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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
She'd risk her life for a wish, May 17, 2007
This review is from: The Chronicles of Faerie: The Light-Bearer's Daughter (Hardcover)
Dana's Mom left her musician father and her long before Dana could remember. Bits and pieces of memories haunt her still. When Dana hears that her Dad's got a dream job in faraway Toronto, her biggest fear is that her Mom can't find them should she choose to come back.
When Queen Honor consort of the High King of Faery contacts her for help, Dana agrees willingly knowing that her dearest wish will be granted if she accomplishes the task they set for her--deliver a message to Lugh, the King of Wicklow. The message: "A shadow is crossing the land. The enemy rises. Where is the light to bridge the darkness?"
It's a hard quest for a 12-year-old and even Honor has cause to regret setting such a task for a young girl, but Dana continues on despite offers to have someone else complete the errand. She means to have her dearest wish--her own Mom home. She also sees how the light is leaving the land: male boggles are without their females, humans are destroying the trees, the last Irish wolf has left the country. Something needs to be done and she's willing to risk her life to do it.
Melling's knowledge of Irish language and folklore make this book a compelling and educational read for people of all ages. She spins a fine tale you won't want to put down.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A most exciting read!, July 28, 2008
This review is from: The Chronicles of Faerie: The Light-Bearer's Daughter (Hardcover)
If you enjoy Ireland, faeries, fantasy and romance, The Chronicles of Faerie is a must-read series. The mixture of fantasy, myth and all that is Ireland is magical.
When twelve-year-old Dana was very young, her mother disappeared. The tragedy was difficult, but life with her father Gabriel was good. It was good until Gabriel announces that they will be leaving Ireland for Toronto, Canada. Dana is angry, angry that they are leaving Ireland, that she will lose her friends, soccer, and her life. But also angry because she will be forced to leave the place where her mother was.
On a trip to the glen, Dana leaves her companions to get some cookies. Inside the cave stands a man with a wide-brimmed hat. He orders Dana to `follow the greenway. My lady awaits you.' Dana hurries along the trail through the woods and begins her adventure where a beautiful lady offers her her `heart's desire' if she accepts a dangerous mission. All the while Dana is in the magical Faerie, the real world eco-warriors are fighting to save the forest from developers.
This third book in The Chronicles of Faerie has a definite political and environmental message. And whether you agree with those messages or not, the story is exciting with secrets revealed, a multi-layered plot that is complex and compelling. It is a novel that will make your heart beat fast and hard and your imagination will be carried away into a wonderful world.
Armchair Interviews says: The Light-Bearer's Daughter is a page-turner.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Fine Irish Tale, September 5, 2007
This review is from: The Chronicles of Faerie: The Light-Bearer's Daughter (Hardcover)
I was impressed by The Hunter's Moon and The Summer King, so I was happy to discover Melling's third Chronicles of Faery book, The Light-Bearer's Daughter. All three have particular appeal for teenage girls, as their young contemporary heroines find themselves pulled into adventures involving Ireland's Fair Folk.
In this book Dana, who is angry to be told she must move to Canada, is asked by a fairy queen to act as a messenger, bearing a request for help to a lost king. In return, Dana will win a wish--which she plans to use to find her long-missing mother. Dana, who's a fairly tough kid, shows her courage as she avoids a dangerous pursuit, deals with the unpredictable boggles, and makes various allies, some from across the reaches of time. She also gets tired and dirty and hungry and hurt, which pleased me because writers of quests often forget to show that.
There's a subplot involving humans trying to save old-growth forests, and another about Dana's father's new love interest (who threatens Dana's loyalty to her lost mother). We also see a little overlap with the other two books, although this one stands alone nicely.
The most important thing I can say about this book is that it's written in medium-high fantasy style, but it works. Melling has a way of drawing you into her story, and even when characters are taking themselves a bit too seriously, you buy it because Melling's writing keeps you well and truly caught, like a fairy spell. I could quibble with a few moments from the plot, and the quest format isn't one of my favorites, but I don't want to fuss because the fact remains that The Light-Bearer's Daughter is simply a good book. The way Melling brings the subplots together in the end is particularly satisfying--especially in terms of teen wish fulfillment!
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