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The Fairy Boy Chronicles #1
The Fairy Boy of Calton Hill
'For fans of a darker side to Peter Pan, comes an enchanting fantasy novel and a mesmerizing treat for the imagination.'
Would you accept a mysterious fairy creature's invitation to see her fantastical yet troubled world even if it meant giving up everything you ever cared about?
A young boy who recently lost his father is befriended by a strange fairy creature after she breaks the strict rules of her world and intervenes when the boy is beaten up by a gang of bullies outside the secret cave and magical entrance into her fantastical world.
What Readers Are Saying About The Fairy Boy of Calton Hill Series -
'Dark, Beautiful, Intriguing & Charming! An Excellent Read! I Loved It!' Sophia Rose, Goodreads Reader.
'I think that this is a great story not only for teens but also for everyone who likes dreaming and who sometimes wishes they were a child again.' - Gosia, Goodreads Blogger.
'WOW! What a wonderful fantasy set in Edinburgh, Scotland. From the moment I began to read about Liam and his world, I was hooked. I loved the tenderness of he and Lucy. G is a remarkable fairy that enters Liam's life and what a unique and amazing adventure they have exploring each other's worlds...' Louise - Goodreads Reviewer.
'I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was a bit apprehensive as to whether a tale involving fairies would be my cup of tea, but the author has met a balance of believability and anticipation to keep that book in front of your eyes to see where the story goes next.' Phil - Goodreads Blogger.
Liam, a young teenage boy who recently lost his father, is befriended by G, a different kind of fairy creature from what he has read about in fairy tale books, after she breaks the strict rules of her magical world and intervenes when Liam is beaten up by a gang of school bullies, outside the secret cave and magical entrance into her fantastical world.
Immediately G and Liam form a deep bond of friendship which takes them on a whirlwind adventure inside her majestical but troubled land - from the great cliffs of doom and the flesh-eating forest, to the great lake and all the weird and wonderful creatures that dwell there - from fire wolves and rainbow dragons to the more sinister lurking weasel bats.
Things take a darker turn when Liam, looking to impress the new girl on the block, Lucy - a young Irish girl recently moved to the city - secretly brings her into the fantastical world, unaware of the tragic and twisted events, that are about to be unleashed upon them.
For G's world is no longer the tranquil haven it once was and is now a land ruled by a tyrant Fairy King and his mysterious evil wizard, Zorn. With a cannibal king of dragons under their thumb, along with an army of Wretchids at their disposal - a half goblin/half werewolf, hybrid creature, with one hell of a bite - they have no equal or challengers to the throne of their world...
...Until Now.
Would you accept a mysterious fairy creature's invitation to see her fantastical yet troubled world even if it meant giving up everything you ever cared about?
A young boy who recently lost his father is befriended by a strange fairy creature after she breaks the strict rules of her world and intervenes when the boy is beaten up by a gang of bullies outside the secret cave and magical entrance into her fantastical world.
What Readers Are Saying About The Fairy Boy of Calton Hill Series -
'Dark, Beautiful, Intriguing & Charming! An Excellent Read! I Loved It!' Sophia Rose, Goodreads Reader.
'I think that this is a great story not only for teens but also for everyone who likes dreaming and who sometimes wishes they were a child again.' - Gosia, Goodreads Blogger.
'WOW! What a wonderful fantasy set in Edinburgh, Scotland. From the moment I began to read about Liam and his world, I was hooked. I loved the tenderness of he and Lucy. G is a remarkable fairy that enters Liam's life and what a unique and amazing adventure they have exploring each other's worlds...' Louise - Goodreads Reviewer.
'I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was a bit apprehensive as to whether a tale involving fairies would be my cup of tea, but the author has met a balance of believability and anticipation to keep that book in front of your eyes to see where the story goes next.' Phil - Goodreads Blogger.
Liam, a young teenage boy who recently lost his father, is befriended by G, a different kind of fairy creature from what he has read about in fairy tale books, after she breaks the strict rules of her magical world and intervenes when Liam is beaten up by a gang of school bullies, outside the secret cave and magical entrance into her fantastical world.
Immediately G and Liam form a deep bond of friendship which takes them on a whirlwind adventure inside her majestical but troubled land - from the great cliffs of doom and the flesh-eating forest, to the great lake and all the weird and wonderful creatures that dwell there - from fire wolves and rainbow dragons to the more sinister lurking weasel bats.
Things take a darker turn when Liam, looking to impress the new girl on the block, Lucy - a young Irish girl recently moved to the city - secretly brings her into the fantastical world, unaware of the tragic and twisted events, that are about to be unleashed upon them.
For G's world is no longer the tranquil haven it once was and is now a land ruled by a tyrant Fairy King and his mysterious evil wizard, Zorn. With a cannibal king of dragons under their thumb, along with an army of Wretchids at their disposal - a half goblin/half werewolf, hybrid creature, with one hell of a bite - they have no equal or challengers to the throne of their world...
...Until Now.
ebook
First published December 26, 2015
56 people are currently reading
5353 people want to read
About the author
Sean-Paul Thomas
20 books501 followersScottish Author/Screenwriter.
Best Selling Kindle Author of 'The Old Man and The Princess'
A new book just out - Audrey -
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Sean is an author from Scotland. He is the best-selling Kindle Author of 'The Old Man and The Princess' which was recently optioned to be a major motion picture.
Sean spent most of his childhood and teenage years on the move with his Scottish and Irish army Parents growing up in the likes of Cyprus, Germany, Wales, and England, as an army brat.
With a keen interest in both reading and writing, he was diagnosed with travel and writing bugs very early in life. Now, writing, travelling, reading, cinema, meditation, yoga and Scottish football (Supporting the mighty Hibernian for his sins) are his main passions in life.
So far Sean has 16 self-published works of fiction including his best selling kindle ebook 'My Sister and I' and 'The Old Man and The Princess'
Ask me any questions and be kept up to date about new books, and forthcoming releases by joining my Facebook and Instagram page below.
Screenwriting Accolades to date -
Winner of the Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship 2020 for his horror/thriller screenplay - Ugly Beautiful.
A finalist at the 2018 Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting competition for his road trip/fantasy/thriller screenplay 'The Old Man and The Princess.'
A finalist at Cinequest 2022 for my historical fantasy screenplay - The Pict.
A Finalist at the 2021 Bluecat Screenwriting competition for his horror/thriller screenplay - My Sister and I.
One of ten writers selected for the 2020 Nostos Screenwriting Retreat Scholarship in October for his latest Sci-Fi/Mystery screenplay - Sagarmatha
A finalist at the Filmatic Thriller Awards 2020 for his Action/Thriller screenplay - Cold Heart.
A finalist at the Filmatic TV Pilot Awards 2019 for his Action/Thriller screenplay - Cold Heart.
So far Sean has 16 self-published works of fiction including his best-selling Kindle ebooks 'My Sister and I' and 'The Old Man and The Princess'
Ask me any questions and be kept up to date about new books, and forthcoming releases by joining my Facebook and Instagram page below.
https://www.instagram.com/seanpaultho...
Best Selling Kindle Author of 'The Old Man and The Princess'
A new book just out - Audrey -
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Sean is an author from Scotland. He is the best-selling Kindle Author of 'The Old Man and The Princess' which was recently optioned to be a major motion picture.
Sean spent most of his childhood and teenage years on the move with his Scottish and Irish army Parents growing up in the likes of Cyprus, Germany, Wales, and England, as an army brat.
With a keen interest in both reading and writing, he was diagnosed with travel and writing bugs very early in life. Now, writing, travelling, reading, cinema, meditation, yoga and Scottish football (Supporting the mighty Hibernian for his sins) are his main passions in life.
So far Sean has 16 self-published works of fiction including his best selling kindle ebook 'My Sister and I' and 'The Old Man and The Princess'
Ask me any questions and be kept up to date about new books, and forthcoming releases by joining my Facebook and Instagram page below.
Screenwriting Accolades to date -
Winner of the Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship 2020 for his horror/thriller screenplay - Ugly Beautiful.
A finalist at the 2018 Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting competition for his road trip/fantasy/thriller screenplay 'The Old Man and The Princess.'
A finalist at Cinequest 2022 for my historical fantasy screenplay - The Pict.
A Finalist at the 2021 Bluecat Screenwriting competition for his horror/thriller screenplay - My Sister and I.
One of ten writers selected for the 2020 Nostos Screenwriting Retreat Scholarship in October for his latest Sci-Fi/Mystery screenplay - Sagarmatha
A finalist at the Filmatic Thriller Awards 2020 for his Action/Thriller screenplay - Cold Heart.
A finalist at the Filmatic TV Pilot Awards 2019 for his Action/Thriller screenplay - Cold Heart.
So far Sean has 16 self-published works of fiction including his best-selling Kindle ebooks 'My Sister and I' and 'The Old Man and The Princess'
Ask me any questions and be kept up to date about new books, and forthcoming releases by joining my Facebook and Instagram page below.
https://www.instagram.com/seanpaultho...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
July 23, 2017
Missing a bit of magic in your life?
