Spell Hunter

I really hope this book ends up getting some kind of award, so that more fantasy fans will become aware of this author. The story is wonderful for children and adults, and I can't recommend it enough.

what an absolutely delightful read. you always know when a book has found its way into your heart when you are filled with regret when the story is over. faery rebels is a middle grade novel--a genre i have not read in some time--but it is a book to be enjoyed by all ages. knife is a fearless faery intent on finding out the truth of her people's past, when she befriends a human friend, paul. with evocative prose and wonderful storytelling, anderson slowly unravels the mystery behind the faeries' unhappy circumstance, as knife does all she can to help her kind. knife is the perfect heroine for this fantastic debut. i recommend highly!

I found lots of things in this marvelous book: a compelling adventure, a nuanced world, and engaging mystery, and a sweet and occasionally heart-breaking romance. Most of all I found two characters to love: Bryony (later Knife) the faery, and Paul, the young human who becomes her friend. I loved seeing the worlds of both faeries and humans through Knife's eyes. I read eagerly as she pieces together the clues to understand the deadly affliction upon her own people, and struggles to understand the role humans play in it. The relationship between Knife and Paul is one of my favorites in recent readings: honest, true, joyful and wrenching by turns. Although this book was satisfying and does feel like a full and complete story, I still cannot wait for the sequel! I want more Knife and Paul!

I had this book for just one day and I had devoured all of it by dawn. This book of a faery's independence and discovery is unlike other recent faery novels. There is such a full and sweeping scope to this universe; it's instantly real and complete- it's amazing- the frame of reference settled firmly in the faery's world, not the human one. When Knife breaks all the rules to reach out to the human Paul, the very fate of her world hangs in the balance. Knife is beautifully drawn, and Paul a classic, almost Byronic kind of hero. I only wish I could have kept my review copy longer so I could read it to my daughter. It feels like a classic already; it's just beautiful. Seriously beautiful, and I am so glad to have read it.