Summary: James Morgan has an almost unearthly gift for music. And it has attracted Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and then feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. James has plenty of reasons to fear the faeries, but as he and Nuala collaborate on an achingly beautiful musical composition, James finds his feelings towards Nuala deepening. But the rest of the fairies are not as harmless. As Halloweenâthe day of the deadâdraws near, James will have to battle the Faerie Queen and the horned king of the dead to save Nuala's life and his soul.
Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie is the sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception; together these books fit perfectly into the increasingly popular young adult genre but, unlike most of the other books sprouting up everywhere, these books don't contain fangs, they contain Fey. Ballad picks up a couple of months after the events of Lament, placing James, the unrequited best friend, as the main character.
The depth of research Stiefvater attained is increasingly obvious with the turn of each page. Ballad is chock full of amazing traditional Celtic faerie folklore and even a thoroughly researched Deity. "The Good Folk" have been an inspiration to thousands of writers throughout history; much of the folklore and faerie tales have remained consistent with each passing decade, and Stiefvater remains true to that tradition while adding her own flavor by revealing some folklore that is not popularly known. Her addition of Cernunnos, a traditional Celtic Deity usually depicted as representing for the dead, is what in my opinion pulled Stiefvater from researched well, to absolutely amazing. The plot was fast paced, action packed, and perfectly braided with the folklore and the characters.
The characters in this book were also, in my opinion, spot on. It has long been a belief from children's fables that faeries are a benevolent race of magical beings, but in this book, they are depicted as they originally were written, as a warning against the evils of magic. James is a typical teenage guy, with the addition of a genius musical talent and a smattering of psychic ability. Nuala is a not so typical faerie who trades musical inspiration in exchange for years of one's life. James's ability to recognize the faerie is the only thing that saved his life and brought these two characters together. The relationship that forms between Nuala is completely honest from the beginning and so different from the love that Dee and Luke shares in Lament. It was amazing that James could fall in love with Nuala even after everything that happens to him Lament; his ability to forgive and adapt is hopefully what will save the friendship that was destroyed by Dee being a selfish idiot.
At some points throughout the book Stiefvater could have let the reader into some of the secrets she was harboring earlier, it got a bit confusing in some areas due to what the reader is unaware of. Things of course become clearer at the end but, for a little while in the middle, the reader spends time trying to figure out the reasons for some of the inserted passages when there really is no need. It is suspect that they were written in an effort to foreshadow but as a young adult reader, it may have been too much. Overall this book was enjoyable, not as imaginatively pleasing as Lament but definitely not bad at all.
Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie is the sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception; together these books fit perfectly into the increasingly popular young adult genre but, unlike most of the other books sprouting up everywhere, these books don't contain fangs, they contain Fey. Ballad picks up a couple of months after the events of Lament, placing James, the unrequited best friend, as the main character.
The depth of research Stiefvater attained is increasingly obvious with the turn of each page. Ballad is chock full of amazing traditional Celtic faerie folklore and even a thoroughly researched Deity. "The Good Folk" have been an inspiration to thousands of writers throughout history; much of the folklore and faerie tales have remained consistent with each passing decade, and Stiefvater remains true to that tradition while adding her own flavor by revealing some folklore that is not popularly known. Her addition of Cernunnos, a traditional Celtic Deity usually depicted as representing for the dead, is what in my opinion pulled Stiefvater from researched well, to absolutely amazing. The plot was fast paced, action packed, and perfectly braided with the folklore and the characters.
The characters in this book were also, in my opinion, spot on. It has long been a belief from children's fables that faeries are a benevolent race of magical beings, but in this book, they are depicted as they originally were written, as a warning against the evils of magic. James is a typical teenage guy, with the addition of a genius musical talent and a smattering of psychic ability. Nuala is a not so typical faerie who trades musical inspiration in exchange for years of one's life. James's ability to recognize the faerie is the only thing that saved his life and brought these two characters together. The relationship that forms between Nuala is completely honest from the beginning and so different from the love that Dee and Luke shares in Lament. It was amazing that James could fall in love with Nuala even after everything that happens to him Lament; his ability to forgive and adapt is hopefully what will save the friendship that was destroyed by Dee being a selfish idiot.
