Author: Janni Lee Simner
Series: Yes (1st book in Trilogy)
Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fairy Tale
Brief Summary:
The story revolves around fifteen-year-old Liza, whose world is dealing with the devastating aftermath of the Faerie-Human War. Nature itself has turned against the remaining humans; plants and trees strike without mercy at the merest capricious whim. Venturing outside after dark is virtually a death sentence. The only thing that has kept the village safe is the strict rules laid down by its leader, a hard, 'sensible' man who is ruthless in his hatred of all things magical. Anyone suspected of magic is left exposed to the elements and nature to die; no matter who it is. Liza learns this the hard way, and this is actually the impetus for the whole story. The town leader just happens to be Liza's father, and the latest person to be cast out was her newborn sister.
Liza sets out on a journey to find her mother, who had disappeared shortly after the baby was cast from the village. It is a journey that will take her to places one only hears about in hushed whispers, and she will learn more about herself than she ever dared to fear. Free from her father's brutal clutches, Liza comes into her own, but at a terrible cost. One thing is for certain; her life will never be the same again.
Here is what GoodReads has to say:
My take: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.
This dark fairy tale is not only rich in imagery but told in a way that kept this reader captivated. The author spares no detail to bring Liza's world to life, but it is never repetitive or too detailed to bog down the story. It is a post-apocalyptic dystopian story mixed with a Neil Gaiman fairy tale twist. I also love the way the author presents common items (such as tourist mugs, for example) as relics from Before (the time before the war) as almost sacred relics of a forgotten time. It is clear that the story (for the most part) takes place in the very human realm of Earth, and things such as this only accentuate the horrible tragedy that the war had been. I won't give away the details, but reading about Faerie made my heart catch in my throat. By far, humans were not the only ones who suffered devastation, and the picture painted by the author is heartbreaking for all concerned. The book's mood is strikingly dark, and questions regarding mankind's tendency toward suspicion and xenophobia will loom large and really connect on a deep level.
The only real 'ding' I would give the book is failing to fully explain/explore some secondary characters. But since this is the first book in a trilolgy, perhaps their story will be developed in full later. At any rate, I would highly recommend the book. Incidentally, I have already starrted the second book, and will prost a review here when I'm done.
