover, my expectations were high. Well, I wasn't disappointed. Burris weaves a wonderfully engaging tale in Coal, leaving this reader well-satisfied and wanting to read more from this talented writer.
August 20, 2016
Great book. Love stories about elves. Suspense until the end
February 3, 2019
1.5
When a book is bad, you'll find your review has no structure and makes no sense...just like the book. Ugh. I wanted this to be good.
I opened this book expecting SOMETHING. But that was stupid because it amounted to NOTHING! NOTHING but ….trash. For so long I just didn’t read it for some reason. Then I said “Hey! Why not?” and apparently my brain was looking out for me at first because the book is awful thats why I stayed away from it for so long. (Don’t be fooled, the only reason I gave this book a whopping ‘.5’ was because it had a beginning, middle, and end. And maybe just MABYE, it’s not really as bad as it is.)
To start this off let me just tell you one factor of the book, that’s going to cover and explain all of the madness that goes on, and ultimately why this was a fail.
You know those books people click on because they are hype that it’s an explicitly black character on the cover of a book? How about when it’s on the cover of a book outside of the usual genre that black characters are locked in? Yeah, this was one of those books.
And you know those books that NOTHING about the character is “black” other than the skin they must have stepped into one day? Or those pitiful cornrows that were supposed to mean something? Or the one character who isn’t really black, SHE CAN JUST CHANGE HER SKIN COLOR WHICH SHE DOES IN THE BOOK AND YOU’RE LIKE SRSLY?!
AND HEADS UP- IT’S ALSO NOT ANY GOOD WORLD BUILDING OR BUILDING OF ANYTHING, AND BESIDES FAILING IN THE “OF COLOR” DEPARTMENT, IT DOESN’T WORK AS A FAIRYTALE FANTASY EITHER SO LOSE LOSE.
Not to be confused, the rant stated above is not the only reason I don’t like this book. It literally was so bad…..just so bad. Like…what? What genre is this? What direction are we going in? Am I supposed to like or hate this person because I hate them all??? What age level is this, cause we were there….and now this? Why is this so baaaaad?
TROPE DUMP:
Main character you would pay to see get thrown in a canyon.
Main female character you would pay to see get thrown off a cliff.
She’s a liar! And she’s a maniac that thinks you’re her slave that should love her forever because she changed her skin to be like yours! Blaaaaack! – Why are you still having good thoughts about her and planning to go back or even talking to her like she has an ounce of sense?!
Main character is being written as ‘strong black guy’ yet doesn’t have an ounce of personality, and his back bone he lost who knows where or how long ago.
We’re here we’re there we are EEEVERYWHERE yet- what? What are we doing again? And why has there been no explanation of this world or how it really works yet?
She loves him but can’t marry him because he’s HUUUUUUMAAAN- even though we let her play with him and let him follow her like a puppy her entire life why??
Extra characters who are ALL crazy. You literally want to slap all of them. All of them deserve the hate.
I love you? Can’t you see? That’s why I’m trying to kill you and this little girl that I kidnapped because I wanted her to be my new human doggy!
Ending the book wishing you could get all your precious time and brain space that was filled with mumbo jumbo back.
I’m tired.
Ugh…..just don’t. –Zoe
(P.S. I’m serious it’s so bad.)
When a book is bad, you'll find your review has no structure and makes no sense...just like the book. Ugh. I wanted this to be good.
I opened this book expecting SOMETHING. But that was stupid because it amounted to NOTHING! NOTHING but ….trash. For so long I just didn’t read it for some reason. Then I said “Hey! Why not?” and apparently my brain was looking out for me at first because the book is awful thats why I stayed away from it for so long. (Don’t be fooled, the only reason I gave this book a whopping ‘.5’ was because it had a beginning, middle, and end. And maybe just MABYE, it’s not really as bad as it is.)
To start this off let me just tell you one factor of the book, that’s going to cover and explain all of the madness that goes on, and ultimately why this was a fail.
You know those books people click on because they are hype that it’s an explicitly black character on the cover of a book? How about when it’s on the cover of a book outside of the usual genre that black characters are locked in? Yeah, this was one of those books.
And you know those books that NOTHING about the character is “black” other than the skin they must have stepped into one day? Or those pitiful cornrows that were supposed to mean something? Or the one character who isn’t really black, SHE CAN JUST CHANGE HER SKIN COLOR WHICH SHE DOES IN THE BOOK AND YOU’RE LIKE SRSLY?!
