What do you think?
Rate this book
Aurelie: A Faerie Tale
Once upon a time, three children and a little river dragon were the best of friends―until a promise was broken. Now they are almost grown up and barely speaking to one another. With her country in turmoil, Aurelie is sent on a peacekeeping mission. But how can she prevent a war when she can't even make her friends get along? Heartsick at losing her dearest companions, especially the handsome Garin, Aurelie finds comfort in her secret, late-night trips to fairyland. But a princess can't hide from her duties forever. Her country needs her, and so do her friends―whether they know it or not.
Aurelie is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Aurelie is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2008
5 people are currently reading
945 people want to read
About the author
Heather Tomlinson
9 books86 followersHeather Tomlinson grew up in California and New Hampshire, graduating from Wellesley College with a degree in French literature. After teaching English in France and French in the United States, she worked at a book wholesaler. Now she writes the kinds of novels she likes to read.
Heather lives on a sailboat in southern California with her engineer husband, her baby boy, and cats X, Y, and Z.
Heather lives on a sailboat in southern California with her engineer husband, her baby boy, and cats X, Y, and Z.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
March 29, 2016
I wasn't certain what to think of when I first began Aurelie. I had thought it was based on a certain fairy tale, or several, but if it is I can't find any references to its original story. The alternating chapters between Netta, Aurelie, Garin and Loic was a good way to understand better the characters and motivations as well. I was kind of puzzled by the fact that the only character not to be told in first person was Aurelie herself. Netta (who has the fewest chapters I believe) is told in first person, Garin is and Loic as well, but for some reason Aurelie, who has the most chapters, is told in third person.
This book felt divided. On the one hand you have, until Aurelie returns from Dorisen at least, a very well thought out and intriguing adventure/mystery. Netta's brief recounting of why the foursome broke apart so suddenly two years prior is told in a resigned and heartfelt manner. Aurelie, both anxious and excited to be going to the city of her one time best friend Garin's homeland, does her best to be dutiful and strong. Garin's chapter is told in a completely different voice. Much less formal, much more excitedly and filled with a lot more slang and idioms.
I loved the book then. I loved watching as Aurelie tried to be the diplomat, be the friend, be the Princess all the while breaking inside because its not who she wanted to be. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, turns out well at all. And none of it is her fault. Unfortunately the book splintered once she left Dorisen and returned home to Luminelle.
Instead of getting a more comprehensive view of events as the chapter narrative shifted, things became fragmented. There was a lot more telling in the last half of the book. Aurelie tells us what is it like in Loic's world. Garin tells us what the suspicious behavior of Inglis is. Loic tells us about his former nursemaid. All of which was being slowly revealed through their memories and present, but then suddenly came out in rapid exposition. Not only that, but Loic's true motivations are muddled at best--he wants to revenge himself on his former friends who broke his heart, but then seems to have forgotten this. His father is no longer a threat, but we're not told how. It felt as if entire chapters of the book were being referenced that never existed in the first place.
Netta, perhaps because of what happened to her, does a better job in her narrative, but even then we're deprived of a reunion that was everything she wanted. We're told it went well and well now things are better. We're not shown how they came to this agreement, or what they talked about. It just...happened off scene.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes. I enjoyed reading about the foursome and how they won the day. I would have enjoyed it so much more if I didn't feel like half the pages were ripped out.
This book felt divided. On the one hand you have, until Aurelie returns from Dorisen at least, a very well thought out and intriguing adventure/mystery. Netta's brief recounting of why the foursome broke apart so suddenly two years prior is told in a resigned and heartfelt manner. Aurelie, both anxious and excited to be going to the city of her one time best friend Garin's homeland, does her best to be dutiful and strong. Garin's chapter is told in a completely different voice. Much less formal, much more excitedly and filled with a lot more slang and idioms.
I loved the book then. I loved watching as Aurelie tried to be the diplomat, be the friend, be the Princess all the while breaking inside because its not who she wanted to be. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, turns out well at all. And none of it is her fault. Unfortunately the book splintered once she left Dorisen and returned home to Luminelle.
