Faerie Wars

May 26, 2003
Two worlds collide in Brennan's (Frankenstella and the Video Store Monster) humorous tale of warring Faerie factions and their impact on the "real" world. Young Henry Atherton, troubled by the impending disintegration of his parents' marriage, stumbles upon the discovery of a lifetime when he saves a Faerie, Pyrgus Malvae, from the clutches of a cat that mistook him for a butterfly. Pyrgus teaches Henry about the portals that connect the land of Faeries with the human world. As heir to the throne of the Faerie realm, Pyrgus must hide from the agents of the Faeries of the Night, the sinister element of the magical kingdom. And if Pyrgus didn't have enough problems with Lord Hairstreak, leader of the "Nighters," the evil Silas Brimstone is also after him. Brimstone may be one of the nastiest villains in recent memory—the success of his glue factory, for example, is due to a secret ingredient: kittens. Brennan adeptly uses the fish-out-of-water element to make political and social commentary (e.g., Pyrgus is an ardent animal rights activist whose arguments echo many that readers will recognize); he also gently handles some difficult topics (Henry's parents are on the rocks because his mother is having a lesbian affair). Less militaristic and more artistic than Eoin Colfer's wildly successful Artemis Fowl books, this will still bring much pleasure to fans of that series, and to fantasy readers in general. Ages 12-up.

When 14-year-old Henry learns of his mother's affair with another woman, he thinks life can't get any weirder. Then he meets Pyrgus, a prince from the world of Faerie, wrongly transferred to the mortal world. With the help of Henry's irascible employer, Mr. Fogarty, Henry returns to Pyrgus's world and helps divert an inter-dimensional war. Gerard Doyle narrates this fantastic tale with skill as he describes three different worlds, a dozen different characters, and a complicated plot. His light British accent adds flair, and his pacing is perfect, matching each suspenseful turn in the plot. J.M.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine