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Books of Faerie #1
Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception
FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING NOVEL SHIVER
"
Vibrant and potent, YA readers searching for faerie stories will be happy to find this accomplished debut novel."
–
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)
"This beautiful and out-of-the-ordinary debut novel, with its authentic depiction of Celtic Faerie lore and dangerous forbidden love in a contemporary American setting, will appeal to readers of Nancy Werlin's Impossible and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series."
–
Booklist
(starred review)
"Part adventure, part fantasy, and wholly riveting love story, Lament will delight nearly all audiences with its skillful blend of magic and ordinary life."
--KLIATT (starred review)
Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .
Lament is a dark faerie fantasy that features authentic Celtic faerie lore, plus cover art and interior illustrations by acclaimed faerie artist Julia Jeffrey.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2008
469 people are currently reading
40339 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Stiefvater
64 books172k followersNew York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races. Artist. Driver of things with wheels. Avid reader.
Maggie Stiefvater plays several musical instruments (most infamously, the bagpipes) and makes art in several media (most generally, colored pencils).
She lives in Virginia with her husband, their two children, many dogs, a bunch of fainting goats, and an irascible tuner car.
Maggie Stiefvater plays several musical instruments (most infamously, the bagpipes) and makes art in several media (most generally, colored pencils).
She lives in Virginia with her husband, their two children, many dogs, a bunch of fainting goats, and an irascible tuner car.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,084 reviews
September 30, 2012
Okay, I admit it, I think I'm getting old.
1) Why are fictional YA female characters so stupid?! I don't care how much you are awed by a hot body and perfect blond hair (I'm not too old to appreciate that, though I prefer brown hair) you should not be following around a mysterious guy who openly admits he is dangerous and you think might be trying to kill you! Seriously?! Mysterious is one thing, maybe he's just brooding or misunderstood. Potential first-degree murder - especially your own - is completely unacceptable.
2) Did the male population suddenly massively outnumber the female population? ALL of these girls have two guys fighting over them?! Completely unrealistic.
3) And where do these parents come from? Based on the parental units I have read about in YA lately you would think that all parents are emotionally abusive, neglectful, and flat-out uninterested in their children's lives.
4) And who builds these houses that the families live in? Why can these parents, in their bedroom across the hall from their children, not hear teenage boys sneaking in and out at all hours of the night?! I thought about sneaking a guy into my parents house once and my dad told me to just try it, he had freshly cleaned his shot-gun...and I was 26 YEARS OLD!
Maybe I'm being unfair. In the defense of YA, I have read two books by Stiefvater back-to-back and both of them angered me so perhaps it's just this author I don't care for and am being jaded by the freshness of the reading. The only thing that earned this star-crossed lovers tween drama 2 stars is that I liked the concept of the fey, other than that, the summary of this book would read like a MadLibs:
Socially inept teenage girl (insert original, two syllable name here) is struggling though high school; only her exceptional gift at (insert a music, art, or writing skill here) and her male best friend (insert average, one syllable name here) who is (insert any word that is a synonym for "beautiful"). The best male friend is of course popular, gorgeous, charming, and completely in love with lead-female even though she is (insert one of the following: oblivious, scared, stupid) to this. Then, a new bad-boy (insert a male name that is either foreign or old-school) comes to town who happens to be (insert any mythical character here). Lead-female and mythical bad-boy fall (inset overly-sappy adjective) in love, which sets up a love triangle between lead-girl, male-bf (who, by the way, is perfect for her), and mythical bad-boy. The story progresses as (insert mythical character's people) try to kill the lead-girl - all the while lead-girl and mythical bad-boy kiss (insert adverb here) while always finding the non-existent tween will-power to not go farther - ending in a mini-battle that is as anti-climatic as the love story and lead-girl ends up with mythical bad-boy but always in his world and on his terms.
I need a break from YA and am picking up the 1,500 page autobiography of Harry Truman next. It may bore me to tears but at least it will be based on semi-realistic assumptions.
1) Why are fictional YA female characters so stupid?! I don't care how much you are awed by a hot body and perfect blond hair (I'm not too old to appreciate that, though I prefer brown hair) you should not be following around a mysterious guy who openly admits he is dangerous and you think might be trying to kill you! Seriously?! Mysterious is one thing, maybe he's just brooding or misunderstood. Potential first-degree murder - especially your own - is completely unacceptable.
2) Did the male population suddenly massively outnumber the female population? ALL of these girls have two guys fighting over them?! Completely unrealistic.
3) And where do these parents come from? Based on the parental units I have read about in YA lately you would think that all parents are emotionally abusive, neglectful, and flat-out uninterested in their children's lives.
4) And who builds these houses that the families live in? Why can these parents, in their bedroom across the hall from their children, not hear teenage boys sneaking in and out at all hours of the night?! I thought about sneaking a guy into my parents house once and my dad told me to just try it, he had freshly cleaned his shot-gun...and I was 26 YEARS OLD!
Maybe I'm being unfair. In the defense of YA, I have read two books by Stiefvater back-to-back and both of them angered me so perhaps it's just this author I don't care for and am being jaded by the freshness of the reading. The only thing that earned this star-crossed lovers tween drama 2 stars is that I liked the concept of the fey, other than that, the summary of this book would read like a MadLibs:
Socially inept teenage girl (insert original, two syllable name here) is struggling though high school; only her exceptional gift at (insert a music, art, or writing skill here) and her male best friend (insert average, one syllable name here) who is (insert any word that is a synonym for "beautiful"). The best male friend is of course popular, gorgeous, charming, and completely in love with lead-female even though she is (insert one of the following: oblivious, scared, stupid) to this. Then, a new bad-boy (insert a male name that is either foreign or old-school) comes to town who happens to be (insert any mythical character here). Lead-female and mythical bad-boy fall (inset overly-sappy adjective) in love, which sets up a love triangle between lead-girl, male-bf (who, by the way, is perfect for her), and mythical bad-boy. The story progresses as (insert mythical character's people) try to kill the lead-girl - all the while lead-girl and mythical bad-boy kiss (insert adverb here) while always finding the non-existent tween will-power to not go farther - ending in a mini-battle that is as anti-climatic as the love story and lead-girl ends up with mythical bad-boy but always in his world and on his terms.
I need a break from YA and am picking up the 1,500 page autobiography of Harry Truman next. It may bore me to tears but at least it will be based on semi-realistic assumptions.
February 19, 2010
shitlisted
faerie: come away, human.
me: why?
faerie: untold delights and stiefvater-stories forever.
me: i'm holding out for a better offer. ta.