Whether or not you're Scottish doesn't really matter, but if you like a taste of the highlands, with its rich fairyland hiding right below a hill on the edge of your suburbia, then this is surely going to delight.
We spend a lot of time in both the real world and our Fae otherland, with dragons, the little people, and a very nice setup that explains the reason why the doors to the Fae have mostly been closed, the history that used to belong to both our peoples, and a real reason to be scared. In short, we've got ourselves a fascinating world-building romp that keeps on travelling on both sides of the borders and it slides very nicely from a teenage romance story to an adventure to a shared adventure... just before it all goes to hell.
There's some really cool stakes going on here and the imagination's the limit. I especially like the Peter Pan feel. :)
I'll be honest... I generally mistrust YA tales and teenage romance and anything that might say "Fairy Boy" in the title. That's a shame, really, because if it had had just about any other title, I wouldn't have felt so much trepidation. :)
I am here to say that the tale is solid anyway!
(And it helps that I also enjoyed the author's other, adult tale, The Old Man and the Princess.)
Thank you, Sean-Paul, for the pleasure of reading these!
Whether or not you're Scottish doesn't really matter, but if you like a taste of the highlands, with its rich fairyland hiding right below a hill on the edge of your suburbia, then this is surely going to delight.
We spend a lot of time in both the real world and our Fae otherland, with dragons, the little people, and a very nice setup that explains the reason why the doors to the Fae have mostly been closed, the history that used to belong to both our peoples, and a real reason to be scared. In short, we've got ourselves a fascinating world-building romp that keeps on travelling on both sides of the borders and it slides very nicely from a teenage romance story to an adventure to a shared adventure... just before it all goes to hell.
There's some really cool stakes going on here and the imagination's the limit. I especially like the Peter Pan feel. :)
I'll be honest... I generally mistrust YA tales and teenage romance and anything that might say "Fairy Boy" in the title. That's a shame, really, because if it had had just about any other title, I wouldn't have felt so much trepidation. :)
I am here to say that the tale is solid anyway!
(And it helps that I also enjoyed the author's other, adult tale, The Old Man and the Princess.)
Thank you, Sean-Paul, for the pleasure of reading these!
June 8, 2017
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book is for readers aged 12 and over. Many can think of it as a children's book, but you're never too old for such a story. I knew it was a book for a younger audience and I appreciated it from this perspective.
In short, Liam, an Edinburgh teenager arrives in the magical realms of fairies with the help of a fairy called G. Here he discovers fantastic animals: unicorns, dragons and fire wolves, and find out from G that in the past people and fairies were happy together, but for 200 years everything has changed.
The Fairy King, along with his wizard, Zorn, sealed all the portals through which they could move from one world to the other, and he took the powers of the young fairies. Liam brings his new friend Lucy into this magical realm, and that's where it all goes down the hill....
I liked the personality of each character and how the author managed in a few words to describe the attributions of everyone so well. In this book we find positive, negative character and humorous or suspenseful situations. You can’t get bored.
Per total is a very well written book, which leaves you with a cliffhanger. I can’t wait to see what's next.
ARC oferită cu amabilitate de autor în schimbul unei recenzi sincere.
Aceasta carte este pentru cititori cu varste incepand de la 12 ani. Multi o pot considera o carte pentru copii, dar niciodata nu esti prea batran pentru o astfel de poveste. Am stiut ca este o carte pentru un public mai tanar si am apreciat-o din aceasta perspectiva.
Pe scurt Liam, un adolescent din Edinburgh ajunge pe taramul magic al zanelor cu ajutorul unei zane pe nume G. Acolo descopera animale fantastice: unicorni, dragoni si lupi de foc. Afla de la G ca in trecut oamenii si zanele traiau fericiti impreuna, insa de 200 de ani totul s-a schimbat.
Regele zanelor impreuna cu vrajitorul sau, Zorn au sigilat toate portalurile prin care se putea trece dintr-o lume in cealalta si le-a luat puterile zanelor tinere. Liam isi aduce si noua prietena Lucy in acest taram magic si de aici totul o ia la vale….
Mi-a placut personalitatea fiecarui personaj si cum autorul a reusit in cateva cuvinte sa descrie atributiile fiecaruia atat de bine. In aceasta carte gasim personaje positive, negative si intamplari pline de umor sau suspans. Nu ai cum sa te plictisesti.
Per total este o carte foarte bine scrisa, care te lasa cu un sfarsit in suspans. Abia astept sa vad ce se intampla.
This book is for readers aged 12 and over. Many can think of it as a children's book, but you're never too old for such a story. I knew it was a book for a younger audience and I appreciated it from this perspective.
In short, Liam, an Edinburgh teenager arrives in the magical realms of fairies with the help of a fairy called G. Here he discovers fantastic animals: unicorns, dragons and fire wolves, and find out from G that in the past people and fairies were happy together, but for 200 years everything has changed.
The Fairy King, along with his wizard, Zorn, sealed all the portals through which they could move from one world to the other, and he took the powers of the young fairies. Liam brings his new friend Lucy into this magical realm, and that's where it all goes down the hill....
I liked the personality of each character and how the author managed in a few words to describe the attributions of everyone so well. In this book we find positive, negative character and humorous or suspenseful situations. You can’t get bored.
Per total is a very well written book, which leaves you with a cliffhanger. I can’t wait to see what's next.
ARC oferită cu amabilitate de autor în schimbul unei recenzi sincere.
Aceasta carte este pentru cititori cu varste incepand de la 12 ani. Multi o pot considera o carte pentru copii, dar niciodata nu esti prea batran pentru o astfel de poveste. Am stiut ca este o carte pentru un public mai tanar si am apreciat-o din aceasta perspectiva.
Pe scurt Liam, un adolescent din Edinburgh ajunge pe taramul magic al zanelor cu ajutorul unei zane pe nume G. Acolo descopera animale fantastice: unicorni, dragoni si lupi de foc. Afla de la G ca in trecut oamenii si zanele traiau fericiti impreuna, insa de 200 de ani totul s-a schimbat.
Regele zanelor impreuna cu vrajitorul sau, Zorn au sigilat toate portalurile prin care se putea trece dintr-o lume in cealalta si le-a luat puterile zanelor tinere. Liam isi aduce si noua prietena Lucy in acest taram magic si de aici totul o ia la vale….
Mi-a placut personalitatea fiecarui personaj si cum autorul a reusit in cateva cuvinte sa descrie atributiile fiecaruia atat de bine. In aceasta carte gasim personaje positive, negative si intamplari pline de umor sau suspans. Nu ai cum sa te plictisesti.
Per total este o carte foarte bine scrisa, care te lasa cu un sfarsit in suspans. Abia astept sa vad ce se intampla.
June 24, 2016
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Fairy Boy of Calton Hill is a magical tale by Sean-Paul Thomas. It is about Liam, a boy who recently lost his father, Lucy, the new Irish girl across the street, and a curious fairy named G. The story is set in Edinburgh, Scotland, mostly on Calton Hill, a legendary and historical spot.
G, the little curious creature, wanted to visit the world of humans. But the fairies believed that if one of them would go through the barriers placed by the Fairy King and his wizard, that individual would die and be stripped of its power. Lucy just moved in to his late grandfather’s home across Liam’s. The two instantly became friends, and Liam was so attracted to her since the very first time he had seen her. As a young boy who was so in love, Liam wanted to impress her.
I wanted to give this book a try because I haven’t read a thing about fairies in months. What caught my attention as I started reading it was the writing. It’s so beautiful! What piqued my interest more are the Scottish vocabularies that the author included. He didn’t just scatter the words in the paragraphs. It was very kind of him to make a list of them and their meanings on the few pages before the first chapter.
In my opinion, the characteristics of Liam and G are cliché. They are two stereotypes we’ve been seeing for ages. Liam is the typical fictional kid who gets bullied all the time, and G, the fairy, was a stubborn one who would do anything to discover things until she got herself into trouble.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I hated G or Lucy more. But when I reached more than halfway through the story, I realized that I hate Lucy more! These two characters annoyed me so much since the very first time they appeared! Lucy acts too proud and feisty for my liking. I hate it! She acts like she’s so special, and Liam drools all over the place for her. Yuck! With G, my problem was that I knew she was getting herself into harm’s way. You know that feeling you get when a character acts so stupid and you just want to slap them across the face? That’s how I felt towards this little fairy. Also, she abuses the word ‘boy’. It irked me to read that word in almost every one of her sentences when she’s talking or referring to Liam.
Anyway, the character development is really good. At least Liam, Lucy, and G didn’t stick to who they were in the beginning. This made everything better.
What I really love in it is the world-building. It was an excellent adventure in my head to explore the setting the author created. Guys, you have to see for yourself the world inside that cave! It was fantastic. There were some elements in the tale that reminded me of Peter Pan – the flying around and the little creatures, and Alice in Wonderland – the fairy world, and the creatures’ size to human size ratio. I mean, some creatures were so small and some were humongous. Also, there’s a bit of historical fiction and time travel so I really loved it more!
The ending was a cliffhanger!! I didn’t even know that this was going to be a series. I need the next book now. I sense that there would be a grander journey.
