Book Review: Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see—into the past, into the future—and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.


When I began Bones of Faerie, I expected a typical fairy story. What I found, however, was a story that centered around prejudice, war, and family. The book paints a grim picture of our future, a war between humans and Faerie left the world in ruins, and people living in constant fear of magic. Liza, who is struggling with the knowledge that she seems to have a Faerie ability, is forced to flee from her father, and her home. The only place for her to run is into the forest that her village fears, so in she goes. Throughout her journey to find her mother, she is forced to confront the prejudice that she has been taught, and also how to control her visions into the past and future. She meets an array of people, including some with Faerie abilities, and over time realizes that Faerie isn't a world all that different from her own .

The most important of Liza's companion is her friend Matthew, who followed her on the night that she ran away from home. They made it through the forest together, and he sees all of her family's dark secrets. Since I won't be revealing any spoilers, I can't really tell you much more of what happens within the book. I will tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. It seems a little short upon first glance, but I was drawn in by the characters and the world that they lived in. It comes with a little moral as well, hatred and oppression can lead to war, and we should all examine our own prejudices.

Bones of Faerie
by Janni Lee Simner
256 Pages
Published by Random House
Rating: A-