Swift

The Flight and Flame Trilogy #1

by R.J. Anderson

Ivy sensed the stone hurtling towards her and rolled - too late. Heat scored across her back in a blaze of dazzling pain. The ground spiralled to meet her, and she knew it would only be seconds before she hit...

Ivy is a determined young faery, living in an abandoned tin mine with her clan. In a cruel twist of fate she was born without wings, and she longs to fly like the others. When she meets an enigmatic stranger, he seems to offer an answer. But there is more to him than meets the eye...

A compelling new novel from the bestselling author of Knife, Rebel and Arrow.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Magic, Fae, Fairies, Fiction

221 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

R.J. (Rebecca) Anderson was born in Uganda, raised in Ontario, and has spent much of her life dreaming of other worlds entirely. She is the author of ten traditionally published fantasy/SF books for children and teens, including the UK-bestselling faery romance KNIFE. Her latest published book is TORCH (Book 3 of the Flight and Flame trilogy, which began with SWIFT and NOMAD).

* * * REVIEW POLICY * * *
I review books that I enjoyed reading and think other readers may enjoy as well, but that doesn't mean I agree with or endorse those books in every respect. If you're concerned about content, please check out other reviewers or sites that provide detailed warnings.

I'm no longer giving star ratings as I don't find them nuanced enough, but for books I've already rated, see below:

5 stars: I loved this book so much that I expect to read it again and again -- I reserve this rating for beloved classics and books that knocked my socks off.

4 stars: I really enjoyed the book and/or thought it was excellently done -- there is a good possibility that I'll re-read it.

3 stars: I enjoyed the book and thought it was well done. Should not be taken as belittling the book or its author -- it really does mean "I liked it".

2 stars: I didn't connect to this book as I'd hoped. This category includes books by authors whose other works I truly love, so it's not a dealbreaker. Just found this particular book wasn't for me.

1 star/DNF: Definitely not for me. But I won't be reviewing it because I choose to focus on books I enjoy.

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book as a read-aloud to my little sisters on a whim after winning it for a giveaway. I wasn't sure what to expect at first as I usually didn't enjoy reading YA and especially not YA fantasy (until now, apparently!!!!!). But this book was absolutely amazing! I'm in my late teens, and I enjoyed it just as much as 9-year-old sister did, which shows this series' accessibility! The characters were all so real and convincing, and the plot will grab you and not let go. I totally could've read the entire book in one sitting; it literally took me all my self control to savor it over a one-week period.

I could really relate to the main character, Ivy, as she struggled with her limitations, battled for freedom, and learned to set aside her past beliefs about how things were and are supposed to be so that she could grow and find the truth. And don't even get me started about "Richard"! I literally can't have enough of him; he charmed me so quickly! We ordered the second book of the trilogy (Nomad) and preordered the third (Torch) right away and I'm obviously not going to go into them here, but let me just say that they're even better than the first (which is saying a lot)!!!

Anderson's writing is so charming and magical, I loved every bit of it! I've really drifted away from reading for the last year or two, barely reading a book a year, believe it or not, but Swift has truly drawn me back into reading again and I am oh so grateful. If you are on the edge of a decision about reading this one, I'm telling you, it's more than worth it!

[R.J.]

This book has saffron cake and Cornish pasties, and underground tunnels full of mysterious beauties and hidden dangers, dancing and flying and quoting Shakespeare, soul bonds and friendships, issues of disability and prejudice and the clash of cultures, and a lot of other things I care about. It's also a tribute to my Cornish maternal grandmother, and all the sayings and traditions she passed on to our family even though she died before I was born.

ETA June 2020 - I am so thankful to my publisher Enclave Escape for giving this story a new chance to reach readers in the US and around the world, starting in August 2020. See my latest Goodreads blog post for an exciting SWIFT preorder bonus giveaway, available to the first 30 entries worldwide!

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, personally. (I think. 🤔 It was really interesting, but some parts made me uncomfortable.)

About this book:

“To save her people, a wingless girl must learn to fly.
As a piskey girl born without wings and raised underground, Ivy yearns for flight almost as much as she misses her long-lost mother. But the world outside the Delve is full of danger, and her dreams seem hopeless until she meets a mysterious faery who makes her an enticing offer: If Ivy helps him escape the Delve's dungeon, he'll teach her how to fly.
Freeing Richard could cost Ivy her reputation, perhaps even her life. But when her fellow piskeys start to disappear and her beloved little sister goes missing, Ivy has no choice but to take the risk.
Deadly threats and shocking revelations await Ivy as she ventures into a strange new world, uncovers long-buried secrets about her family's past, and finds that no one—not even herself—is entirely what they seem.”


Series: Book #1 in “The Flight and Flame” trilogy.


