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seanpatricklittle's review
5.0
The Tufa series has come to a fitting end. When Alex announced that THE FAIRIES OF SADIEVILLE would be the final book in the series, I was of two minds about it: on one hand, an author should be allowed to end his series when he feels like it, but on the other hand, the Tufa of Cloud County were important to me, and I would miss them. In the final installment of this beautiful, critically-acclaimed series, the mysteries of the Tufa are revealed, and the book is closed on Cloud County. It is a beautiful and wonderful end to the series.
However, given the nature of the story and the mechanisms in the book, it makes this book VERY difficult to review without dropping major spoilers.
I will say that, as always, Bledsoe's prose is wonderful and lyrical. His ear for dialogue is enviable, and his writing flows like a Tennessee River. The characters, all the Tufa that have become so familiar over the years, make their appearances, coming by to wave good-bye one last time throughout the book. The hinted mysteries of this strange race of banished fairy-folk are revealed in glorious detail, and when you read that final page, you will be both sad to see them go, but fulfilled by the fact that it ended so well.
I hate to see books like this end, but at the same time, you don't want a series to overstay its welcome. For example, as much as I love the TV series 'M*A*S*H,' the last three seasons of it are almost unwatchable. It's hard for any series to maintain its strength through a simple trilogy, let alone the six books we were given in the Tufa series. Bledsoe managed to wrangle six perfect books out of the series, and is now galloping on to greener pastures. I cannot wait to see what he will do next.
I will miss Bronwyn, Bliss, Mandalay, and even Junior, and the rest of the Tufa. There were probably plenty more stories nestled in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, and maybe if we listen hard enough to the Night Wind, we'll catch inklings of them.
Well done, Alex. Thanks for the ride.
However, given the nature of the story and the mechanisms in the book, it makes this book VERY difficult to review without dropping major spoilers.
I will say that, as always, Bledsoe's prose is wonderful and lyrical. His ear for dialogue is enviable, and his writing flows like a Tennessee River. The characters, all the Tufa that have become so familiar over the years, make their appearances, coming by to wave good-bye one last time throughout the book. The hinted mysteries of this strange race of banished fairy-folk are revealed in glorious detail, and when you read that final page, you will be both sad to see them go, but fulfilled by the fact that it ended so well.
I hate to see books like this end, but at the same time, you don't want a series to overstay its welcome. For example, as much as I love the TV series 'M*A*S*H,' the last three seasons of it are almost unwatchable. It's hard for any series to maintain its strength through a simple trilogy, let alone the six books we were given in the Tufa series. Bledsoe managed to wrangle six perfect books out of the series, and is now galloping on to greener pastures. I cannot wait to see what he will do next.
I will miss Bronwyn, Bliss, Mandalay, and even Junior, and the rest of the Tufa. There were probably plenty more stories nestled in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, and maybe if we listen hard enough to the Night Wind, we'll catch inklings of them.
Well done, Alex. Thanks for the ride.
annieb123's review
5.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Fairies of Sadieville is the 6th and final novel of the Tufa series by Alex Bledsoe. Published 10th April, 2018 by Tor Books, it's 368 pages and available in ebook, hardback and audiobook formats.
I had read some of the stories and other shorter fiction by the author, but hadn't read any of the Tufa books since the first one. The author's writing is exceptional and lyrical. Comparisons to Faulkner aren't amiss.
I've always been a huge fan of folklore and especially Appalachian folklore and music (I grew up in WV and my own family are mostly Irish and Scots). This book pushed all my buttons. It's liberally laced and richly interspersed with music and poetry and lyrics mined out of a rich vein of folklore.
I'm generally not too much of a fan of the plot device of alternate storylines; they usually detract instead of really building. If the author is careful to make the jumps clear enough, it's very difficult to make the jumps seamless enough to actually move the plot along in the parallel stories. Bledsoe manages, and very well. This is a story inside a story inside a story and the jumps are engineered very well.
The melancholy and dark feel of this book added to the overall longing and tension. It was deftly done. The quality of this book has inspired me to go read the earlier books. I have a huge enough pile of books to be read (TBR mountain, quips my family), that my being inspired to go back and read or re-read a series happens very very rarely. Well played, Mr. Bledsoe, well played.
Four and a half stars, rounded up for exceptionally masterful plotting and writing.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Fairies of Sadieville is the 6th and final novel of the Tufa series by Alex Bledsoe. Published 10th April, 2018 by Tor Books, it's 368 pages and available in ebook, hardback and audiobook formats.
I had read some of the stories and other shorter fiction by the author, but hadn't read any of the Tufa books since the first one. The author's writing is exceptional and lyrical. Comparisons to Faulkner aren't amiss.
