C.J. Abedi

Notes:

*Actual rating: 2.5-2.75/5 stars

*Really, Devilyn, it's not cool to be someone just to use them as means to an end. I know she was the designated mean girl in the story, but, come on, she was a girl, a human, with feelings. And even if you justified that she didn't even know that she was being used, still, your actions were, not cruel, but completely unnecessary. Amicable break, my ass, you just magic away things.

Are you centuries old or a teenager?

*Fear is what drives you, Devilyn, not love. Who are you? Anakin Skywalker?

*Caroline, prove to him what girls are made of. Seriously.… (mer)

C. J. Abedi’s The Queen is an amazing finish to the Fae Series.

The story starts out with a diary entry about the Lost Colony in 1590. It then transitions, to modern times where Devilyn and Caroline are at a school Halloween party, and Caroline is kidnaped. I found their costumes amusing. Devilyn struggles throughout the story, feeling that their relationship puts her in danger.

Caroline has grown tremendously throughout this trilogy. She comes into her powers and is continually challenged by the dark Fae. She is intelligent and brave. Devilyn is dealing with the responsibilities of being King. He feels like his dark side is consuming his light. He blames himself for putting Caroline in danger. He loves Caroline and would give her up if it meant she was safe.

Caroline, Devilyn, and their friends/family are put through numerous challenges. The dark Fae are no longer following their laws. Alderon continues to be a lethal opponent. Some interesting things happen with him, especially toward the end of the story. Puck lives up to his mischievous reputation and is a dangerous foe.

I like how the story flashes back to 1590-01 and the diaries of Captain John White and Eleanor Dare about the Lost Colony. I also, like that the story is told from both Devilyn’s and Caroline’s point of view.

C. J. Abedi’s The Queen is well-written and has a wonderful plot. The story is full of excitement and twists. I would love to see this trilogy turned into a movie or television series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.… (mer)

Opinião completa em: http://pepitamagica.blogspot.pt/2015/10/especial-halloween-fae-de-cj-abedi.html

2.5*

(...)
Aqui temos a história de Caroline e Devilyn, uma jovem que é algo invisível e um rapaz (se é que se pode considerar “rapaz”) desportista, que tem uma hoste de raparigas atrás dele. E claro que Caroline e Devilyn se apaixonam, não fosse isso estar ligado a uma profecia antiga.

Devilyn, filho de um Fae (fada) das trevas e de uma Fae de luz, é o único Fae a ter luz e escuridão dentro de si – e está destinado a ficar com a descendente da Virginia Dare, descendente esta que tem em sangue de Faes de luz.
(...)
Admito que o livro é um bocado confuso e, talvez se o tivesse lido à uns cinco anos atrás, teria gostado mais. A história e a maneira como está escrita é talvez demasiado infanto-juvenil para o meu gosto. A escrita das autoras (duas irmãs) precisa de evoluir um pouco para nos prender mais, a história tem alguns clichés que poderiam até aparecer mas de outra forma, para mostrar sabem trabalhar uma situação que já foi tão mexida.
(...)… (mer)

The book was, simply, okay. I picked the book up for the wonderful cover, and because it was rated well, but I was disappointed, overall. It is selling really well, so I expected much more than what I got.
First, the good. The book has a story that is very appealing, with a mash-up of fantasy, myth and contemporary elements, which I truly loved and thought worked really well. The main characters are distinct and have interesting back stories and personalities that draw you to them, whether you like them or not. The plot is paced fairly well, though it does, at times, seem slow due to the redundant nature of the author(s) writing.
Now, the bad. The authors of this book had a good story to tell, but need a professional editor to make it a great read. As interesting as the plot and characters could be, there were many points in the story where the dialogue was awkward, the writing redundant (that is, descriptive scenes were overwrought with sentences that said, basically, the same thing as the last sentence), and the actions of minor (and some major characters) were silly or unlikely. While the two main characters were pretty well fleshed out (though there were some points in which they acted out of the norm, and there was no indication of why they would do so), the other characters seemed more like caricatures of a certain personality. This, is, perhaps, because the authors often tell you what a character is, instead of allowing their writing to show you more about the person. Better descriptive writing and some polishing could have solved this and made this book a much easier read.
As it is, I am not suggesting people do not read the book. It was okay. I was interested in the plot, throughout. But go into it with the idea that the book is imperfect, if interesting. I hope that the authors think about heavier editing in the future, as their ideas are very good but need the help of some careful dialogue, better descriptions and fuller secondary characters.
As is, I will not be buying the second installment of Fae because I have a long reading list and a review site to maintain.… (mer)