AND HEADS UP- IT’S ALSO NOT ANY GOOD WORLD BUILDING OR BUILDING OF ANYTHING, AND BESIDES FAILING IN THE “OF COLOR” DEPARTMENT, IT DOESN’T WORK AS A FAIRYTALE FANTASY EITHER SO LOSE LOSE.
Not to be confused, the rant stated above is not the only reason I don’t like this book. It literally was so bad…..just so bad. Like…what? What genre is this? What direction are we going in? Am I supposed to like or hate this person because I hate them all??? What age level is this, cause we were there….and now this? Why is this so baaaaad?
TROPE DUMP:
Main character you would pay to see get thrown in a canyon.
Main female character you would pay to see get thrown off a cliff.
She’s a liar! And she’s a maniac that thinks you’re her slave that should love her forever because she changed her skin to be like yours! Blaaaaack! – Why are you still having good thoughts about her and planning to go back or even talking to her like she has an ounce of sense?!
Main character is being written as ‘strong black guy’ yet doesn’t have an ounce of personality, and his back bone he lost who knows where or how long ago.
We’re here we’re there we are EEEVERYWHERE yet- what? What are we doing again? And why has there been no explanation of this world or how it really works yet?
She loves him but can’t marry him because he’s HUUUUUUMAAAN- even though we let her play with him and let him follow her like a puppy her entire life why??
Extra characters who are ALL crazy. You literally want to slap all of them. All of them deserve the hate.
I love you? Can’t you see? That’s why I’m trying to kill you and this little girl that I kidnapped because I wanted her to be my new human doggy!
Ending the book wishing you could get all your precious time and brain space that was filled with mumbo jumbo back.
I’m tired.
Ugh…..just don’t. –Zoe
(P.S. I’m serious it’s so bad.)
July 4, 2017
Why, oh why, did this book have to end and then have a sneak peek of the second one? This is where you have that nice book hangover and don't want to read anything else while shaking your hands up at the heavens since it is so unfair if you actually really, really, like this book. So when can we have the next one please?
Alright drama off the first thing is that I am just happy to see that literature has been diversified due to Constance Burris (there may be others but I haven't seen them). I don't usually pay attention to skin color but in this particular case I am going to touch up on it so skip this if you want to rant at me for being racist.
First of all I am glad to see that literature with black characters is actually diversifying instead of the majority staying as awful romances that makes famous Harlequin and Silhouette blush. Yes there are some chick lit type books and a few autobiography/biographies or mythoi type but fantasy has a noticeable abyss for the most part. And as if that wasn't enough to work with we see a male protagonist in a fantasy story, which is also rare so a double rarity is presented to the reader but it definitely doesn't take away from the whole storyline but is in a sense refreshing.
The plot of the story at the beginning was a bit on the slow side but once the adventure began, especially with good old Haline, it was hard to put it down. At one point I was ripped about leaving the book at home then just threw my hands up while taking it with me so I could read as I waited for my ride.
The characters are well-formed while instead of being either for good or for bad there seems to be a lot more neutrality with no show of which side they may lean forward. At the same time each character has their own fight they are dealing with whether you are given clues to that fight or whether you are sensing it as you read so it will be most definitely to follow this series to the end to see where it may go.
I was leaning on giving this book 4 stars but gave it 5 since there is a lot of emotional depth in the book. And I love when a book stirs you enough that it makes talking to yourself not seem so bad since you are directing that conversation against the mute book although the stranger on the street or your neighbor may look at you that you have lost your marbles (not quite truly a new look).
Again I most definitely can't wait for the rest of the series to be published since so far this is truly a keeper for me.
I do have some theories but I am going to bide my time then see if I am right when the other books come out.
**Received this book as part of the Giveaway at Goodreads.com for free in exchange for a review**
Alright drama off the first thing is that I am just happy to see that literature has been diversified due to Constance Burris (there may be others but I haven't seen them). I don't usually pay attention to skin color but in this particular case I am going to touch up on it so skip this if you want to rant at me for being racist.
First of all I am glad to see that literature with black characters is actually diversifying instead of the majority staying as awful romances that makes famous Harlequin and Silhouette blush. Yes there are some chick lit type books and a few autobiography/biographies or mythoi type but fantasy has a noticeable abyss for the most part. And as if that wasn't enough to work with we see a male protagonist in a fantasy story, which is also rare so a double rarity is presented to the reader but it definitely doesn't take away from the whole storyline but is in a sense refreshing.
