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-

In My Mailbox (May 31)

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. Here are the books I got this week...

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot
Published by Scholastic, Inc.

Things aren't pretty for Emerson Watts.

Em was sure there couldn't be anything worse than being a brainiac the body of a teenaged supermodel.

But it turned out she was wrong. Because that supermodel could turn out to have a mother who's gone mysteriously missing, a brother who's shown up on her doorstep demanding answers, a former best friend who's intent on destroying Stark Enterprises to avenge the death of his lost love, and a British heartthrob who's written a song about her that's topping the charts.

How can Em balance all that with school, runway shows, and weekend jaunts to St. Johns - especially when she's got ex-boyfriends crawling out of the woodwork who want more than just a photo op; a sister who is headed to the high school cheerleading championships; a company she represents that seems to be turning to the dark side...

Not to mention trying to convince the love of her life that models aren't really airheads after all...especially one model in particular.

But then, nobody said it was going to be easy being Nikki.

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Published by Random House

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.

Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbot

Published by Marshall Cavendish

From her birth, Abisina has been outcast--for the color of her eyes
and skin, and for her lack of a father. Only her mother's status as the
village healer has kept her safe. But when a mythic leader arrives,
Abisina's life is ripped apart. She escapes alone to try to find the father and
the home she has never known. In a world of extremes, from the deepest
prejudice to the greatest bonds of duty and loyalty, Abisina must find her
own way and decide where her true hope lies.