I've always been a huge fan of folklore and especially Appalachian folklore and music (I grew up in WV and my own family are mostly Irish and Scots). This book pushed all my buttons. It's liberally laced and richly interspersed with music and poetry and lyrics mined out of a rich vein of folklore.
I'm generally not too much of a fan of the plot device of alternate storylines; they usually detract instead of really building. If the author is careful to make the jumps clear enough, it's very difficult to make the jumps seamless enough to actually move the plot along in the parallel stories. Bledsoe manages, and very well. This is a story inside a story inside a story and the jumps are engineered very well.
The melancholy and dark feel of this book added to the overall longing and tension. It was deftly done. The quality of this book has inspired me to go read the earlier books. I have a huge enough pile of books to be read (TBR mountain, quips my family), that my being inspired to go back and read or re-read a series happens very very rarely. Well played, Mr. Bledsoe, well played.
Four and a half stars, rounded up for exceptionally masterful plotting and writing.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
ielerol's review
4.0
When I started this book I didn't realize it was intended to be the final one in the series. So when I saw that the initial POV characters weren't Tufa, I was worried I'd have similar problems as with Chapel of Ease. But no, after some initial setup, this book gets deep into Tufa business, fast, and I loved it.
The past couple of books had been hinting heavily that things would change for the Tufa. I was anticipating that they'd open up to more interaction with the wider world. While we don't see that explicitly happen in The Fairies of Sadieville, I can see how the ending sets up the possibility. The book answers a number of questions, but leaves lots of others open, and I like that. I don't want too neat a bow on everything.
Overall I think the Tufa series is possibly my favorite twist on several tropes I'm not otherwise fond of, European folklore transplanted to the Americas and secret magical beings living alongside humans undiscovered. Bledsoe has clearly thought a lot about how the Tufa could survive in secret, how they might change living in the mountains of Tennessee and how they might not. My small complaint about the series as a whole is the lack of Yunwi Tsunsdi. I was so excited when they showed up in The Two Weddings of Bronwyn Hyatt, since my number one question in all stories of European fairies in America is, what happened to the native folklore beings? Are only the European stories true? Was there a supernatural genocide alongside the human one and now the few that are left are on reservations too? Were you careless and mildly racist in your world-building and so the question never occurred to you?
...Anyway, it's a pet peeve, and I'm glad these books had answers, but I feel like flashbacks to the Tufa's original arrival in Cloud County were a real missed opportunity to bring them back in.
The past couple of books had been hinting heavily that things would change for the Tufa. I was anticipating that they'd open up to more interaction with the wider world. While we don't see that explicitly happen in The Fairies of Sadieville, I can see how the ending sets up the possibility. The book answers a number of questions, but leaves lots of others open, and I like that. I don't want too neat a bow on everything.
Overall I think the Tufa series is possibly my favorite twist on several tropes I'm not otherwise fond of, European folklore transplanted to the Americas and secret magical beings living alongside humans undiscovered. Bledsoe has clearly thought a lot about how the Tufa could survive in secret, how they might change living in the mountains of Tennessee and how they might not. My small complaint about the series as a whole is the lack of Yunwi Tsunsdi. I was so excited when they showed up in The Two Weddings of Bronwyn Hyatt, since my number one question in all stories of European fairies in America is, what happened to the native folklore beings? Are only the European stories true? Was there a supernatural genocide alongside the human one and now the few that are left are on reservations too? Were you careless and mildly racist in your world-building and so the question never occurred to you?
...Anyway, it's a pet peeve, and I'm glad these books had answers, but I feel like flashbacks to the Tufa's original arrival in Cloud County were a real missed opportunity to bring them back in.
graff_fuller's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Like all books in this series...it has a different protagonist, but also uses and interacts with some of the other protagonists of the previous books and side characters.
This is the fullest of all the stories of the Tufa in our world. It may be the final book in the series, but it also may be just a way stop...along the way. We can see him writing more in this world...and in many ways...we hope he does.
The world building that has been built over six books has been incrimental, but this is the most SOLID it has appeared the entire time (even still, there is a LOT that we do NOT know).
Because time plays differently whenever you deal with the Tufa...we could get another book that butts up next to this book...or one twenty years from now.
We really enjoyed this series. It allowed many discussions on how we felt along the way. It was fun for us to read alternating chapters, but then also listen to it in audiobook format, too. The full experience. When Marie read...I was able to pick out things, and when I read, she did too. This was a great series for us to jump fully into. We read these six books in FIVE days. Thank you.
