The Faerie Wars series by Herbie Brennan features Faerie Wars, The Purple Emperor, Ruler of the Realm, Faerie Lord and most recently The Faeman Quest. This review is only going to cover the first four, partly because that’s all I could take and because book 5 centers on a new character after a substantial time skip and for me enough was already enough. Don’t get me wrong though and think that the entire series is a write off, I actually really liked the first book, very promising.
Faerie Wars opens with Henry Atherton who’s just been told his mum is having an affair with his dad’s secretary and that they’re getting a divorce. A pretty bold start. Henry also works as cleaner and cat-feeder to old Mr Fogarty and Hodge who Henry believes was once an engineer of some sort. Then one day Hodge catches a butterfly, only it’s not a butterfly, it’s a faerie.
Very quickly you’re introduced to Brennan’s habit of using chapters to change point of view as well as go back in time. Admittedly it can be very difficult to imply events are happening at the same time with different sets of characters and Brennan does it with relative ease. It doesn’t seem out of place and it’s not hard to follow or, for the most part, detract from the pacing of the story. I say this because the chapter then breaks and we’re introduced to Pyrgus Malvae (whom we later learn is a Faerie Prince) and two villains; Brimstone and Chalkhill.
I’m not going to go into great depth about the plot of each book but I’ll say this, with each book it’s like Brennan has cast a die for each character and after one book is finished he scoops them up into a cup, shakes, rolls and wherever those die land is where those characters start. This approach was bearable for the first two books but after that you were kind of hoping that someone would have been properly defeated and someone else would be making out. Especially given the copious mentions of bottoms.
What I loved about this series was the element of a world within a world, or really it’s two worlds side by side. The Analogue world which is our reality and the Faerie Realm. Technologically advanced Faeries living in a Victorian era-esque period where magic comes in cones. It was a wonderful mix of all my favourite things.
Book 1: Henry’s parents are divorcing and he ends up having to save Prince Pyrgus and all the Faerie Realm from a demon invasion/domination/generally cause havoc plot. On the way he sees Princess Holly Blue about to take bath and has to rescue Mr Fogarty from prison.
Book 2: After the death of their father Pyrgus assumed the Purple Throne but their step-uncle Lord Hairstreak intervenes to put their half brother and Hairstreak’s nephew on the throne instead. Apparently with the permission of the not-dead ex-Purple Emperor and Pyrgus’ father Aperture Iris. Henry must help save the realm again but this time they have the help of the Forest Fae and Pyrgus eyes up their Princess Nymph.
Problems: Henry is burnt in this book and patched up with skin grafts made of giant spider silk that turns his hands and chest multicoloured. Not only is this never mentioned (despite numerous future injuries) in later books but how he deals with this when translated back to the Analogue world is never covered. Nor his loss of his portal device supposedly stolen by his sister. In fact there’s very little coverage of what’s going on in the Analogue world with regards to Henry’s family other than ‘it’s bad’. Which is a great set up for him eventually breaking off with the Analogue world without familial ties but it kind of seems like a waste. Or lazy. Or both.
Book 3: With Princess Holly Blue on the throne she’s got some pretty black and white ideas about what’s best for the realm. War between the Light and Night faeries threatens and Henry has been taken over by demons and kidnapped Blue. In the mean time there are some time stopped crystal flowers, a fake army and a lot of confusing plot points.
Problems: Well again nothing about the Analogue world reactions which really detracts from the story. Also the entry of Henry being abducted by world saving aliens which is apparently a demon hallucination is kinda confusing. I was very confused for most of this book.
Book 4: In which Holly and Henry go on a quest and get married. Really the only thing worth reading is the last few pages where they get married.
Problems: Henry and Blue took forever, they were cute but despite having them so obviously liking each other from book 1 and Player!Pyrgus on the loose the romance was lacking. Especially with the book 1 comradery between Pyrgus and Henry I was hoping for some bromance at least. On top of the complete sweeping aside of Henry’s Analogue family and friends. And then there was the fact that none of 4 available villains didn’t really start getting defeated until the end of book 3 and then some rather lame endings in book 4. Not to mention an introduction of three new characters who apparently had very temporary agendas, a cameo of a suicide and a lot of fuss about nothing. Any more plot holes and you could strain tea with these books.
In conclusion, read books 1 and 2 and be reassured that Pyrgus marries Nymph and Holly marries Henry (and that according to the blurb for book 5 they have a daughter) isn’t that wonderful?
And don’t get me wrong, I find it was a terrible shame that I grew so tired of this series by the end because I really really liked how it set out. It had interesting creatures and characters and characters of all ages. I loved the character of Mr Fogarty, the ex-bank robbing portal making Gatekeeper of awesome.
Over and out.
No comments:
Post a Comment