January 23, 2009
At first glance, this may seem like just another teen paranormal romance book in the faerie sub-category. For that reason, it took me weeks after I checked out the book to actually read it. But I must confess...once I got started, I was hooked. The plot was extremely interesting, the twists on traditional faerie-lore quite well planned, and the romance was enjoyable.
I can see where people are coming from comparing Luke to Edward Cullen, but...well...I didn't like Twilight, and I DID like this book, so read into that what you will. Both men seem tormented, but Deirdre is a far more active and strong protagonist than Bella, and this in turn makes Luke a more appealing character.
My only complaint is the abruptness of the ending...not only story-wise, but page-wise. The last page literally ended at the very bottom of the paper, and the author's bio was on the flip side. I never realized that having one or two blank pages between the story's end and the author bio made such a difference, but it's like the screen going blank on a movie for a moment before the credits roll...it's a moment to pause and realize things are done. Without that pause, the book felt like it was just cut off in mid-sentence. I know this may seem picky, and really, I had no idea it would annoy me, but it did.
I can see where people are coming from comparing Luke to Edward Cullen, but...well...I didn't like Twilight, and I DID like this book, so read into that what you will. Both men seem tormented, but Deirdre is a far more active and strong protagonist than Bella, and this in turn makes Luke a more appealing character.
My only complaint is the abruptness of the ending...not only story-wise, but page-wise. The last page literally ended at the very bottom of the paper, and the author's bio was on the flip side. I never realized that having one or two blank pages between the story's end and the author bio made such a difference, but it's like the screen going blank on a movie for a moment before the credits roll...it's a moment to pause and realize things are done. Without that pause, the book felt like it was just cut off in mid-sentence. I know this may seem picky, and really, I had no idea it would annoy me, but it did.
May 29, 2009
What I liked about Lament: the writing was lyrical, the characters were real, the heroine wasn't a spineless dishrag, and the love interest was an assassin. (Okay, so I have a thing for assassins.) The faeries were portrayed as feral and dangerous, which is how they're supposed to be, in my humble opinion. And the ending. The ending killed me, in a good way. The author certainly didn't take the easy way out, forcing a sappy, Happily Ever After onto the characters when logic clearly dictated otherwise. The ending is real and bittersweet, and what I respect most about this author's work. I', very much looking forward to the sequel, Ballad, when it comes out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2018
This review can also be found on Books of my Heart
Lament or I Fell in Love With a Millennia Old Assassin Sent to Kill Me, is not my favorite work by Stiefvater to be sure (That still remains the Raven Boys Series). I’m possibly just a little to old for this book and can’t suspend disbelief enough for a few of the tropes happening. But overall if you let a few things just slide it is fun and entertaining read.
Deirdre is smart (except when it comes to boys) and extremely talented, she also has just figured out she is a little different and can sense and see the Fae. That has put her in the crosshairs of not one but two assassins. Luke is the boy (*cough* 1000-year-old love interest *cough*) who seems to get Dee. He is beautiful and they make wonderful music together everything seems almost perfect until weird things start happening and Dee thinks that Luke might not be just the boy next door.
James…now this is the relationship I could have totally got behind. This is another case in a book where I think the BFF is totally the better love interest. Plus James is easy to like, he isn’t trying to kill Dee for one and he is hilarious.
I love the easy banter between James and Dee. Of coarse he has loved her forever and she is clueless about it, but he is really the best friend a girl can have when weird stuff starts happening.
This is completely guilty of the insta love trope that we see in a lot of YA books and there are some super silly moments when Dee is just a bit over the top when it comes to Luke. But it is Maggie Steifvater and so there are just some great lines hidden in the YA angst.
Overall if you let go a few of the eye-rollable moments this was a fun read with an interesting villain(s) and a few unusual developments. It also touches on Fae lore which I really love most of the time and tells an interesting tale.
Audio Note
I hadn’t read Lament before because it wasn’t on Audiobook and 75% of my reading is done in that format but wait no more because now it has been released in audio as well. Carly Robins does a fantastic job perfoming in this. She captured the fun Irish accent of Luke well and I enjoyed her portrayal of Dee. Steifvater’s prose lends itself well to narration and that is the format I’ve read all of her books in. This might be a little more for girls in the 12-15 year range but it was still good listen.
Lament or I Fell in Love With a Millennia Old Assassin Sent to Kill Me, is not my favorite work by Stiefvater to be sure (That still remains the Raven Boys Series). I’m possibly just a little to old for this book and can’t suspend disbelief enough for a few of the tropes happening. But overall if you let a few things just slide it is fun and entertaining read.
Deirdre is smart (except when it comes to boys) and extremely talented, she also has just figured out she is a little different and can sense and see the Fae. That has put her in the crosshairs of not one but two assassins. Luke is the boy (*cough* 1000-year-old love interest *cough*) who seems to get Dee. He is beautiful and they make wonderful music together everything seems almost perfect until weird things start happening and Dee thinks that Luke might not be just the boy next door.
James…now this is the relationship I could have totally got behind. This is another case in a book where I think the BFF is totally the better love interest. Plus James is easy to like, he isn’t trying to kill Dee for one and he is hilarious.
“When did you get so smart?"
He tapped his forehead. "Brain transplant. They put in a whale's. I'm passing all my classes with my eyes closed now, but I just can't get over this craving for krill." He shrugged. "And I feel sorry for the whale that got my brain. Probably swimming around Florida now trying to catch glimpses of girls in bikinis.”
I love the easy banter between James and Dee. Of coarse he has loved her forever and she is clueless about it, but he is really the best friend a girl can have when weird stuff starts happening.
This is completely guilty of the insta love trope that we see in a lot of YA books and there are some super silly moments when Dee is just a bit over the top when it comes to Luke. But it is Maggie Steifvater and so there are just some great lines hidden in the YA angst.
“You're like a song that I heard when I was a little kid but forgot I knew until I heard it again.”
Overall if you let go a few of the eye-rollable moments this was a fun read with an interesting villain(s) and a few unusual developments. It also touches on Fae lore which I really love most of the time and tells an interesting tale.
Audio Note
I hadn’t read Lament before because it wasn’t on Audiobook and 75% of my reading is done in that format but wait no more because now it has been released in audio as well. Carly Robins does a fantastic job perfoming in this. She captured the fun Irish accent of Luke well and I enjoyed her portrayal of Dee. Steifvater’s prose lends itself well to narration and that is the format I’ve read all of her books in. This might be a little more for girls in the 12-15 year range but it was still good listen.