Spiritual Content- A human girl prays to God for something to work;
*Note: Magic is used for both good and bad (depending on the one using it and their goals); Regarding the magic, it’s said that piskey magic and faery magic are different, that magic is “a matter of instinct rather than learning”, the being in the moonlight makes magical folks’ magic stronger, magic doesn’t last forever, only female piskeys and female faeries have wings, male faeries can change shape (into an animal), & to change into in animal you have to be completely familiar with that animal and it’s life; Ivy and other piskeys cast magic that are also called ‘spells’, ‘glamors’, ‘wards’, ‘charms’, and ‘illusions’ (very frequently, also mentions of evil spells by villainous characters); Piskeys and other magical folks (faeries and spriggans) have magic/powers and some of them can change shape/size, transform into an animal, grow tiny or big, turn themselves invisible, heal others, leaping from one place to another/transporting, put others to sleep, tracking/finding others, protective spells, create fire from their hands, creating spells to harm others, forcing others to tell the truth, erasing others’ memories, keeping others from talking, controlling others, bespelling others, & casting spells on the enemy in wars (Ivy does some of these & *Spoiler* transforms/”changes” into a bird after being taught *End of Spoiler*); Piskeys get close to a special fire that will make their skin glow better than any lamp (which is helpful since they live in an abandoned mine shaft); *Major Spoiler* There is a faery determine to take revenge on piskeys by planning to trap all male piskeys in little statues and sell them to humans as a good luck charm (because of an error, one of the piskeys died); To be freed from the statue, the blood of a family member and the spell caster has to be wiped on the statue; Ivy is trapped in one once and see others being trapped as well (semi-detailed); More detailed in the Negative Content Spoiler *End of Major Spoiler*; When Ivy touches a couple statues, she feels a power or a connection from them (because of how it was made); Mentions of old powers from the earth & not all of those being good ones; Mentions of iron causing faeries pain and to be unable to use their magic; Mentions of healing potions; Mentions of some humans and magical folk that don’t believe magical creatures exists (some humans with piskeys, some piskeys with spriggans, etc.); Mentions of a human girl being able to see faeries due to having some magic in her blood; A few mentions of cursing others (piskeys to faeries and spriggans); A few mentions of a faery godfather; A couple mentions of demons (someone fighting like a demon & another being called a demon); A couple mentions of blessings over a community; A mention of a place looking possibly haunted; A mention of a wicked magical folk; A mention of a curse; A mention of ghosts; A mention of someone coming back to life (after being trapped); A mention of someone’s gaze of admiration “that bordered on worship”.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast *someone*’, a ‘shut your mouth’, an unfinished ‘what the—', and nine forms of ‘stupid’; A bit of eye rolling & sarcasm; A mention of a curse (said, not written); Seeing a death (similar to Mother Gothel in Tangled, up to semi-detailed); Being attacked, Being hit and slapped, Passing out, Pain, Injuries, Ivy makes herself bleed, & Blood/Bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Being trapped & wanting to feel pain (because she can’t feel anything where she is trapped, up to semi-detailed); Slapping someone & Helping someone put their shoulder back in joint (barely-above-not-detailed); Ivy has to prepare & kill a snake (for food, up to semi-detailed); Ivy has a bit of a disrespectful tone and thoughts towards her mother, but when she goes missing, Ivy is the only one of her family to believe that their mother didn’t leave them on purpose (there’s quite a lot of discussions on this, their different ways of handling it, Ivy feeling upset at her brother and father’s reactions to it all, & Ivy being disappointed in/bitter towards her mother at times); Ivy struggles with feeling hatred towards her father and brother for their attitude towards her mother’s disappearance and some of their actions/words (more so her brother, but she does get upset at her father for withdrawing from their family and also wonders if her parents even care about her); Ivy understands a woman’s frustration with her husband for not noticing the work that women do (she says that the men only care about their beds being warm and stomachs full, which Ivy understands because her brother never thanks her and has become selfish); *Major Spoiler* There is a faery determine to take revenge on piskeys by planning to trap all male piskeys in little statues and sell them to humans as good luck charms (because of an error, one of the piskeys died, but more used to die when the spell was used as a hostage negotiation plan back in the old days); She wants to free the female piskeys, saying that they have been controlled by the men and live in fear of going above ground; She tries to convince Ivy that she cares about the women, but Ivy knows she just wants to get revenge on the men she hates; She also comments on the head leader of the communities (a female piskey called a “Joan”) sometimes put their interests before others and fearing that if she lets the other women go above ground, one might become stronger than her; To be freed from a statue, the blood of a family member and the spell caster has to be wiped on the statue or they will live the rest of their lives in the statue; When Ivy refuses to work with her, she is trapped in a statue and see others being trapped as well (semi-detailed); It’s revealed at the end that the Joan and male piskeys kept the women and children safe by omitting certain details about being above ground and the dangers (said not to be a “direct lie”, but an omission) *End of Major Spoiler*; Many mentions of deaths, wars, fighting, battles, killing, violence, & wives and daughters being taken in wars (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of slavery, slaves, slaves being sent into battles, & salves being sold; Many mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit (piskeys can’t lie unless they’re joking and faeries are known to be liars; a mention of someone saying that the “most powerful lies are the ones we tell ourselves because the truth is too ugly to bear”); Mentions of murderers, murders, & killings (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of bodies (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of executions, hangings, & someone wanting to kill another; Mentions of being attacked, beatings, injuries, pain, blood/bleeding, passing out, & someone going mad/crazy from the pain (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of kidnappings/hostages & missing piskeys and faeries; Mentions of poison, a poisonous gas/spell, being poisoned, & others that are dying from an illness caused by poison; Mentions of faeries tricking others (cruelly, not for fun) & killing those in their way; Mentions of threats & threatening harm; Mentions of stealing; Mentions of piskey children being told stories of spriggans eating piskeys (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of some piskeys being tricked into a marriage (to spriggans, which Ivy thinks is worse than being eaten by a spriggan); Mentions of ugly creatures (spriggans, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of Ivy’s mother’s disappearance (including some in her family believing she ran away, Ivy believing the spriggans got her, Ivy also wondering if her mother did leave and if so, did she not love them anymore *Spoiler* it’s revealed that her mother is a faery and is ill because of staying underground with other female piskeys and being poisoned *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of Ivy’s parents having a verbal fight; Mentions of hatred, betrayals, & bitterness; Mentions of pranks & teasing (piskeys love to pull pranks on each other); Mentions of wine, drinking, drunks, & having to be a certain age to drink piskey-wine (Ivy’s little sister wants another sip because she likes it, but it told no due to her age; Ivy’s brother drinks a handful of times; Ivy packs a bottle of beer for her father for work); Mentions of hunters, hunting, & killing/preparing a snake (including blood and a hunter saying that they can’t hunt animals if others in the group can changing/transforming into animals (which Ivy disputes because animals eat each other all the time), up to semi-detailed); Mentions of an injured horse; A few mentions of someone starving to death; A few mentions of crimes & criminals; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of throwing up; A mention of possibly drowning; A mention of someone biting another; A mention of urine;
*Note: When Ivy’s younger sister says she doesn’t like to hear about killing, Ivy replies that they’re talking about a spriggan who did something wrong (and therefore doesn’t matter), but Ivy does wonder more about the topic later; Somebody says that Ivy was born crippled (due to having no wings and being sickly); A woman says a patronizing comment to Ivy about her being wingless; A villain asks Ivy, “Your father and brother may believe their lives are worth more than yours, but surely you know better?”; Multiple lines written by Shakespeare are quoted; A mention of bigotry towards someone’s thoughts.


