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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I was so happy to be drawn back into Stiefvater's world of fairie. I just wish Dee hadn't been quite so Bella Swan - like (read: whiny)
I read Lament quite a while ago, and though I thought I'd reread it before starting this one, I didn't. I just dove in. And it was still great, even though the memory of Lament is a bit fuzzy, it stood on its own.
It's got some creepy, violent elements which I think are great when dealing with faeries. It took me a little while to adjust to Nuala rather than Dee being the primary love interest, but Stiefvater brought me around. I thought the ending was really well done.
It's got some creepy, violent elements which I think are great when dealing with faeries. It took me a little while to adjust to Nuala rather than Dee being the primary love interest, but Stiefvater brought me around. I thought the ending was really well done.
This novel was really great and an interesting sequel to Lament. I kind of wish that it had been from Dee's point of view and James' point of view, instead of Nuala and James. I really hope there's going to be another sequel to this but I haven't seen any sign of one, so I'm not sure that it ended on the best note.
If you've seen my review of Lament, you know that this might not be the best review either. Talk about taking time to digest a book! Anywho, I can't say whether I liked Lament better or Ballad, because the romance was completely different, but the same in a way. Confused? Me too. But James and Nuala were an... odd pair to watch. I wanted James to notice Dee more, especially when she really needed him. I know that's being unfair because we got to read her unsent text messages and obviously he didn't, but still I feel like the role of best friend was played differently than normally defined.
I LOVED James' sarcasm and humor. I wish I was as witty as him, along with creating and writing about a character half as sarcastic. But, he had his faults, the main one being that he loved Dee, who loved Luke, who (***QUICK FEW-LINE SPOILER***) turned out to be not who she thought he was and somehow forgot that he loved her after becoming some kind of other fairy that she only see once a few months. And she just stopped loving him (***END OF SPOILER***). Sorry about that, I don't remember much, so what I do remember I'm just puting in their randomly.
The writing was again phenominal and I really want another book in the series, because I can definitely see this progressing. I've officially forgotten everything in this book, meaning I will most likely be reading it again.
If you've seen my review of Lament, you know that this might not be the best review either. Talk about taking time to digest a book! Anywho, I can't say whether I liked Lament better or Ballad, because the romance was completely different, but the same in a way. Confused? Me too. But James and Nuala were an... odd pair to watch. I wanted James to notice Dee more, especially when she really needed him. I know that's being unfair because we got to read her unsent text messages and obviously he didn't, but still I feel like the role of best friend was played differently than normally defined.
I LOVED James' sarcasm and humor. I wish I was as witty as him, along with creating and writing about a character half as sarcastic. But, he had his faults, the main one being that he loved Dee, who loved Luke, who (***QUICK FEW-LINE SPOILER***) turned out to be not who she thought he was and somehow forgot that he loved her after becoming some kind of other fairy that she only see once a few months. And she just stopped loving him (***END OF SPOILER***). Sorry about that, I don't remember much, so what I do remember I'm just puting in their randomly.
The writing was again phenominal and I really want another book in the series, because I can definitely see this progressing. I've officially forgotten everything in this book, meaning I will most likely be reading it again.
Really enjoyed reading a story about Them from James's point of view. He was probably one of the most enjoyable narrators I've read and all the characters were intriguing.
I was only sad I didn't get to see more about what happened to Luke Dillon.
I suppose that's what Requiem might be for.
I also loved the message that Humanity is so beautiful and desirous as I escape into a world of magic and illusion.
I was only sad I didn't get to see more about what happened to Luke Dillon.
I suppose that's what Requiem might be for.
I also loved the message that Humanity is so beautiful and desirous as I escape into a world of magic and illusion.
As impossible as this sounds, I think Ballad was even better than Lament! I thought the plot was a lot more original and I loved that James was the main character, he was my favorite character in Lament and I was glad to get to see more of him in this book. Nuala and him were so cute together that I kept rooting for them the whole way through the book. I was so sad when I thought she might die, and I found myself reading faster and faster and growing more and more worried as the book went on and he still hadn't saved her, and it even crossed my mind for a moment that maybe she wouldn't be able to become human and stay with James. I think that is what made me love this book, was I never was quite sure what would happen in the end, there were so many ways it could go, and many unexpected things happened that I just kept reading and reading, and enjoying it the whole way through. Plus it was funny. Which naturally made it 20 times better.
STOP! Before you read this review, I have to tell you that it’s a sequel. A really, really good sequel.
Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception is the book that came before, and it was reasonably good. It featured the classic “girl with nice guy best friend meets magical hot guy and finds her helpless-in-a-supposed-to-be-endearing-way self in the middle of a” love triangle. (Disclaimer: I nearly always go for the best friend instead of the magical hottie. I hold a grudge against literary heroines who totally ditch their best friends like that.) Dierdre is the heroine of that novel, accompanied by her best friend James and said magical hottie, Luke.
After the events of the first book, which I will not disclose, James and Dee enroll in a music academy (they’re both extremely musical and talented, which is the framework around which both books are built). Unlike Lament, which is told from Dee’s perspective, Ballad is told from James’ perspective. He’s snarky, sarcastic and incredibly intelligent, which makes for an interesting read. Dee, meanwhile, is not having an easy time at the music academy. Without spoiling the plot of the first book, I’ll just say that Luke is not a presence in the second, and Dee is not handling it well.