October 18, 2008
After putting down this book, the first thing I thought was: Man, that was incredible. The second thing I thought was: WHY MUST THE SEQUEL COME OUT NEXT YEAR AND NOT RIGHT NOW? And yes, I thought this in all capital letters. But Lament itself is an incredible book. The writing is excellent ( though I saw a few things I'd change and, like, two typos overall, but that's me being way too critical ). The characters are amazing - I was so used to reading about heroines who play dumb or have no idea about this-or-that going on, and I was surprised, then overjoyed, to find that Deirdre was smart and clever and offered a refreshing point of view. God, I don't even know what to point out as outstanding, because every page brought on something great. I honestly couldn't put it down - except once last night because it was midnight and I was forced to go to bed. There's romance and magic and humor and action. This is one book I highly recommend.
August 23, 2017
La primera historia de Maggie que leí y a mi parecer es la mejor.
Este universo la cautivó y sus personajes me parecen muy bien escritos, con personalidades muy marcadas, en una trama simple pero que te mantiene interesado en saber que pasará con nuestros protagonistas.
Un aire nuevo y muy favorable para adentrarse en el mundo de las hadas, que supera con creces a otros tantos que se han quedado cortos en cuanto a estos seres fantásticos se refiere.
Este universo la cautivó y sus personajes me parecen muy bien escritos, con personalidades muy marcadas, en una trama simple pero que te mantiene interesado en saber que pasará con nuestros protagonistas.
Un aire nuevo y muy favorable para adentrarse en el mundo de las hadas, que supera con creces a otros tantos que se han quedado cortos en cuanto a estos seres fantásticos se refiere.
October 26, 2008
Lament>noun 1. a passionate expression of grief. 2. a song, piece of music, or poem expressing grief or regret.
I pre-ordered Lament when I first heard about it a couple months ago. You can imagine my surprise when I received an email confirmation that the book was on the way a little less than a month early!! Needless to say when it showed up on my doorstep Friday, I did a little happy dance right there in front of my neighbors.
And The Story Siren even got a shout out in the novel! Okay, not exactly a shout out, but on page 102 and I quote: “You’re like a siren, leading me into dangerous places.” How cool is that!
Deirdre Monaghan is a very gifted harp player, one of the best in the nation. But she is much more than an exceptional harp player, she is also a cloverhand– one who can see faeries. The realization of this unlikely talent all happens when she meets the mysterious and dreamy Luke Dillon.
They–they fey, have noticed Dierdre as well and their attention can only spell out disaster. The Faerie Queen has sent an assassin to kill Deirdre and it’s only a matter of time before They succeed. Unsure what exactly Luke is, could he be one of Them, Dierdre battles with her desire to find the truth and her desire of Luke.
Lament is Maggie Stiefvater’s debut novel. The characters are exceptional! They are my favorite aspect of the novel! Deirdre’s character develops throughout the story and she is the embodiment of the perfect female heroine, unsure, imperfect, smart and real. Luke’s role as the tragic hero is perfectly written. I relished in the satire and witty comments of Deirdre’s best friend James, he may just be my favorite character along with Deirdre’s tell it like it is grandmother. The villains, while not prominent in the entire novel still stood out within the story, and left a lasting impression.
Although the fey are somewhat common in literature, I loved Stiefvater’s take! I also enjoyed the musical element that was displayed throughout the novel, it added so much to the novel. The plot itself was paced well and was thoroughly engaging! I had a very hard time putting this book down, even when I really needed to!! Lament has a little bit of everything; suspense, romance, intrigue, and action. The bittersweet ending will leave you yearning for more. Watch out Melissa Marr and Holly Black, there is a new faerie Queen in town!
I pre-ordered Lament when I first heard about it a couple months ago. You can imagine my surprise when I received an email confirmation that the book was on the way a little less than a month early!! Needless to say when it showed up on my doorstep Friday, I did a little happy dance right there in front of my neighbors.
And The Story Siren even got a shout out in the novel! Okay, not exactly a shout out, but on page 102 and I quote: “You’re like a siren, leading me into dangerous places.” How cool is that!
Deirdre Monaghan is a very gifted harp player, one of the best in the nation. But she is much more than an exceptional harp player, she is also a cloverhand– one who can see faeries. The realization of this unlikely talent all happens when she meets the mysterious and dreamy Luke Dillon.
They–they fey, have noticed Dierdre as well and their attention can only spell out disaster. The Faerie Queen has sent an assassin to kill Deirdre and it’s only a matter of time before They succeed. Unsure what exactly Luke is, could he be one of Them, Dierdre battles with her desire to find the truth and her desire of Luke.
Lament is Maggie Stiefvater’s debut novel. The characters are exceptional! They are my favorite aspect of the novel! Deirdre’s character develops throughout the story and she is the embodiment of the perfect female heroine, unsure, imperfect, smart and real. Luke’s role as the tragic hero is perfectly written. I relished in the satire and witty comments of Deirdre’s best friend James, he may just be my favorite character along with Deirdre’s tell it like it is grandmother. The villains, while not prominent in the entire novel still stood out within the story, and left a lasting impression.
Although the fey are somewhat common in literature, I loved Stiefvater’s take! I also enjoyed the musical element that was displayed throughout the novel, it added so much to the novel. The plot itself was paced well and was thoroughly engaging! I had a very hard time putting this book down, even when I really needed to!! Lament has a little bit of everything; suspense, romance, intrigue, and action. The bittersweet ending will leave you yearning for more. Watch out Melissa Marr and Holly Black, there is a new faerie Queen in town!
January 27, 2011
I adore and admire Maggie Stiefvater's writing. I think I post this in almost every review of her books, but the way she uses words inspires me to improve my own writing. By now, my blatant bias for her work should be apparent. Despite Lament's shortcomings when compared to her series starting with Shiver, I still enjoyed it.
Deirdre Monaghan is the average above-average sixteen-year-old. A gifted musician, she goes through the everyday notions of practicing for performances and satisfying her callous mother - until she meets the mysterious Luke Dillon while throwing up in the girl's bathroom. As unappealing as that first date may seem, things get even stranger when Deirdre discovers that Luke is a faerie assassin. Yet, she cannot stymie her growing attraction to him. Is their love for one another enough to keep them together, or will it be the factor that costs them their lives?
Yes, Twilight comparisons abound. However, there is no competition to which one is the better book. Maggie Stiefvater's writing is at least tenfold of Stephenie Meyer's, or at least what Meyer displayed in her Twilight series. Additionally, the characters in Stiefvater's novel are stronger and deeper than those in Meyer's.
