Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter [Hardcover]

R. J. Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2009 | Series: Faery Rebels

Forget everything you think you know about faeries. . . .

Creatures full of magic and whimsy?

Not in the Oakenwyld. Not anymore.

Deep inside the great Oak lies a dying faery realm, bursting with secrets instead of magic. Long ago the faeries mysteriously lost their magic. Robbed of their powers, they have become selfish and dull-witted. Now their numbers are dwindling and their very survival is at stake.

Only one young faery—Knife—is determined to find out where her people's magic has gone and try to get it back. Unlike her sisters, Knife is fierce and independent. She's not afraid of anything—not the vicious crows, the strict Faery Queen, or the fascinating humans living nearby. But when Knife disobeys the Faery Queen and befriends a human named Paul, her quest becomes more dangerous than she realizes. Can Knife trust Paul to help, or has she brought the faeries even closer to the brink of destruction?

Talented newcomer R. J. Anderson creates an extraordinary new fantasy world and weaves a gripping tale of lost magic, high adventure, and surprising friendship in which the fate of an entire realm rests on the shoulders of one brave faery rebel.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–7—The faery world is crumbling. During a disaster called the Sundering, these small, fragile, winged creatures lost all of their magic save that which allows them to fly, and they live inside a great oak tree, fearful of people and animals. True friendship and love are foreign to them. Worse, they are falling victim to a kind of dementia they call the Silence, and are dying. Into this picture comes Knife: tough, brave, adventurous, and soon taking on the job of Queen's Hunter. While defending herself against an attacking crow, she is rescued and taken home by a human. Knife becomes convinced that the mystery of their lost magic and the dementia are connected to the faeries' fear of humans and becomes committed to saving her community. The heart of the book lies in the relationship that develops between Knife and the human Paul, who is a paraplegic. Anderson draws on echoes from countless fairy tales and legends about the relationships between human men and faerie women to enrich this gripping and involving story. While the main characters are vividly drawn, some of the secondary characters and background story are sketched more hastily. Though the book looks like it's for a younger audience, middle-school readers who are willing to stay with the story through its first third will find ample rewards as the relationship between Knife and Paul evolves.—Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City
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Review

“This is the best kind of fantasy: a book that makes faeries wonderfully real and maybe even living in our own backyards.” (Sarah Prineas, author of THE MAGIC THIEF )

“Knife is just my kind of heroine—strong and independent, with a huge helping of curiosity to get her into trouble, and the bravery and intelligence to get out of trouble again and again.” (Patricia C. Wrede, author of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles )

“Anderson is a gifted writer with a sure touch for both characterization and plot, and Knife is an absolutely fantastic protagonist – fiercely independent and curious. This book is a page–turning romp.” (Romantic Times )

“Pure pleasure.... A particularly charming, well-drawn romantic thriller. Highly Recommended.” (The Times (London) )

“Anderson creates a fascinating world. This compelling story is full of adventure and mystery.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )

“Readers will be racing through the pages right along with Knife to discover the fate of her world and her love.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )

“Anderson crafts lore-true characters in our modern world. I was overjoyed to find this gem.” (Melissa Marr, New York Times bestselling author of WICKED LOVELY )

“FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER has the charm of Mary Norton’s THE BORROWERS and the edge of Holly Black’s TITHE.” (Megan Whalen Turner, author of the Newbery Honor Book THE THIEF )

“A highly readable, sophisticated tale of romance and self–sacrifice. Readers will hope for more from this talented new author.” (ALA Booklist )

“A gripping and involving story.” (School Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006155474X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061554742
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

R.J. Anderson (known to her friends as Rebecca) was born in Uganda, raised in Ontario, went to school in New Jersey, and has spent much of her life dreaming of other worlds entirely. Now married and a mother of three, Rebecca reads to her sons the classic works of fantasy and science fiction that enlivened her own childhood, and tries to bring a similar sense of adventure and timeless wonder to the novels she writes for children and young adults.