Instead of getting a more comprehensive view of events as the chapter narrative shifted, things became fragmented. There was a lot more telling in the last half of the book. Aurelie tells us what is it like in Loic's world. Garin tells us what the suspicious behavior of Inglis is. Loic tells us about his former nursemaid. All of which was being slowly revealed through their memories and present, but then suddenly came out in rapid exposition. Not only that, but Loic's true motivations are muddled at best--he wants to revenge himself on his former friends who broke his heart, but then seems to have forgotten this. His father is no longer a threat, but we're not told how. It felt as if entire chapters of the book were being referenced that never existed in the first place.
Netta, perhaps because of what happened to her, does a better job in her narrative, but even then we're deprived of a reunion that was everything she wanted. We're told it went well and well now things are better. We're not shown how they came to this agreement, or what they talked about. It just...happened off scene.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes. I enjoyed reading about the foursome and how they won the day. I would have enjoyed it so much more if I didn't feel like half the pages were ripped out.
September 22, 2009
This plot had some good "bones" but I really wish the author would have done more with the story. I really didn't like how main bits of the action were just skipped over. For example, at one point Aurelie meets her old friend Loic--who happens to be fae. He tells her that he is going to take her to a revel in the fairy world. Instead of showing what happened, Aurelie tells another friend, "Oh, Netta. I can't describe how beautiful it is." Then she goes on to tell what had happened. I got so tired of listening to what happened, then having the plot move along with me, then having the reader catch up again with another character summarizing what happened again. This could have really gone somewhere for me...but it fell flat on its face. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Oh well. At least it was only 184 pages (though it felt like double that).
February 3, 2009
Well, in comparison to Tomlinson's first offering, The Swan Maiden, which was boring and uninspired, Aurelie was quite enjoyable. However, it still lacks any truly good characterization. It is very superficial. There were a lot of points that I thought she would follow up on and which would have made the story a lot more interesting and engaging, like the war and more about the Fae themselves. In the end it is a short fairytale about four friends, Netta, (daughter of a seamstress), Aurelie (princess and Heir), Garin (foster from the island nation of Skoe) and Loic, a river drac. Loic gives them the ability to see the Fae, which results in Netta being blinded by Loic's father and then a war starts between Skoe and Aurelie's kingdom and all the friends part ways. This story involves brokering a peace, reuniting the friends and freeing an enslaved Fae. Much shorter than her last offering, which is a good thing, and simple enough younger kids can read it, though there is romance between several characters and that comes up a lot toward the end of the story.
It almost got a three, just because it is sooooo much better than her previous novel, but I did not like, like it, so that is why it is a two,
It almost got a three, just because it is sooooo much better than her previous novel, but I did not like, like it, so that is why it is a two,
August 10, 2016
Thanks to FirstReads for this signed copy of Aurelie. As usual the mystical algorithms have provided me with a book that I should like... but I'm not sure that I did.
I think for me the big problem has to do with character development. Given the page time and title role, I don't feel like I connected with Aurelie at all. Honestly the few chapters told from other characters' points of view had more depth, but even then I found it odd that the perspective shifted the way it did. Great, tell the story from different perspectives... but since so much of the story is forcing this mighty foursome unity, why are most of the chapters - and the book, for that matter - titled Aurelie?
It seems to me that the world in Aurelie was interesting, and the plot could have been very good. But it felt weak - like reaching for the heights of Tamora Pierce with a quarter of the page space. Neither plot line - the war or the relationship between the four friends - got the attention it deserved, and for me the half-hearted attempts to do both just didn't cut it.
I think for me the big problem has to do with character development. Given the page time and title role, I don't feel like I connected with Aurelie at all. Honestly the few chapters told from other characters' points of view had more depth, but even then I found it odd that the perspective shifted the way it did. Great, tell the story from different perspectives... but since so much of the story is forcing this mighty foursome unity, why are most of the chapters - and the book, for that matter - titled Aurelie?
It seems to me that the world in Aurelie was interesting, and the plot could have been very good. But it felt weak - like reaching for the heights of Tamora Pierce with a quarter of the page space. Neither plot line - the war or the relationship between the four friends - got the attention it deserved, and for me the half-hearted attempts to do both just didn't cut it.
November 21, 2008
This sweet fairy tale is a bit Romeo and Juliet, and a lot of good vs evil. Aurelie is a reluctant princes who would rather play with her friends, two human and one Fae. The Fae, Loic, is part of the magic world, and has given his human pals the ability to see creatures that other mortals cannot. This ends up not being an entirely good thing.