I really enjoyed this book, especially its second half. I recommend this to everyone who wants to read some light fantasy, but I highly recommend this to the younger audience, maybe ages thirteen and above, and to moms who would want something to read with their children. I think your kids would really enjoy this!
The Fairy Boy of Calton Hill is a magical tale by Sean-Paul Thomas. It is about Liam, a boy who recently lost his father, Lucy, the new Irish girl across the street, and a curious fairy named G. The story is set in Edinburgh, Scotland, mostly on Calton Hill, a legendary and historical spot.
G, the little curious creature, wanted to visit the world of humans. But the fairies believed that if one of them would go through the barriers placed by the Fairy King and his wizard, that individual would die and be stripped of its power. Lucy just moved in to his late grandfather’s home across Liam’s. The two instantly became friends, and Liam was so attracted to her since the very first time he had seen her. As a young boy who was so in love, Liam wanted to impress her.
I wanted to give this book a try because I haven’t read a thing about fairies in months. What caught my attention as I started reading it was the writing. It’s so beautiful! What piqued my interest more are the Scottish vocabularies that the author included. He didn’t just scatter the words in the paragraphs. It was very kind of him to make a list of them and their meanings on the few pages before the first chapter.
In my opinion, the characteristics of Liam and G are cliché. They are two stereotypes we’ve been seeing for ages. Liam is the typical fictional kid who gets bullied all the time, and G, the fairy, was a stubborn one who would do anything to discover things until she got herself into trouble.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I hated G or Lucy more. But when I reached more than halfway through the story, I realized that I hate Lucy more! These two characters annoyed me so much since the very first time they appeared! Lucy acts too proud and feisty for my liking. I hate it! She acts like she’s so special, and Liam drools all over the place for her. Yuck! With G, my problem was that I knew she was getting herself into harm’s way. You know that feeling you get when a character acts so stupid and you just want to slap them across the face? That’s how I felt towards this little fairy. Also, she abuses the word ‘boy’. It irked me to read that word in almost every one of her sentences when she’s talking or referring to Liam.
Anyway, the character development is really good. At least Liam, Lucy, and G didn’t stick to who they were in the beginning. This made everything better.
What I really love in it is the world-building. It was an excellent adventure in my head to explore the setting the author created. Guys, you have to see for yourself the world inside that cave! It was fantastic. There were some elements in the tale that reminded me of Peter Pan – the flying around and the little creatures, and Alice in Wonderland – the fairy world, and the creatures’ size to human size ratio. I mean, some creatures were so small and some were humongous. Also, there’s a bit of historical fiction and time travel so I really loved it more!
The ending was a cliffhanger!! I didn’t even know that this was going to be a series. I need the next book now. I sense that there would be a grander journey.
I really enjoyed this book, especially its second half. I recommend this to everyone who wants to read some light fantasy, but I highly recommend this to the younger audience, maybe ages thirteen and above, and to moms who would want something to read with their children. I think your kids would really enjoy this!
September 21, 2024
The intro was a bit slow and held too much dialogue for me, especially jumping into the Scottish lingo. Envisioning someone speaking in a Celtic accent helped.
I had the most challenging time with the word "ken," which I could only assume meant "know."
Other than that, the book was fantastic. In the final 3/4, the pace quickened; the Fairyland and the created creatures were fun to read. Darker events escalated quickly; I wasn't expecting things to go So far so fast.
I will read on in the series when the next book comes out.
4 Stars
I had the most challenging time with the word "ken," which I could only assume meant "know."
Other than that, the book was fantastic. In the final 3/4, the pace quickened; the Fairyland and the created creatures were fun to read. Darker events escalated quickly; I wasn't expecting things to go So far so fast.
I will read on in the series when the next book comes out.
4 Stars
August 1, 2018
Not sure why it took me so long to finish this short story as I really enjoyed this book. It was so magical and fun reading about a new spin of Peter Pan that was different from any other version I've read. It debunked a few set ideas set by Disney about how fairies are human looking miniatures and how worlds are our worlds are connected with human feelings and political ideals that registered with me and others now.
Liam, Lucy, and G are absolutely wonderful! I can't help rooting for them all to be successful in their hopes and dreams about wanting to satisfy their curiosity and have many adventures. Maybe even developing a first love romance between Liam and Lucy. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. In truth I thought it would a pretty bad story as it seemed to be self-published but I'm counting down the time period until I get Part 2 or Part 3 of this series.
My issues with this book are very small. There were a few minor punctuation errors but not a whole lot to dampen my enjoyment. The other issue I had was the opening chapter was a scene where Liam and G are in her world then we go back to the very start to how everything started. The first chapter showed up again a few chapters later. This could possibly work in a movie but not in a short story. It seemed unnecessary to have that first chapter since it showed up later on. It would have made Part 1 more concise, in my opinion.
It bothers me that this book is broken up into parts instead of one whole book. I would have preferred the three parts combined into one ebook, but considering this ebook is free on Amazon I can't complain too much. If this book seems interesting to you then I suggest you buy this part for free on Amazon ASAP.
Liam, Lucy, and G are absolutely wonderful! I can't help rooting for them all to be successful in their hopes and dreams about wanting to satisfy their curiosity and have many adventures. Maybe even developing a first love romance between Liam and Lucy. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. In truth I thought it would a pretty bad story as it seemed to be self-published but I'm counting down the time period until I get Part 2 or Part 3 of this series.
My issues with this book are very small. There were a few minor punctuation errors but not a whole lot to dampen my enjoyment. The other issue I had was the opening chapter was a scene where Liam and G are in her world then we go back to the very start to how everything started. The first chapter showed up again a few chapters later. This could possibly work in a movie but not in a short story. It seemed unnecessary to have that first chapter since it showed up later on. It would have made Part 1 more concise, in my opinion.
It bothers me that this book is broken up into parts instead of one whole book. I would have preferred the three parts combined into one ebook, but considering this ebook is free on Amazon I can't complain too much. If this book seems interesting to you then I suggest you buy this part for free on Amazon ASAP.
June 11, 2017
I have gotten this book because it was free, and I have read the author before. This time, it is a YA adventure with a mix of mystery. Liam Rankin is the protagonist of the book, and befriends Lucy who moved to the house opposite him. Aside from Lucy, Liam has a new friend, who introduced him to new worlds.
As book one of the series, The Fairy Boy of Calton Hill serves as a strong start to an interesting story. I would love to see the characters grow.
As book one of the series, The Fairy Boy of Calton Hill serves as a strong start to an interesting story. I would love to see the characters grow.
July 10, 2016
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
The Fairy Boy of Carlton Hill is the story of Liam and his adventures with "G" his fairy friend, and Lucy his next door neighbour. The story is set in Edinburgh, Scotland and centres around Carlton Hill - a mystical portal between the rhelms of the fairies and humans.
Liam at 13 years old is a self confessed average normal kid, he goes to school, is bullied by the local thugs and his mum is a depressed chain smoking drunk (after losing the love of her live, Liam's dad the previous year). That is until one day he meets Lucy who has come to stay in Edinburgh from Dublin with her Dad, after her mum passed away. Lucy and Liam become fast friends, and it is because of this friendship that Liam meets G. Liam goes up to Carlton Hill to read Treasure Island - a book Lucy had lent him. It is here that G finally plucks up the nerve to break all the fairy laws and taboos and reach out and help Liam after he is viciously set upon by the local thugs.
G takes Liam into the fairy cave and introduces him to the wonderful and magical world of fairy life, they cuddle giant wolves, play with dragons, frolic with dolphins and fly! All is not as idillic as it seems, and after an extraordinary series of events G is forced to share his powers with Liam in order to save his life, thereby granting him the gift of flight and the power to understand any language or creature around him.
Liam returns home to share this extraordinary experience with Lucy, who both return through the cave at Carlton Hill to Fairy land, and it is here that things really pick up in the book. The Evil King of the fairies has captured G, and threatens to take not only his powers but the very lives of Liam, Lucy and all their friends if they do not bow to the King's wishes and do his evil bidding.
Naturally Liam rebels with the help of G and their mysterious friend Boon, they manage to escape and flee back to Edinburgh only to find it is now 200 years in the past and they must battle not only the evil fairy horde, but the local mobs as well.
The story ends on quite a cliff hanger, so I won't say anymore - but I am going to be keeping a very close eye out for the next instalment. However, I would suggest that this novel is best suited to the middle school/ young adult genre.
Many thanks to the author - Sean-Paul Thomas for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The Fairy Boy of Carlton Hill is the story of Liam and his adventures with "G" his fairy friend, and Lucy his next door neighbour. The story is set in Edinburgh, Scotland and centres around Carlton Hill - a mystical portal between the rhelms of the fairies and humans.
Liam at 13 years old is a self confessed average normal kid, he goes to school, is bullied by the local thugs and his mum is a depressed chain smoking drunk (after losing the love of her live, Liam's dad the previous year). That is until one day he meets Lucy who has come to stay in Edinburgh from Dublin with her Dad, after her mum passed away. Lucy and Liam become fast friends, and it is because of this friendship that Liam meets G. Liam goes up to Carlton Hill to read Treasure Island - a book Lucy had lent him. It is here that G finally plucks up the nerve to break all the fairy laws and taboos and reach out and help Liam after he is viciously set upon by the local thugs.