Sexual Content- A few embraces & nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Hand holding (twice); A bit of blushing; Ivy & a guy stare into each other’s eyes for a moment; When a (sickly) guy takes off his shirt, he tells Ivy not to swoon and she replies that she’s never swooned in her life; A couple mentions of others thinking that Ivy and a male piskey are sweethearts (Ivy doesn’t think any piskey-boy would want a mate with no wings); A mention of spriggans who steal piskey women because they don’t have any women of their own; A mention of a married couple kissing; A mention of Ivy and a young man having a “very strong connection” (which causes someone to act mockingly and imply that there’s more going on between them); A mention of there typically being a precedent when a young man and woman become close (implied marriage/being together);
*Note: A mention of Ivy thinking that something went wrong with “her making while she was still unborn” because she has no wings (like every other female piskey); A mention of a human girl wondering why her mother even had her because her mother is distant; A mention of a mother dying in labor; A mention of a stillborn baby; A mention of a miscarriage; A mention of it taking “so long” for a woman to have children.

-Ivy, age 17 (11 in the prologue) (?)
P.O.V. of Ivy
272 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)

{Ratings are based on content/violence as every family has different opinions on magic content. Those fine with Harry Potter would probably be okay with this story.}

This was interesting. I was expecting it to be a clean read and not a Christian book, and that turned out to be correct. It was definitely clean (hinted feature romance but nothing else in that regard), but it’s all about piskies and magic and such. A touchy topic for sure in the Christian world—and the reason why I debated posting a review on BFCG. However, because it’s published by Enclaved Publishing, which is becoming more and more well-known in the Christian Fiction (especially for sci-fi/fantasy books) world, I’ll be reviewing this series on BFCG even though the only Christian content in this first book was a prayer.

Back to the plotline and thoughts: I grew up on the Pixie Hollow franchise, so it was really interesting to see the difference and all the “magical folk” in this world. Ivy wasn’t a new favorite character for me, but I did like how she had to learn and realize that everything she’s been taught isn’t 100% true (it also kind of reminded me of a cult-like setting because of certain comments, but with faeries and spells and those kinds of things). I did find her to be too stubborn for her own good. She jumps to conclusions that feel like a bit of a reach, but turn out to be somewhat true? That could be because of the shorter length of this book, though.

