Faerie Wars

De: Herbie Brennan

Narrado por: Gerard Doyle

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"[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.

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

It wasn't what I'd expected

faerie wars was ok but it was also a bit too difficult to follow for someone new to the whole modern fairy thing. i couldn't quite get the hang of who all the characters were or what the whole situation was at first,but after a few listenens i developed a liking for it.

One of the best books I've listened to!

This is an absolutely gripping story. The characters are engaging, the plot is fresh, and Mr. Doyle is a talented narrator.

IT begins with the revelation of a lesbian affair between the protagonist's mother and his father's secretary. This may make some people uncomfortable. The protagonist muses later on about how adults try to protect children from uncomfortable truths, but that just makes things worse.

This is apparently the philosophy that the author holds by. If you disagree, you may want to reconsider purchasing this book. If you do agree, however, I heartily recommend this book for the honest and tasteful way that it handles the situation.

What struck me about the revelation of the lesbian affair was how frank and open everything played out. The assumptions and messiness of the characters' thoughts and emotions. The little details in conversations between parents and children that get all tangled up through multiple layers. The process of coming to grips with difficult situations.

But that is only a side story, and you're quickly sucked into the main plot involving parallel dimensions, conspiracy, and political intrigue.

The story cleverly incorporates many aspects of modern and classic mythology, including aliens, demons, and faeries. Even though these aspects are done to death elsewhere, here the author has managed to include them in a way that's fresh and new and altogether fascinating.

The characters are well formed, and the character development feels natural, although some aspects of the story seem a little bit silly.

That the best way for making strong glue, for example, is to throw a kitten into the mix seems a little out there. But I suppose it does set up the villains for the story quite nicely. You can't like anyone who kills kittens for profit, after all.

Overall, I highly recommend this book because of it's exciting story line, memorable characters, and the frank, realistic way complex situations are handled.