Niamh and the Hermit: A Fairy Tale [Paperback]

Emily C. A. Snyder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2003

The daughter of a King and a Fairy, the Princess Niamh is glorious fair. But her incredible beauty proves a curse when no suitor can withstand even a moment in her presence without running mad. The kingdom's only hope rests upon a mysterious Hermit. With the claws and wings of an eagle, the head and tail of a lion, the mystery of a magician, and the piety of a saint, he alone may hold her. But a vengeful Count schemes to ruin the Princess and lead her to perdition before her betrothed arrives. A rich story crafted in the evocative lyric style of Lord Dunsany, Niamh and the Hermit is an exultation of the classic fairy tale. Emily Snyder takes us through Celtic mist to a world of mystic wonder. Imagine Tolkien's true north sailing west. Imagine Gandalf wandering in the legendary footsteps of St. Patrick. Imagine the Numenorean Faithful sailing in the wake of St. Brendan. Imagine a ripple of Rivendell flowing into the living waters of Tara. Imagine Lothlorien fading into the faerie fogs of Erin. Imagine Middle Earth coloured in forty shades of green. - Prof. Joseph Pearce, Ave Maria University, author of Tolkien: Man and Myth A graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Emily C. A. Snyder has been inventing stories since she was old enough to babble. Creator of the Christian Guide to Fantasy website and the Tower of Ivory Literary E-Zine, Ms. Snyder teaches drama and has directed performances ranging from Shakespeare to musicals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Arx Pub; 1St Edition edition (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889758361
• ISBN-13: 978-1889758367
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,377,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Emily C. A. Snyder has been inventing stories since she was old enough to babble, and writing them down since she was old enough to dictate. A prolific writer, Snyder is the author of "Nachtsturm Castle" available from Girlebooks.com, as well as the author of The Twelve Kingdoms series from Arx Publishing, LLC (arxpub.com) which includes "Niamh and the Hermit" and "Charming the Moon." In addition to novels, Snyder enjoys writing plays, such as "Wallace's Will" available from from Playscripts, Inc. (playscripts.com).

Snyder holds an MA in Theatre Education from Emerson College, Boston, MA and a BA in Literature and Drama from Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH.

When not writing, Emily can most often be seen teaching or directing Shakespeare. And when not doing that, chances are she's driving aimlessly in her car, singing at the top of her lungs. For more information, please visit her website http://www.christianfantasy.net/emilycasnyder or http://www.youtube.com/gaudete.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific story!, July 10, 2003

By 

Huntress Reviews (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Niamh and the Hermit: A Fairy Tale (Paperback)

Beautifully written, this lyrical tale tells us of Niamh, a halfling princess whose beauty is beyong compare. It is so great that it carries a terrible price. None can look upon her without going mad or being driven to seek a holy life. It would seem that this girl who has so much to give, for she is as beautiful inside as outside, will be alone forever, but then her parents learn of a man whose soul has strength enough to withstand her beauty. Niamh begins corresponding with him, and her heart is won, despite the rumors that he is terrible to look upon.

Yet, before the hermit can come and claim his bride, the price of her loveliness banishes the princess from the court into the wild world. Alone and frightened, she manages to make her way in life, while the valiant hermit seeks her untiringly, through danger and pain.

***** This story is only slightly less beautiful than the title character, which is fortunate, since otherwise, readers would be driven insane by picking up the pages. With a subtly inspirational message combined with mists and myth, this novel enchants the youthful spirit that lives within us all. *****

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for fans of "high fantasy" as being an original, August 9, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Niamh and the Hermit: A Fairy Tale (Paperback)

Emily Snyder's Niamh And The Hermit: A Fairy Tale is a fantasy novel written in the verbose and lyrical style associated with Lord Dunsany. It is the imaginative tale of the daughter of a King, and the story of a Fairy whose beauty is so great that it drives ordinary men mad. Only a hermit with the piety of a saint can hope to share happiness as her bride, yet a vengeful Count lays plots and schemes to sow misery for the princess and her destined one. Niamh And The Hermit is highly recommended for fans of "high fantasy" as being an original, captivating, and thoroughly enticing fable.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive, March 14, 2004

By 

Lisa Mueller (Champaign, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Niamh and the Hermit: A Fairy Tale (Paperback)

After reading Niamh and the Hermit, I can only come to the conclusion that Emily Snyder has somehow been taught by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. As Tolkien created a world with its own history, languages, and legends, Snyder likewise fashioned an entire land, complete with its own mythology, heroes and villains, maps, and beautifully haunting music. Unlike much of mainstream fantasy, there is no sense that Snyder has borrowed from Tolkien, as their worlds and their origins are completely different, though similar in their levels of thoroughness in creation. (I must add, however, that Snyder's novel is faster-paced than Tolkien's, much to my own delight; though I very much enjoy Tolkien's epics, I tend to be rather impatient, and this novel kept my interest very well.)

I picked up Niamh and the Hermit, my curiosity piqued at the idea of a princess with beauty so great as to drive men to insanity, so much so that only a strange but noble hermit might be able to marry her. The ensuing events of the novel led me through both sorrow and joy, and after having read only a few chapters, I found that I couldn't put the book down. And when I had finished, I found myself feeling much like I had after reading The Return of the King-- with a desire to learn more about this author's world, particularly that which might lie beyond the Twelve Kingdoms, and I look forward to more stories from Emily Snyder about this intriguing world.