At some points throughout the book Stiefvater could have let the reader into some of the secrets she was harboring earlier, it got a bit confusing in some areas due to what the reader is unaware of. Things of course become clearer at the end but, for a little while in the middle, the reader spends time trying to figure out the reasons for some of the inserted passages when there really is no need. It is suspect that they were written in an effort to foreshadow but as a young adult reader, it may have been too much. Overall this book was enjoyable, not as imaginatively pleasing as Lament but definitely not bad at all.
Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com
After having survived a harrowing encounter with murderous faeries, James is looking forward to leaving it all behind and attending Thornking-Ash School of Music. Unfortunately, his dealings with the faerie world aren't over.
His gift for music has attracted the attention of Nuala, a faerie muse who feeds on the creativity of those she inspires. Nuala collaborates with James on a stunning musical composition, and James starts to fall for her. It seems Nuala is falling for James, as well, and it puts them both in danger.
As Halloween approaches, James is thrust into the middle of a battle with the Faerie Queen and the King of the Dead to save Nuala's life and his own soul.
This glimpse into the darker side of the faerie world is as hauntingly beautiful as the bagpipes James plays.
James was one of my favorite characters in LAMENT, and I'm thrilled to have spent time with him again in BALLAD. Stiefvater's remarkable characters, combined with lyrical prose and kick butt plotting, bring James' story to life in a way that has stayed with me long after I've closed the book cover.
I hope to be carried off into the faerie world by Stiefvater again in the future.
After having survived a harrowing encounter with murderous faeries, James is looking forward to leaving it all behind and attending Thornking-Ash School of Music. Unfortunately, his dealings with the faerie world aren't over.
His gift for music has attracted the attention of Nuala, a faerie muse who feeds on the creativity of those she inspires. Nuala collaborates with James on a stunning musical composition, and James starts to fall for her. It seems Nuala is falling for James, as well, and it puts them both in danger.
As Halloween approaches, James is thrust into the middle of a battle with the Faerie Queen and the King of the Dead to save Nuala's life and his own soul.
This glimpse into the darker side of the faerie world is as hauntingly beautiful as the bagpipes James plays.
James was one of my favorite characters in LAMENT, and I'm thrilled to have spent time with him again in BALLAD. Stiefvater's remarkable characters, combined with lyrical prose and kick butt plotting, bring James' story to life in a way that has stayed with me long after I've closed the book cover.
I hope to be carried off into the faerie world by Stiefvater again in the future.
The second book in the Books of Faerie series. I loved this more than the first book. Why? Because this one was all James all the time. I love him. I loved being in his head and on his side of the story for this one.
James and Dee have ... parted ways ... since the end of the last novel. There is a huge rift between them that neither one of them is ready to cross. Things were said and not said in the end of Lament that each would like to take back or fix, but they both believe it's not possible anymore.
James spends a good portion of the book lamenting (no pun intended) over his loss of friendship with Dee. And Dee keeps us posted on her life through a series of text messages that she never sends. It's quite heart breaking. They are starting their fist year at a Musical Prep School where a lot of crazy things happen. There are faeries about, and James hates them. However there is one faerie, named Nuala that he builds a bond with. There is a lot going on in this book there is the surface story of James and Nuala, the back ground stories of James and Dee and James and his roommate, and then there is the story about what's going on in the faerie world. They are all nicely intertwined and you find yourself really feeling for James and some of the choices he has to make. There were several places in this book where I cried. I wanted James to be happy, but some times he just sabotages himself (like we all do some times) and he is left with words unsaid. Dee is really frustrating in this one. On one hand you want to know more about what is going on with her and her cryptic messages, but on the other hand you just want to slap her for the words that come out of her mouth. And Nuala ... I don't even know what to say about her. I liked her, but I didn't. I wanted her to be happy, but not at the expense of Dee. I wanted the end to not be the way it was. But the end was good enough.
I'd love to read another novel about these characters, but according to Maggie there probably isn't going to be anymore novels in this series. That's oaky though. I guess what we got was good enough.
I don't think it would make a good stand alone read because there were a lot of references to things that happened in Lament. I recommend this book to those who loved Lament, those who wanted more for James.
