Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
I have read many books about fairies this year but this was the best of the lot. Okay, while I was reading the others I thought the same thing, but this book was a stand out!
Magpie is a fairy who is a devil catcher. Humans have been letting them out to plague the world. She is the only one who has the ability to make the glyphs to rid the world of these foul beings. She finds that a new devil, one who is different and scarier than the rest, has been let out, as well.
She tracks him down in Dreamdark, the home of the fairies. His name is Blackbringer. He is going to destroy the whole world by unraveling the tapestry and swallowing the world into darkness and shadow. Through many adventures, Mags and her crows and a few other fairies wake up a Djinn, fight many frightful devils, and find out the true history of Dreamdark and the birth of Magpie.
I was fascinated with the mythology that has been invented for this book. The world was dreamed by the powerful Djinns and there used to be many creatures in this world that have been hunted out of existence by humans. BLACKBRINGER was a delightful read full of roller-coaster adventures and surprises. I sure hope Laini Taylor writes more about Magpie, the crows, Poppy, Talon, and the Magruwen.
I have read many books about fairies this year but this was the best of the lot. Okay, while I was reading the others I thought the same thing, but this book was a stand out!
Magpie is a fairy who is a devil catcher. Humans have been letting them out to plague the world. She is the only one who has the ability to make the glyphs to rid the world of these foul beings. She finds that a new devil, one who is different and scarier than the rest, has been let out, as well.
She tracks him down in Dreamdark, the home of the fairies. His name is Blackbringer. He is going to destroy the whole world by unraveling the tapestry and swallowing the world into darkness and shadow. Through many adventures, Mags and her crows and a few other fairies wake up a Djinn, fight many frightful devils, and find out the true history of Dreamdark and the birth of Magpie.
I was fascinated with the mythology that has been invented for this book. The world was dreamed by the powerful Djinns and there used to be many creatures in this world that have been hunted out of existence by humans. BLACKBRINGER was a delightful read full of roller-coaster adventures and surprises. I sure hope Laini Taylor writes more about Magpie, the crows, Poppy, Talon, and the Magruwen.
A nice change from the direction of most current faerie fantasy tales. The story of Magpie Windwitch, a gypsy faerie who travels with crows trying to rid the world of devils and save the last of faerie magic, steers clear of over-romanticizing or over-sexualizing the faeries. It does, however, contain a strong heroine, non-gendered roles, and inter-racial relationships. Although the plot struggles a bit, it is still a highly enjoyable read for fans of fantasy, particularly those with progressive leanings.
Check out my full review.
Check out my full review.
This is a different type of magic creatures tale-- not all lightsome and flowery. Yes, Magpie Windwitch is a fairy, only a few inches tall, but she is one who guards the good folk and does her best to oppose the bad-- permanently!
