Faerie Wars [Turtleback]

Herbie Brennan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 2004

Henry thinks he is simply saving a butterfly from being eaten by Mr Fogerty's cat - but he is in fact saving the life of a mis-directed exiled fairy prince. A prince who has to get back to his own land in order to thwart a threatened attack by Fairies of the Night. But time is against Pyrgus Mulvae and soon he is relying on Henry and Mr Fogarty not just to get him home but also to solve the puzzle that surrounds his exile. A wonderful, gripping page-turning read full of the kind of detail that will ensure that this fabulous fantastic novel will have readers young and old holding their breath as the story unfolds.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Henry Atherton's family is in some disarray when his mother has an affair with his father's female secretary. Henry's escape is helping elderly Mr. Fogarty with chores. Meanwhile, in a parallel world, Pyrgus Malvae, son of the Purple Emperor, is being chased and climbs the fence outside a glue factory where he discovers an evil secret and also comes close to losing his life. His father decides to send his son through a portal to the "Analogue World" for safety, which results in him mistakenly showing up under the lawn mower at Fogarty's where he meets Henry. Pyrgus arrives the size of a fairy, but overnight he grows and his wings disappear. Fogarty, a former bank robber and mechanical genius, sets out to build an artificial portal to send Pyrgus back home. Eventually, Henry and Fogarty cross over into the Purple Kingdom, where they help defeat the forces of evil. This book has a complex plot with plenty of drama and action, but at times the story seems to sink under its own weight. Early on, the transition from contemporary England to the Purple Kingdom is sudden, and the two settings do not intersect until well into the book, which may confuse some readers, and it's difficult to keep straight the many characters in the Purple Kingdom. In the end, Henry's experiences give him the wisdom to craft his own family solution.
Jane G. Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-8. When Henry Atherton arrives at the house of eccentric old Mr. Fogarty, he comes upon crown prince Pyrgus Malvae, who has escaped the Faerie realm, where the Faeries of the Night want to kill him. Mr. Fogarty and Henry decide to help the prince return home. It's a complex situation, involving an evil demon, two avaricious glue factory owners, and Lord Hairstreak, leader of the Faeries of the Night, each with a personal agenda that will lead to taking over the realm. A subplot (Henry realizes that his mother, not his father, is having an affair with his father's secretary) is totally unnecessary, and there are discrepancies in the story and some awkwardness to slow things down. Still, there's enough solid adventure in the Faerie realm to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Turtleback
• Publisher: Demco Media (December 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606328475
• ISBN-13: 978-0606328470
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)

More About the Author

A professional writer whose work has appeared in more than fifty countries, Herbie Brennan is enjoyed by children and adults alike -- sales of his books already exceed 7.5 million copies.

Herbie has an well-established career writing for the children's market -- from picture books to teenage fiction, from game books to school curriculum non-fiction. His keen eye for novelty, both in technology and market development, made him among the very first writers to create adventure gamebooks and his GrailQuest series was an international bestseller.

His teenage novel, Faerie Wars, also rocketed to international success, achieving best-seller status in more than 20 overseas editions, and was voted No 1 Top Ten Teenage Pick in the United States and listed as a New York Times Best Seller title.

Equally prolific in the adult market, Herbie has a powerful reputation for challenging conventional assumptions with penetrating intelligence and a clear, easy style. This is reflected in his interests, which range from transpersonal psychology, spirituality, reincarnation and psychical research to comparative religion and quantum physics. His reappraisal of ancient history has stirred lively debate on TV and radio as well as in the Press. He broadcasts and lectures regularly throughout the UK and Ireland.

Herbie became interested in mysticism as a child and was studying books on the subject virtually from the time he was able to read. He found himself pursuing several unorthodox lines of research, including hypnosis, and actually hypnotised his first subject -- a school friend -- at the age of nine!

He began a journalistic career at eighteen and at twenty-four became the youngest newspaper editor in his native Ireland. His early career path included magazine work, hypnotherapy, counselling, advertising and market¬ing.

His first book, Astral Doorways, an exploration of out-of-body experience, became a specialist best-seller and went on to become a classic in its field -- it is still in print some thirty-five years on.

In his mid twenties, Herbie had his first novel published, an historical romance brought out by Doubleday in New York. At the age of thirty he decided to devote most of his time to writing and has since gone on to produce more than 100 books, many of them international best-sellers.

When he can be persuaded to take a break from his writing, Herbie give lectures and seminars, which have included modules on reincarnation research, the astral plane, dreamwork, healing, spiritual development, psychical research, quantum physics and magical training..

With a background that includes writing for radio, the creation of boxed games and computer software, perhaps his greatest strength lies in the realm ideas, particularly in the diversification of publishing product into allied fields like audio and CD-ROM.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest books in it's genre., July 5, 2004

By 

P. T. J. (Detroit MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faerie Wars (Faerie Wars Chronicles) (Hardcover)

First off, I have to note a complaint towards several of the reviewers who have criticized this book on the grounds that it "is not for children", and is thus too controversial for young children and their parents to enjoy. Well, there's a reason that it's filed under YOUNG ADULT!!! Just because a book has the word 'Faerie' in its title, doesn't necessarily mean it's written for kids. Young adult covers a variety of ages, generally ranging (at the youngest) from thirteen or fourteen all the way up to eighteen years old, however, this book is also thoroughly enjoyable for adults.