One thing that made me uncomfortable was the comments from two different women being annoyed with their husbands/men in their community for not paying attention to their work and that the men and Joan (female leader of the community) have deceived the female piskeys under the guise of “keeping them safe”. I think that’s what really gave off the cult-like vibe and I can’t say I was a fan of those elements. They do “cast spells” and use “magic”, which both of those phrases/words are used often, which is, like I said earlier, a touchy topic.

It’s no secret on this site that I struggle with high fantasy/crazy fantasy books. I was able to follow along pretty well and major props to the author for explaining things in a way that didn’t feel like the reader is being dumped information on or withholding information from the reader for the sake of being mysterious. Most of the fantasy books I’ve read fall into either of those descriptions and I really appreciate how this author did the layout of info about the world.

I will say that the reveal of certain events that happened a bit past halfway felt a little lackluster, but it all made sense, so I’ll give it that. While I was uncomfortable at some parts (mentioned above), I’m curious about what will happen in the rest of the trilogy, so I do plan to continue.



Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Sharon Loves to Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I just love Ivy and Richard. This is a reread-review, so I know where this series is going, and I just love it. The redemption arc in this series is fabulous—the best I’ve ever read. Swift is a great start to a complicated and nuanced story that deals with real life issues in a fantasy world. Very well done!

My only hesitation in my ardent recommendation is that you may feel this book is more middle-grade than YA. I actually did feel that way at first, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it, AND I can say that that feeling completely dissipated while reading Nomad, book two.

I highly recommend this trilogy!😍

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so happy this is about to be republished (by Enclave) - I think my red-headed goddaughter and her sisters are going to love it!

--

This is my first foray into RJ Anderson's books. If I had to slot it into a specific age group, I would call this middle-grade, but really it reminded me of old-fashioned YA books. It's set in a very well-rendered Cornwall, and it's written for everyone who also reads Narnia or Enid Blyton or THE PERILOUS GARD. It's not quite as good as the first or last of those, mind you. But there was a lot that I appreciated in this one.

First, it's beautifully written with a fast-moving plot. Second, it's really wholesome and sweet. Third, it is REALLY challenging.

I mean that. This is not a simple book.

It's not just that Anderson repeatedly pulls away the carpet from under us just as we think we understand the characters. She does that, by the way. This book twists like a corkscrew. It's also the whole ethical set-up of the book. There is some really mature, challenging thinking here. There are the "gender issues", for instance: the men of Ivy's people have a history of treating their women rather cavalierly, and we see Ivy battle past her indignation to a place where she's still willing to help them. There are the issues of prejudice and parochial suspicion, and yet the plot is so much more than just "they aren't evil, they're just misunderstood!" There are grown-ups doing things that the young people don't understand and sympathise with, and there are young people coming to realise that the grown-ups have much more complicated and dangerous situations to deal with than they realise.

There is even an awesome rebuke of tribalist thinking.

This was a little, sweet book with some big ideas in it. I did have some complaints. One character's death disappointed me because it left one plotline with very little closure, for instance. And when I think about actually sharing this book with the little girls I know, I tend to wonder whether the level of mature thinking it demands of its audience might even be a little way above them.

It can be hard to find good reading for young people, especially girls around 8-14. If this is a problem you face, I would enthusiastically recommend checking out RJ Anderson's SWIFT.

[Rosamund Hodge]

The more I read of R. J. Anderson's faery books, the more impressed I am by how effortlessly she blends genres: urban fantasy, English garden fantasy, folklore, mythology both real and imagined, even bits of theology. They all come together to form a coherent world that doesn't feel at all piecemeal. The books are cross-age too: they've been marketed as both middle-grade and YA, and are quite capable of appealing to adults like myself and my mother. I think a big part of it--aside from how they're just awesome stories--is that Anderson has nailed the technique of touching on complex issues in fairly simple stories, with the disturbing content as much implied as shown, so that readers can experience the story in a way that corresponds to their maturity.

Swift shifts to a new kind of faery: the piskeys, who live in a mine, confined by their fear of deceitful faeries and monstrous spriggans. The heroine is Ivy, a sickly young piskey who never developed wings. She's grown up hating the spriggans: after all, they kidnapped and presumably ate her mother. When she finds out that some of her fellow piskeys don't even believe in the spriggans, she's horrified. But then--after another young piskey disappears--the piskeys actually capture a spriggan, and she thinks she's been vindicated.

Then the spriggan claims he has a message from her mother.

There are dark elements in this story: lies and murder and self-deception, on several different scales. Ivy has to face the fallibility of her own judgements, not just once but again and again. And there's the painful awareness that sometimes you don't ever get to find out what was really going on with someone.

There's also magic and beauty and loyalty. Birds and the lure of the wind. And an ending that's really a beginning. I am really, really excited to see where this new set of faery novels go.

