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Fey #1
Chasing the Bard
He is born into the human world with a gift; a gift that brings him to the
attention of powers both dark and light from the World of the Fey. Sive, the
goddess of battle, hopes that he may be able to change the fate of her
people.
The Fey are dying, killed by something beyond the boundaries of worlds, and
Sive will do anything to save them. So she enlists the help of her trickster
cousin Puck to guard the child, and watch him grow into his gift. But a dark
power imprisoned by human and Fey, plots to destroy both worlds, and unmake all
that they have created.
Can one boy stop the destruction, even if he is William
Shakespeare?
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
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December 6, 2008Ummmm I wrote it- so slightly biased.
July 23, 2012
I hate giving this two stars, I really do. Got this as a Kindle freebie and apparently it was Ms. Ballantine's first book. (BTW- I liked the books she did with Tee Morris, going to get the second one in that series).
I'll start off with what I didn't like and end with what I did.
Didn't like:
Most of the characters were sterotypes; this is very true of the villan.
It should have been shorter.
The pacing is off.
The whole Fey thing didn't quite work. It seemed too blah. Un-magic like.
The romance subplot didn't work.
What I did like -
The characterization of the real people, such as Shakespeare and Elizabeth I. This would've been a better book if it had been straight historical fiction.
The quotes at the start of each chapter - Guess the play.
The overall look at Shakespeare's family life.
Puck - at least until the half way point.
I'll start off with what I didn't like and end with what I did.
Didn't like:
Most of the characters were sterotypes; this is very true of the villan.
It should have been shorter.
The pacing is off.
The whole Fey thing didn't quite work. It seemed too blah. Un-magic like.
The romance subplot didn't work.
What I did like -
The characterization of the real people, such as Shakespeare and Elizabeth I. This would've been a better book if it had been straight historical fiction.
The quotes at the start of each chapter - Guess the play.
The overall look at Shakespeare's family life.
Puck - at least until the half way point.
June 12, 2010
It started out as a good read, but then two things began to interfere with my absorption in the storyline:
1. The editing could be improved. Granted, this doesn't bother everyone, but there were a number of times my brain stopped and forced me to reread a sentence because the punctuation didn't match the rhythm and meaning that the moment seemed to call for.
2. The story seemed endless. I petered out before everything was resolved.
If you have more patience than I and can read without your knowledge of correct grammar/sentence structure getting in your way, I think you'll enjoy this.
1. The editing could be improved. Granted, this doesn't bother everyone, but there were a number of times my brain stopped and forced me to reread a sentence because the punctuation didn't match the rhythm and meaning that the moment seemed to call for.
2. The story seemed endless. I petered out before everything was resolved.
If you have more patience than I and can read without your knowledge of correct grammar/sentence structure getting in your way, I think you'll enjoy this.
March 17, 2011
Sive is to marry the fey man she once had feelings for, but now knows he is not the same man who left to find a cure for the plague haunting the fey and killing them slowly. He has changed, but yet doesn't know what that change is. She just knows she doesn't want to marry him and her brother, the king, is requiring it believing Mordant knows of a cure from his travels around the distant realms. Sive learns from her Aunt a human child is born in the mortal world possessing the great power of the Bard and this child could be the salvation of all fey. Sive sends he cousin, Puck, to guard this child from any dangers. Sive decides later, when the child is older, that she wants to know what her evil husband is up to. She takes books from his library to Will so he can teach her to read. In this time together Sive learns of a new side of herself. Which could put her and Will in more danger, along with their loved ones and worlds.
I purchased this book after reading Geist by Philippa Ballantine. I enjoyed the story and her writing in Geist so, that I wanted more. Searching her site I came across this book and was taken with the description. This book is very different from Geist, but I have to say I loved the writing and the tale she wove. By page nine I was hooked on the writing style. The words flowed smoothly for me and sounded poetic in their form. This is one talented author, and one to keep an eye on, I can see many great and different pieces of work coming from her in the future.
I'm going to start right off and say I loved this book. If William Shakespeare was could read of this fey filled, adventurous, heroic side of his life, he would be flattered and love it too.
This book takes place in both the Fey realm and Human realm, along with the in between of the veil. This book isn't really about William Shakespeare as it is a tale spun with the fey and how they touched his life and he theirs. The story here is one of an evil presence trying to eliminate all the realms connected, for itself. There is love and lose here also.