This being Stiefvater's first young adult novel, I was duly impressed by the dialogue as well as the general way the characters were written. It did not send shivers racing through my bones as The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy did, but it was definitely worth the read.
Want to read more of my reviews? Follow me here.
Deirdre Monaghan is the average above-average sixteen-year-old. A gifted musician, she goes through the everyday notions of practicing for performances and satisfying her callous mother - until she meets the mysterious Luke Dillon while throwing up in the girl's bathroom. As unappealing as that first date may seem, things get even stranger when Deirdre discovers that Luke is a faerie assassin. Yet, she cannot stymie her growing attraction to him. Is their love for one another enough to keep them together, or will it be the factor that costs them their lives?
Yes, Twilight comparisons abound. However, there is no competition to which one is the better book. Maggie Stiefvater's writing is at least tenfold of Stephenie Meyer's, or at least what Meyer displayed in her Twilight series. Additionally, the characters in Stiefvater's novel are stronger and deeper than those in Meyer's.
This being Stiefvater's first young adult novel, I was duly impressed by the dialogue as well as the general way the characters were written. It did not send shivers racing through my bones as The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy did, but it was definitely worth the read.
Want to read more of my reviews? Follow me here.
January 28, 2011
horrible. i've read several faerie books and this one was the worst. the main character just learns of the world of the fey so nonchalantly that it seems completely unbelievable and ridiculous. the references that her family was involved with the fey and now isnt is preposterous as the mom and aunt (who is or isnt a villain)dont get what's going on. and the relationship between the 2 protagonists, that they are in love after a few encounters is just sad. this was a horrendous book where the plot takes several leaps of faith without explaining where the notions come from... just failing to enhance the plot. a terrible read.
January 1, 2026
This was... odd.
Reading this felt very much like I’d been dropped in the middle of a story. The plot in general has a lot of potential, but it reads a lot like every other young adult paranormal romance of that period of time (which I'll admit, I'm super weak for). Girl meets boy. Boy changes girls life and makes her question everything. Boy seems like a bad boy but everything has an explanation. Girls best friend is secretly in love with her. So on and so forth.
I did end up mostly enjoying it.
For one, Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is magical.
Two: the best friend, James, was one of the best parts of this book. He was so effortlessly funny. It didn’t seem weird or forced at all.
And three! the ending! No spoilers but it wasn’t what I was expecting at all and I genuinely NEED to read the next one right now to figure out how things are going to go.
Reading this felt very much like I’d been dropped in the middle of a story. The plot in general has a lot of potential, but it reads a lot like every other young adult paranormal romance of that period of time (which I'll admit, I'm super weak for). Girl meets boy. Boy changes girls life and makes her question everything. Boy seems like a bad boy but everything has an explanation. Girls best friend is secretly in love with her. So on and so forth.
I did end up mostly enjoying it.
For one, Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is magical.
Two: the best friend, James, was one of the best parts of this book. He was so effortlessly funny. It didn’t seem weird or forced at all.
And three! the ending! No spoilers but it wasn’t what I was expecting at all and I genuinely NEED to read the next one right now to figure out how things are going to go.
November 4, 2011
I don't think that I will ever read anything by Stiefvater again. I will use a quote from her book to illustrate my point:
"We sat arm to arm, staring at the same grubby plastic menu, like we were a normal couple, not a telekinetic freak and a soulless fairie assassin. I let my imagination run wild with the idea of dating - Luke an ordinary teenage boy, me an ordinary girl. We'd eat the same old barbecue sandwiches we always got, then he'd pull me out of the booth by my hand and we'd go out to his car. He'd let me drive because he knew I liked to, and we'd do things normal couples did when they dated. We'd go to the Smithsonian and try to interpret modern art. We'd go to the movies and watch stupid action flicks and laugh at the melodramatic lines. We'd go hiking at the state park and watch summer disappear over the horizon; I'd lose my virginity while the trees shed their leaves all around us. When winter came, he'd hold my frozen hands and tell me how much he loved me, and that he'd never leave me."
Okay...now reader of that insanely long quote, can you imagine what I would take issue with? HOLY COW! The part where she freaking is talking about losing her virginity! Stiefvater is one incredibly irresponsible YA writer. This is a book about a 16 year old girl written for 16 year old girls and she flippantly throws that in there. You know, go to the museum, go to the movies, and have sex with your teenage boyfriend--I guess seeing "trees shed their leaves" makes girls want to shed their clothes. Awesome. That's what we need all teenagers doing. Why didn't she just add getting pregnant and dropping out of high school to the list? She could have just as easily said "Have my first kiss under the moonlight" or something to keep it a little, oh I don't know, more child friendly, but if that didn't turn me off to this book, there's more (well, when I say there's more, I mean I have more criticism, not that the book has any depth).
Okay, so in this installment of YA lit we have a shy girl who has never dated meets mysterious older and gorgeous guy and he is instantly fascinated with her. He hints that he has some super dark secret and that he just can't keep himself from her, and despite many red flags (the fact that she can read his mind and see his memories and oh WAIT...he's not only a murderer, he's an assassin) she finds herself falling in love with him only to discover that his dark secret is going to keep them apart in the end. But wait! Love overcomes all obstacles and together they fight the evil forces keeping them apart and are at last, together.
First, I am going to give the author a pass on the super-trite story line because you can't expect much more out of YA authors. Here's where I get annoyed: Deirdre knows he's an assassin and is at first disturbed by this fact, but then it is like it never happened (because he is just so good looking, I guess). At least Edward Cullen was killing the rapists and murders of the world like some vigilante; Luke is just killing.
But you didn't tell the rest of the story! He HAS to kill them because some fairie queen is keeping his soul captive as a dove and tortures it when he disobeys her orders. Oh of course...the whole, my sin doesn't count because I was ordered to do it defense. Here's where that logic fails: he kills to keep the queen happy and because he doesn't want to be tortured, but all of a sudden he falls for his "mark" and now he can't kill her no matter the pain that will result? Well, I'm sorry, but if you can't kill now, you didn't have to kill then, and you should have been man enough to take the beating.
There is so much more to say, but I think you get the point: I didn't like the book.
I seriously don't know why I bought this book...I am trying to remember buying it on my Kindle and I don't remember it. Maybe the fairies made me do it?
Anyway, please save yourself the money and just don't.
Awful, simply awful.
And no, I won't be reading the rest of the series.