My one complaint: once again, Anderson has clearly set up a romance and made me fall in love with it, AND YET THERE IS NO KISSING. I appreciate how she doesn't rush the development of relationships, I just want more payoff. I hope--I really, *really* hope--that the next book will also focus on Ivy and Martin so we can see their relationship progress.

[Jane Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gloriously magical story! I grew up loving fairy stories, so this gave me all the best nostalgia. It's such a beautiful tale of family and courage and adventure.

The characters stole my heart so easily. Ivy and Richard had such a funny relationship, and all the characters were so real and dynamic.

I love how simple this story is on the outside, yet how deep and complex it delves at the same time. It's easy to read, and so powerful and meaningful at the heart of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and it's definitely on the 'read to future kids' list. I absolutely recommend it to all lovers of faeries and fantasy!

[Jill Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to my teenage daughter, and we loved it! Swift was a fun adventure with a fascinating storyworld and lots of surprises. I enjoyed reading about Ivy and her life as a pixie living in the Delve. RJ Anderson is a wonderful storyteller, who creatively reworked fairy lore to tell a unique adventure story. My daughter and I cannot wait for book two!

[EllieJellyBean :D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5 stars ⭐️

I read this in one day. I don’t really know how that happened, but yeah. 😂

It was pretty good. I’m still processing everything so I might not finish this review yet.

There were a few things that didn’t seem realistic and felt unbelievable. I also wasn’t satisfied with the ending. Or maybe the whole book?? I’m not completely sure. 😂 I can’t figure out how I felt about the book. It was good, but at the same time i didn’t love it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ And I don’t know why, sorry! 😂

The characters were ok. I didn’t love Ivy. She was just a little…blah?? I don’t know, she just didn’t stick out to me much. (I forgot her name and literally had to just look in the book 😂) The other characters were kinda the same, they didn’t stick out much and I don’t really care about them that much.
I did however, like Richard. 😁 There’s always that one dude in every story that I just end up liking. 😂
So yeah, he was probably my favorite. And because of the end and because of him, I’ll probably finish the trilogy. lol Oh, and I did like Mattock! He was just so nice and sweet.

Other then that, I can’t think of much else to say.

See ya out there!

~EllieJellyBean ✌️

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid 4.5 stars for this brilliant fantasy novel.

I would say this is a YA Tinkerbell…and seeing as how I am always down to watch Tinkerbell with my siblings it’s definitely not a bad thing. The plot took an amazing twist that really upped the stakes. This got more complex than I expected. I also didn’t think that the characters would stick with me as much as they are.

I am so thrilled that my experience with this book was good. I am moving right into book two.

[Jasmine (Jazzie) [Jesus Loves You!!] · Rating 3 out of 5]

To save her people, a wingless girl must learn to fly.

~My Thoughts~
For me, Swift was okay. Like, I wanted to read it because it sounded kind of interesting, but then after I got it and started reading it, I became reluctant to keep picking up the book and continue reading it each time, but I think it was more about a me thing, because I didn't really seem to be completely in the mood for this book.
And yes, I'm sure some of y'all are wondering why I didn't just DNF this book, but I didn't because I don't like DNFing books, and it intrigued me just enough to continue, but it just wasn't as intriguing as some of the other books I was reading at the same time.
I mean, it really was an interesting book, and I really think I would have liked it more had I been in a different mood, so y'all please still do go and read this book if y'all want!

~Characters~
I won't be giving my thoughts for the main characters because like I said before, I don't think I was really in the mood for this book, so I don't think my thoughts on the characters would really be quite accurate…

~Book Cover Rating~
4.5/10 it's not my favorite. I do like the style of the cover some, and the coloration a bit, but that's about it…

~Content Warnings~
(Warning! 🚨 Before you go any further, there is a chance that something I've said about the content could possibly be a bit spoilerish, so please proceed with caution! Also, if I missed any content, please let me know so I can add it!)

Trigger Warnings:
None that I can think of at this time.

Faith based/Christian:
A girl prays to God once.

Other Religious Content:
None that I remember.

Violence:
Mentions of blood/characters bleeding, slapping someone, injuries, pain, wanting to feel pain. Killing/death, kidnappings.

Sexual Content/Romance:
A guy character takes off his shirt once. A married couple kisses once (not detailed). Hand holding. Mentions of Spriggans taking Piskey women because they don't have any women of their own.

Magic:
I don't remember all of the magic content, sorry, so please let me know if I missed something important that should be added.

There are multiple different types of fantasy species. There are spells and powers and some curses. The magic is used for both good and bad.

Bad Language:
None that I remember.

LGBTQ+:
None

Drugs/Alcohol:
Mentions of wine and beer, characters drinking them, too.

No mentions of drugs that I remember.

~Other Notes~
For a more detailed content review, I'd recommend reading Lindsey from BFCG's review of Swift that she has.

~My Age Recommendation~
14 years old and older.