G takes Liam into the fairy cave and introduces him to the wonderful and magical world of fairy life, they cuddle giant wolves, play with dragons, frolic with dolphins and fly! All is not as idillic as it seems, and after an extraordinary series of events G is forced to share his powers with Liam in order to save his life, thereby granting him the gift of flight and the power to understand any language or creature around him.
Liam returns home to share this extraordinary experience with Lucy, who both return through the cave at Carlton Hill to Fairy land, and it is here that things really pick up in the book. The Evil King of the fairies has captured G, and threatens to take not only his powers but the very lives of Liam, Lucy and all their friends if they do not bow to the King's wishes and do his evil bidding.
Naturally Liam rebels with the help of G and their mysterious friend Boon, they manage to escape and flee back to Edinburgh only to find it is now 200 years in the past and they must battle not only the evil fairy horde, but the local mobs as well.
The story ends on quite a cliff hanger, so I won't say anymore - but I am going to be keeping a very close eye out for the next instalment. However, I would suggest that this novel is best suited to the middle school/ young adult genre.
Many thanks to the author - Sean-Paul Thomas for the opportunity to read and review this book.
April 27, 2016
I got a copy of this from For Love of a Book Group in exchange of an honest review (and I’m grateful for that). :)
Since this is in exchange of an honest review I’m not gonna hold bars in telling that I don’t like it. It’s 3 stars for me though. There are just certain points why I only gave it 3 stars.
This time I’m gonna make it a list-type to be perceptible.
Let’s go first to those things that went wrong (for me). XP
1. It’s kinda cliché. The story is predictable and it’s actually the same with the Filipino fantasy stories that I’ve watched when I was a kid.
2. 3rd person POV is a no-no for me. Uhm, in a way that narrator's voice bored me and I was a bit confused whose feelings the narrator was describing.
3. First part baffled me. In a sense that there’s a few side stories.
4. Tbh, I was on reading slump when I read this. Probably because this story didn’t get my full attention.
5. Climax/plot twist is fine but it didn’t leave me awed.
6. Ending is not a cliff-hanger. I mean not in a way that I’d be excited to get the sequel.
BUT...there are still things I like about this novel.
1. I’ve realized that Scottish language is awesome. I’ve learned some Scottish slangs and British spelling is so classy.
2. Even though it’s predictable, still this novel brought me back to my childhood and I like it.
3. I think what is noteworthy on this novel is the fact that even though it’s fantasy, it portrays some events which were happening in reality. Like, the king per se is of course powerful and he’s ruling in the entire kingdom of fairies. It’s like in real life, powerful people control inferiors.
*Chapter 6 is where I grasped a better understanding of the story. Also, I was expecting Liam and the King would fight and yep it happened but it took ages first.
Characters
*G reminds me of Tinkerbell. I like her character because she’s bubbly and brave.
*Liam is good but a typical lead character though.
3 stars because apparently the book is good but still there were just some tedious events.
Recommendation
If you love fantasy that revolves around good and evil, surely this one fits you. :)
Since this is in exchange of an honest review I’m not gonna hold bars in telling that I don’t like it. It’s 3 stars for me though. There are just certain points why I only gave it 3 stars.
This time I’m gonna make it a list-type to be perceptible.
Let’s go first to those things that went wrong (for me). XP
1. It’s kinda cliché. The story is predictable and it’s actually the same with the Filipino fantasy stories that I’ve watched when I was a kid.
2. 3rd person POV is a no-no for me. Uhm, in a way that narrator's voice bored me and I was a bit confused whose feelings the narrator was describing.
3. First part baffled me. In a sense that there’s a few side stories.
4. Tbh, I was on reading slump when I read this. Probably because this story didn’t get my full attention.
5. Climax/plot twist is fine but it didn’t leave me awed.
6. Ending is not a cliff-hanger. I mean not in a way that I’d be excited to get the sequel.
BUT...there are still things I like about this novel.
1. I’ve realized that Scottish language is awesome. I’ve learned some Scottish slangs and British spelling is so classy.
2. Even though it’s predictable, still this novel brought me back to my childhood and I like it.
3. I think what is noteworthy on this novel is the fact that even though it’s fantasy, it portrays some events which were happening in reality. Like, the king per se is of course powerful and he’s ruling in the entire kingdom of fairies. It’s like in real life, powerful people control inferiors.
*Chapter 6 is where I grasped a better understanding of the story. Also, I was expecting Liam and the King would fight and yep it happened but it took ages first.
Characters
*G reminds me of Tinkerbell. I like her character because she’s bubbly and brave.
*Liam is good but a typical lead character though.
3 stars because apparently the book is good but still there were just some tedious events.
Recommendation
If you love fantasy that revolves around good and evil, surely this one fits you. :)
March 13, 2016
This book was an enjoyable and easy enough read. I have rated it as 3.5 to 4 stars as some of the dialogue was lost in translation - and there was quite a lot of dialogue due to being written in 3rd person -also with the characters having either Scottish or Irish accents for parts confused the matter. Where throwing the word 'wee' in to indicate a Scottish accent then 'lad' to indicate the Irish accent and then there were other characters where if you have not had experience chatting to a Scotsman before it would really have made little sense. (I don't mind the addition of accents in books but think sometimes it makes it harder for different people to understand)
This was the story of Liam, a young boy, who lives in Edinburgh with his depressed mother (as his father has passed on). Liam is an independent kid who enjoys reading and keeping out of trouble. One day trouble comes looking for him and the next thing you know he has met a friendly fairy called 'G' who invites Liam to explore her world and his adventures begin from there.
Liam's adventures seemed to go from bad to worse continuously and then we are left with a cliff hanger ending... will have to pick up book 2 to get the answers to the questions raised and see how the adventures resolve!
The book started out slowly with the introduction of the main character, Liam, meeting the "pretty" girl of his dreams, Lucy, from this meeting Liam basically fell in love at first sight. I found this to be a little off putting within the story setting, perhaps if they had a long time strong friendship to begin with the feelings and reactions that occur for the events that follow would be more emotionally convincing.
Once the story picks up the imaginative world building is fantastic and very easy to picture.
The variety of 'otherworldly' creatures that we are introduced to becomes alive with the descriptions and it is easy to imagine them and their personalities.
I would suggest that this book was written with the 12-17yr old age bracket in mind. There are some dark themes but also some childish thoughts entertained through out.
Overall in the 'Fairy' genre it was written well and creatively, I loved the idea that it was set in a real location - Calton Hill and surrounding streets - and this adds a depth to the imagined world.
My rating is 3.5-4stars (closer to 4)
* I received a copy of this book for a read and review opportunity from the group: "For Love of a Book" in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This was the story of Liam, a young boy, who lives in Edinburgh with his depressed mother (as his father has passed on). Liam is an independent kid who enjoys reading and keeping out of trouble. One day trouble comes looking for him and the next thing you know he has met a friendly fairy called 'G' who invites Liam to explore her world and his adventures begin from there.
Liam's adventures seemed to go from bad to worse continuously and then we are left with a cliff hanger ending... will have to pick up book 2 to get the answers to the questions raised and see how the adventures resolve!
The book started out slowly with the introduction of the main character, Liam, meeting the "pretty" girl of his dreams, Lucy, from this meeting Liam basically fell in love at first sight. I found this to be a little off putting within the story setting, perhaps if they had a long time strong friendship to begin with the feelings and reactions that occur for the events that follow would be more emotionally convincing.
Once the story picks up the imaginative world building is fantastic and very easy to picture.
The variety of 'otherworldly' creatures that we are introduced to becomes alive with the descriptions and it is easy to imagine them and their personalities.
I would suggest that this book was written with the 12-17yr old age bracket in mind. There are some dark themes but also some childish thoughts entertained through out.
Overall in the 'Fairy' genre it was written well and creatively, I loved the idea that it was set in a real location - Calton Hill and surrounding streets - and this adds a depth to the imagined world.
My rating is 3.5-4stars (closer to 4)
* I received a copy of this book for a read and review opportunity from the group: "For Love of a Book" in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 10, 2016
Most of the fairy tales that I came across comprised almost similar story with a fairy and human companion as the protagonist, fighting with the evil of their world. But this book was different.
It felt more like a beautiful blend of thriller, romance and a fairy tale, staged in a rather dark environment. First half of the book was relatively less captivating, but the second half was exquisitely riveting.
Scottish accent was a bit difficult to follow,but for remaining most of the part it was smooth to read.And being honest, when I was halfway to the book, I was like, I might not read the next book of this series, but after the completion, I'm sure to read the further series in future.It's a very charmingly written adult fairy tale.
P.S: I got this book from the author for an honest review.
It felt more like a beautiful blend of thriller, romance and a fairy tale, staged in a rather dark environment. First half of the book was relatively less captivating, but the second half was exquisitely riveting.
Scottish accent was a bit difficult to follow,but for remaining most of the part it was smooth to read.And being honest, when I was halfway to the book, I was like, I might not read the next book of this series, but after the completion, I'm sure to read the further series in future.It's a very charmingly written adult fairy tale.