"We sat arm to arm, staring at the same grubby plastic menu, like we were a normal couple, not a telekinetic freak and a soulless fairie assassin. I let my imagination run wild with the idea of dating - Luke an ordinary teenage boy, me an ordinary girl. We'd eat the same old barbecue sandwiches we always got, then he'd pull me out of the booth by my hand and we'd go out to his car. He'd let me drive because he knew I liked to, and we'd do things normal couples did when they dated. We'd go to the Smithsonian and try to interpret modern art. We'd go to the movies and watch stupid action flicks and laugh at the melodramatic lines. We'd go hiking at the state park and watch summer disappear over the horizon; I'd lose my virginity while the trees shed their leaves all around us. When winter came, he'd hold my frozen hands and tell me how much he loved me, and that he'd never leave me."
Okay...now reader of that insanely long quote, can you imagine what I would take issue with? HOLY COW! The part where she freaking is talking about losing her virginity! Stiefvater is one incredibly irresponsible YA writer. This is a book about a 16 year old girl written for 16 year old girls and she flippantly throws that in there. You know, go to the museum, go to the movies, and have sex with your teenage boyfriend--I guess seeing "trees shed their leaves" makes girls want to shed their clothes. Awesome. That's what we need all teenagers doing. Why didn't she just add getting pregnant and dropping out of high school to the list? She could have just as easily said "Have my first kiss under the moonlight" or something to keep it a little, oh I don't know, more child friendly, but if that didn't turn me off to this book, there's more (well, when I say there's more, I mean I have more criticism, not that the book has any depth).
Okay, so in this installment of YA lit we have a shy girl who has never dated meets mysterious older and gorgeous guy and he is instantly fascinated with her. He hints that he has some super dark secret and that he just can't keep himself from her, and despite many red flags (the fact that she can read his mind and see his memories and oh WAIT...he's not only a murderer, he's an assassin) she finds herself falling in love with him only to discover that his dark secret is going to keep them apart in the end. But wait! Love overcomes all obstacles and together they fight the evil forces keeping them apart and are at last, together.
First, I am going to give the author a pass on the super-trite story line because you can't expect much more out of YA authors. Here's where I get annoyed: Deirdre knows he's an assassin and is at first disturbed by this fact, but then it is like it never happened (because he is just so good looking, I guess). At least Edward Cullen was killing the rapists and murders of the world like some vigilante; Luke is just killing.
But you didn't tell the rest of the story! He HAS to kill them because some fairie queen is keeping his soul captive as a dove and tortures it when he disobeys her orders. Oh of course...the whole, my sin doesn't count because I was ordered to do it defense. Here's where that logic fails: he kills to keep the queen happy and because he doesn't want to be tortured, but all of a sudden he falls for his "mark" and now he can't kill her no matter the pain that will result? Well, I'm sorry, but if you can't kill now, you didn't have to kill then, and you should have been man enough to take the beating.
There is so much more to say, but I think you get the point: I didn't like the book.
I seriously don't know why I bought this book...I am trying to remember buying it on my Kindle and I don't remember it. Maybe the fairies made me do it?
Anyway, please save yourself the money and just don't.
Awful, simply awful.
And no, I won't be reading the rest of the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2020
This was alright.
I think I should start with the fact that I hated the main character. SO. FREAKING. MUCH (like, hello, you've never seen this guy before in your life and all of a sudden you're spouting off ya romance lines like your life depends on it, even though it's pretty obvious you'll probably die if you stick around with him? i hate this kind of insta-love reminiscent of twilight so much i. can't. even. not to mention how she doesn't do anything really significant to the plot but learn about her powers until the second half of the book.)
There was a half-hearted love triangle between thissoulless faerie assassin guy and her and her best friend (ouch), which I wasn't really that much of a fan for, but it was okay (read: meh).
The ending was meh. And also really abrupt. Like wtf, I don't want to read the sequel, but I sorta want to know what happens next. Also, what's up with Delia - we got a little bit of information but it wasn't enough. What am I supposed to do? Guess and make conspiracy theories?It's not like I don't already do that when it isn't necessary.
Buuuuuuuuuuut the one saving grace was... *drum roll* the fae folk themselves! I like to think that I've read a fair amount of books regarding faerie, and I really enjoyed their treacherous nature in this book. It was fairly well written.
So, this does nothing to change the fact that I love The Raven Cycle a million times more than life itself, but I thought this book was interesting, if you could get past the mc casually being a ditz.
I think I should start with the fact that I hated the main character. SO. FREAKING. MUCH (like, hello, you've never seen this guy before in your life and all of a sudden you're spouting off ya romance lines like your life depends on it, even though it's pretty obvious you'll probably die if you stick around with him? i hate this kind of insta-love reminiscent of twilight so much i. can't. even. not to mention how she doesn't do anything really significant to the plot but learn about her powers until the second half of the book.)
There was a half-hearted love triangle between this
The ending was meh. And also really abrupt. Like wtf, I don't want to read the sequel, but I sorta want to know what happens next. Also, what's up with Delia - we got a little bit of information but it wasn't enough. What am I supposed to do? Guess and make conspiracy theories?
Buuuuuuuuuuut the one saving grace was... *drum roll* the fae folk themselves! I like to think that I've read a fair amount of books regarding faerie, and I really enjoyed their treacherous nature in this book. It was fairly well written.
So, this does nothing to change the fact that I love The Raven Cycle a million times more than life itself, but I thought this book was interesting, if you could get past the mc casually being a ditz.
May 18, 2016
Stiefvater...why must you disappoint me so.
May 24, 2020
Not completely sure how I never read this book, or series, before. At first, I was kind of intrigued to dive into Lament. However, after diving into I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it all. IT was odd and that's kind of putting it nicely.
I mean a lot of it was predictable but it was a nice read overall. Not a lot of drama involved from what I can remember. Out of all the characters, pretty sure James was my favorite. He was just hilarious and definitely got me to keep turning the pages. Then there's the little romance.. eh it was okay. Not my favorite thing and that's probably why I'm not sure how to dive into this review just yet.
In the end, it was a good book. It had a lot of potential to be a great book but I'm hoping that it picks up throughout the series. Now after that ending, I'm intrigued to see what is going to happen next for everyone involved. I have a ton of questions and I need answers or something. Definitely need to find the next book stat!
I mean a lot of it was predictable but it was a nice read overall. Not a lot of drama involved from what I can remember. Out of all the characters, pretty sure James was my favorite. He was just hilarious and definitely got me to keep turning the pages. Then there's the little romance.. eh it was okay. Not my favorite thing and that's probably why I'm not sure how to dive into this review just yet.