~Will I Read the Rest of the Series/More from this Author?~
Probably not soon, but I might at some later date in the future.

~Will I reread this book at some point in time?~
I might, but if I do, it probably wouldn't be for another year or two.

[˚༚✧˳⁺⁎davm⁎⁺˳✧༚˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the story that broke a too-long succession of books I DNF.
I enjoyed it very much! It was pretty lighthearted, but don’t let any of the cliches fool you because you’re in for a series of plot twists!
It was a fun story, likable characters, and though the writing itself was nothing extraordinary, I still found myself drawn into the world of piskeys, faerys, spriggans, and the mystery revealing their endangerment.

[Susana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could this have been better?
I don't think so!



With Swift, fourth book of the Fairie Rebels (or the first one in the Swift series), we get a new heroine, and another dangerous quest.
But one thing doesn't change:
PEOPLE, THIS IS HOW YA BOOKS SHOULD BE WRITTEN!!

A strong plot, cleverly built, and strong enough to keep going through of whole book, without having to resort to the same old "tricks", like insta love, love triangles...or other soap "operish" dramatics, just so pages can be filled!

Strong believable characters, that despite their magical nature still feel natural and engaging to the reader.
Never once did i, while reading a book of this series feel the urgent need of shouting at the characters!
Why?
Because the author knows how to properly mix the magical with the ordinary! So, the whole story flows seamlessly! And the only thing the reader can do, is turn the pages as fast as he/she can!

Another thing, just because a book is ya, it doesn't mean that it has to be written as if it's audience lacks brains!
R. J. Anderson knows this! Her characters despite being young _ for the record, this should not be seen as a sign of stupidity, as some authors tend to do! _ are more mature and grown up, that most characters in some of the contemporary romances that i've read!
Ivy, our main character was no exception to this.
I loved the way she was characterized. Her courage, her doubts, her frailty.
The whole story, and culture of who the piskeys were....their tunnels, the mine, the whole setting was so perfectly described, that i was there.

I liked that despite being a magical being, Ivy has problems and has to face situations less than magical.
She has to fight against adversity. She has to fight for what she believes. She has to make choices.
And those choices come with consequences...

I devoured this book. Honestly, it was that good! ( pretty obvious now, by the number of exclamation marks that i'm using, lol)
I can only tell you to give this series a try!
Do not be fooled by the covers. Or by the fact that the characters are fairies, or piskeys, or whatever magical beings the author created.
I dare you to read this series, and to find it lacking!
Luckily Nomad, the following book of the series, has already been released :)

[Zoey (professional book nerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! It was not what I expected. It was just what I needed! It’s relatively short, it’s a good 260 pages and I loved everyone of them, I finished this in less then a day. I loved the characters and the scenery , I flew through this book with swift wings,giggling and gasping the whole way! If you have an evening to spare i highly recommend finding a hill,some saffron cake and falling into the tunnels of the Delve<3

[M.H. Elrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well paced adventure with a sympathetic main character. I enjoyed it, but I don't see the Christian elements whatsoever. Clean, with only slight mentions of magic, and more a focus on faeries, piskeys, and spriggans. Overall, I enjoyed it and will be reading book 2.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading Swift, it seemed cliche and boring, but then I started hitting the plot twists (yes, there are multiple), conflicts, and questions that need answers. Now, I can see I was totally wrong before - this series is an adventure that I can’t wait to continue on!

Excited to read book two in the series, Nomad, to see where R.J. Anderson takes this story and its magical (quite literally) characters!😃

[abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

martin 😔✌️ my homie..... my lad..... my sacrastic boy....... i lov u my son

[Brandy Painter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted here.

R.J. Anderson's Swift was one of my most anticipated reads of 2012.
Anderson is an auto-buy author for me, so much so that if her books (like this one) aren't going to be foreseeably available in the US I order them from the UK. Swift did not disappoint, it exceeded my expectations for it. Anderson brought the story that began in to a brilliant conclusion with Arrow. Swift takes place in Cornwall and deals with an entirely different group of magical beings, Piskies. While there is a definite overlap between the first trilogy and this book you can read Swift without reading the others. (Though why would you want to? And if you don't read them first you will definitely want to once you have finished this.)

Ivy is a Cornish piskey living with her family and people in an old mine. Ivy is different from the other female piskies. She is smaller and more fail and, most devastating to her, born without wings. Being different hasn't been easy on Ivy nor has the disappearance of her mother, presumably snatched by spriggans, her people's fearsome enemy. When a strange creature, presumably a spriggan, is taken captive by her people and Ivy stumbles upon his cell she makes a dangerous bargain with him. If she helps free him he can take her to her mother and teach her how to fly. This sets Ivy off on an adventure that will forever alter the way she sees herself and the world she grew up in.

What I consistently impresses me about these books is that each heroine is very different from the ones who have come before her. They all share a similar spirit, but their personalities and how they go about achieving their goals is quite different. Ivy is, to me, the most interesting one yet. She has a confidence in herself that is mixed with fears of inferiority. She is stubborn and strong willed, but also willing to explore new ideas and entertain the notion that she may be wrong about things and need to rethink them. Having been sheltered all her life, completely shut off from the outside world, she has much to learn and yet she has a real sense of adventure and is not afraid of the unknown.

The mysterious captive who offers Ivy the bargain for her heart's desire is as fascinating as they come too. Ivy calls him Richard, but that is not his name. When she discovers him for the first time he is alone in the dark and is despondent. What is he doing in his despondency? Quoting Shakespeare. You should have seen the smile on my face when I reached that page. I admit I was excited and extremely happy to find they had captured a Shakespeare quoting magical being. I was kind of hoping we would get more of a certain character who fit that description.

The story itself is an interesting one full of intrigue and a lot of action. As always, the themes Anderson explores through the plot are just as engaging as the plot itself. There is a blood feud that shows what a cruel face justice can have when it is used as a mask for revenge. There is the danger of what happens when we allow the stories we tell about our pasts to become the truth we believe about ourselves and our history. There is the fine line that exists between protecting those we love for their good and enslaving them for our own. Good food for thought and excellent execution all around.

While the book has a definite end it leaves the door open for more which I am anticipating. There is still a lot left to explore both individually for Ivy and "Richard" and with their connection to each other. (Whether it turns out to be a romantic one or not. There was no romance in this story though there was definitely potential for that to develop. Yet there is also potential for things to develop in a completely different fashion. I'm interested to see where Anderson might go with all that.)

[Erin Dydek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic series starter

I’m looking forward to continuing Ivy’s story. I love the search for answers and discovering truth throughout this story but there’s so much left to uncover! This book awakened my imagination and left me eager to learn more about Ivy and the Cornish faerie folk.

A clean and wholesome read for young adults: no swearing or sensual content, mild violence.

[Kimmie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travelers Wife 4 Life
Have you ever read a book that made you feel lost in another world? Well, if not, Swift by R.J. Anderson will change that. It is the first book in the series and is a great introduction to the world of fairies for someone not used to it.

I really enjoyed the character development in this story Ivy grows so much as the story progresses, always learning and willing to look at things from a different perspective. Ivy was a very well-done character, and with the addition of the secondary characters Richard and Molly, it left me very invested in their outcomes and the continuation of the story! (and no, this one does not leave off with a cliff hanger, just the idea of adventures yet to come).

The storyline and plot were like getting immersed in a totally new land filled with Pixi dust, fairies, and spriggans. It kept my imagination working to dream of all the different characters and what they might look like; everything was described in vivid detail, so it helped me imagine things as R.J. Anderson envisioned them. I loved the almost coming of age theme to this book and I am really looking forward to where R. J. Anderson will take this adventure next as so much already happened in this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the creative characters, the amazing storyline, and for the great themes that were presented.

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.

[Mary Emma Sivils · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked:

- Focus on a less common fantasy race

- An easy, flowing writing style

- The storyline kept me interested


What I didn’t like:

- Some of the magic elements felt inappropriate for a middle grade audience

- Many character actions/reactions didn’t seem realistic

- Not as much character development as I was hoping for



Overall, not my favorite start to a series, but I enjoyed it enough to give the next book a try!

[A.J. Barlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5

This was fun!! The first half was kinda like epic and then last half was like the tinker bell and the great fairy rescue. Very middle grade vibes.

I had a couple of problems with this book however. Nothing big, but some of the plot points felt like they weren’t planned out thoroughly and the second half felt like it went MUCH faster due to a pacing problem.

That being said, the imagery was pretty cool and all the settings were described really well. This author has great prose, but I just think some more planning should’ve been done. Also it’s very “I knowww you grew up hearing this one thing BUT ITS ALL A LIE” and I don’t really like that trope soooo yea

Overall, super fun and atmospheric, yet a little lacking on the technicality of the plot points

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think 3.5 stars is more accurate, but I enjoyed it, so I'll round it up.

I came across this book via a fanart I saw on Twitter (which was from book 2, but not spoilery) and it intrigued me. I then read a review for Swift that also intrigued me - it mentioned the main character striking a bargain with a dubious imprisoned enemy of her kind and there's just something about that I really liked.

I also love it when characters' names are a secret - I don't know what it is about it, but I really like that idea. However, when and if the (true) name is finally revealed, I would expect it to be something special, or at least a nice name! It was a bit disappointing in Swift.

Overall, I liked Ivy and "Richard", I liked their story. Ivy was a little too quick to jump to conclusions, especially regarding her mother, but she was still a good character.

I just feel like something was missing, though. I didn't find it particularly memorable and I'm not sure if I really care enough to want to read the second book. Probably not, since I have so many other books on my TBR and so many new releases every month!