The plot of the story at the beginning was a bit on the slow side but once the adventure began, especially with good old Haline, it was hard to put it down. At one point I was ripped about leaving the book at home then just threw my hands up while taking it with me so I could read as I waited for my ride.
The characters are well-formed while instead of being either for good or for bad there seems to be a lot more neutrality with no show of which side they may lean forward. At the same time each character has their own fight they are dealing with whether you are given clues to that fight or whether you are sensing it as you read so it will be most definitely to follow this series to the end to see where it may go.
I was leaning on giving this book 4 stars but gave it 5 since there is a lot of emotional depth in the book. And I love when a book stirs you enough that it makes talking to yourself not seem so bad since you are directing that conversation against the mute book although the stranger on the street or your neighbor may look at you that you have lost your marbles (not quite truly a new look).
Again I most definitely can't wait for the rest of the series to be published since so far this is truly a keeper for me.
I do have some theories but I am going to bide my time then see if I am right when the other books come out.
**Received this book as part of the Giveaway at Goodreads.com for free in exchange for a review**
August 12, 2015
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a signed softcover edition of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.
Coal is human and yet he has lived amongst the fey for most of his sixteen years. His best friend also happens to be the "Queenling" of the Everleaf Fey.
Coal has always been treated with polite disrespect by the fey; well, by everyone except Chalcedony and the swordsmith Grigory. Most of the fey view humans as either inferior beings or vermin. His friendship with the Queen-To-Be is the only thing that has kept him from being murdered.
But, his friendship with Chalcedony is changing. As they both mature into young adults, their once innocent friendship is now seen as suspicious and worthy of scorn.
Chalcedony is to become Queen soon. Once she does so, she will be expected to take a mate. That mate cannot be a human or she would be seen as weak in the eyes of the other Fey kingdoms and they would attack.
When Chalcedony brings a young human girl into her home Coal vows to keep the girl safe. But, when the girl accidentally breaks the law, she is in danger of being put to death for her crime.
Coal then has to decide if he should stay silent and abide by the laws or if he should save the girl and protect her as he had promised to do.
When I first saw this book and read the cover I thought I knew exactly how the plot would play out. I figured that it was just another story of human/fairy love and that they would have to fight to have that love recognized. Happily, I was wrong. This story has much more substance than I expected.
COAL has quite a few attributes that make it an interesting read. These include:
1. Lots of different creatures including elves, humans, dwarves, dragons, spidren, sprites and more.
2. A black hero
3. Dilemmas that the hero has to face. He needs to choose between what he feels is right and loyalty to his lifelong friend.
4. Prejudices and long-held beliefs and facing up to them and/or trying to change them
5. Characters that readers can relate to and/or empathize with.
6. The issue of what qualities are necessary to become an effective Queen, and much more.
This book does wrap up this part of the story, but I am very interested to find out what's next for Coal. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the Everleaf series entitled "Chalcedony" and book three, entitled "Elizabeth".
I rate this book as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
To see the full review visit my blog at http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
* I received a signed softcover edition of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.
Coal is human and yet he has lived amongst the fey for most of his sixteen years. His best friend also happens to be the "Queenling" of the Everleaf Fey.
Coal has always been treated with polite disrespect by the fey; well, by everyone except Chalcedony and the swordsmith Grigory. Most of the fey view humans as either inferior beings or vermin. His friendship with the Queen-To-Be is the only thing that has kept him from being murdered.
But, his friendship with Chalcedony is changing. As they both mature into young adults, their once innocent friendship is now seen as suspicious and worthy of scorn.
Chalcedony is to become Queen soon. Once she does so, she will be expected to take a mate. That mate cannot be a human or she would be seen as weak in the eyes of the other Fey kingdoms and they would attack.
When Chalcedony brings a young human girl into her home Coal vows to keep the girl safe. But, when the girl accidentally breaks the law, she is in danger of being put to death for her crime.
Coal then has to decide if he should stay silent and abide by the laws or if he should save the girl and protect her as he had promised to do.
When I first saw this book and read the cover I thought I knew exactly how the plot would play out. I figured that it was just another story of human/fairy love and that they would have to fight to have that love recognized. Happily, I was wrong. This story has much more substance than I expected.