I loved the way the fey where portrayed and the growth of their kind and the characters. In the beginning they are the fun loving fey who are created to make music and dance. They are naive and ignorant to the mortal ways, feelings, and such. Then I was moved by them through their happenings, more through Sive and Puck. And later in the book by Aberon, Sive's king brother, in how he shows the contrast of the way Sive once was and how much she changed along with himself. Then I realized along the way, they where stronger than thought and I loved them, not wanting to see them fight a war to the death for their home and the destruction of another realm. One that the Queen now loves with all her heart, thanks to her lover.
In the end, I had an idea where the story would go at the close of a life. But it still brought me to tears.
I enjoyed this book very much for many reasons. I would definitely suggest this read to anyone who enjoys the fey and a little Shakespearean twisted in. But, don't go in looking for a Midsummer Night's Dream tale as that's not what lies between these covers.
I purchased this book after reading Geist by Philippa Ballantine. I enjoyed the story and her writing in Geist so, that I wanted more. Searching her site I came across this book and was taken with the description. This book is very different from Geist, but I have to say I loved the writing and the tale she wove. By page nine I was hooked on the writing style. The words flowed smoothly for me and sounded poetic in their form. This is one talented author, and one to keep an eye on, I can see many great and different pieces of work coming from her in the future.
I'm going to start right off and say I loved this book. If William Shakespeare was could read of this fey filled, adventurous, heroic side of his life, he would be flattered and love it too.
This book takes place in both the Fey realm and Human realm, along with the in between of the veil. This book isn't really about William Shakespeare as it is a tale spun with the fey and how they touched his life and he theirs. The story here is one of an evil presence trying to eliminate all the realms connected, for itself. There is love and lose here also.
I loved the way the fey where portrayed and the growth of their kind and the characters. In the beginning they are the fun loving fey who are created to make music and dance. They are naive and ignorant to the mortal ways, feelings, and such. Then I was moved by them through their happenings, more through Sive and Puck. And later in the book by Aberon, Sive's king brother, in how he shows the contrast of the way Sive once was and how much she changed along with himself. Then I realized along the way, they where stronger than thought and I loved them, not wanting to see them fight a war to the death for their home and the destruction of another realm. One that the Queen now loves with all her heart, thanks to her lover.
In the end, I had an idea where the story would go at the close of a life. But it still brought me to tears.
I enjoyed this book very much for many reasons. I would definitely suggest this read to anyone who enjoys the fey and a little Shakespearean twisted in. But, don't go in looking for a Midsummer Night's Dream tale as that's not what lies between these covers.
August 26, 2008
Loving listening to the podcast version. The full cast really brings the story to life.
September 1, 2010
I'm not a big Shakespeare fan but as of late I've been reading a lot of things involving him. The main reason I bought Chasing the Bard was because I "know" Pip. If it wasn't for that, I honestly wouldn't have bought it.
There are a few problems I have with Chasing the Bard. One is a technical reason. I bought it for the Kindle and it was very hard to read on it. For some strange reason, the formatting was messed up. I'd read it and suddenly there'd be shifts of point of views with no paragraph changes or line breaks. I got confused on who was saying what and where I was at. If that weren't bad enough, there were also paragraphs with multiple speakers instead of a new paragraph. Shame on you, Dragon Moon Press for not double checking this. It wasn't THAT bad though. I've read other e-books with more and worse problems. Still, made it hard to read.
Another problem I had was that Chasing the Bard started off very slow. The first few pages hooked me but after that I was bored for quite awhile. It needed more tension. If I didn't "know" Pip I was half-tempted to put it down.
But the biggest problem with Chasing was the villain, Mordant. He was just a stereotypical villain. He wanted to destroy. He reminded me of the villain in Lord of the Rings but where LotR was a coming of age/journey story, Chasing wasn't. Mordant was also a lot more important here. He was the reason, cause, and obstacle to the entire story but he was very one-dimensional. He needed to be fleshed out more. He never struggled with what he did, it was never shown that at one time he loved Sive and she him, and it was never shown as to why he went on the journey and how it changed him.