Separated by war and circumstance, the friends come back together to battle the fiercest creature of the fairy world, the gargouille. Ice boats, fighting eagles and lots of magic are all mixed into the final climax.
Separated by war and circumstance, the friends come back together to battle the fiercest creature of the fairy world, the gargouille. Ice boats, fighting eagles and lots of magic are all mixed into the final climax.
March 11, 2009
Not one of the standards used in fairy tale foundational literature but I recognized it immediately. Beware of salves for the eye that let you see too much.
The story is told through the voices of the four main characters and the author does some nice weaving of the tale, with a trail of breadcrumbs to follow about certain topics. Quite tasty.
The story is told through the voices of the four main characters and the author does some nice weaving of the tale, with a trail of breadcrumbs to follow about certain topics. Quite tasty.
October 20, 2015
Normally I disregard when books include maps or character notes-- but this book needed it. I could not keep track of the characters and their complicated names, ranks, and regions. I really liked one of the secondary plots, a love interest between Netta and a dragon-- but it was treated so shallowly and superficial that it took all the build up and squashed it... unpleasant.
December 20, 2019
This one was not good. The writing was choppy and confusing. So was the story line. I liked the island-nation, which I think is a bad sign given that they are the bad guys. I couldn't even pronounce the name of Aurelie's kingdom. Overall this one was just...blah.
decided-not-to-read
October 21, 2009The author knows how to use words but ... I'm not convinced there are any new ideas or interesting characters here. (I was looking for something that was shelved nearby and the cover caught my eye.)
July 3, 2016
I read this book in one day, in one setting. It is a interesting story. At times I was surprised, almost like a game of chess when one rival is surprised by another's move.
March 20, 2022
This is the story of four friends who separated a long time ago. They haven't seen each other for years. Netta has been keeping a secret from the faerie Loric. Loric thinks he loves Aurelie. Garlin is the son of a merchant in the land trying to attack Aurelie's kingdom. These four come back together and rebuild their friendships in the midst of the impending war. I didn't really enjoy the writing style. It wasn't technically bad, it just wasn't for me. The story was a little scattered and needed to be a little more focused for me to enjoy it more. This wasn't a bad book, just not the story for me.
November 3, 2019
This is a pleasant enough story about four friends and how that lives and friendships change as they grow up, but the writer struggled describing action scenes in a way that made them easy to understand what is going on - especially at the end of the book. This weakness made me completely lose interest in the story and made the book tedious to read. Also some of the time changes between the chapters were not written well or smoothly. There are so many fine fairy tale inspired fantasy books out there that I really wish I hadn't wasted my time with this one.
February 16, 2019
I really enjoyed this book! Definitely a 4.5. I liked the character build up, but felt it was lacking a little. I loved Heather Tomlinson's view on the Fae world. It was intriguing. This would of been a 5 star if only it wasn't lacking that complete character build up I was needing. Otherwise it was a decent read. I recommend it to anyone who loves the world of the fae, and fancy's a good quick read.
May 6, 2019
Dnf'ed with only 40 pages to go. This is novella length with four perspectives. The book does clearly label whose perspective we're reading from, but because of the length there is no chance to connect with any of the characters. It felt like a middle grade or young YA romance that was set in a fae fantasy world with very little need to be in a fae fantasy world, although it's entirely possible that got corrected in the last 40 pages. It felt like fan fiction, albeit well-written fan fiction.
December 15, 2022
This was an interesting, innocent fairy tale, not quite worth the time it takes to read.
There were sweet relationships, exciting events, and brilliant plot twists. It was also confusing, and hard to understand, though, so most of it was lost on me.
There were too many characters. Too many events. Too many mentions of random magical creatures, that I knew nothing about. I only started to understand what was going on about halfway through the book. And, the last few chapters lost me again.
Then:
Princess Aurelie is friends with Netta, Garin and Loic, a magical creature called a drac. The friends soon drift apart. Loic's father blinds Netta, but Loic knows nothing about it.
Now:
Of course, the whole time I was trying to understand the basics, of what was going on, and who everyone was. So, I didn't have much time to get into the events and how everything connected, or even enjoy any of it.
Content warnings:
Romance:
Violence:
Religion:
Other:
There were sweet relationships, exciting events, and brilliant plot twists. It was also confusing, and hard to understand, though, so most of it was lost on me.
There were too many characters. Too many events. Too many mentions of random magical creatures, that I knew nothing about. I only started to understand what was going on about halfway through the book. And, the last few chapters lost me again.