COAL has quite a few attributes that make it an interesting read. These include:
1. Lots of different creatures including elves, humans, dwarves, dragons, spidren, sprites and more.
2. A black hero
3. Dilemmas that the hero has to face. He needs to choose between what he feels is right and loyalty to his lifelong friend.
4. Prejudices and long-held beliefs and facing up to them and/or trying to change them
5. Characters that readers can relate to and/or empathize with.
6. The issue of what qualities are necessary to become an effective Queen, and much more.
This book does wrap up this part of the story, but I am very interested to find out what's next for Coal. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the Everleaf series entitled "Chalcedony" and book three, entitled "Elizabeth".
I rate this book as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
To see the full review visit my blog at http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
August 19, 2015
Featured on All Our Worlds!
Coal, a human boy among elves, has always been seen as just the barely-tolerated pet of Princess Chalcedony. When he protects a human child against elvish law, he risks destroying the few friendships he has, and might even lead the fey to war.
The tense and often hateful relations between elves, dwarves, and humans allow for a look at racial dynamics free of generalizations or preaching. The elves, humans, and dwarves usually hate each other. While Chalcedony has managed to keep the political battles between elves and dwarves from boiling over, the disdain is still there. As for humans, they live apart from elves ever since a vicious war several centuries ago. Because of that war, elves see humans as stupid brutes and nothing more, leading to the discrimination against Coal.
I loved the characters: principled, hard-working Coal, powerful and well-meaning Chalcedony, Coal's mixed-species swordmaster Grigory who also faces discrimination.
Chalcedony's ability to change her hair and skin color (and her preference for dark skin when the rest of her family has light) raises interesting questions about the perception of race in this world. Coal is disliked by most elves for being a human; his race doesn't come into it. Nobody really calls attention to Chalcedony's choice, seeing it as just another part of her being. Little Elizabeth is curious about Chalcedony's color-changing, but not critical, and in the way of a child she accepts it as just another new thing in the world.
I like how the characters change over the course of the book. They're confronted with real issues of responsibility, trust, loyalty, right and wrong, no longer the hypothetical ones of lessons. Coal has to decide if it's worth going against everything he knows to do the right thing, and then what to do after that. Chalcedony has to decide how far she's willing to go to enforce her will as heir. How they deal with these issues permanently affects them and their relationships.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, and it tools like the rest of the trilogy is going to get even darker, with more ethical questions and difficult choices.
Coal, a human boy among elves, has always been seen as just the barely-tolerated pet of Princess Chalcedony. When he protects a human child against elvish law, he risks destroying the few friendships he has, and might even lead the fey to war.
The tense and often hateful relations between elves, dwarves, and humans allow for a look at racial dynamics free of generalizations or preaching. The elves, humans, and dwarves usually hate each other. While Chalcedony has managed to keep the political battles between elves and dwarves from boiling over, the disdain is still there. As for humans, they live apart from elves ever since a vicious war several centuries ago. Because of that war, elves see humans as stupid brutes and nothing more, leading to the discrimination against Coal.
I loved the characters: principled, hard-working Coal, powerful and well-meaning Chalcedony, Coal's mixed-species swordmaster Grigory who also faces discrimination.
Chalcedony's ability to change her hair and skin color (and her preference for dark skin when the rest of her family has light) raises interesting questions about the perception of race in this world. Coal is disliked by most elves for being a human; his race doesn't come into it. Nobody really calls attention to Chalcedony's choice, seeing it as just another part of her being. Little Elizabeth is curious about Chalcedony's color-changing, but not critical, and in the way of a child she accepts it as just another new thing in the world.
I like how the characters change over the course of the book. They're confronted with real issues of responsibility, trust, loyalty, right and wrong, no longer the hypothetical ones of lessons. Coal has to decide if it's worth going against everything he knows to do the right thing, and then what to do after that. Chalcedony has to decide how far she's willing to go to enforce her will as heir. How they deal with these issues permanently affects them and their relationships.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, and it tools like the rest of the trilogy is going to get even darker, with more ethical questions and difficult choices.
August 18, 2015
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author via Diverse Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.]
I do think it's rare right now to find a young adult fantasy that stands out as unique, with an original story and perspective. Which is why I was excited the entire time I was reading Coal. The world that Constance Burris has created has some originality to it (though we don't get a heavy dose of backstory, there's enough to point a picture, and it drew me in), and the characters here are compelling, especially for a young adult novel. Spoiler: Romance doesn't save the day. Spoiler: Coal isn't just automatically superior to everything and everyone because he's the protagonist. Spoiler: Tough choices must be made, and the consequences for those decisions are real. We can't have everything, and sometimes we just have to understand what we value, do what's right, and make the right decisions.