That also made me feel as if this was a sequel. There's an entire previous adventure/backstory involving Mordant, Anu, Sive, and Brigit that I was actually interested in. There would have been more tension and I could have seen the changes in the characters. Shame she didn't start the story there. Instead, I felt like I was missing a lot as if I skipped the first book.
That's not to say I don't like some things. I do like the relationship between Sive and Will. I just wish there was more of it. I also like Puck. He's one of the reasons that hooked me in the beginning. Sadly, it shifted away from him but I did enjoy him whenever he was on page.
I believe it was her first book so it was fine for what it was but if you're expecting something delving into Shakespeare or a villain to care about, you will be disappointed.
There are a few problems I have with Chasing the Bard. One is a technical reason. I bought it for the Kindle and it was very hard to read on it. For some strange reason, the formatting was messed up. I'd read it and suddenly there'd be shifts of point of views with no paragraph changes or line breaks. I got confused on who was saying what and where I was at. If that weren't bad enough, there were also paragraphs with multiple speakers instead of a new paragraph. Shame on you, Dragon Moon Press for not double checking this. It wasn't THAT bad though. I've read other e-books with more and worse problems. Still, made it hard to read.
Another problem I had was that Chasing the Bard started off very slow. The first few pages hooked me but after that I was bored for quite awhile. It needed more tension. If I didn't "know" Pip I was half-tempted to put it down.
But the biggest problem with Chasing was the villain, Mordant. He was just a stereotypical villain. He wanted to destroy. He reminded me of the villain in Lord of the Rings but where LotR was a coming of age/journey story, Chasing wasn't. Mordant was also a lot more important here. He was the reason, cause, and obstacle to the entire story but he was very one-dimensional. He needed to be fleshed out more. He never struggled with what he did, it was never shown that at one time he loved Sive and she him, and it was never shown as to why he went on the journey and how it changed him.
That also made me feel as if this was a sequel. There's an entire previous adventure/backstory involving Mordant, Anu, Sive, and Brigit that I was actually interested in. There would have been more tension and I could have seen the changes in the characters. Shame she didn't start the story there. Instead, I felt like I was missing a lot as if I skipped the first book.
That's not to say I don't like some things. I do like the relationship between Sive and Will. I just wish there was more of it. I also like Puck. He's one of the reasons that hooked me in the beginning. Sadly, it shifted away from him but I did enjoy him whenever he was on page.
I believe it was her first book so it was fine for what it was but if you're expecting something delving into Shakespeare or a villain to care about, you will be disappointed.
April 3, 2013
The world of the Fey is in a bit of trouble as a demonic power known as The Unmaker threatens to destroy both the world of the Fey and the human world. Sive, the goddess of battle, must stop The Unmaker, who takes the form of her new husband. She puts her people's hopes in none other than William Shakespeare, who doesn't realize he is part Fey. Sive's cousin, Puck, is sent to look over Shakespeare as he grows up to protect him from harm.
Chasing the Bard has a great premise. I never thought of William Shakespeare as being part Fey, but many think his writing is magical. Ballantine does a great job of mixing history with fantasy. The progression of the plot is logical and well thought out. Her writing skills are top notch and her style is enjoyable. There's nothing over the top about it. She has a very understated way of writing that really works for her subject matter. The characters are both flawed and easy to relate to, including the Bard. The ending of the book seemed a bit rushed, and I thought Ballantine could have slowed it down a bit. Otherwise, this was a well-written and enjoyable piece of historical fantasy.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
Chasing the Bard has a great premise. I never thought of William Shakespeare as being part Fey, but many think his writing is magical. Ballantine does a great job of mixing history with fantasy. The progression of the plot is logical and well thought out. Her writing skills are top notch and her style is enjoyable. There's nothing over the top about it. She has a very understated way of writing that really works for her subject matter. The characters are both flawed and easy to relate to, including the Bard. The ending of the book seemed a bit rushed, and I thought Ballantine could have slowed it down a bit. Otherwise, this was a well-written and enjoyable piece of historical fantasy.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
April 30, 2013
At first I thought this book was readable for long subway rides and bored moments (easily picked up and put down with no loss), and I got about 50% through it before finally giving up. While the quality of the actual sentences is not that bad, it reads very much like a fanfiction, waxing dramatic at strange moments, unrealistic, flashy but not touching at all. Other reviewers say that the "pacing" is off, and if that means that there is no driving plot, and nothing that compels me to read further, then I agree completely.