Then:
Princess Aurelie is friends with Netta, Garin and Loic, a magical creature called a drac. The friends soon drift apart. Loic's father blinds Netta, but Loic knows nothing about it.
Now:
Of course, the whole time I was trying to understand the basics, of what was going on, and who everyone was. So, I didn't have much time to get into the events and how everything connected, or even enjoy any of it.
Content warnings:
Romance:
Violence:
Religion:
Other:
June 20, 2012
Aurelie: a faerie tale, by Heather Tomlinson, Square Fish (Holt Macmillan) 2008.
Back cover blurb: Once upon a time, three children and a little river dragon were the best of friends--until a promise was broken. Now they are almost grown up and barely speaking to one another. With her country in turmoil, Aurelie is sent on a peacekeeping mission. But how can she prevent a war when she can't even make her friends get along?
Heartsick at losing her dearest companions, especially the handsome Garin, Aurelie finds comfort in her secret, late-night trips to fairyland. But a princess can't hide from her duties forever. Her country needs her, and so do her friends--whether they know it or not.
My take: (some spoilers) the book is smoothly written, and it uses French-influenced fairy lore, which is unusual enough to be a strong point in its favour. The plot moves along steadily, and the characters are fairly distinct. Each section is from the pov of a different one of the four friends, and there are some good insights on how differently they see each other and themselves. I like the way Tomlinson handles politics & diplomacy on a small scale, with countries small enough that the personal and the political can be believably intertwined.
In the end, though, the story felt slight. This may be because of wordcount or audience-age considerations, but it does feel as if elements were introduced but not employed. Netta is blinded (by the dragon Loic's father) when she accidentally gives away that she can see the fae (very folkloric) and hints are given that Loic will be angry and vengeful when he discovers it - but he doesn't seem to mind at all. Aurelie goes by night to Faerie and dances with Loic, but the only consequence is that Netta is hurt and unhappy at being left out, and this is easily mended. No lost time, no compulsion, no risk of being trapped there. While Loic is clearly not compassionate or humane, his dangerousness doesn't seem to come to anything.
It seems odd to fault a book for not being harrowing enough, but because the elements were present, I expected them to be used more. The first fae encountered in the story is one that sucks the breath of babies, and Aurelie has to counter it without giving away that she can see it. Great start!
This may be a better loaner or library read. But I will be picking up Tomlinson's other books, especially Toads and Diamonds, which also has a distinctive and unusual setting, this time non-European as well.
April 6, 2011
I'm not at the age where I could love Aurelie-- heck, I'm not really at the age where I can like it-- but I can remember when I was.
There's nothing wrong with this book. Nothing at all. In fact, the first two thirds or so were very enjoyable. But then... Well, everything just ties in too nicely. Things wrap up too easily. There's a very interesting subplot that just sort of disappears without being resolved at all, and the promise of the first part of the book fizzles out.
That is very disappointing, because I had a lot invested in the characters. I loved the idea of Aurelie, the spunky, can-do princess. I thought that her world was interesting and her character well developed. I wanted her to be able to sort out the problems between her country and its greedy neighbor. I wanted her to solve the mystery and save the day. Which... I guess she did? But in the most contrived way possible.
And Netta. I wanted her to get her prince. And she did, but in such an offhanded manner that it just seemed like a throwaway. After all her angst and pain and suffering, her subplot is resolved off screen and then explained away in one paragraph. Can you say emotional let down? Seriously. I wanted things to work out for her. I wanted it so bad. And then it did in a way that made me say, "Is that all??"
Then there is the ending; the big dramatic confrontation between good and evil, our intrepid band of heroes vs. the big bad. Which takes less than a chapter to occur and falls back on some of the most basic ideas of what that sort of confrontation should be. Within a few pages everything is wrapped up as neat as a pin. Good triumphs over evil, the wronged parties are avenged and everyone lives happily ever after. *sighs*
Now, if I was twelve and not really looking for more out a book than the princess saving the day and winning the heart the handsome merchant's son, then I would be in heaven. But I'm not twelve and I would like more from a book than a pat on the head. Still, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't recommend this book to someone in the right age range to appreciate it.