With that said, "Faerie Wars" is one of my favorite books, and for a very specific reason. It's unique and funny without straying and becoming overly tongue-and-cheek or childish in the process. This book covers a lot of ground in its 367 pages. The main characters are compelling, one with a fiery heart and strong motivation, the other a person who lacks those very two qualities, which makes for an interesting and fun character dynamic. The atmosphere in the book is incredible. Herbie Brennan cultivates a world so rich in detail, colors, scent, taste, etc. that you wish you were there, despite the evils that threaten to engulf it. (Hey, it's a fantasy book. What would a fantasy book be without the threat of an overwhelming evil on the horizon, right?) However, Brennan even finds a way to twist this, creating villains who aren't what they seem, and change, very realistically and surprisingly, more than once.

Another distinguishing factor that makes this book great, is voice. Herbie Brennan manages to convey the events that are taking place through the eyes of the character while at the same time injecting the thoughts of the narrator skillfully amidst the thoughts of the character. Brennan also manages to deftly juggle the story line from one character to the next, not leaving every break between characters with a cliff-hanger, but with just the right touch of suspense, compelling you to keep reading. The combined effect of these techniques results in a vortex-like effect, sucking you in and holding your attention until either you fall asleep from exhaustion, your light source runs out, or you read all the way through to the end.

All in all, I can't think of hardly anything that weighs this book down, but the pro's go as follow.

PRO'S
*Enjoyable characters and character dynamics
*A world so rich in detail and atmosphere, you won't want to leave.
*Villains whose wickedness holds your attention, and who's unique personalities almost outshine the main characters'. In short: thoroughly enjoyable bad-guys.
*A plot line that keeps you guessing, smiling, tense and enthralled all at the same time, boasting an amazingly minimal amount of plot-holes. Three cheers for Herbie Brennan!
*Skillful transitions from character to character and easy flowing changeovers from voice to voice.

CON'S
***Note: this con will vary from person to person. It all depends on what bothers you***
*Several sadistic scenes involving the villains of the story, as well as a small theme of controversy involving lesbians and a few descriptive scenes of gore involving black magic.

All in all, seeing as the controversy and slight violence/gore of the story doesn't upset me, I look at this book as one of the greatest accomplishments of it's genre, and a book that is so atmospheric and well-written, you won't want to put it down. Now THAT'S the mark of a great book.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Crossing the borders., August 27, 2003

By 

Tom Knapp "Rambles.NET editor" (Lancaster, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faerie Wars (Faerie Wars Chronicles) (Hardcover)

Henry Atherton is a fairly ordinary English boy, whose youthful optimism is shaken by a parent's infidelity and impending separation. Pyrgus Malvae seems to be a fairly typical disaffected fairy prince, impulsively making up the rules as he goes along -- until his fondness for kittens and, it seems, all creatures great and small forces the reader to reconsider his motivations.

These two characters collide when a portal from Pyrgus's world lands him in the backyard garden of Mr. Fogarty, Henry's elderly, somewhat paranoid employer with a genius for invention and a surprisingly shady past.

There are plots worth pursuing in both worlds, but those from mundane England are given short shrift here. Instead, Irish author Herbie Brennan focuses on Pyrgus's plight in both worlds and the various dark and demonic forces that threaten the peace of his fairyland home and his family's safety. In fact, it is sometimes hard to be sure who the real protagonist here is -- Henry, Pyrgus or Pyrgus's sister, Blue.

There will be plenty of time to sort all that out in the inevitable sequel. Meantime, Faerie Wars is a fine introduction to Brennan's dual world and opens many intriguing possibilities for future stories. Targeted for young adult fans of fantasy and contemporary fantasy, it will appeal equally to adult readers.

My only complaints are a too-neat resolution to one aspect of the story -- too much hinges on a convenient stumble at just the right moment -- and the feeling that we still know too little about Pyrgus's world by book's end. That, too, I imagine will be addressed in the sequel, and I urge fantasy buffs to pick up this series from the start.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Book, Parents Calm Down, March 20, 2006

By 

NMD (MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faerie Wars (Hardcover)

I found this book to be an excellent read. You can get a quick summary from other reviews - I'm really just here to make a point of the other reviews. If you look, all the children who have reviewed this book enjoyed it. Kids, especially in 7th-9th grade, enjoy a fast paced, thought provoking read. Hints at satanism, kitten-drowning villains, a lesbian family drama - are these things that make parents want to shield their children from a masterful piece of literature that's perfect for many kids who are ready for a little challenge in their reading? Parents need to grow up, and stop shielding their "sensitive" children. If we heard it from the children of these negative adult reviewers, I believe we would get a different picture.

I would also like to agree that publishers should quit with the "perfect for potter fans" balogna. It makes it seem that no YA book can be as good as Harry Potter. This is ridiculous - the real reason Harry Potter is so successful is because it appeals to a wide audience, and does a good job of not stepping on any too-uncomfortable issues. I definitely have a great time reading the Potter books, but the Bartimaeus trilogy, the Devil's Armor trilogy (this one is a little on the adult side), the Shannara books, the Magician's Guild books by Trudi Canavan, the Faerie War books (hopefully to become a trilogy)are all far better books if you're a 7th to 9th grade kid, that likes to read and is sick of the boring old formula written kids books. Though many of these classify as adult, a mature 13 year old should be fine with these books. Even if somebody isn't ready for all these titles, there is nothing wrong with Faerie Wars for an 11 or 12 year old.

I realize I've been long-winded, but parents need to stop making a crisis out of thought provoking and enjoyable books. My hat is off to Herbie Brennan, and to all the other kids (I'm 13) that've reviewed here in defense of an excellent novel.