I think it's a great idea to make the first book of a series free to read on Kindle, but this is really obviously a first novel, and not a great way to coerce me to read more books in this series.
One thing I did find amusing was the mention of the Fey. Her Fey remind me of Changelings from World of Darkness, and that was fun. But including Shakespeare was a little ridiculous - using a famous name isn't going to make me like the guy more.
Overall, terrible.
I think it's a great idea to make the first book of a series free to read on Kindle, but this is really obviously a first novel, and not a great way to coerce me to read more books in this series.
One thing I did find amusing was the mention of the Fey. Her Fey remind me of Changelings from World of Darkness, and that was fun. But including Shakespeare was a little ridiculous - using a famous name isn't going to make me like the guy more.
Overall, terrible.
September 25, 2014
This book is available for free online, and it reminded me that sometimes you get what you pay for. It was really poorly written and downright silly. I love Shakespeare and can occasionally be induced to read Shakespeare-related fiction, but I'm afraid that I found this book to be bloated and over-written.
February 26, 2011
OMG I totally loved this book!!! I listened to the download from audiobooks.com on iTunes. Philipa Ballantine truly captured the Fae in this amazing story. If you are a fan of faerie tales, this is a great book. This however is not your 7yr olds tale of faerie godmothers and tooth fairies. This is definitely a grown ups faerie tale.
November 5, 2015
Read as an audiobook discovered on podiobooks.com, this is my favourite audiobook of all time and I will never forget this author. The story was crisp and clean. No excessive crap, just...nice. This books was an enjoyable experience, never mind the end...was hoping for more. But I love this author too bad.
January 13, 2016
A fantasy using Will Shakespeare as the protagonist and the fey [where else would he get some of his ideas?] This was quite fun...
September 6, 2012
I guess I'm missing something on this book; it has high ratings so I curled up prepared for a good read. I was bored out of my mind and really had to force myself to finish this book. I put this book down so many times but kept saying it will get better. The main reason was I wanted to see how things ended with Sive, William and Mordant. The book didn't start picking up for me till around 60% way to late to rate any higher. It seemed to drone on and on and the minute something gets my attention it jumps to something else. I did like the Shakespeare angle but it was too verbose. Actually, I liked all the characters the humans and the fey they just were not developed enough. I would love to have read more about Anne and Mordant. The stuff that needed more details didn't get it like and the "Art (what the Fey called their power) manage to come off boring. Also, it could have used a bit more editing.
July 13, 2014
Chasing the Bard is a wonderful historical fantasy novel. Two worlds, the mortal and the fey, are facing the unmaker and total destruction. Heroes from both worlds will have to set aside their differences to survive. Happily ever after is not always the best choice for a book and isn't how the real world plays out either. Her description of the fey people and world reaches a nice balance of painting a vivid picture and allowing the reader to fill in the blanks. The magic of the world is not too complicated and easily allows the reader to suspend their disbelief and travel into the world of the novel.
July 15, 2015
Interesting concept but not executed well. The Fey go from being a superior race of fairy type immortals to little better than children, then back again. The worlds also lacked magic, but I can see some development may work in that area. Really liked the character of Puck, and going by the end of thebook, the author had fallen for him too and given him a better character and personality than the heroine Sive - whose personality went on a strange journey and never coalesced.
My favourite bit had to be the end, when Ballentine just couldn't kill Shakespeare off and had him ascend to the immortal world of the Fey. I lol'd.
My favourite bit had to be the end, when Ballentine just couldn't kill Shakespeare off and had him ascend to the immortal world of the Fey. I lol'd.
June 23, 2025
A clever idea to intertwine the reality of Shakespeare's life with faerie fantasy, and although I'm not a huge fan of either, the combination works. I did find the antagonist to be one of those "pure force of evil" bad guys and thus not so interesting as a character, but the complexities of the various protagonists made up for it. Also as others have said, there were numerous minor typos and formatting problems in the Kindle edition... but it was a free download after all.
July 10, 2012
Wish there was a 1 1/2 star option, because this is definitely not even a 2 star book.