In the end, it was a good book. It had a lot of potential to be a great book but I'm hoping that it picks up throughout the series. Now after that ending, I'm intrigued to see what is going to happen next for everyone involved. I have a ton of questions and I need answers or something. Definitely need to find the next book stat!
July 29, 2012
In this book. an ordinary-feeling young woman is initiated into an invisible world of magic and intrigue. Nervous and clumsy, our protagonist is yet mysteriously beautiful and alluring to the male hero, who is hundreds of years older than he looks, has his own painful supernatural history, and is really cut. Occasionally her feelings overcome her physically and he has to pick her up and carry her somewhere. The young woman's parents are clueless to the point of near negligence. It's uncomfortable to consider the supernatural shadow world as an allegory of the adult world, because in that case, this book seems to imply that the young woman requires an older man to shepherd her through life.
That ends the part of the review that I could have copied from my review of Twilight, had I bothered to write one. I read this book because I'd heard Ballad was so good. I'm not sure it was actually necessary to read this one to understand the other, and I got impatient with it, so maybe I should have dived straight into the sequel.
Points off for treating "lightyears" as a measurement of time and repeated "single tear" episodes.
That ends the part of the review that I could have copied from my review of Twilight, had I bothered to write one. I read this book because I'd heard Ballad was so good. I'm not sure it was actually necessary to read this one to understand the other, and I got impatient with it, so maybe I should have dived straight into the sequel.
Points off for treating "lightyears" as a measurement of time and repeated "single tear" episodes.
July 22, 2025
This wasn't for me I struggled to finish it.
February 18, 2024
I have to be honest... I did not enjoy this book.
I adore Maggie Stiefvater as a writer, but her first book was not it for me. And guess what? That's completely okay. It's an interesting plot/idea, but it didn't work. I found Dee to be too clueless and the plot to be too predictable. I probably would have loved this when it originally came out (2008 - I ate this stuff up), but now I don't.
Yes, I'm not the intended audience anymore (I'm an adult and this is for young adults), but I enjoy a good young adult book.
Thankfully, I've seen Maggie grow as an author since this was her very first outing as a writer.
Regardless, giving it a one star out of five since it wasn't enjoyable and I don't have many nice things to say about it.
I adore Maggie Stiefvater as a writer, but her first book was not it for me. And guess what? That's completely okay. It's an interesting plot/idea, but it didn't work. I found Dee to be too clueless and the plot to be too predictable. I probably would have loved this when it originally came out (2008 - I ate this stuff up), but now I don't.
Yes, I'm not the intended audience anymore (I'm an adult and this is for young adults), but I enjoy a good young adult book.
Thankfully, I've seen Maggie grow as an author since this was her very first outing as a writer.
Regardless, giving it a one star out of five since it wasn't enjoyable and I don't have many nice things to say about it.
December 20, 2008
Eerie fae, humans who have been trapped for centuries, and a modern singer/harpist pulled between friendship, the lover of her true dreams, and family. This book is haunting and irresistible. I'm looking forward to reading the next one!
August 15, 2016
This is a pretty bizarre book, the main characters make decisions that you will face palm over, I assure you.
My biggest peeve in this book (other than the whole "let's just not ask questions about anything") is that upon learning that Luke Dillon has killed...a hell of a lot of people, Dee is repelled...for 5 seconds before she's throwing herself back at him, it was ridiculous. Yes, Luke has good reasons for everything he's ding ( a psycho queen tortures his caged soul to get him to do her bidding because he refuses to love her) but Dee didn't know this..she just kept throwing herself at a murderer because he's hot and she doesn't really have any other interaction with boys..except for her nerdy, charming, cute, adorable, loyal and slightly kick ass with a fire poker best friend James...who is so far in the friendzone I almost felt his pain.
The plot was up and down, I don't really know why one book was split into 6 tiny books..that was odd, but most of the story was odd. There were psycho fairies and murders going on, but Dee was convinced she needed to act like everything was normal or Luke might vanish, or her family might actually get that much needed family meeting. It was a ludicrous story, which is a shame, I've really enjoyed most of Maggie's other stories.
My biggest peeve in this book (other than the whole "let's just not ask questions about anything") is that upon learning that Luke Dillon has killed...a hell of a lot of people, Dee is repelled...for 5 seconds before she's throwing herself back at him, it was ridiculous. Yes, Luke has good reasons for everything he's ding ( a psycho queen tortures his caged soul to get him to do her bidding because he refuses to love her) but Dee didn't know this..she just kept throwing herself at a murderer because he's hot and she doesn't really have any other interaction with boys..except for her nerdy, charming, cute, adorable, loyal and slightly kick ass with a fire poker best friend James...who is so far in the friendzone I almost felt his pain.
The plot was up and down, I don't really know why one book was split into 6 tiny books..that was odd, but most of the story was odd. There were psycho fairies and murders going on, but Dee was convinced she needed to act like everything was normal or Luke might vanish, or her family might actually get that much needed family meeting. It was a ludicrous story, which is a shame, I've really enjoyed most of Maggie's other stories.
April 11, 2013
I don't know why I even continued reading this book after the first chapter. I knew I wouldn't like it. It is like Twilight revamped, but without the vamps (pun intended?).
So here goes (spoiler alert!): Girl meets mysterious Boy who has no personality but is really hot, and Girl decides she is in love with him. Boy is supposed to kill Girl (oops!). Girl finds out Boy has murdered 100s of people and is supposed to murder her. Girl decides she is still in love with Boy even though he has murdered 100s of people and has no personality (oh right, I forgot. That doesn't matter because he is hot!) Boy decides that he will not murder Girl he has known for 1 week because he is "in love" with her, too. Faeries try to kill Boy, Girl and Girl's Best Friend. Girl totally forgets about her dying Best Friend because she had left the room where he was lying, half dead. Girl wants to save Boy's life instead, because Boy will *probably* die when he gets his soul back. Boy tells girl that she should probably save Best Friend because Boy has actually lived for OVER A THOUSAND YEARS and Best Friend is 16. Best Friend is saved and then completely ignored. Boy turns into fairy. THE END.
Truly, these characters have no redeeming qualities and very little personality. Character development is important! Girls don't fall in love with ideas, they fall in love with people! After they've known them for longer than a week, preferably. I suppose I understand why this type of story appeals to younger readers (In a book, it's easy to insert yourself, your crush, etc. into the characters if they are poorly characterized "ideas" instead of real people), but there are so many GOOD YA books out there. Go pick up one of those, not this one.