Recommended for fans of fantasy and young adult, especially those who are looking for something different than what's out there...
I do think it's rare right now to find a young adult fantasy that stands out as unique, with an original story and perspective. Which is why I was excited the entire time I was reading Coal. The world that Constance Burris has created has some originality to it (though we don't get a heavy dose of backstory, there's enough to point a picture, and it drew me in), and the characters here are compelling, especially for a young adult novel. Spoiler: Romance doesn't save the day. Spoiler: Coal isn't just automatically superior to everything and everyone because he's the protagonist. Spoiler: Tough choices must be made, and the consequences for those decisions are real. We can't have everything, and sometimes we just have to understand what we value, do what's right, and make the right decisions.
Recommended for fans of fantasy and young adult, especially those who are looking for something different than what's out there...
June 25, 2015
Very, very good. The overall structure and story arc development are well done. Constance Burris did a very good job at making me care deeply for both the main characters. What I would like have seen is a little more on visually defining her characters. This would have helped with associating a character’s name to the character. I really liked how she brought out the true nature one character. It was subtle and yet in plain sight. A great job and well written. This story provided me a very pleasant break from my own writings, giving me a different perspective from another author's view.
February 18, 2016
So....I went ahead and bought this book because I needed to know what happened to Coal and (drum roll please), I liked it. This book is a MAJOR improvement over the first one. The character and plot development is much better, and it actually reads like a story....a good story. I'm going to get the next one.
July 20, 2015
I absolutely loved this book. The descriptions and characters suck you right into the world. I can't wait to read more in the Everleaf series!
August 9, 2015
Fun, quick fantasy with a lot of unexpected twists. I definitely enjoyed reading it and will look into the authors other works.
November 10, 2015
Very capturing! Great story about a young human boy changing a fairy world!
July 26, 2016
I did not consider this a stand-alone book.
November 8, 2019
So, I read Black Beauty and was blown away by it. A fantasy book with people of color, YES PLEASE! I can't remember how many years ago I read that book, but it took me a while to pick up the Everleaf series and I am willing to admit my mistake. Coal was such a great read.
The story picks up on Coal, the young son of Jade from Black Beauty, who is now a teenager. He has never returned to the human realm and is trying to find his place in Everleaf with Princess Chalcedony soon to be made queen. He is disrespected at every turn due to the hatred and racism that many fey have towards humans. On one particular trip to the human realm, Chalcedony is infatuated with a human girl and decides to take her back to Everleaf. Coal understands that that is a huge mistake. The little girl has parents who will miss her and whom she will miss as well. During a temper tantrum, the girl accidentally kicks Chalcedony and draws blood, which under fey law, means she should be put to death. However, Coal has other plans. To protect the girl he must betray Chalcedony and take her home. But with all the fey and other creatures being loyal to Chalcedony, whom can he trust?
I did not like Chalcedony at all in this book. She behaved like a spoiled brat. Taking a child from the human realm as a pet was absurd, and even worse was the fact that she wanted her to replace Coal. Meaning that she only viewed Coal as property and not a true friend.
I am excited to read book 2, Chalcedony. I want answers to questions left in book 1. How did Coal and the child make it back to the states? What do the fey think of Chalcedony now, since she expended so many resources for two humans? Will Coal ever retrieve the sword he threw in the woods?
The story picks up on Coal, the young son of Jade from Black Beauty, who is now a teenager. He has never returned to the human realm and is trying to find his place in Everleaf with Princess Chalcedony soon to be made queen. He is disrespected at every turn due to the hatred and racism that many fey have towards humans. On one particular trip to the human realm, Chalcedony is infatuated with a human girl and decides to take her back to Everleaf. Coal understands that that is a huge mistake. The little girl has parents who will miss her and whom she will miss as well. During a temper tantrum, the girl accidentally kicks Chalcedony and draws blood, which under fey law, means she should be put to death. However, Coal has other plans. To protect the girl he must betray Chalcedony and take her home. But with all the fey and other creatures being loyal to Chalcedony, whom can he trust?
I did not like Chalcedony at all in this book. She behaved like a spoiled brat. Taking a child from the human realm as a pet was absurd, and even worse was the fact that she wanted her to replace Coal. Meaning that she only viewed Coal as property and not a true friend.
