Author: ALYXANDRA HARVEY
Genre: YA FANTASY
Published: January 2012, WALKER CHILDRENS (BLOOMSBURY)
Series: none
Source: Around The World Tours, no other compensation given for an honest review
For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.
The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric - who may or may not betray them.
My Review:
Faery books can be hit or miss with me. Perhaps because I've always been interested in Celtic myth and history, I have less of a tolerance for "getting it wrong". In all honesty, I've also been imprinted by Melissa Marr's faery books that wowed me totally. I have a deep hunger for the books that don't portray faeries as sweet, winged, miniature creatures. With all that said, Alyxandra Harvey's STOLEN AWAY was exactly what I wanted out of a faery book.
STOLEN AWAY was the first novel in a very long time that I have read which had so many alternating POVs. For a reader who has a hard time keeping track of who is telling the story, when each POV is told in first person, this book might be too disorienting or confusing. Especially when considering the relatively short chapters, I could see that there would definitely be some readers who would be taken too far out of the story by this device. It didn't bother me once I got into the book. What also helps is that Harvey gives each of her characters distinctive personalities.
Eloise was a pretty good female character, but I found myself fascinated more by Harvey's male characters, Lucas and Eldric. I felt they possessed more mystery, dual-naturedness and interesting characteristics than Eloise. That's not to say that her chapters weren't interesting, just that my heart would race a little faster when Lucas and Eldric made an appearance.
Basically, I enjoyed reading STOLEN AWAY. The pace is perfect for the story. the plot kept me interested, and anyone who enjoys the darker side of the fey will have a good time reading this novel. Recently, I have found an appreciation for the shorter novel because, as long as the plot never seems rushed or too compacted, it can be great to find a book that can be read in a short amount of time.
3.5/5 for plot
4/5 for characters
3.5/5 for language
My Rating: 11/15 (3 stars)
Highly Recommend, if you enjoyed
Wicked Lovely (series) by Melissa Marr
Need (series) by Carrie Jones
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