There's nothing wrong with this book. Nothing at all. In fact, the first two thirds or so were very enjoyable. But then... Well, everything just ties in too nicely. Things wrap up too easily. There's a very interesting subplot that just sort of disappears without being resolved at all, and the promise of the first part of the book fizzles out.
That is very disappointing, because I had a lot invested in the characters. I loved the idea of Aurelie, the spunky, can-do princess. I thought that her world was interesting and her character well developed. I wanted her to be able to sort out the problems between her country and its greedy neighbor. I wanted her to solve the mystery and save the day. Which... I guess she did? But in the most contrived way possible.
And Netta. I wanted her to get her prince. And she did, but in such an offhanded manner that it just seemed like a throwaway. After all her angst and pain and suffering, her subplot is resolved off screen and then explained away in one paragraph. Can you say emotional let down? Seriously. I wanted things to work out for her. I wanted it so bad. And then it did in a way that made me say, "Is that all??"
Then there is the ending; the big dramatic confrontation between good and evil, our intrepid band of heroes vs. the big bad. Which takes less than a chapter to occur and falls back on some of the most basic ideas of what that sort of confrontation should be. Within a few pages everything is wrapped up as neat as a pin. Good triumphs over evil, the wronged parties are avenged and everyone lives happily ever after. *sighs*
Now, if I was twelve and not really looking for more out a book than the princess saving the day and winning the heart the handsome merchant's son, then I would be in heaven. But I'm not twelve and I would like more from a book than a pat on the head. Still, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't recommend this book to someone in the right age range to appreciate it.
September 27, 2010
Reviewed at Frazzled Book Nommer
Aurelie is a short fairytale novel about four childhood friends – three children and one dragon (or drac). I think the premise of the novel was pretty good; it was the execution of it that lacked. A lot.
Nothing is really explained in this novel. We know there are Fae, but we aren’t explained what each one is. The only explanation is a very mini one for drac’s. It was difficult distinguishing what each country was. Names of places, people, and faeries are thrown at us without any real meaning. The children are sworn to secrecy about their ability to see Fae, and that it’d be disastrous if anyone knew about it. But what was so disastrous, besides becoming blind?
Descriptions were non-existent – we didn’t know what the Fae looked like, what the main characters looked like, what the countryside (besides Skoe) looked like. It was just a jumbled mess of non-description.
The characters were very one dimensional – they just lacked all around. We know that Netta is shy, Garin is brave, Aurelie is proud, and Loic is mischievous. But that’s it. I hated how everything was forgiven so easily – and that it took place off screen. If these friends didn’t speak for 2 years, why were they all happy and dandy after a few sentences of speaking? And why were they separated? I understand why they refused to see Loic, and why Netta didn’t want to see Aurelie and Garin, but why did the latter two not speak to each other?
Time isn’t distinct in this novel. One moment, we were reading about Aurelie in her room and the next paragraph, she was suddenly somewhere else, with no word whatsoever as to how she got there. One minute she’s in the dining room of the guesthouse, the next she’s at the docks with no explanation that she’s moving.
This novel had every potential of being good, but it was too choppy and fragmented and lacked too many things. I did like the story though, once I looked past the fact that it was a story only half there.
Aurelie is a short fairytale novel about four childhood friends – three children and one dragon (or drac). I think the premise of the novel was pretty good; it was the execution of it that lacked. A lot.
Nothing is really explained in this novel. We know there are Fae, but we aren’t explained what each one is. The only explanation is a very mini one for drac’s. It was difficult distinguishing what each country was. Names of places, people, and faeries are thrown at us without any real meaning. The children are sworn to secrecy about their ability to see Fae, and that it’d be disastrous if anyone knew about it. But what was so disastrous, besides becoming blind?
Descriptions were non-existent – we didn’t know what the Fae looked like, what the main characters looked like, what the countryside (besides Skoe) looked like. It was just a jumbled mess of non-description.
The characters were very one dimensional – they just lacked all around. We know that Netta is shy, Garin is brave, Aurelie is proud, and Loic is mischievous. But that’s it. I hated how everything was forgiven so easily – and that it took place off screen. If these friends didn’t speak for 2 years, why were they all happy and dandy after a few sentences of speaking? And why were they separated? I understand why they refused to see Loic, and why Netta didn’t want to see Aurelie and Garin, but why did the latter two not speak to each other?