Still, I enjoyed reading it and it addressed some important themes.

[Haley Durfee · Rating 3 out of 5]

《Her mother had been taken by the spriggan》

◇ivy: the different one
◇richard: the mysterious one
◇molly: the innocent one

First off, I really loved how RJ Anderson wrote about piskeys - they feel like an overlooked fantasy demographic. I also really liked Molly.
It was a good, clean YA fantasy. It just didn't impress me like some others. So, 3 stars for a decent book!

Content:
Mention of miscarriage.
Some fantasy violence.
An accidental killing.
*Note: plenty of magic that is the innate essence of the piskeys and faery.

Ages 12+

[Hailey Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread in 2022: I love this book and this series. R.J. is one of my favorite writers.

********

I love reading books that have fantasy races that aren’t usually in other books. Swift is one of those! I’m not sure if I’ve ever read a book with piskeys before, and definitely not piskeys with the culture that Anderson has developed for them!

While the novel doesn’t explore too much of the piskey Delve and their culture, outside of the Lighting and normal life, the worldbuilding still feels very nice and rich.

The characters were great. I love them all.

The plot, while not clipping along at a rapid pace, doesn’t drag. It’s paced nicely. Anderson also keeps the reader guessing at what is going to happen and puts in several twists and turns up until the very end of the book.

I also liked all of the nods and correlations to R. J. Anderson’s other series, No Ordinary Faery Tale, which is also published by Enclave Publishing. While the Flight and Flame Trilogy takes place after the No Ordinary Faery Tale series and mentions the events of the later series as well as featuring a couple of characters, the two series can be read independently of each other. But I would recommend reading both! It’s always fun to see a little bit of a book crossover and get to explore more of the faery and piskey world.

Cautions: magic; a couple instances of brief, non-graphic violence

[Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can R.J. Anderson write a bad book? It seems not.

Swift was as charming as the Faery Rebels books, and I am so glad, because it's such a wonderful world, I would hate to have to leave it.
There were some very interesting issues in this book, about the role of women in society and the relationships between parents and children but, as always in R.J. Anderson's books, none of it was ever preachy and, more importantly, it flowed seamlessly into the plot.

Honestly, these books are so lovely, I'm really excited for the next one.

[Abigail Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ate this up with a spoon. (Hey, it's got a bird element to the plot!) This gives classic MG or YA vibes, with its assured fantasy world in a Cornish setting and its coming-of-age (or coming-of-confidence) storyline. While the beginning was a trifle slow for me, it picked up around the halfway mark -- particularly after Ivy left the Delve and found her first Claybane piskey -- and I read the rest very quickly. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series; my only slight regret is that I didn't realize earlier that the FAERY REBELS series precedes the FLIGHT & FLAME series and is set in the same world, so some aspects of those earlier books are spoiled for me. (But I still want to read them.)

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining story with interesting characters and enough intrigue to keep me reading even though I figured out some (but not all!) of the plot twists before they happened.

Would recommend to readers ages 11-14+ especially if they are interested in fantasy stories with magic, pixies, or faeries.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

R.J. Anderson has written a compelling, twisty novel with “Swift”, the first in The Flight and Flame trilogy. Although marketed for young adults, I think that it is just as suitable for adults; I enjoyed it! Furthermore, I am thrilled that it did not contain a romantic thread, as do almost all young adult books, and I felt the same way when I did fit into the target age group, so it’s nice to know that there are books coming out for those who can do without a lot of romance. Instead, this story focuses on adventure and fantasy, providing enough thrill and distress to keep readers glued to the page, but without inducing horror. There is a strong psychological element that takes root quietly at first but grows more steadily as the novel progresses.

Pondering the folkloric identity of the creatures mentioned in “Swift” and the tense relations between them is a reflection of the rampant issues of race relations in today’s society, where blind hate and a thirst for vengeance overtake common sense and compassion. This misguided sense of justice leads inevitably to betrayal, as well as to some startling revelations about several characters’ identities. It reminds me of what has happened throughout history, and how someone can be judged for their assumed identity when they may actually belong to another group entirely.

As for the characters themselves, I have to admit that I did not feel a deep connection with any of them. Each seems to be motivated by self-centered goals without taking into consideration how their actions will affect anyone else. This does add to the suspense, however, as I could not guess what the next scene would bring, which is always a boon. While I did not come across anything overtly Christian in this novel aside from one instance of a character offering a short, desperate prayer, it is a clean read. I am eager to find out what happens next in books two and three and intend to read both when they have been released.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

[Nida Kazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up until this book i had no idea there was something known as pisky. (pixie?)


pisky in British
(ˈpɪskɪ)
noun plural (-kies)
folklore
a Cornish fairy.


This book was really good for someone like me who's new to all the paranormal stuff. Good build up of story, excellent writing style, good twist and ending was framed in a way that i would love to pick up the next book in the series.