Faerie Wars

By: Herbie Brennan

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Henry doesn't think he'll ever be able to get his mind off his parents' divorce. That is, until he meets Pyrgus Malvae, prince of the faerie world. Now Henry must help Pyrgus return home to fight the evil Faeries of the Night.

Best-selling author Herbie Brennan magically combines real-life London with the fantasy realm of faeries while delicately exploring such sensitive topics as divorce, politics, and sexuality.

©2003 Herbie Brennan (P)2004 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"[A] solid adventure [that will] keep listeners on the edge of their seats." (Booklist)
"[Brennan] is a master of the hairpin turn, leading readers in one direction and suddenly reversing their expectations." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Narrator Gerard Doyle does a remarkable job of bringing each character alive. He reads clearly with great enthusiasm and vibrancy, allowing whimsy and mischief to emerge. Fantasy readers will thoroughly enjoy this audiobook, especially fans of Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter." (School Library Journal)

Fun and Entertaining

What a surprisingly fun book!

Well narrated, it started off completely different from what I was expecting from a book with Faerie in the title. By chapter two, I was confused about what was going on. By chapter three I understood what was going on and was very pleased.

The good guys aren't completely good, though they try hard. The badguys, on the other hand, are pretty much badguys, which usually bothers me. I generally think even evil people have something good to their character... but because there are a variety of badguys in this book, and they are each a different *kind* of badguy, there are varying tiers of evil which makes the badguys feel more three dimensional without the reader ever feeling a need to empathize with them.

Loved it!

Much better than expected...

I bought this book by mistake - normally I don't read fiction written for adolescents - but it turned out to be a decent listen. The narrator reads very well and for about 90% of the book you won't notice that it was written for kids. (In fact if it wasn't for the "Audible Kids" note at the first of the book I would never have known it wasn't written for adults.)

Most of the negative reviews said they have an issue with the "homosexual agenda" in the story. I kept listening for this "agenda" attempting to subvert my mind. It never happened. Homosexuality was merely used as a device to explain a divorce.

Apparently this is part one in a series of books but it definitely stands alone - the story and characters are wrapped up in the end so you're not left hanging.

I enjoyed both the story and the narration and would listen to more in the series.

Really good

Loved the ideas in this book, the lessons about greed and love and belief in yourself and others.

Good Story

I liked the story. I was hoping it was similar to the Artimus Fowl stories. It isn't but still a good story.

Good but what's up with the lesbian affair?

I enjoyed this book (and the second in the series) but the circumstances of the parents' breakup added nothing to the story and may confuse younger readers. This and only this would keep me from recommending this book to some kids. If the fact that the mom had a lesbian affair actually related to something else in the story I would have no problem with it but....it didn't. Adults will have no problem with this part of the story (except that they may find it unnecessary).

fun story

Fun to listen to. Some of the words got cut off in the narration.

great book, loved all the characters

I really enjoyed the reading of this audiobook, and I also have the print version. The narration was well done.
I really enjoyed the story line as well. Many other reviewers fail to see how any of Henry's stories about family life have to do with anything, and most people question the lesbian affair that his mother is having. I would like to be very clear on this point: there is no real portrayal or depiction of any lesbian love affair, only mention of it, with minute details. I personally don't believe that the knowledge of the existence of gayness is damaging to children. I enjoyed this glimpse into Henry's family life, as it let me get to know him and what he has to come home to, and sort of shows that there is turmoil on all fronts for him. It was interesting to see the way he deals with it all, and to see the contrast between the way he becomes a hero in the faerie realm, and how helpless to control anything that happens to his family in our world. I for one can sympathize with Henry's situation, not that my mother had an affair when I was growing up or anything like that, but that my parents made a lot of decisions that changed my life totally and I had absolutely no control over them because I was just a kid (I am speaking of divorce, remarriage, divorce again, overprotectiveness, etc). I suspect that others can relate to some of Henry's problems, as well as his outrage at some of the decisions his parents made in this book. I only say this because several reviewers wondered why the detail about his home life was there, and thought it came out of nowhere. I thought it was fine.
I thought the rest of the story was also intriguing as well, and got attached to many of the characters. I recommend this audiobook to anyone; it is very entertaining.

what a book!

Great story, and so addictive.
jumping from analog world to world of faeries makes it feel even more real.
Now I have to find continuation..

Two good stories, maybe miss matched.

Faerie Wars is a solid book witch I enjoyed very much. The only odd thing is, for the first 15 minutes, I wasn't sure I was listening to the right book. Then for the next 15 minutes, I wasn't sure if I was still listening to the same book. I couldn't see how the two protagonists had anything to do with each other. But I gave it some time and really started to enjoy the story. The only reason I didn't give this book five stars is because I feel that the strange family drama really was a bit gratuitous and only made for a rocky start. It just never seem to fit well.

love the book

loved it want to read more books from this author and and other books like this one