Time isn’t distinct in this novel. One moment, we were reading about Aurelie in her room and the next paragraph, she was suddenly somewhere else, with no word whatsoever as to how she got there. One minute she’s in the dining room of the guesthouse, the next she’s at the docks with no explanation that she’s moving.
This novel had every potential of being good, but it was too choppy and fragmented and lacked too many things. I did like the story though, once I looked past the fact that it was a story only half there.
May 3, 2013
I feel like in theory this should have at least been a three star book. But I have to agree with the other reviewers that said that while the plot itself is interesting (war, reunions, navigating childhood friendships now that you're an 'adult' etc) the execution was pretty lacking.
So let's talk about narration. Splitting a narrative between multiple characters is a challenging thing that if done well can really add depth to the story. This just wasn't done well. I don't mind if the author feels the need to switch from first person to third person for different characters. That was part of the charm for me in Belong to Me but here's the thing. I'm pretty sure the character of Loic gets one chapter to himself. Netta and Garin get at most two chapters, respectively, and Aurelie who is 95% of the book is the only one in third person. Also, it kind of gets annoying after a while that the author feels the need to put Aurelie at the top of almost every chapter. If consecutive chapters are from the same POV you don't need to tell me, I can figure it out. Especially if this character is the only you write in third person.
What's the point of even doing this if you're not going to have your characters show us their experiences first hand anyway? I don't want to give too much away but a MAJOR even happens to two characters (TWO) and all we hear about is what one of them sums up to Aurelie the next day. Really? That's the laziest writing and it leaves the reader feeling cheated.
I'll give Heather Tomlinson another try, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
So let's talk about narration. Splitting a narrative between multiple characters is a challenging thing that if done well can really add depth to the story. This just wasn't done well. I don't mind if the author feels the need to switch from first person to third person for different characters. That was part of the charm for me in Belong to Me but here's the thing. I'm pretty sure the character of Loic gets one chapter to himself. Netta and Garin get at most two chapters, respectively, and Aurelie who is 95% of the book is the only one in third person. Also, it kind of gets annoying after a while that the author feels the need to put Aurelie at the top of almost every chapter. If consecutive chapters are from the same POV you don't need to tell me, I can figure it out. Especially if this character is the only you write in third person.
What's the point of even doing this if you're not going to have your characters show us their experiences first hand anyway? I don't want to give too much away but a MAJOR even happens to two characters (TWO) and all we hear about is what one of them sums up to Aurelie the next day. Really? That's the laziest writing and it leaves the reader feeling cheated.
I'll give Heather Tomlinson another try, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
October 26, 2008
Once there where four friends, three human and one river dragon. Princess Aurelie, Garin, Netta and Loic. The three humans were gifted with the sight of the Fae, only on the condition that no one would ever know. Netta mistakenly recognizes a Fae when visiting the marketplace and consequently loses her sight. The four friends drift apart after the tragic event. Aurelie, Garin and Netta stop visiting Loic for fear of what might happen if he finds out about Netta. Garin’s country is at war with Aurelie’s, so he has returned to his home. And after the accident Netta moves into the country with her uncle.
Aurelie is deeply upset at the loss of her friends and the sting only sharpens when she loses her mother. Aurelie finds herself crossing the sea to Garin’s homestead on a diplomatic mission, which inevitably brings the handsome Garin back into her life. Will the princess be able to bring her four friends back together and save her kingdom at the same time?
Aurelie: A Faerie Tale immerses its readers in a tale of magic and fascination. The narration of the story shifts from the four characters. Not only do readers get to know the Princess, but also the lives of the other characters. And they all intertwine meticulously. Aurelie is a beautifully written tale and I'm sure you will think so too! Readers will eagerly turn the pages full of vivid descriptions and surprising plot twists! I hadn’t read Tomlinson’s novel,The Swan Maiden, but I had heard great things about it. I am thrilled to have had the chance to read Aurelie!!
Aurelie is deeply upset at the loss of her friends and the sting only sharpens when she loses her mother. Aurelie finds herself crossing the sea to Garin’s homestead on a diplomatic mission, which inevitably brings the handsome Garin back into her life. Will the princess be able to bring her four friends back together and save her kingdom at the same time?
Aurelie: A Faerie Tale immerses its readers in a tale of magic and fascination. The narration of the story shifts from the four characters. Not only do readers get to know the Princess, but also the lives of the other characters. And they all intertwine meticulously. Aurelie is a beautifully written tale and I'm sure you will think so too! Readers will eagerly turn the pages full of vivid descriptions and surprising plot twists! I hadn’t read Tomlinson’s novel,The Swan Maiden, but I had heard great things about it. I am thrilled to have had the chance to read Aurelie!!
June 5, 2010
Very cute, classic fairy tale. I expected it to be longer, and almost wish it was, but I doubt it would've been as nicely paced then. After a very strong beginning, it lapsed into a more... moderate flow.
The plot was there - threat of war, of course - but it was second to these four friends finally coming back together after a misunderstanding, and then falling in love. Although they all seemed to be in love anyway before meeting up again, so there wasn't much "falling." I'd give the plot [threat of war:] three out of five stars, since it seemed to fade in and out in the light of the drama between the four of them.
The characters... I'm trying to pinpoint who the main lead was. Judging by the title, I would say Aurelie. But taking into consideration the POV changing in this, I'm not too sure. It started off with first person for Netta (who I'm surprised wasn't bitter after going blind), then went to third for Aurelie... mainly it was in third (and never in first for Aurelie), but then it was scattered with more first person for one of the other three characters. Still, it was well written, and Tomlinson pulled it off. I'll still admit to being confused as to who the main lead was, though.
Writing style was pretty good. Not outstanding, but not like contemporary writers - the bad kind, that is, with no grammar skills or whatever. There are good ones. ^^
Anyway, three stars.
(Special thanks to my friend Raven who proof read this.)
The plot was there - threat of war, of course - but it was second to these four friends finally coming back together after a misunderstanding, and then falling in love. Although they all seemed to be in love anyway before meeting up again, so there wasn't much "falling." I'd give the plot [threat of war:] three out of five stars, since it seemed to fade in and out in the light of the drama between the four of them.
The characters... I'm trying to pinpoint who the main lead was. Judging by the title, I would say Aurelie. But taking into consideration the POV changing in this, I'm not too sure. It started off with first person for Netta (who I'm surprised wasn't bitter after going blind), then went to third for Aurelie... mainly it was in third (and never in first for Aurelie), but then it was scattered with more first person for one of the other three characters. Still, it was well written, and Tomlinson pulled it off. I'll still admit to being confused as to who the main lead was, though.
Writing style was pretty good. Not outstanding, but not like contemporary writers - the bad kind, that is, with no grammar skills or whatever. There are good ones. ^^
Anyway, three stars.
(Special thanks to my friend Raven who proof read this.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2012
Aurelie is a slender fantasy story about a land in turmoil as it faces blockade and possible attack from a neighboring country, Skoe. Aurelie is heir to the throne and is dealing with her mother's death. As a child, she had three near constant companions; Netta, whose family served in the palace, Garin, from the neighboring country, Skoe, and Loic, a river drac, part of the Faery who can use glamour to appear human. He gives the others a gift of being able to see the Faery's true nature in an ointment stolen from his human nanny, indentured to his family through magic. This gift is not without consequence, and unfortunately leads to permanent injury to Netta and splits up the group over fear of the repercussions. Aurelie is sent to Skoe to assist in the negotiations and finds that there are other plans for her in aligning the two countries. She spots a disguised Garin and later both Netta and Loic return into her life as misunderstandings and romance crop up with the four now in their teenage years. Aurelie must solve a mystery and help right some old wrongs in order to save her country and her friends. This was a delightful story with a well crafted world.
April 15, 2016
I thought this was a sweet story, and I really liked Tomlinson's take on the fae...I found it quite original. But like another reviewer, I thought it a little odd that the parts of the story told by Netta and Garin and Loic were written in first person while Aurelie's parts (the vast majority of the book) were in third. I think I would have liked the telling a little better if the whole book had been written from Aurelie's point of view--I just didn't find that hearing the other characters' voices really added much, and in some cases, it actually felt a little awkward. But I found I liked the characters, and I enjoyed Tomlinson's descriptions. I wouldn't have minded a much longer book, actually, with the action a little more drawn out--this kind of flew by!
Received this book through First Reads.
Received this book through First Reads.
January 11, 2011
This book had a lot of potential, but fell short of what it could have been. The faerie world was intriguing to me, with the different kinds and abilities of faerie creatures. The characters and plot, too, had the potential to be very interesting. But several things threw me off, and the first thing was POV. The POV switches were too disorienting, esp. as the main character was never given time to talk in 1st person, as the other characters were. Also I thought the reasoning behind the villain's actions were cliche and underdeveloped. If we had seen more interractions with the villain and suspected some of those deep wants/fears/whatever that she had, than it would have been much more believable.