James and Dee have ... parted ways ... since the end of the last novel. There is a huge rift between them that neither one of them is ready to cross. Things were said and not said in the end of Lament that each would like to take back or fix, but they both believe it's not possible anymore.
James spends a good portion of the book lamenting (no pun intended) over his loss of friendship with Dee. And Dee keeps us posted on her life through a series of text messages that she never sends. It's quite heart breaking. They are starting their fist year at a Musical Prep School where a lot of crazy things happen. There are faeries about, and James hates them. However there is one faerie, named Nuala that he builds a bond with. There is a lot going on in this book there is the surface story of James and Nuala, the back ground stories of James and Dee and James and his roommate, and then there is the story about what's going on in the faerie world. They are all nicely intertwined and you find yourself really feeling for James and some of the choices he has to make. There were several places in this book where I cried. I wanted James to be happy, but some times he just sabotages himself (like we all do some times) and he is left with words unsaid. Dee is really frustrating in this one. On one hand you want to know more about what is going on with her and her cryptic messages, but on the other hand you just want to slap her for the words that come out of her mouth. And Nuala ... I don't even know what to say about her. I liked her, but I didn't. I wanted her to be happy, but not at the expense of Dee. I wanted the end to not be the way it was. But the end was good enough.
I'd love to read another novel about these characters, but according to Maggie there probably isn't going to be anymore novels in this series. That's oaky though. I guess what we got was good enough.
I don't think it would make a good stand alone read because there were a lot of references to things that happened in Lament. I recommend this book to those who loved Lament, those who wanted more for James.
This book is the sequel to âLamentâ. You wouldn't have to read âLamentâ to enjoy this book but âLamentâ does provide a lot of good background between Dee and James. This was a good book, I enjoyed it. I am finding that Steifvater has a very distinct writing style; I am not totally in love with it but I do love her characters
Dee and James have started school at Thornking-Ash. Each of them is having their own problems. James keeps hearing the song of the horned king and wants to chase it down. Then he happens upon Nuala, she is a low type of fairy who feeds off of a person's creativity to live. Nuala and James dance back and forth, as Nuala tries to draw him into a deal. While they are absorbed in this game something big is happening in Fairy. The new Fairy Queen wants to shrug free of the power of the Cloverhand (Dee) and has a plan to do it; but how much will her plan cost in lives?
I liked James voice better than Dee's from the âLamentâ. James is just more interesting and has a more fascinating perspective on the world. The chapters alternate between James' and Nuala's point of view. Nuala has quite a bit of bite and is another interesting character to read about.
There is a lot of tension between James and Nuala, as Nuala struggles to not eat James life force. This makes the story interesting and propels the beginning of the story along despite the lethargic pace of the plot.
I am finding that Steifvater has a very distinct writing style. Her books are always very meandering and laid back in the beginning; she spends a lot of time talking about how the characters feel and following them through their everyday lives. Then tons of stuff happens in the last few chapters. This book is no exception to that; it follows exactly the same pattern as both âLamentâ and âShiverâ. It is not my favorite writing style but it seems to work for this story. Stiefvater's real strength is in the likable and believable characters she creates, and how she makes them struggle to love against all odds.
The end of this book resolves some issues but not others. I haven't heard that there are any more books planned in this world, but the ending leaves me to believe that they will be at least a few more.
All in all it was an enjoyable book. I still wish though that the action had been spread out more and not all shoved in at the end. That being said I will continue to read Steifvater because I really do like the characters she creates.
Dee and James have started school at Thornking-Ash. Each of them is having their own problems. James keeps hearing the song of the horned king and wants to chase it down. Then he happens upon Nuala, she is a low type of fairy who feeds off of a person's creativity to live. Nuala and James dance back and forth, as Nuala tries to draw him into a deal. While they are absorbed in this game something big is happening in Fairy. The new Fairy Queen wants to shrug free of the power of the Cloverhand (Dee) and has a plan to do it; but how much will her plan cost in lives?
I liked James voice better than Dee's from the âLamentâ. James is just more interesting and has a more fascinating perspective on the world. The chapters alternate between James' and Nuala's point of view. Nuala has quite a bit of bite and is another interesting character to read about.