Her first novel SPELL HUNTER (known as KNIFE in the UK) was longlisted for the Carnegie Award and named one of the Canadian Library Association's Honour Books for 2011; it and sequels WAYFARER (known as REBEL in the UK) and ARROW have become UK bestsellers. Her latest novel ULTRAVIOLET, a psychological thriller for older teens, was published by Carolrhoda Lab in Sept. 2011 and will be followed by a companion novel in 2013.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faery Rebels Video review, starring a gnome, May 24, 2009

By 

Jackson Pearce (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter (Hardcover)

Length:: 1:44 Mins

My first book comes out August 25, 2009! Check it out: As You Wish

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Breaking Through Emotional Barriers, April 28, 2009

By 

Tez Miller (Victoria, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter (Hardcover)

The faery Queen's Hunter fights for the best of both species, faery and human, in R. J. Anderson's SPELL HUNTER (also published as KNIFE).

Go Outside, kill animals, and bring them back to the Oakenwyld to be used as food and fur blankets. But ever since Knife saw a human for the first time, she's wanted to know more. Injured in battle, Knife is nursed back to health by Paul McCormick, a human who's also benefiting from Knife's company.

If the faeries knew more about humans, their ideas and technology, maybe the Oakenfolk wouldn't be dying out. But the Queen forbids them to make contact with humans, and Knife investigates why, with the help of some secret diaries, faery allies...and Paul.

This novel charmed the pants off me, quite surprising as I'm usually not keen on faeries and/or magic in my reading. Though rather chaste, the novel's references to suicide and drug overdose may not be suitable for some children, but for older readers they provide a refreshingly mature - and realistic - viewpoint.

The friendship between Knife and Paul, how they help each other's creativity and deal with their worlds (both separate and together), is a key point, and might break through your emotional barrier as it did mine.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Angieville: FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER, June 19, 2009

By 

Angela Thompson "Angiegirl" (Rocky Mountains) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter (Hardcover)

I don't generally read many middle grade novels, but I had read several lovely reviews of FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER--a debut middle grade fantasy novel by R.J. Anderson--and then was lucky enough to receive a copy from the lovely Ms. Anderson herself. Interestingly enough, the same book has been published in the UK under the title KNIFE, with dramatically different cover art. The changes in title and artwork make it clear they're marketing it to a slightly older young adult audience over the pond, while the U.S. cover and series-friendly title are distinctly more middle grade. As a result, I wasn't sure what to expect going in--a state I honestly quite like being in when starting a new book by a new author.

Bryony is a faery who has spent her short life longing to leave the Oak tree that forms the boundary of her people's world. The only faeries allowed out in the wild at all are the Gatherers who are sent out to forage for food and the Queen's own hunter--a faery trained to hunt and protect the Oakenfolk and the fragile existence they have carved out for themselves. When she is summoned before the Queen, Bryony is stunned and elated to hear she is to be the new assistant to the Queen's hunter. Proving herself extraordinarly skilled, she changes her name to Knife and determines she will not only protect and provide for her people but discover why they are slowly dying out, unearth their mysterious and forbidden connection with humans, and discover why she is drawn to the stone House on the hill and to the unhappy boy named Paul who lives there.

What makes this story unique is the world R.J. Anderson has created. These faeries are unusual in several ways. They are tiny, much smaller than humans, and are therefore constantly in danger outside of the Oak. They are also surprisingly all female. New faeries are not born in the traditional sense, but hatched from eggs that appear when another faery dies. Lastly, they are, by and large, unemotional creatures focused on their own well-being and supremely uninterested in the welfare of those around them. As a result it is interesting following Knife tread beyond the boundaries of her world, learn how to deal with the emotions of humans, and come face to face with the many ways in which they can mess with and forever change your life. I enjoyed the mystery element to the story as well as the friendship that slowly develops between Knife and Paul through Paul's art. So much so that I wish they'd been able to spend a little more time together so that there would have been room for a little more in-depth exploration of their connection. He is a very unhappy, very sympathetic character and I immediately found myself pulling for him. The ending was very satisfying and even included some rather deft humor that had me grinning. All in all, a perfectly pleasant middle grade/younger YA novel and recommended for those who enjoy solid world building, strong friendships, and the fey. It looks like the sequel is due out May of next year. It follows Linden, a side character we meet in the first book, and will be titled REBEL in the UK and WAYFARER here in the U.S.