This is the fullest of all the stories of the Tufa in our world. It may be the final book in the series, but it also may be just a way stop...along the way. We can see him writing more in this world...and in many ways...we hope he does.
The world building that has been built over six books has been incrimental, but this is the most SOLID it has appeared the entire time (even still, there is a LOT that we do NOT know).
Because time plays differently whenever you deal with the Tufa...we could get another book that butts up next to this book...or one twenty years from now.
We really enjoyed this series. It allowed many discussions on how we felt along the way. It was fun for us to read alternating chapters, but then also listen to it in audiobook format, too. The full experience. When Marie read...I was able to pick out things, and when I read, she did too. This was a great series for us to jump fully into. We read these six books in FIVE days. Thank you.
katejeminhizer's review
4.0
I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review.
What a lovely fantasy! I was unaware this was the conclusion of a series when I started reading it. This book is easily read separate from the series. I enjoyed the unraveling of the different timelines to explain the different aspects of the plot. While for some the clash between modern academia and those who live in the mountains away from “advanced” society might be unbelievable, it exists. Not only does it exist, but just as this story portrays there are underlying beliefs and superstitions. The author did a wonderful job of unveiling that culture. The Tufa story/people was intriguing and I am delighted to know I can go to the beginning of the series and get to know them more.
What a lovely fantasy! I was unaware this was the conclusion of a series when I started reading it. This book is easily read separate from the series. I enjoyed the unraveling of the different timelines to explain the different aspects of the plot. While for some the clash between modern academia and those who live in the mountains away from “advanced” society might be unbelievable, it exists. Not only does it exist, but just as this story portrays there are underlying beliefs and superstitions. The author did a wonderful job of unveiling that culture. The Tufa story/people was intriguing and I am delighted to know I can go to the beginning of the series and get to know them more.
csarakas's review
5.0
The last of the Tufa books, The Fairies of Sadieville ends the series on the perfect note: slightly bittersweet, with a mix of hurt and hope and just the right amount of magic.
Many of the characters we've shared stories with over the past four books make an appearance here, giving us time to catch up a bit on what's been going on in their lives. This is perfectly meshed with the newcomers to Cloud County - two college graduate students who find a silent movie that sends them on a quest to discover what happens to Sadieville, a coal town that disappeared without (almost) a trace. As with all things Tufa, there are layers and layers to the story, which ultimately lead us all the way back to when the Tufa were exiled.
Bledsoe does an amazing amount of worldbuilding in this book, filling in the gaps for those who have long wanted to know more about the Tufa and their origins. That he does so within the confines of a new mystery simply shows his deft skill at storytelling. Everything feels organic, and the story unfolds at the perfect tempo.
It's easy for fans to want an author to write forever about a beloved series, but in Sadieville, the stories of Mandelay and Bronwyn and Rock House and Bliss don't end. They just fade away into the next track on the album.
I'm looking forward to whatever that is.
Many of the characters we've shared stories with over the past four books make an appearance here, giving us time to catch up a bit on what's been going on in their lives. This is perfectly meshed with the newcomers to Cloud County - two college graduate students who find a silent movie that sends them on a quest to discover what happens to Sadieville, a coal town that disappeared without (almost) a trace. As with all things Tufa, there are layers and layers to the story, which ultimately lead us all the way back to when the Tufa were exiled.
Bledsoe does an amazing amount of worldbuilding in this book, filling in the gaps for those who have long wanted to know more about the Tufa and their origins. That he does so within the confines of a new mystery simply shows his deft skill at storytelling. Everything feels organic, and the story unfolds at the perfect tempo.
It's easy for fans to want an author to write forever about a beloved series, but in Sadieville, the stories of Mandelay and Bronwyn and Rock House and Bliss don't end. They just fade away into the next track on the album.
I'm looking forward to whatever that is.
karireads's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
branpender12's review
4.0
What a great way to wrap up this series! I really enjoyed this book but I do believe you could read it as a standalone and not missed anything from the rest of the series. There were some details from other books in the series, but it didn’t take away or add to anything in this book that would make them completely necessary. The book was fun and easy read. I devoured it in one day!
I liked that the story ended by revisiting the beginning. The pacing of the book is very fast and easy to follow along with which made it an easy finish to the series. The characters were very diverse and their interpersonal relationships were very lifelike and real.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the Fae and modern fantasy books. Thank you for allowing me access to this title!
vailynst's review
4.0
Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus
Ya know, the story did not go quite the way I imagined that it would but it was still a good finish. If Bledsoe decides to write more books in either of his series, I would read them.
Currently on Audible Plus
Ya know, the story did not go quite the way I imagined that it would but it was still a good finish. If Bledsoe decides to write more books in either of his series, I would read them.