Book Review – Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer

Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Penguin
Binding: Hardcover
Publication Date: 2007

Laini Taylor’s Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer is a true fairy tale. Only it isn’t, it is a faerie tale. What is the difference? The difference is that while fairy tales tell us of glorious deeds and wondrous or horrible things that happen because of love or hate or greed. This is a faerie story because it does the same thing but from a different perspective – from the character inside that fairy tale. Imagine Snow White as told by Doc. It would still have the feel of that familiar fairy tale but would have a new and exciting flavor, the flavor of perspective. The perspective we as the reader get from this book is that of an actual faerie. This faerie is a little different from the norm but extremely likeable, relatable, and most of all interesting, her name is Magpie. Magpie is an unusual faerie in that she travels the world outside of Dreamdark, the home of faeries, hunting devils let loose by men. Magpie travels with a group of crows, who have become her family through all of their years of hunting.

Inside Dreamdark, faeries do not even believe in devils. Their most feared foe, the Blackbringer is only a tale told to frighten children. It’s the bogeyman. It isn’t real. Oh but it is, and Magpie is the only one who can help. With aid from her friends the crows, a stranger with gifts he’s unaware of, old and new friends, she has to convince the faeries of their folly, unscramble ancient recipes, ask dead legends for answers and follow a strange quest to the beginning and end of it all.

I read this book, front to back on a quiet evening after work. It was a smooth and delightful read. The faeries depicted within are both extraordinary and fascinatingly familiar. Laini Taylor’s use of language to differentiate parts of faerie society, and descriptions of specific differences between the faeries themselves gives the book such depth that it all feels real. However, it is a reality that could have been imagined by Disney. Softer edged, but with that hint of steel beneath, her characters evoke both reality and fantasy and the mixture blends well to create a story that dances over your senses as lightly as a dragonfly would. The reader is even blessed by the bonus of several illustrations throughout the book that echo the feeling of the text.

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About amberdrake

I'm a 40 year old desk jockey who amuses herself with lots and lots of reading. My favorite things in books are dragons, steampunk, wizards, comedy, and lots of action!