P.S: I got this book from the author for an honest review.
February 8, 2017
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read this book, in exchange i will give my honest review.
I find this book tell the interesting fairy tales story. Its about the young man named Liam find the true about fairy things from the fairy named G. Fairy land and all the life creatures living there are so fantastic. I can make the picture in my mind when i read the story.
Beautiful fairy tale with the dark and thriller side.
One thing leak is too many conversation getting there and the lingo really confusing me.
I can say its nice to read and I am very curious about the next book.
I find this book tell the interesting fairy tales story. Its about the young man named Liam find the true about fairy things from the fairy named G. Fairy land and all the life creatures living there are so fantastic. I can make the picture in my mind when i read the story.
Beautiful fairy tale with the dark and thriller side.
One thing leak is too many conversation getting there and the lingo really confusing me.
I can say its nice to read and I am very curious about the next book.
May 14, 2016
This book took a little bit of time to get into, but started getting more enjoyable half way through. I do enjoy the fact that it was an easy read. The ending was so good! I normally don't enjoy cliffhangers, but now I want to read the next book. I hope it is better than this one, since the beginning was slow. The book felt like I was above the target age. It was meant for someone much younger.
It'll be interesting to see how the next book goes!
It'll be interesting to see how the next book goes!
May 8, 2016
I enjoyed this book and found it sweet and captivating with an element of darkness. Though intended for a mature child it easily held my adult interest. Somewhat formulaic with the main character a lonely 13 year old boy yearning for the new girl who moves in the house across the way, the basic plot line goes deeper than this and respects that children do understand and are fascinated or terrified of things that can or do go wrong .
The boy Liam, has lost his Dad and his mother is an alcoholic who is more interested in ebay than her son. Liam is bookish and is beset by local bullies. He spends a lot of time without friends so when an adventure opens up for him to visit an alternate Fairy world he is ready to jump in.
The bullies that beset Liam are cruel yet daft giving them almost a comedic counterpoint with their inanely stupid taunts.
In a way, Liam is a sort of bumbling Peter Pan which is charming. G the fairy he meets is a far more daring rebellious Tinkerbell and Lucy the girl is a more fascinating sassy tomboy sort of Wendy. However the Neverland Liam finds - full of bizarre magical and fun creatures on the surface but as he and the reader become more aware - this Neverland has a very devious and horrible underbelly more heinous than any Captain Hook.
I really liked the way the lovely city Edinburgh is depicted with all its charms. The port city of Leith and Leith walk came alive in the narrative.
I liked the Scottish lingo used in the book and it was easily understood though the word "wee" was thrown around a little too much
The "to be continued" ending left me wanting to read the next book to see what happens next.
When reading this book I kept visualizing the story as a Pixar movie - something enjoyed by Children yet with a mature element that Parents would relate to. Hopefully whoever at Pixar who is on the lookout for a new twist on a good story with this wonderfully different setting of Edinburgh will pick up on this book series, make some minor changes because I think would translate into an excellent screenplay.
The boy Liam, has lost his Dad and his mother is an alcoholic who is more interested in ebay than her son. Liam is bookish and is beset by local bullies. He spends a lot of time without friends so when an adventure opens up for him to visit an alternate Fairy world he is ready to jump in.
The bullies that beset Liam are cruel yet daft giving them almost a comedic counterpoint with their inanely stupid taunts.
In a way, Liam is a sort of bumbling Peter Pan which is charming. G the fairy he meets is a far more daring rebellious Tinkerbell and Lucy the girl is a more fascinating sassy tomboy sort of Wendy. However the Neverland Liam finds - full of bizarre magical and fun creatures on the surface but as he and the reader become more aware - this Neverland has a very devious and horrible underbelly more heinous than any Captain Hook.
I really liked the way the lovely city Edinburgh is depicted with all its charms. The port city of Leith and Leith walk came alive in the narrative.
I liked the Scottish lingo used in the book and it was easily understood though the word "wee" was thrown around a little too much
The "to be continued" ending left me wanting to read the next book to see what happens next.
When reading this book I kept visualizing the story as a Pixar movie - something enjoyed by Children yet with a mature element that Parents would relate to. Hopefully whoever at Pixar who is on the lookout for a new twist on a good story with this wonderfully different setting of Edinburgh will pick up on this book series, make some minor changes because I think would translate into an excellent screenplay.
March 23, 2016
I really enjoyed The Fairy Boy Of Calton Hill by Sean-Paul Thomas and I can’t wait for the second part. Edinburgh is described in such a way that one can feel he/she is there. I loved the fairy world, although it turned out to be more unfriendly and dangerous than it seemed to be at the beginning. I may not be so young anymore but I still like to believe that fairies exist somewhere in this world. And this book makes it very easy to believe that they really do.
I think that this is a great story not only for teens, but also for everyone who likes dreaming and who sometimes wishes they were a child again.
I received a pdf file of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I think that this is a great story not only for teens, but also for everyone who likes dreaming and who sometimes wishes they were a child again.
I received a pdf file of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2016
WOW! What a wonderful fantasy set in Edinburgh, Scotland. From the moment I began to read about Liam and his world I was hooked. I loved the tenderness of he and Lucy. G is a remarkable fairy that enters Liam's life and what a unique and amazing adventure they have exploring each others worlds...until the King and his Wizard enter the picture. And then the suspenseful part of the adventure begins...how both our world and the world of fairy depend upon each other.
Beautifully written and easy to read. The character dialogue is everyday and not convoluted or forced. I wish I could have remained there when I was finished.
I want to thank Sean Paul for allowing me to review his book. You are a gifted writer! I can't wait to see what you will be sharing with us next!
Beautifully written and easy to read. The character dialogue is everyday and not convoluted or forced. I wish I could have remained there when I was finished.
I want to thank Sean Paul for allowing me to review his book. You are a gifted writer! I can't wait to see what you will be sharing with us next!
January 5, 2016
I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this Young Adult tale of Liam a teenager who meets G a fairy and what happens when they become friends and their worlds collide. Features light and dark moments and is pure escapism. The author depicts Edinburgh so vividly I almost felt I was there. I await part two eagerly.
I thoroughly enjoyed this Young Adult tale of Liam a teenager who meets G a fairy and what happens when they become friends and their worlds collide. Features light and dark moments and is pure escapism. The author depicts Edinburgh so vividly I almost felt I was there. I await part two eagerly.
March 4, 2016
This was a very cute book. More aimed towards adolescents then adults. I loved the relationship between Liam and G. Definitely a book about adventure!!
April 16, 2016
Dark, Beautiful, Intriguing & Charming! An Excellent Read! I Loved It!
October 14, 2016
I was given a free electronic copy of this book by the author, in accordance with the terms of For Love of a Book's Advance Reader Opportunity Program.
For the most part, I did enjoy this book. There were parts of it that were very compelling and I raced through a lot of the middle section, and the fairy world that Thomas has created is very creative. I especially enjoyed the fact that he used an element from fairy tales that I don't see very often: the fact that when you spend what you think is a short time in the fairy world, days are passing in the real world. I cheered when I read that.
Unfortunately, it was knocked down from a higher score by three major problems.
The first was the writing style. Not only did the point of view slide constantly from one character to another, but a lot of things about the characters' thoughts and motivations were very over-described. For example, when Johnny the bully sees Liam and Lucy together, the narrative pauses significantly to describe how he notices Lucy and wonders what she's doing hanging out with Liam, and he then calls out to them to ask that question. Slipping over to his POV was unnecessary and introduces significant redundancy. Also, the narrative felt very self-consciously colloquial, which was very jarring, and it was full of strange word choices such as describing Liam as 'roaring' with excitement as well as unnecessary similes that sometimes led to very unpleasant mental images such as Alec slavering like a hungry dog at the sight of chocolate.
The repetition of the fact that the fairy king is evil also rapidly became wearing, especially coupled with G's insistence that everyone but her is just cowardly and stupid for not fighting back against him, despite the fact that when we see the rest of the fairies we see that they've essentially been beaten and worn into submission by hard work and the constant presence of the king's soldiers. That then made G sound extremely judgemental, naive, and unfair.
Finally, all the characters seemed to talk in the same way. It was particularly intrusive to hear G, a fairy with little to no knowledge of human culture, swear by saying "Jeez". The behaviour of the main characters, especially G and Lucy, was also very similar (each of them had a habit of putting her hands on her hips and calling Liam "boy" or "laddie") and that too rapidly became irritating.
The second problem was Liam, the main character. Far too many plot points were driven by Liam doing something stupid, often outright ignoring a warning he had just been given or an experience he had just had. The biggest one is his decision to return to the fairy world with Lucy: he had just been warned about the evil fairy king and his hatred of humans and the violent way he exterminates his enemies; he had just experienced the danger the air in the fairy world may pose to humans; and he had just experienced the time dilation between the two worlds... and he still decides to immediately take Lucy there for a couple of in-fairy-world hours (a week in the real world) because hey, what could possibly go wrong? I found it quite hard to get behind a protagonist who acts with so little common sense.