August 1, 2012
Heather Tomlinson's tale of Aurelie has a large cast of fae creatures. I had certainly never heard of a suck-breath, who preys on babies or the skeletal White Ladies or the dragon-like gargouille. Many fairy tales create a tone of innocence and fun around fairy-folk, but not in Aurelie. Many of the Fae are dangerous, and even fatal, for the unsuspecting though they can also be beautiful.
I did not expect the darker tone in this novel though I still enjoyed it for its descriptions. Because it is written for a younger audience the storyline is fairly simplistic and there are moments when the action moves forward in a halting way leaving me with a feeling that I skipped a sentence.
To read my full review go to http://talesuntangled.wordpress.com
I did not expect the darker tone in this novel though I still enjoyed it for its descriptions. Because it is written for a younger audience the storyline is fairly simplistic and there are moments when the action moves forward in a halting way leaving me with a feeling that I skipped a sentence.
To read my full review go to http://talesuntangled.wordpress.com
January 31, 2009
when i picked up the book i automatically judged it by the cover. it said it was a faerie tale and the cover was very pretty so i assumed it would be a delicate story with monsters, dragons, fairys. etc. But there was only a couple types of creatures and way to many to recognize. the book was so entirely confusing i was like wondering who killed who, who did what, who talked to who and what the characters were related with in the story. i didnt like it for that reason. it might be a better book for those who ahve the patience to read a very slow moving book but otehrwise i wouldn't recommend it.
January 29, 2009
Aurelie, a princess, and her three best friends have been seperated by war and their differences with those in the world of fae, a magical place where mischievious and terrifying creatures both dwell away from the mortal realms. Aurelie strives to bring back their damaged childhood friendships, stop a war, and get over her mothers death.
I basically just made this book sound more interesting than it actually was. It lacked any kind of grounding elements one would wish for in a fantasy, and the author loves French things, so she thinks it's okay to drop random French words and phrases throughout the book. The best part about this book was definately the cover.
I basically just made this book sound more interesting than it actually was. It lacked any kind of grounding elements one would wish for in a fantasy, and the author loves French things, so she thinks it's okay to drop random French words and phrases throughout the book. The best part about this book was definately the cover.
August 16, 2014
Aurelie and her friends used to be so close. Now, not so much. With war looming and her duties as Heir taking over her life, Aurelie has to figure out how to navigate the political waters while trying to save her friendships.
This book couldn't quite figure out who it was aiming for. It was written young, maybe Middle School, but some of the ways the characters acted seemed to be a little older, maybe High School. It was a shallow story, and the characters seemed pretty flat.
And why, if this is a made-up world, do they keep using French phrases and titles?
Maybe I would have enjoyed this if I was younger, but not so much now.
This book couldn't quite figure out who it was aiming for. It was written young, maybe Middle School, but some of the ways the characters acted seemed to be a little older, maybe High School. It was a shallow story, and the characters seemed pretty flat.
And why, if this is a made-up world, do they keep using French phrases and titles?
Maybe I would have enjoyed this if I was younger, but not so much now.
August 22, 2016
A very enjoyable short novel told from multiple points of view. The hook one me completely - three children befriended a river dragon... The author did an excellent job at capturing the very different voices of the four characters, all of whom had their own style of thought and speech. I also enjoyed the unusual faery creatures. My only disappointment was that the romantic climax of the novel, the reunion of Loic and Netta, happened 'off stage', told to us afterwards in reported speech by Netta through Aurelie's point of view. That left a somewhat anticlimactic ending and I think the novel would have been strengthened if the two climaxes had matched more closely and both been explored.
December 17, 2008
I loved this book. It was simple, yet elegant, an enjoyable fairy tale and truly unique. It reminded me of some of Robin McKinley's earlier fairy tales. I very much enjoyed its straight to the point manner, yet it didn't sacrifice detail or description. Too many fantasy authors recently feel they have to give us hundreds of pages to do their story justice (Rowling, Funke, & Meyers) without allowing us as readers to use our imaginations. I look forward to reading Tomlinson's first book "The Swan Maiden" and to seeing more of her work in the future.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews