Title: The Faerie Ring
Author: Kiki Hamilton
Series: The Faerie Ring #1
Format: ARC
Pages: 176/352
Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Fantasy
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Tor
Rating: No Grade
Summary:
From Goodreads: Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.
The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.
Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…
Why did I read this book? Although I think fey-themed books are a dime a dozen these days, I was interested because it was set in Victorian London and I love historical settings!
Source: ARC from BEA
My Review
As you can see, I didn't have much luck with this book despite it being on my most anticipated reads from BEA this year. I really wanted to be absorbed into Victorian London and experience through the eyes of Tiki, the main character, but it never worked out. Tiki is a street kid living in an abandoned shop with a few other orphaned children. They have to steal to live and often go hungry. I liked that the author chose to tell this story from that angle, rather than the more common tale from the point of view of nobility. However, I never really feared for them, since they always managed to steal enough money or objects for their plans, such as Tiki going to a ball. I thought this was a little hard to believe, and undermined the potential grittiness. However, the bigger issue I had and the reason I set the book aside was that by page 176, barely anything had happened. We only see glimpses of the fey and we spend more time reading about Tiki think about what to do to help her friends and what to do with the ring (which doesn't really have any effect on the story by then anyway).
Rating: No Grade
This book has gotten great reviews so far and it seems I'm in the minority. I just couldn't invest more time after feeling like the story was going on and on without any action or movement of the main plot. I wish there had been more magic in the first couple hundred pages.
Author: Kiki Hamilton
Series: The Faerie Ring #1
Format: ARC
Pages: 176/352
Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Fantasy
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Tor
Rating: No Grade
Summary:
From Goodreads: Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.
The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.
Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…
Why did I read this book? Although I think fey-themed books are a dime a dozen these days, I was interested because it was set in Victorian London and I love historical settings!
Source: ARC from BEA
My Review
As you can see, I didn't have much luck with this book despite it being on my most anticipated reads from BEA this year. I really wanted to be absorbed into Victorian London and experience through the eyes of Tiki, the main character, but it never worked out. Tiki is a street kid living in an abandoned shop with a few other orphaned children. They have to steal to live and often go hungry. I liked that the author chose to tell this story from that angle, rather than the more common tale from the point of view of nobility. However, I never really feared for them, since they always managed to steal enough money or objects for their plans, such as Tiki going to a ball. I thought this was a little hard to believe, and undermined the potential grittiness. However, the bigger issue I had and the reason I set the book aside was that by page 176, barely anything had happened. We only see glimpses of the fey and we spend more time reading about Tiki think about what to do to help her friends and what to do with the ring (which doesn't really have any effect on the story by then anyway).
Rating: No Grade
This book has gotten great reviews so far and it seems I'm in the minority. I just couldn't invest more time after feeling like the story was going on and on without any action or movement of the main plot. I wish there had been more magic in the first couple hundred pages.
This is sad because I was looking forward to this book. I wonder how I'll find it when I am able to get my hands on a copy. I'm often in the minority with liking and not liking books (Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments, for example. And those Iron King/Queen books.. .I couldn't finish the first one at all!)
ReplyDeleteI like when people post reviews of books they didn't quite get into. It gives me a better sense of what to expect when I can read both sides of an argument.