Customer Reviews

Chasing the Bard

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When my publisher told me about this book from New Zealand author Philippa Ballantine joining the Dragon Moon ranks, I was curious. Being a fan of Shakespeare (and having acting in several of his works) and a fan of the award-winning Sandman comic book "A Midsummer Night's Dream" from Neil Gaiman, I was very curious as to how this tale would pan out. This was her debut in print, and she was taking on "Wild Bill" and the Faerie Realms. Quite an undertaking.

Pip does not disappoint.

I will admit to suffering motion sickness in the Faerie Realm. It was obvious that Pip had done her research on more than just the Faerie culture of the Emerald Isles, but she pulled from many cultures. The jumps from Shakespeare's England to the Faerie kingdoms were tough for me to wrap my brain around, but once I got past that supernatural learning curve I embraced this book. Shakespeare's England I felt right at home in; and the characters introduced there were more than just famous names from history but real people with real personalities. This is a terrific trip across two worlds, across various legends and lore, and a sweet dream in print if ever there was one.

Pip has the distinction of being the only author making her debut amongst other (experienced) finalists for her country's Sir Julius Vogel Award. When you read Chasing the Bard (with an ending that will tear your heart out!), you will understand why her title is creating such a splash. Thank you, Pip, for this wonderful fight of fantastic history.

It is a fictional account of a real person, set on our Earth, in the real Elizabethan England era with a fantasy story interwoven into the real world. Highly recommended if you like this specific sub-genre. Still very good if you like fantasy as a whole. The fantasy element is about the Fey or the world of fairies.

This book just grabbed me from the first page and absorbed me into it. It is very elegantly paced. Not a word I'd normally use to describe a fantasy book but it is the correct word. A lot happens in it reading from page to page. This is very consistent throughout the whole book.

You do not need to be a Shakespeare fan or greatly read in the history of Elizabethan England to like this book. I admit to being a bit of both - but only just a bit, and that was the initial appeal of this book for me. Then this rather orginal, concisely written story just grabbed me.

The book focuses on the core story. There is no padding. There is relatively little in the way of detailed descriptions. The reader is given enough background and enough of the side stories to get a solid idea of what has been going on. Despite this relative "lack" of detail, the story works well as you picture it in your mind as you are reading. The Fey world feels very beautiful and Elizabethan England feels very dirty.

It is a perfectly self-contained story. There is scope for a prequel and sequel but these would be clearly separate to this book. The cover is atypical of this genre but it is very appropriate for this book.

I read this story primarily because the student I've been 1:1 with for 6 years graduates soon. I didn't particularly care for it, personally. I can tell why he enjoyed it, the female lead character, Sive, is powerful, dark, and devoted. I'm not sure if the book itself has typos but the Amazon.com version definitely has some severe grammatical errors. (I'm sure I used a few here as well) He listened to the book read by the author, so I doubt he noticed the errors in print.

Several paragraphs ended suddenly and the phrases that would complete them began the next paragraph, for example. Certain phrases are used such as "a flickering of her fingers" which doesn't make sense, considering flickering has to do with light or illumination. Had it said "flicking", it would've made more sense. There were several examples of this throughout the book.

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*Possible Spoiler in review below*

I felt a little queasy at the idea of a certain historical figure being 'involved' in certain ways with the female lead. Something about imagining Einstein for example sexually involved with a created character would also weird me out.

I also didn't much care for the way her time frame randomly jumped around. They began when W. was younger...he decided he wasn't up to dealing with Sive...then they randomly jump to the future with the queen... It just doesn't flow quite right.
W. is also a very ...weak... character for lack of a better phrase. It's as if he has no cajones.(sp) He was too indecisive.

It's clear that Philipa did her research to pen this novel but my favorite creation is certainly the Fae realm and her descriptions of how everything looks, including the characters (court, Auberon, etc.)
Puck is lively as he should be, I enjoyed his quirky ways.

It was ok. I know my student is a bit disappointed to know that I'm not raving about it, but as I said, he loves all that is Sive, and I knew it the moment I read about her beauty, power, and dark demeanor.