So here goes (spoiler alert!): Girl meets mysterious Boy who has no personality but is really hot, and Girl decides she is in love with him. Boy is supposed to kill Girl (oops!). Girl finds out Boy has murdered 100s of people and is supposed to murder her. Girl decides she is still in love with Boy even though he has murdered 100s of people and has no personality (oh right, I forgot. That doesn't matter because he is hot!) Boy decides that he will not murder Girl he has known for 1 week because he is "in love" with her, too. Faeries try to kill Boy, Girl and Girl's Best Friend. Girl totally forgets about her dying Best Friend because she had left the room where he was lying, half dead. Girl wants to save Boy's life instead, because Boy will *probably* die when he gets his soul back. Boy tells girl that she should probably save Best Friend because Boy has actually lived for OVER A THOUSAND YEARS and Best Friend is 16. Best Friend is saved and then completely ignored. Boy turns into fairy. THE END.
Truly, these characters have no redeeming qualities and very little personality. Character development is important! Girls don't fall in love with ideas, they fall in love with people! After they've known them for longer than a week, preferably. I suppose I understand why this type of story appeals to younger readers (In a book, it's easy to insert yourself, your crush, etc. into the characters if they are poorly characterized "ideas" instead of real people), but there are so many GOOD YA books out there. Go pick up one of those, not this one.
October 11, 2016
ehhhh. instalove.
Besides that (removing at least 2 stars for the terrible cliche of it all), the fae side of this was handled beautifully. I had fun, once the compulsive eye-rolling stopped. The writing is actually pretty good, and the illustrations were nice too.
Besides that (removing at least 2 stars for the terrible cliche of it all), the fae side of this was handled beautifully. I had fun, once the compulsive eye-rolling stopped. The writing is actually pretty good, and the illustrations were nice too.
November 5, 2015
“You're like me. We're watchers of this world, aren't we? Not players.”
This is my unofficial review to which I honestly don’t know what else to write because, in typical Stiefvater fashion, Maggie has managed to ensnare me on yet another journey of whimsical beings and doomed love. I’ve heard from so many various sources (yes, book friends included) that anything else Stiefvater has written cannot amount to the sheer radiance of The Raven Cycle (so don’t bother), and while I somewhat agree, partially because my adoration for that series knows no bounds, I have to point out that not every book written by the same author means that the style of writing or atmosphere will be the same. And did that disappoint me? Not at all! It was a nice refreshment, and one I’m looking forward to divulge again once I crack open Ballad, the sequel to Lament.
Let it be known that I’m a sucker for anything remotely fae/faerie inspired. So, of course, a heavily faerie-centric book written by one of my favorite authors was something I spent less than a day searching for and less than forty-eight hours reading. Truly, anyone can read this book in a short time frame, because it is easy to get lost in Maggie’s writing, especially if you’re already familiar with it, and the whole novel was also very fast-paced.
One of the best things about this book is the atmosphere. Similar to The Raven Boys, this series takes place in a quaint Virginia town where it’s perfectly safe to run barefoot down a winding, foggy road at six o’clock in the morning with a rolling field of corn stalks to your right and a hipster-esque classic car owned by an equally hipster-eqsue hottie on your left. But I digress. Lavish in Celtic folklore and myth, this book made me giddy with malicious thoughts and had me laughing alongside the eerie, mirthful faeries. I’m in no way, shape, or form musically inclined, but Deirdre and Luke reminded me of Florence and the Machine–easily winning me over.
If I’m being completely honest with myself and you guys, the romance is what really did it for me. It’s rare to find a pairing that I fully invest my heart in, especially one from a seemingly unknown book, but Luke and Deirdre were too adorable for me to not fall in love with them. Two hopeless dorks, sharing each other’s burdens and easing one another’s shoulders… (nostalgic sigh) where can I find a Luke Dillon?
This series might not be as phenomenal as Stiefvaters’ others, but that does not lessen my love for it. This book was a burning bonfire of emotions and suspense, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a remedy to a reading-slump! It definitely helped me rid mine!
This is my unofficial review to which I honestly don’t know what else to write because, in typical Stiefvater fashion, Maggie has managed to ensnare me on yet another journey of whimsical beings and doomed love. I’ve heard from so many various sources (yes, book friends included) that anything else Stiefvater has written cannot amount to the sheer radiance of The Raven Cycle (so don’t bother), and while I somewhat agree, partially because my adoration for that series knows no bounds, I have to point out that not every book written by the same author means that the style of writing or atmosphere will be the same. And did that disappoint me? Not at all! It was a nice refreshment, and one I’m looking forward to divulge again once I crack open Ballad, the sequel to Lament.
Let it be known that I’m a sucker for anything remotely fae/faerie inspired. So, of course, a heavily faerie-centric book written by one of my favorite authors was something I spent less than a day searching for and less than forty-eight hours reading. Truly, anyone can read this book in a short time frame, because it is easy to get lost in Maggie’s writing, especially if you’re already familiar with it, and the whole novel was also very fast-paced.
One of the best things about this book is the atmosphere. Similar to The Raven Boys, this series takes place in a quaint Virginia town where it’s perfectly safe to run barefoot down a winding, foggy road at six o’clock in the morning with a rolling field of corn stalks to your right and a hipster-esque classic car owned by an equally hipster-eqsue hottie on your left. But I digress. Lavish in Celtic folklore and myth, this book made me giddy with malicious thoughts and had me laughing alongside the eerie, mirthful faeries. I’m in no way, shape, or form musically inclined, but Deirdre and Luke reminded me of Florence and the Machine–easily winning me over.
If I’m being completely honest with myself and you guys, the romance is what really did it for me. It’s rare to find a pairing that I fully invest my heart in, especially one from a seemingly unknown book, but Luke and Deirdre were too adorable for me to not fall in love with them. Two hopeless dorks, sharing each other’s burdens and easing one another’s shoulders… (nostalgic sigh) where can I find a Luke Dillon?
This series might not be as phenomenal as Stiefvaters’ others, but that does not lessen my love for it. This book was a burning bonfire of emotions and suspense, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a remedy to a reading-slump! It definitely helped me rid mine!
June 14, 2020
i feel like this is a book that most people wouldn’t like. the love interest is quite odd and the relationship makes up more than a third of the book. but that’s what i weirdly like about it. i swooned for luke, the main love interest. he is different than most of the other characters i read and i’m excited to learn more about him in the following books. deirdre isn’t one of those bland main characters that doesn’t have a personality, she constantly says that she is plain and basic but she really isn’t and i think the abilities that she have demonstrates this. the only action was in like the last fifty pages which i’m sort of here for because it allowed room for world building and the growth of the relationship of luke and deirdre.