There is a lot of tension between James and Nuala, as Nuala struggles to not eat James life force. This makes the story interesting and propels the beginning of the story along despite the lethargic pace of the plot.
I am finding that Steifvater has a very distinct writing style. Her books are always very meandering and laid back in the beginning; she spends a lot of time talking about how the characters feel and following them through their everyday lives. Then tons of stuff happens in the last few chapters. This book is no exception to that; it follows exactly the same pattern as both âLamentâ and âShiverâ. It is not my favorite writing style but it seems to work for this story. Stiefvater's real strength is in the likable and believable characters she creates, and how she makes them struggle to love against all odds.
The end of this book resolves some issues but not others. I haven't heard that there are any more books planned in this world, but the ending leaves me to believe that they will be at least a few more.
All in all it was an enjoyable book. I still wish though that the action had been spread out more and not all shoved in at the end. That being said I will continue to read Steifvater because I really do like the characters she creates.
Ballad renewed my faith in Stiefvater's writing. I could never relate to Dee's narrative voice in Lament, and couldn't wait for her time with James, even though she never seemed to appreciate or understand how blessed she was. James is drawn into the world of fairies in his attempt to protect Dee even when she no longer cares to save herself. He goes to Thornking-Ash knowing that their music program has nothing for him, but all is not as it seems at TA. James is smart, talented, witty - and in love (he thinks) with Dee. But then he meets Nuala, a "freak" among fairies who likes him just as he is. Nuala is a fairy muse, who feeds off talented artists - but James won't give in. As Halloween approaches, James must make difficult choices about who (Nuala or Dee) should be saved. The dialogue is smart and moves quickly, and all the characters (including minor) are well fleshed out. I was happy to see him get his story - even if she left readers hanging for the next in the series.
***** THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*****
The story was from James (Deirdre's best friend) and Nuala (a fairy that feeds on music) point of view. James loves Deirdre but she was in love with Luke Dillion (a fairy). Luke wasn't in Ballad but Deirdre was heart broken because he left her. James was heart-broken because she didn't love him. Then he meets Nuala and is scared of her until they spend some time together. They "fall in love" and he realizes that what he felt for Deirdre was just a "crush".
Anyway, Nuala dies every 16 years and is reborn a different being with no memory. So they figure out how to save her memories by saying her name 7 times. The Fairy queen is trying to kill Deidre so he has to leave Nuala to go save her and doesn't think that the saving memory thing works, until he digs her out of the ashes that she burned in and sees that she still had her memories. Then the story just pretty much ends, leaving you kinda hanging, wondering what is going to become of them all.
I felt as though the story just drug on. Stiefvater does plan on writing another book for this series. Overall, Ballad was good but it jumped around so much that I just got aggravated. I will continue reading the Book of Faerie series with hopes it will improve but it's not at the top of my to-read list. The overall story is interesting. What are your thoughts on the Book of Faerie series?
The story was from James (Deirdre's best friend) and Nuala (a fairy that feeds on music) point of view. James loves Deirdre but she was in love with Luke Dillion (a fairy). Luke wasn't in Ballad but Deirdre was heart broken because he left her. James was heart-broken because she didn't love him. Then he meets Nuala and is scared of her until they spend some time together. They "fall in love" and he realizes that what he felt for Deirdre was just a "crush".
Anyway, Nuala dies every 16 years and is reborn a different being with no memory. So they figure out how to save her memories by saying her name 7 times. The Fairy queen is trying to kill Deidre so he has to leave Nuala to go save her and doesn't think that the saving memory thing works, until he digs her out of the ashes that she burned in and sees that she still had her memories. Then the story just pretty much ends, leaving you kinda hanging, wondering what is going to become of them all.
I felt as though the story just drug on. Stiefvater does plan on writing another book for this series. Overall, Ballad was good but it jumped around so much that I just got aggravated. I will continue reading the Book of Faerie series with hopes it will improve but it's not at the top of my to-read list. The overall story is interesting. What are your thoughts on the Book of Faerie series?
Took me a few days to read,which is unusual for me. But, was good. We get to learn more about Deidre's friend James.
I really enjoy Maggie Stiefvater's writing style, it is very charming. I look forward to anything she writes.