Sive is to marry the fey man she once had feelings for, but now knows he is not the same man who left to find a cure for the plague haunting the fey and killing them slowly. He has changed, but yet doesn't know what that change is. She just knows she doesn't want to marry him and her brother, the king, is requiring it believing Mordant knows of a cure from his travels around the distant realms. Sive learns from her Aunt a human child is born in the mortal world possessing the great power of the Bard and this child could be the salvation of all fey. Sive sends he cousin, Puck, to guard this child from any dangers. Sive decides later, when the child is older, that she wants to know what her evil husband is up to. She takes books from his library to Will so he can teach her to read. In this time together Sive learns of a new side of herself. Which could put her and Will in more danger, along with their loved ones and worlds.

I purchased this book after reading Geist by Philippa Ballantine. I enjoyed the story and her writing in Geist so, that I wanted more. Searching her site I came across this book and was taken with the description. This book is very different from Geist, but I have to say I loved the writing and the tale she wove. By page nine I was hooked on the writing style. The words flowed smoothly for me and sounded poetic in their form. This is one talented author, and one to keep an eye on, I can see many great and different pieces of work coming from her in the future.

I'm going to start right off and say I loved this book. If William Shakespeare was could read of this fey filled, adventurous, heroic side of his life, he would be flattered and love it too.

This book takes place in both the Fey realm and Human realm, along with the in between of the veil. This book isn't really about William Shakespeare as it is a tale spun with the fey and how they touched his life and he theirs. The story here is one of an evil presence trying to eliminate all the realms connected, for itself. There is love and lose here also.

I loved the way the fey where portrayed and the growth of their kind and the characters. In the beginning they are the fun loving fey who are created to make music and dance. They are naive and ignorant to the mortal ways, feelings, and such. Then I was moved by them through their happenings, more through Sive and Puck. And later in the book by Aberon, Sive's king brother, in how he shows the contrast of the way Sive once was and how much she changed along with himself. Then I realized along the way, they where stronger than thought and I loved them, not wanting to see them fight a war to the death for their home and the destruction of another realm. One that the Queen now loves with all her heart, thanks to her lover.

In the end, I had an idea where the story would go at the close of a life. But it still brought me to tears.

I enjoyed this book very much for many reasons. I would definitely suggest this read to anyone who enjoys the fey and a little Shakespearean twisted in. But, don't go in looking for a Midsummer Night's Dream tale as that's not what lies between these covers.

I really enjoyed this book, the plot is fast paced and the witty dialogue makes it hard to put down.
The characters are intriguing and they leave you wanting to know more as if they were real and not fictionalised.
But I think it is in the plot development where it really shines, we start off in a real world and end up in an unreal time and place without becoming yet another fantasy bodice-ripper.
This is believable fantasy and while the main protagonists are not bound by the same constraints as the mortals, they are still limited by their world and it's own strange beginings.

This book arrived at an inopportune time, I was trying to write assignments and couldn't put 'Chasing the Bard' down. I love this type of book and was lost in it's story. Too soon it was finished. I hope to see more of Ballantine's work in the near future.... Now that my assignments are over.

From the outset of this book I was captured by the story and remained curious throughout reading.

Ballantine has done an excellent job of describing and explaining the characters so that they really came alive for me and I had a clear picture in my head of what each looked like.

It's an original story and I loved it!

This is a book that even someone who doesn't know much about Shakespeare, faeries, fantasy, or even the Bard can enjoy. There is lots of fast moving adventure. It is definitely fantasy so if you hate that sort of story then steer clear, but otherwise give it a try.

Others have already provided nice summaries, so I'll skip that.

This book is a treat through and through. It hooked me quickly and kept me up too late reading. Chasing the Bard has all of the elements I look for in a book. The characters are complex, and each has much to lose. The writing is vivid, and it drew me into the emotional lives of the characters. The story succeeded in moving me and making me think. It's a keeper. I look forward to reading more from Philippa Ballantine.

I confess to listening to the podcast of Chasing the Bard, and then buying the iPhone app to finish the last section off faster because I wanted to know what happened! So I did "read" part of it. I don't read much fantasy but was drawn by the Shakespearean link to my home country, England. Will, as portrayed by Pip, is an engaging character with depth and gifts that you really feel for in the book. I loved Sive the Shining and the Fey realm, both good and evil sides. There are battles and love, death and destruction as well as gorgeously evocative scenery across all realms. Highly recommended for fantasy fans and those who might want to dabble in the genre!