I am excited to read book 2, Chalcedony. I want answers to questions left in book 1. How did Coal and the child make it back to the states? What do the fey think of Chalcedony now, since she expended so many resources for two humans? Will Coal ever retrieve the sword he threw in the woods?
April 12, 2018
This is a very rich, imaginative world. There's a lot that's typical of supernatural creatures (the gorgeous looks, magic, glamour magic, pointed ears, and the treehouses right out of Lord of the Rings. Not to mention the prejudices, superiority, and politics). Though Chalcedony seemed really over-dramatic, unreasonable, and rather unhinged. I started to actually worry and pity her country about to be taken control by her. Granted all that together did make her a rather fun villain, but it made me think she really didn't care about Coal in the beginning at all. One thing that felt odd were the ages of the characters. I mean for the most part Coal seemed a man, but quite a few people along the way called him a child which left me really scratching my head on how old he was supposed to be. I did love Lizzy. She struck a perfect note as a confused, star-struck little girl. And the author really did a wonderful job at painting the faerie realm. I loved the Night Market, the tree palace, Coal's life at the forge, and venturing to places beyond the court, and meeting other fae beyond just the ones at Chalcedony's court as well as all the imagination that went into creating all the other creatures beyond fae that live in the faerie realm. I should mention that this is just part one in a quite larger story and it ends without everything being resolved. Coal and Chalcedony both change as characters and even Lizzy did a fair amount of growing up. I was a bit sad this had so many mean characters and the world created was really dark. It made the faerie realm look really unpleasant and definitely not some place where I would want to go. Still it's got me tempted to seek out book 2 in the series.
July 14, 2017
This started out seeming like an interesting story but after just a couple chapters I couldn't figure out if I was supposed to like the fey or not. Are the fey helping or hurting humans? It seems that almost all of the fey hate humans.
This story turned out to be filled with quite a bit of deception and friends turning into enemies or not knowing who are friends and who are enemies. I don't enjoy this kind of uncertainty in stories or having the characters that I have been rooting for turn out to be bad guys/villains. I like to have hope that, after working through trying situations, characters will be able to find solutions and come to a happy ending. That wasn't the sort of story the author chose to tell in "Coal" so I didn't end up liking the story.
Sex: a couple kisses
Language: some profanity/swearing throughout the book
Violence: some battle injuries/deaths although not graphic in detail
Religion: none
This story turned out to be filled with quite a bit of deception and friends turning into enemies or not knowing who are friends and who are enemies. I don't enjoy this kind of uncertainty in stories or having the characters that I have been rooting for turn out to be bad guys/villains. I like to have hope that, after working through trying situations, characters will be able to find solutions and come to a happy ending. That wasn't the sort of story the author chose to tell in "Coal" so I didn't end up liking the story.
Sex: a couple kisses
Language: some profanity/swearing throughout the book
Violence: some battle injuries/deaths although not graphic in detail
Religion: none
July 31, 2017
Good read
Cool story line. Some parts were a little exhausting. Felt like some scenes were drawn out to long. I jumped into this series bc I read "Black Beauty" which was awesome!!!! I felt like so many interesting things happened in that story that kept my full attention. I was hoping this book would be the same. Overall it's a great read. I just expected a different flow after reading the prequel to the series.
Cool story line. Some parts were a little exhausting. Felt like some scenes were drawn out to long. I jumped into this series bc I read "Black Beauty" which was awesome!!!! I felt like so many interesting things happened in that story that kept my full attention. I was hoping this book would be the same. Overall it's a great read. I just expected a different flow after reading the prequel to the series.
May 12, 2017
Amazing!
I can't believe I gave this book five stars because it ended in a cliffhanger and I hate cliffhangers! But it was so good! And I couldn't put it down! In fact, I'm having trouble writing this because I need to move on to the next book like now! So read this one and goodbye! Gotta run!
I can't believe I gave this book five stars because it ended in a cliffhanger and I hate cliffhangers! But it was so good! And I couldn't put it down! In fact, I'm having trouble writing this because I need to move on to the next book like now! So read this one and goodbye! Gotta run!
May 3, 2018
I wasn't sure what to think of this book at first. It's kind of misleading who the "good guys" and the "bad guys" are in the book, but that's kind of what kept me interested until the end. The ones you think you like end up being the ones you don't really like in the end, and that change was really fun to follow. Loved it!
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