August 17, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this early Stiefvater - turns out she's always been a fabulous author. A dark, pacy, spiky urban fantasy romance at the upper limits of YA, my favourite thing was how this story hovered on the brink of turning into a TAM LIN retelling without ever quite falling over the edge, with its determined mortal heroine seeking to free her love from his bondage to the Queen of Faerie. Richly imbued with Irish lore and music, I was amused to find myself mentally describing this book as "the thinking woman's TWILIGHT" before realising that I had used the same phrase once before, five years ago, in describing the very first Stiefvater book I ever read.
December 3, 2018
I love the Raven Boys with all my heart, but I have to say....this was pretty terrible. Essentially, it was another paranormal romance, which I have to say is not one of my favourite genres. Occasionally, yes, but mostly, nope. It just really isn't for me. And Maggie Steifvater's books are all so different that I feel like they are really hit and miss, whether you are a fan of her or not. And this one was a definite miss for me, though I have a feeling this was like her first book or something? Which maybe explains some things, but at the same time it had some slightly problematic content that I wasn't really a fan of.
T H O U G H T S
- We had the signature Stiefvater prose here - slightly ironic and sarcastic and pithy - yet somehow annoying in first person? Which then made Deirdre really annoying. I did listen to this as an audio book, and I didn't really like the narrator, but at the same time....I didn't like Deirdre's annoying internal monologue and 0 emotions. I also had 0 emotions towards her. Also - this book had The Cursed Sentence - "I let out a deep breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding"! (just because you add the adjective "deep" doesn't change it). Plus, Deirdre accepted everything that happened to her way too quickly.
- I really hated the romance and I thought it was kind of problematic. Like Luke is always following Deirdre around and its just...cringe-y. And she says so many times that she "needs" his amd totally relies on him the whole time and he never told her anything about anything. And it happened way too fast, taking up the whole plot of the book. I felt that there could have been way more focus on the cool faeries and yet?? We just have romance on every page. And the romance stirred up way to much hate from Sarah (I think its Sarah) and just ugh. No me gusta.
- I did like the second half more that the first. I was really bored to start off with because there was just nothing going on. We got more cool faerie stuff later on in the book, which was nice. The faeries were kind of cool and I wish there had been more of a focus on them in the book. I just felt like there were a lot of threads that the author could have explored and didn't. Which is sad.
This is a short and terrible review but aside from a few things I didn't like I found this pretty bland. This was a little disappointing, but I think that with Maggie Stiefvater, just because you like one of her books, you are not guaranteed to like another. I am kind of sad, but at the same time, it wasn't too much less than I expected, but if you wanna read a lighter paranormal romance with some hot faerie dudes, then maybe you'll like this? Maybe?
T H O U G H T S
- We had the signature Stiefvater prose here - slightly ironic and sarcastic and pithy - yet somehow annoying in first person? Which then made Deirdre really annoying. I did listen to this as an audio book, and I didn't really like the narrator, but at the same time....I didn't like Deirdre's annoying internal monologue and 0 emotions. I also had 0 emotions towards her. Also - this book had The Cursed Sentence - "I let out a deep breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding"! (just because you add the adjective "deep" doesn't change it). Plus, Deirdre accepted everything that happened to her way too quickly.
- I really hated the romance and I thought it was kind of problematic. Like Luke is always following Deirdre around and its just...cringe-y. And she says so many times that she "needs" his amd totally relies on him the whole time and he never told her anything about anything. And it happened way too fast, taking up the whole plot of the book. I felt that there could have been way more focus on the cool faeries and yet?? We just have romance on every page. And the romance stirred up way to much hate from Sarah (I think its Sarah) and just ugh. No me gusta.
- I did like the second half more that the first. I was really bored to start off with because there was just nothing going on. We got more cool faerie stuff later on in the book, which was nice. The faeries were kind of cool and I wish there had been more of a focus on them in the book. I just felt like there were a lot of threads that the author could have explored and didn't. Which is sad.
This is a short and terrible review but aside from a few things I didn't like I found this pretty bland. This was a little disappointing, but I think that with Maggie Stiefvater, just because you like one of her books, you are not guaranteed to like another. I am kind of sad, but at the same time, it wasn't too much less than I expected, but if you wanna read a lighter paranormal romance with some hot faerie dudes, then maybe you'll like this? Maybe?
March 1, 2010
This book was so frustrating to read, and by the end I'm still not sure my questions are answered. I know at times Dierdre was confused, but often I didn't understand what she figuring out or so bugged with her for not asking the right questions or figuring out the right answers when it just unnecessarily prolonged suspense. There was enough suspense without having to keep the reader in the dark. I can only handle so many unanswered questions before I get frustrated trying to keep them all straight.
I think Stiefvater should have focused on developing her faerie lore and character development instead of all those hollow sentences that meant nothing but sounded pretty. It pushed the story to the background, giving me a lot of telling in passing without a lot of showing. Having said that, the story was a good idea and the faerie lore, what I did get of it, was interesting. I won't be reading the rest of the series, but having read Shiver, I can say that Stiefvater's style improves and the other books in the series are probably better written.
I think Stiefvater should have focused on developing her faerie lore and character development instead of all those hollow sentences that meant nothing but sounded pretty. It pushed the story to the background, giving me a lot of telling in passing without a lot of showing. Having said that, the story was a good idea and the faerie lore, what I did get of it, was interesting. I won't be reading the rest of the series, but having read Shiver, I can say that Stiefvater's style improves and the other books in the series are probably better written.
November 26, 2009
This book is everything I longed for Wicked Lovely to be. I got sucked in first chapter and settled back and let Maggie Stiefvater take me away.
Fairies done right (intriguing and vicious), the joys/sorrows of young love, and natural feeling amusing dialogue; combined with a seductive sadness undertone to the writing makes this book freaking brilliant.
Fairies done right (intriguing and vicious), the joys/sorrows of young love, and natural feeling amusing dialogue; combined with a seductive sadness undertone to the writing makes this book freaking brilliant.
September 20, 2018
Not my favourite Maggie Stiefvater, but still entertaining!
August 28, 2009
Loved the character of Luke, one of my favorite YA boys this year. Thought Deirdre had an interesting arc, her connection with Luke was powerful. I really liked the detailed connection between music and power, and the incredibly articulated visual images of the book.
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