Blackbringer (Kindle Edition)

by Laini Taylor (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Magpie, granddaughter of the West Wind, is born of dreams. When Humans—"mannies"—start letting loose devils in the world, faerie Magpie and her band of rough-and-tumble, cheroot-smoking crows must start hunting them down. The tale takes its time in unfolding, with lovely echoes of its literary antecedents from Tolkien on down. Magpie also learns it is she who must keep the dark from swallowing the world. She finds where the dragons, and her ancient heroine, Bellatrix, have gone, and she wakes an ancient djinni.The tapestry of the world needs reweaving, and a blond, tattooed princeling needs a way to remake his malformed wings. This all braids together into a radiant conclusion. Vibrant language overcomes a surfeit of telling rather than showing. 'Pie is one tough faerie, and the way is open for more tales about her to come. DeCandido, GraceAnne A.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Taylor's debut fantasy...is a fresh take on a well-worn milieu, and the author's knack for faerie dialogue...makes for engaging escapism." --Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1274 KB
• Print Length: 448 pages
• Publisher: Puffin; Reprint edition (May 14, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002KS3AN4
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,565 in Kindle Store (See Bestsellers in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Debut Novel About Fierce Fairies Saving the World (Cutesy Fairies Need Not Apply), January 19, 2008

By	B. Calhoun (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer (Hardcover)

"Hurry home, love, through the dream-dark glade/ where moontime beasts lurk in darkling shade/never linger, love, where the shadows grow/the Blackbringer hunts where the light fears to go."

Once upon a time, the Djinn wove the Tapestry of the world, creating forests and animals, mountains and fairies. Thousands of years ago a Devil War was waged when the horrific devils were created by snags in the Tapestry. The brave and beautiful fairy Bellatrix was the great heroine of this war and in the end she and her fellow warriors were able to trap all the devils in unopenable bottles. But then Bellatrix disappeared and the years passed, and something that not even the Djinn had forseen arose: mannies (humans). And mannies, with their insatiable curiosity began opening the bottles, expecting genies but instead releasing devils. Magpie Windwitch is the only fairy who seems to be hunting these devils, forcing them back into bottles. Most of the other fairies have forgotten the old ways, content to live in the safety of their villages. But then a bottle is opened that should never have been unsealed, one containing the awful shadow creature of legend known as the Blackbringer. The Blackbringer is more powerful than even the mighty Djinn and indiscriminately devours everything in its path, pulling devils and fairies alike into the darkness. Magpie, along with her comical crow companions, sets off to find the Djinn King, the only one powerful enough to stop the Blackbringer--but no one has seen him for centuries.

I began this book not expecting much: the tall, edgy faerie of Holly Black's Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale are one thing, but Tinkerbell-sized creatures are another. Tiny little winged fairies seemed as tough and adventurous as dragonflies to me. Consider me a convert. Little Magpie Windwitch may be tiny, but she sure has spunk. Talon Rathersting, a fairy who joins Magpie on her quest after the Blackbringer kills his father and brothers, is another non-stereotypical fairy. He is a prince of a warrior clan who has been hindered all his life with stubby wings. However, he does have a talent for knitting, and can create "skins" which he can wear to transform himself into a bird and finally have the chance to fly. Blackbringer is sprinkled with other such well-developed characters and Magpie's crows in particular provide a good dose of humor.

One of the most striking things about this book is Taylor's beautiful writing. She creates passages that are best described as lyrical and gives Magpie a unique voice by having her use a lot of fairy slang, like the word "skiving." It is even more impressive that this is her first book--it doesn't have any of the rough edges one would expect from a first time author.

Don't let the fear that a book about fairies will be too cutesy hold you back. This is a spectacular debut novel and absolutely engrossing. Highly recommended.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wondrous Tale, June 6, 2009

By	Mary Kate (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blackbringer (Dreamdark) (Paperback)

This is not a review per se, but more a bit of information. "Dreamdark: Blackbringer" is the paperback edition of "Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer", Laini Taylor's magical - and utterly delightful - first novel. I urge everyone to navigate over to that title and check out the reviews posted there.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read with a fantastic female character, September 26, 2007

By	BaltimoreGirl - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer (Hardcover)

A wonderful story, full of action and well rounded characters. While it would have been easy to fall into stereotypes, if only to move the story along, the author gives the reader lots of surprises--you feel like you are learning something new and exciting throughout the book.

The story can be a little hard to follow at first--the faerie language and its nuances took a little getting used to.

I have been recommending this book to young and old alike.