My main problems were her poor characterization of Puck, the absolute inability to ever include the "r" in any instance of the word brought (which happens to occur on just about every other page,) and the general lack of editing. The story itself wasn't bad, and I even found myself wanting to know what was going to happen with Will, but in the end, I was just completely underwhelmed.
My main problems were her poor characterization of Puck, the absolute inability to ever include the "r" in any instance of the word brought (which happens to occur on just about every other page,) and the general lack of editing. The story itself wasn't bad, and I even found myself wanting to know what was going to happen with Will, but in the end, I was just completely underwhelmed.
July 30, 2013
I'm surprised at how many negative reviews there are on this book. I found Ballantine's novel a spirited explanation for Shakespeare's source of inspiration for A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Chasing the Bard is inspiring and tragic and will stay with you for quite a while. Ballantine's prose matches her material and is quite a departure from her Steampunk books. I had trouble putting this book down.
Chasing the Bard is inspiring and tragic and will stay with you for quite a while. Ballantine's prose matches her material and is quite a departure from her Steampunk books. I had trouble putting this book down.
September 12, 2010
A brilliant imagining of the world of the fey. Rich characters and a richer world, with an interesting story dragged down by a slow beginning and a hurried, meh ending. I enjoyed it, and I liked the style - I look forward to reading more from this author - but this particular story didn't 'stick' with me.
November 4, 2011
Chasing The Bard is an interesting idea, and Philippa's writing is chock-full of evocative and imaginative descriptions. The book covers a wide timeframe and I found that I liked some parts more than others, primarily because of the different dynamics of the key relationships at the different stages. Overall I enjoyed this, even thought I never really warmed to the character of Sive.
July 6, 2017
It's a little bit odd, listening to this podiobook after the sequel. I'm a little bit unclear on when Sive got pregnant, and how Brigit came to regain her body, or even how and why the Unmaker managed to be a threat again. I'm also not totally convinced that magic is consistent between the two works.
September 20, 2012
I actually listened to the podcast version of this novel, and I must say it put a very interesting spin on the life of William Shakespeare.
A relative stranger to the land of the Fey, I felt I was able to absorb myself in the story without trying to point out any canonical conflicts with established myths and legends. This made it that much more enjoyable.
A relative stranger to the land of the Fey, I felt I was able to absorb myself in the story without trying to point out any canonical conflicts with established myths and legends. This made it that much more enjoyable.
August 15, 2008
What if Shakespeare's words really did contain power? What if his very birth attracted the notice of the Fey? The truth is lost to time, but what if? It's an awful lot of fun and it reads well. It's possible that the prose is a bit purple for some people, but wouldn't you expect that?
May 6, 2009
Fantastic twist on the history of one of literature's most revered figures.
I'm not a huge Shakespeare scholar, but I still managed to catch most of the references thrown at me.
A great story, well-told. Excellent work Philippa!
I'm not a huge Shakespeare scholar, but I still managed to catch most of the references thrown at me.
A great story, well-told. Excellent work Philippa!
May 2, 2010
shakespeare the fey a great danger this book should have been awesome but unfortunately the blurb on the back was better than the book there was only one shining light to this book and that was the character Sive otherwise it would have been 1 star
June 26, 2010
A very imaginative story af why there have been no true Bards since Shakespeare. Wonderful storytellers yes, but not Bards. Definitely recommed a read if you enjoy fantasy with your historical fiction or historic fiction with your fantasy. Enjoyed it!
July 8, 2010
I loved the history involved, the factual Shakespearean knowledge portrayed as well as the fantasy. Overall a great "read" (I actually listened to it...)
I'm looking forward to my new jobs commute to work so that I'll have time to move on to another work of Ms Ballantine's.
I'm looking forward to my new jobs commute to work so that I'll have time to move on to another work of Ms Ballantine's.
May 22, 2012
As an English teacher and a fan of British Lit and Shakespeare, I couldn't help but pick up this book. It was great. I loved the combination of classic literary history and the integration of the fey world. I highly recommend it. Five stars all the way.
March 10, 2013
The e-book version of this was free but riddled with typos to the point of distraction. However, the story itself is fairly good if a little aggravating. I'm not sure I'm content with the ending. But if its a free book, you might want to check it out and read it on the side.
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