I also have to admit that I went off him significantly when his first thought upon gaining fairy powers was to go and pick on Johnny the bully. It doesn't paint a great picture of a person when their first reaction to getting power is to use it to victimise someone else, whoever that person might be.
The third problem was the ending. I assume this book has a sequel because otherwise I don't know what's happening, since it just stops midway through a plot point. Liam, having accidentally killed Lucy's great-some grandfather and thus erased her from existence (which felt rather cheap, especially since her character had contributed very little to the story as a whole and frankly the overall treatment of female characters isn't great, between G's damsel-in-distress status for half the book, Liam's mother's depression and alcoholism, and Lucy's mother's death by backstory), is on the run and ends up on a ship, whose captain knows about fairies and imprisons Liam and G to take them to Spain. Then the book just stops. It's jarring and rather spoils the impression of the book as a whole, and actually dropped it down from three stars to two for me.
So overall there were plenty of good ideas in here and I certainly don't regret reading it, but the problems were very big, so overall I have to give it a resounding "It was OK".
For the most part, I did enjoy this book. There were parts of it that were very compelling and I raced through a lot of the middle section, and the fairy world that Thomas has created is very creative. I especially enjoyed the fact that he used an element from fairy tales that I don't see very often: the fact that when you spend what you think is a short time in the fairy world, days are passing in the real world. I cheered when I read that.
Unfortunately, it was knocked down from a higher score by three major problems.
The first was the writing style. Not only did the point of view slide constantly from one character to another, but a lot of things about the characters' thoughts and motivations were very over-described. For example, when Johnny the bully sees Liam and Lucy together, the narrative pauses significantly to describe how he notices Lucy and wonders what she's doing hanging out with Liam, and he then calls out to them to ask that question. Slipping over to his POV was unnecessary and introduces significant redundancy. Also, the narrative felt very self-consciously colloquial, which was very jarring, and it was full of strange word choices such as describing Liam as 'roaring' with excitement as well as unnecessary similes that sometimes led to very unpleasant mental images such as Alec slavering like a hungry dog at the sight of chocolate.
The repetition of the fact that the fairy king is evil also rapidly became wearing, especially coupled with G's insistence that everyone but her is just cowardly and stupid for not fighting back against him, despite the fact that when we see the rest of the fairies we see that they've essentially been beaten and worn into submission by hard work and the constant presence of the king's soldiers. That then made G sound extremely judgemental, naive, and unfair.
Finally, all the characters seemed to talk in the same way. It was particularly intrusive to hear G, a fairy with little to no knowledge of human culture, swear by saying "Jeez". The behaviour of the main characters, especially G and Lucy, was also very similar (each of them had a habit of putting her hands on her hips and calling Liam "boy" or "laddie") and that too rapidly became irritating.
The second problem was Liam, the main character. Far too many plot points were driven by Liam doing something stupid, often outright ignoring a warning he had just been given or an experience he had just had. The biggest one is his decision to return to the fairy world with Lucy: he had just been warned about the evil fairy king and his hatred of humans and the violent way he exterminates his enemies; he had just experienced the danger the air in the fairy world may pose to humans; and he had just experienced the time dilation between the two worlds... and he still decides to immediately take Lucy there for a couple of in-fairy-world hours (a week in the real world) because hey, what could possibly go wrong? I found it quite hard to get behind a protagonist who acts with so little common sense.
I also have to admit that I went off him significantly when his first thought upon gaining fairy powers was to go and pick on Johnny the bully. It doesn't paint a great picture of a person when their first reaction to getting power is to use it to victimise someone else, whoever that person might be.
The third problem was the ending. I assume this book has a sequel because otherwise I don't know what's happening, since it just stops midway through a plot point. Liam, having accidentally killed Lucy's great-some grandfather and thus erased her from existence (which felt rather cheap, especially since her character had contributed very little to the story as a whole and frankly the overall treatment of female characters isn't great, between G's damsel-in-distress status for half the book, Liam's mother's depression and alcoholism, and Lucy's mother's death by backstory), is on the run and ends up on a ship, whose captain knows about fairies and imprisons Liam and G to take them to Spain. Then the book just stops. It's jarring and rather spoils the impression of the book as a whole, and actually dropped it down from three stars to two for me.
So overall there were plenty of good ideas in here and I certainly don't regret reading it, but the problems were very big, so overall I have to give it a resounding "It was OK".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2016
I didn't really know what to expect with 'The Fairy Boy of Calton Hill'. So, it ended up being a surprise (that's what you get when you don't read the synopsis of the book.) It's a young adult fantasy book that takes places in Edinburgh, Scotland. The author, Sean-Paul Thomas is from Scotland and there is some Scottish slag and terms that are tossed around but I had no issues with it at all. I actually really enjoyed those parts. Almost two decades ago I made some Scottish friends that opened my world to many Scottish slag. So, when Mr. Thomas use some of them it took me back down memory lane.
I had to look up Sean-Paul Thomas because in the beginning of the book there is a character that is introduced and his name makes me think of Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols. Every time that character came around songs from the Sex Pistols would pop into my mind and I kept thinking, why? why? why! did you do this to me? I'm assuming Mr. Thomas put in this character/name to honor the band he enjoys so much. I don't blame him. I would have done something like that myself. There are also other name dropping of popular books during the time period of when we were kids, which made me think he has to be my age. It's nice that he is trying to get kids to check out those books. I enjoy the band and the books too and that made me think, I bet Mr. Thomas is my age. So, I looked him up and sure enough he is in my age range, plus the image I saw of him shows how toned he is. Nice. Getting back from the daydream of this author...
Liam is a boy that fancies a girl. It's kind of funny how Liam wants to claim Lucy for himself. Typical males. He really don't think too much about what is going because there are some situations with his mother and his wee lass that just make me shake my head, no. Still, since this boy doesn't really think about the "what ifs" of the amazing events he has encountered it gets him in trouble as well as his wee lass. I kept thinking "dumb kid".
The fantasy part of this is likable. It has Fae, dragons, a neat forest and so many other world creatures/nature. I really liked the twist in the Fae and their image. So many times, they are the cute Disney style Tinkerbell kind and in this story they are not like that at all. In that fantasy part, there are many things that make us question things that also sets up for quick predictable events to happen, which do. At least I found them predictable.
The descriptions are great. He built a nice atmosphere of Edinburgh. I was able to picture the places and locations from the story. His description of the Fae world was wonderful. It was so easy to picture the kids there. I can just see them splashing around in the water and doing all kinds of things.
The ending, why must the book end like that. For sure you have to pick up book 2. For me, there are parts I found annoying. Honestly, how many times can a kid say, "Jesus Christ"? Perhaps kids there say it a lot but more than anything I'd see them shouting out profanities. Perhaps, he is trying to make it clean? I still find this book great for an age range of 10 to 14.
As a side note: In my looking up Mr. Thomas I saw he had some more grown-up style books with Scottish slang and other warnings. I'm for sure going to pick up those books and give them a go. They do seem to be darker books and I do like my dark side of literature. If these books are as descriptive as this book is, the atmosphere must be great! Can't wait to start them.
* I received a free copy of this book from the author, Sean-Paul Thomas, from the Goodreads Group 'For Love of a Book' in exchange for an honest review.
I had to look up Sean-Paul Thomas because in the beginning of the book there is a character that is introduced and his name makes me think of Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols. Every time that character came around songs from the Sex Pistols would pop into my mind and I kept thinking, why? why? why! did you do this to me? I'm assuming Mr. Thomas put in this character/name to honor the band he enjoys so much. I don't blame him. I would have done something like that myself. There are also other name dropping of popular books during the time period of when we were kids, which made me think he has to be my age. It's nice that he is trying to get kids to check out those books. I enjoy the band and the books too and that made me think, I bet Mr. Thomas is my age. So, I looked him up and sure enough he is in my age range, plus the image I saw of him shows how toned he is. Nice. Getting back from the daydream of this author...
Liam is a boy that fancies a girl. It's kind of funny how Liam wants to claim Lucy for himself. Typical males. He really don't think too much about what is going because there are some situations with his mother and his wee lass that just make me shake my head, no. Still, since this boy doesn't really think about the "what ifs" of the amazing events he has encountered it gets him in trouble as well as his wee lass. I kept thinking "dumb kid".
The fantasy part of this is likable. It has Fae, dragons, a neat forest and so many other world creatures/nature. I really liked the twist in the Fae and their image. So many times, they are the cute Disney style Tinkerbell kind and in this story they are not like that at all. In that fantasy part, there are many things that make us question things that also sets up for quick predictable events to happen, which do. At least I found them predictable.
The descriptions are great. He built a nice atmosphere of Edinburgh. I was able to picture the places and locations from the story. His description of the Fae world was wonderful. It was so easy to picture the kids there. I can just see them splashing around in the water and doing all kinds of things.
The ending, why must the book end like that. For sure you have to pick up book 2. For me, there are parts I found annoying. Honestly, how many times can a kid say, "Jesus Christ"? Perhaps kids there say it a lot but more than anything I'd see them shouting out profanities. Perhaps, he is trying to make it clean? I still find this book great for an age range of 10 to 14.
As a side note: In my looking up Mr. Thomas I saw he had some more grown-up style books with Scottish slang and other warnings. I'm for sure going to pick up those books and give them a go. They do seem to be darker books and I do like my dark side of literature. If these books are as descriptive as this book is, the atmosphere must be great! Can't wait to start them.
* I received a free copy of this book from the author, Sean-Paul Thomas, from the Goodreads Group 'For Love of a Book' in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2016
I was glad to receive a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review!
Do you still believe in fairies?
I suppose all of us have, for some time in our lives, believed in them, in their world, how did they live in there, what did they eat, etc. But as our lives go by, we just stop thinking about these worlds and creatures as we are concerned about our own existence.
Liam, a teenager, was absorbed in his own miserable life after his father´s passing and his mother´s inability to move forward, meets Lucy, his new neighbor, and while they were sharing some of their common tastes, the "fairy" subject comes up, and they both state they do not believe them anymore.
The day after, Liam is literally taken by G, a young fairy, to her world, and then the adventure begins through this magic world, with fantastic creatures and characters.
This book is definitely for younger teenagers or children - I believe our 13-year-old teens would think it is too childish for them, although I have enjoyed it a lot - specially from the second part onwards.
And also, I NEED to have the second book released soon, because I am dying to know what happened to G, to Liam, to Hank, Boon and also Lucy! There are answers I need to have!!! lol
A very delicate book, but if you think it is a shallow narrative, I will just disagree: more than once I felt Liam's sadness and his struggles upon situations with his mother or Lucy, or even G, so it is a pretty sensitive work in this sense.
Definitely recommend it, but as I said above, to younger children.
For more opinions or reviews, please check my blog: https://mypapertrips.wordpress.com/
Do you still believe in fairies?
I suppose all of us have, for some time in our lives, believed in them, in their world, how did they live in there, what did they eat, etc. But as our lives go by, we just stop thinking about these worlds and creatures as we are concerned about our own existence.
Liam, a teenager, was absorbed in his own miserable life after his father´s passing and his mother´s inability to move forward, meets Lucy, his new neighbor, and while they were sharing some of their common tastes, the "fairy" subject comes up, and they both state they do not believe them anymore.
The day after, Liam is literally taken by G, a young fairy, to her world, and then the adventure begins through this magic world, with fantastic creatures and characters.
This book is definitely for younger teenagers or children - I believe our 13-year-old teens would think it is too childish for them, although I have enjoyed it a lot - specially from the second part onwards.
And also, I NEED to have the second book released soon, because I am dying to know what happened to G, to Liam, to Hank, Boon and also Lucy! There are answers I need to have!!! lol
A very delicate book, but if you think it is a shallow narrative, I will just disagree: more than once I felt Liam's sadness and his struggles upon situations with his mother or Lucy, or even G, so it is a pretty sensitive work in this sense.
Definitely recommend it, but as I said above, to younger children.
For more opinions or reviews, please check my blog: https://mypapertrips.wordpress.com/
May 15, 2016
3.5 stars!!!
I'd like to point out first that this book is part of series. I honestly had no idea when I got it first. I thought it was a standalone. Also, I would tag this as more of a middle-grade read as opposed to a YA because many of the elements came across as more childish. However, the language is more YA than middle-grade. Overall, I would say the beginning of the book was slow and a bit hard to get through. I enjoyed the latter part. There is insta-love in this book which I found cute as the MC is 13 years old. Readers of fantasy would love this book as it has a lot jammed packed into it with fantastical creatures, time travel, pirates and the like. However, I do have one negative to make. I wasn't too fond of the faeries names to be honest. I don't particularly think "Hank" or "G" are very fantastical sounding names. There sound very modern and "Hank" sounds like the name of a 40 something car salesman. Other than that, I enjoyed the book. Many parts of the story reminded me of Peter Pan. I look forward to seeing what comes next!
I'd like to point out first that this book is part of series. I honestly had no idea when I got it first. I thought it was a standalone. Also, I would tag this as more of a middle-grade read as opposed to a YA because many of the elements came across as more childish. However, the language is more YA than middle-grade. Overall, I would say the beginning of the book was slow and a bit hard to get through. I enjoyed the latter part. There is insta-love in this book which I found cute as the MC is 13 years old. Readers of fantasy would love this book as it has a lot jammed packed into it with fantastical creatures, time travel, pirates and the like. However, I do have one negative to make. I wasn't too fond of the faeries names to be honest. I don't particularly think "Hank" or "G" are very fantastical sounding names. There sound very modern and "Hank" sounds like the name of a 40 something car salesman. Other than that, I enjoyed the book. Many parts of the story reminded me of Peter Pan. I look forward to seeing what comes next!
May 15, 2016
I had a hard time finishing this book, it was really hard to get to the middle, even that I enjoy fantasy more than anything I wasn't really sure how to feel with the course of the history. But after some events which I don't want to spoil, action took place. Liam and Lucy were good characters, but even at the end I didn't feel really attach to them. Actually, I was more interested about G's situation.
The way he describes the landscapes was really refreshing, I felt really amused by colorful grass! Some things there were so beautiful I needed to take a whole minute to enjoy the sight.
Thanks Sean for this story! I really want to know more, and I hope next time I'll enjoy the entire book :)
The way he describes the landscapes was really refreshing, I felt really amused by colorful grass! Some things there were so beautiful I needed to take a whole minute to enjoy the sight.
Thanks Sean for this story! I really want to know more, and I hope next time I'll enjoy the entire book :)
March 27, 2016
I really enjoyed this book , by Sean Paul Thomas , it's a fictional book talks about a fairy tale story,
the story of a teenage boy Liam and his marvelous adventure in the magical world with the fairy G , and also it describes the beautiful historical landmarks of Edinburgh.
I liked some of the weird creatures like the rainbow dragon Narka and the fire wolves)), and I was really confusing with the Scottish lingo and that's why I gave it 4 stars))
I received a PDF copy of this book from the group: FOR LOVE OF A BOOK in exchange for an Honest review.
the story of a teenage boy Liam and his marvelous adventure in the magical world with the fairy G , and also it describes the beautiful historical landmarks of Edinburgh.
I liked some of the weird creatures like the rainbow dragon Narka and the fire wolves)), and I was really confusing with the Scottish lingo and that's why I gave it 4 stars))
I received a PDF copy of this book from the group: FOR LOVE OF A BOOK in exchange for an Honest review.
April 27, 2016
i enjoyed this book. I love how it is set in the United Kingdom as that i where i live and love reading books in this setting and how liam liked to read as you don't see many characters who like reading in books nowadays. I loved when the fairy G was introduced and How quickly Liam feel in love. This story was very imaginative which i loved. there was a lot of dialogue which is why i mainly gave it 4 but i didnt mind it. It was written for the teenage age bracket i would say.
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review from the Group: FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review from the Group: FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS
April 1, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was a bit apprehensive as to whether a tale involving fairy's would be my cup of tea, but the author has met a balance of believability and anticipation to keep that book in front of your eyes to see where the story goes next.
I look forward to Liam and G's (the fairy)'s adventures on the ship with the sinister Captain and to learn of Lucy's fate in the second book.
Definitely worth reading.
I look forward to Liam and G's (the fairy)'s adventures on the ship with the sinister Captain and to learn of Lucy's fate in the second book.
Definitely worth reading.
March 18, 2016
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
First I think if I was between 12-18 I would have connected more with the story and therefor will suggest it to my nieces and nephews.
I've only recently started enjoying fantasy and was excited to try another one. I enjoyed this book and would/will read the next one.
First I think if I was between 12-18 I would have connected more with the story and therefor will suggest it to my nieces and nephews.
I've only recently started enjoying fantasy and was excited to try another one. I enjoyed this book and would/will read the next one.
May 2, 2016
I received this copy from For Love of a Book in return for an honest review.
Warning- Spoiler and Insta-love alert!!
I am glad other people like this book and rated it higher, because it is a cute and benign book. It is well written and edited, almost following a formulary from a high school fiction writing class. After sleeping on it and wondering why I did not like it, the word that stands out for me is 'disconnect'.
I was disconnected and somewhat confused about this story the whole way through. In some regards the story is juvenile, sort of exuding a Peter Pan vibe- 13 year old Liam meets a flying fairy G (Tinkerbell) who, against all fairy laws, brings the human boy- who she awkwardly refers to as 'boy' in almost all their conversations although she knows his name- into her world. She even shares her fairy powers, which results in his ability to fly. He meets magical creatures (rainbow dragons, scaly dolphins etc.) and there is also an evil fairy king and his miserable wizard sidekick. These two bad guys keep the fairies enslaved by stealing their fairy light when they become adults, clip their wings and force them to do the king's bidding for the rest of their miserable existence. They have also sealed all the ports to the human world- well, except the one G went through to Edinburgh. And maybe a couple others. All the fairies accept their fate since this is how it's been done for a long time- really? Lucky for the king there's been no one questioning his authority! He's been sucking them dry for centuries;) Enter G the rebel fairy- she is curious and questions authority and not only explores outside her world but brings a human back. And the trouble begins.
The adult-ish content lies in the human realm. Liam's dad passed away a year prior and his mom is now depressed and dealing with alcohol, cigarette and internet addictions. Liam is alone- at home and at school and spends his time reading. He is bullied by a gang of young thugs. Until a new, beautiful young neighbor moves in- Lucy- and they spend one evening together which turns into Liam falling madly in love with her. Yep, still 13. Lucy returns to her private school in Ireland and Liam goes to Fairyland.
Liam returns to find there's been a time delay between lands and he's been away for almost a week. Lucy is home from school. He breaks the one promise he made to G upon leaving Fairyland and immediately takes Lucy back there. Chaos ensues- G is captured by the king, Liam and Lucy are captured, the king and wizard have bizarre conversations, magical creatures fight and die trying to help the humans escape. Liam and Lucy agree to a deal- deliver a gift to a human police officer and they all be allowed to go free. But of course the king is evil and this is a trick. Things get worse for everyone at this point. The plot twists here and there and it almost gets interesting. Almost.
One of the problems I have is that I don't know what age group this is written for- it is too juvenile for adults but too adult for kids- Liam goes around yelling 'Jesus Christ!' at every hardship he encounters, which happens a lot. So not really for the younger aged teen. Yeah, and the whiskey addicted mother doesn't really work either. Confusing. But then there's the rainbows and fairies and flying. Oh, and the insta-love. That just never works for me.
The descriptive parts of the writing were done well- the lands and creatures were interesting. But the dialogue was forced and bizarre. Here's an example when Liam and the king are arguing after they are all captured.
"Aye...and I'm not ashamed to admit that I do love her [Lucy-human]"
The fairy king released another sinister grin. "Even more than your little fairy girlfriend here?"said the king with even more glee.
"G is not my girlfriend. But I love her dearly too, aye. She's my best friend in this whole wide and cruel world."
What 13 year old talks like that? And after knowing them both for ONE day!? I guess this could be seen as endearing but it all fell flat for me. The story of the door between worlds was really interesting and the time hopping was fun- especially the language. It had potential. I'm glad there is an audience, and I hope the story heats up and flows better in the next installment- for those who will be reading it that is.
Warning- Spoiler and Insta-love alert!!
I am glad other people like this book and rated it higher, because it is a cute and benign book. It is well written and edited, almost following a formulary from a high school fiction writing class. After sleeping on it and wondering why I did not like it, the word that stands out for me is 'disconnect'.
I was disconnected and somewhat confused about this story the whole way through. In some regards the story is juvenile, sort of exuding a Peter Pan vibe- 13 year old Liam meets a flying fairy G (Tinkerbell) who, against all fairy laws, brings the human boy- who she awkwardly refers to as 'boy' in almost all their conversations although she knows his name- into her world. She even shares her fairy powers, which results in his ability to fly. He meets magical creatures (rainbow dragons, scaly dolphins etc.) and there is also an evil fairy king and his miserable wizard sidekick. These two bad guys keep the fairies enslaved by stealing their fairy light when they become adults, clip their wings and force them to do the king's bidding for the rest of their miserable existence. They have also sealed all the ports to the human world- well, except the one G went through to Edinburgh. And maybe a couple others. All the fairies accept their fate since this is how it's been done for a long time- really? Lucky for the king there's been no one questioning his authority! He's been sucking them dry for centuries;) Enter G the rebel fairy- she is curious and questions authority and not only explores outside her world but brings a human back. And the trouble begins.
The adult-ish content lies in the human realm. Liam's dad passed away a year prior and his mom is now depressed and dealing with alcohol, cigarette and internet addictions. Liam is alone- at home and at school and spends his time reading. He is bullied by a gang of young thugs. Until a new, beautiful young neighbor moves in- Lucy- and they spend one evening together which turns into Liam falling madly in love with her. Yep, still 13. Lucy returns to her private school in Ireland and Liam goes to Fairyland.
Liam returns to find there's been a time delay between lands and he's been away for almost a week. Lucy is home from school. He breaks the one promise he made to G upon leaving Fairyland and immediately takes Lucy back there. Chaos ensues- G is captured by the king, Liam and Lucy are captured, the king and wizard have bizarre conversations, magical creatures fight and die trying to help the humans escape. Liam and Lucy agree to a deal- deliver a gift to a human police officer and they all be allowed to go free. But of course the king is evil and this is a trick. Things get worse for everyone at this point. The plot twists here and there and it almost gets interesting. Almost.
One of the problems I have is that I don't know what age group this is written for- it is too juvenile for adults but too adult for kids- Liam goes around yelling 'Jesus Christ!' at every hardship he encounters, which happens a lot. So not really for the younger aged teen. Yeah, and the whiskey addicted mother doesn't really work either. Confusing. But then there's the rainbows and fairies and flying. Oh, and the insta-love. That just never works for me.
The descriptive parts of the writing were done well- the lands and creatures were interesting. But the dialogue was forced and bizarre. Here's an example when Liam and the king are arguing after they are all captured.
"Aye...and I'm not ashamed to admit that I do love her [Lucy-human]"
The fairy king released another sinister grin. "Even more than your little fairy girlfriend here?"said the king with even more glee.
"G is not my girlfriend. But I love her dearly too, aye. She's my best friend in this whole wide and cruel world."
What 13 year old talks like that? And after knowing them both for ONE day!? I guess this could be seen as endearing but it all fell flat for me. The story of the door between worlds was really interesting and the time hopping was fun- especially the language. It had potential. I'm glad there is an audience, and I hope the story heats up and flows better in the next installment- for those who will be reading it that is.
June 22, 2016
I’m giving this book a 2.5.
The book started off terribly for me. I really needed to force myself into reading the first few chapters. But then it was able to capture my attention, and I did surprisingly finish it in 2 days. The only thing that would keep pestering me at the back of my mind was how this book is not really aimed for adults, and would be quite a good read for a younger audience.
Since the characters are from Scotland, the Scottish vibe is given perfectly. All the dialogues and everything is done to the T. But I really had to re-read a few lines to actually understand what the person was trying to convey, making it frustrating. I still don't understand a few of the lines in the book.
The story line is very similar to Peter Pan. The only thing missing is the lack of appearance from the Lost Boys. Other than that, everything else is nailed. A fairy, a flying boy, a girl somewhere in there, and alas, an evil pirate.
I know this doesn’t really matter, but the cover of the book really put me off. Like I avoided this book as much as possible because of the dull cover… I know the whole “Never judge a book by its cover” (quite literally here), but come on, I’m sure there’s many of us that actually buys ¾ of the books for their amazing cover designs.
The book does end with a cliffhanger, but I don’t think I’ll be reading the next book anytime soon. A decent book, but not good enough for me.
The book started off terribly for me. I really needed to force myself into reading the first few chapters. But then it was able to capture my attention, and I did surprisingly finish it in 2 days. The only thing that would keep pestering me at the back of my mind was how this book is not really aimed for adults, and would be quite a good read for a younger audience.
Since the characters are from Scotland, the Scottish vibe is given perfectly. All the dialogues and everything is done to the T. But I really had to re-read a few lines to actually understand what the person was trying to convey, making it frustrating. I still don't understand a few of the lines in the book.
The story line is very similar to Peter Pan. The only thing missing is the lack of appearance from the Lost Boys. Other than that, everything else is nailed. A fairy, a flying boy, a girl somewhere in there, and alas, an evil pirate.
I know this doesn’t really matter, but the cover of the book really put me off. Like I avoided this book as much as possible because of the dull cover… I know the whole “Never judge a book by its cover” (quite literally here), but come on, I’m sure there’s many of us that actually buys ¾ of the books for their amazing cover designs.
The book does end with a cliffhanger, but I don’t think I’ll be reading the next book anytime soon. A decent book, but not good enough for me.
March 8, 2016
*I was given a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I enjoyed reading this book as I love fantasy books.
I especially liked the way the characters' accents were portrayed and the world building of the fairy land, as well as the beautiful descriptions of Edinburgh (I really wish I could go there now!)
I also really liked the way the characters evolved as the story went on and how their feelings and reactions changed.
I think it is a beautiful story, although I believe it's aimed at people younger than me, so I didn't feel so captivated by it as I would have been about ten years ago, I know I would have loved this book as a teenager.
I wish the children's reactions and behaviour regarding their family issues would have been explored in more depth, but the factor that it is not so developed is probably due to it being aimed at a younger audience.
I would definitely recommend it for people aged 12-18, as it's very entertaining.
I enjoyed reading this book as I love fantasy books.
I especially liked the way the characters' accents were portrayed and the world building of the fairy land, as well as the beautiful descriptions of Edinburgh (I really wish I could go there now!)
I also really liked the way the characters evolved as the story went on and how their feelings and reactions changed.
I think it is a beautiful story, although I believe it's aimed at people younger than me, so I didn't feel so captivated by it as I would have been about ten years ago, I know I would have loved this book as a teenager.
I wish the children's reactions and behaviour regarding their family issues would have been explored in more depth, but the factor that it is not so developed is probably due to it being aimed at a younger audience.
I would definitely recommend it for people aged 12-18, as it's very entertaining.
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