When James and Dee get to the academy, James hears strange music at night. The next day, he meets a girl, Nuala, who ends up being a half-faerie. She’s a muse, a faerie who steals away years of a human’s life in exchange for feeding them supernaturally inspired music, poetry, painting, etc. For James, Nuala tempts him with music so achingly beautiful and weighty that it hurts. Conflict in Faerie, leftover from the first book, becomes downright dangerous in the second … and this time, it is James who must decide between his best friend and a magical hottie.
The thing I best enjoyed about Ballad is what I best enjoyed about Eyes Like Stars: the author wasn’t afraid of using complex language. YA is not meant to be dumbed-down; despite my opinion at work sometimes (like today when a kid asked me if he could introduce himself to his new boss via text message *facepalm*), teenagers are NOT stupid. They’re studying for the SATs. They know what vociferous means. I love it when YA authors use challenging language, because it means that those readers are going to mature into using it as their primary mode of communication. If you read smart, you’ll be smart, kids.
I really enjoyed this book. I got it from the library yesterday afternoon and blew through it in a matter of hours. I stayed up past my bedtime and I do not regret it. I am putting this on my Amazon list, and I am pleased to tell you that it’s in paperback. Also, her website is just beautiful, check this out. http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/index.php.
Now, go read. Really.
http://starlightbookreviews.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/review-ballad-by-maggie-stiefvater/
Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception is the book that came before, and it was reasonably good. It featured the classic “girl with nice guy best friend meets magical hot guy and finds her helpless-in-a-supposed-to-be-endearing-way self in the middle of a” love triangle. (Disclaimer: I nearly always go for the best friend instead of the magical hottie. I hold a grudge against literary heroines who totally ditch their best friends like that.) Dierdre is the heroine of that novel, accompanied by her best friend James and said magical hottie, Luke.
After the events of the first book, which I will not disclose, James and Dee enroll in a music academy (they’re both extremely musical and talented, which is the framework around which both books are built). Unlike Lament, which is told from Dee’s perspective, Ballad is told from James’ perspective. He’s snarky, sarcastic and incredibly intelligent, which makes for an interesting read. Dee, meanwhile, is not having an easy time at the music academy. Without spoiling the plot of the first book, I’ll just say that Luke is not a presence in the second, and Dee is not handling it well.
When James and Dee get to the academy, James hears strange music at night. The next day, he meets a girl, Nuala, who ends up being a half-faerie. She’s a muse, a faerie who steals away years of a human’s life in exchange for feeding them supernaturally inspired music, poetry, painting, etc. For James, Nuala tempts him with music so achingly beautiful and weighty that it hurts. Conflict in Faerie, leftover from the first book, becomes downright dangerous in the second … and this time, it is James who must decide between his best friend and a magical hottie.
The thing I best enjoyed about Ballad is what I best enjoyed about Eyes Like Stars: the author wasn’t afraid of using complex language. YA is not meant to be dumbed-down; despite my opinion at work sometimes (like today when a kid asked me if he could introduce himself to his new boss via text message *facepalm*), teenagers are NOT stupid. They’re studying for the SATs. They know what vociferous means. I love it when YA authors use challenging language, because it means that those readers are going to mature into using it as their primary mode of communication. If you read smart, you’ll be smart, kids.
I really enjoyed this book. I got it from the library yesterday afternoon and blew through it in a matter of hours. I stayed up past my bedtime and I do not regret it. I am putting this on my Amazon list, and I am pleased to tell you that it’s in paperback. Also, her website is just beautiful, check this out. http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/index.php.
Now, go read. Really.
http://starlightbookreviews.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/review-ballad-by-maggie-stiefvater/
Summary: Ballad is the sequel to Lament, and picks up almost exactly where its predecessor left off. This tale is narrated in turns by James (from Lament) and Nuala, a newly introduced faerie. The heroine of Lament, Deirdre, is still a central character in this novel, but her story is put on the back burner while James takes center stage.
Just after an epic showdown with the fey, James is hunted by Nuala, a faerie who exchanges unimaginable talent for years of her victims' lives. Fate sticks its nose into matters and the two find themselves falling into star crossed love. When both Nuala and Deirdre's lives are threatened, James finds himself in a second supernatural battle, but this time around he is faced with a gut-wrenching decision: he has the power to save both of the girls he loves, but the time to rescue only one.
Thoughts: Maggie S. makes me take back my words again. I loved Lament despite my predictions, and now I find myself besotted with Ballad. When I learned that Deirdre and Luke's romance wouldn't be continued in this sequel, I was a little heartbroken. I immediately expected to be disappointed with this book. However, I was surprised to find that Stiefvater kicked things up a notch with James' story. Ballad surpassed all my expectations.
With words as lyrical and haunting as ever, we are sucked once more into a realm of magic. Of love. Of longing. Of danger. Someone needs to give Stiefvater a medal for her ability to inspire compassion for her trouble-seeking characters, because no matter how many times the humans in this book go running (literally) after murderous faeries, I can't help but want to be barreling into the hills beside them. So perfectly is the luring song of the fey described that I find myself expecting to catch a whisper of it in the moonlight. The penning of Ballad is exquisite.
The one real fault I found in Lament was the brash and careless way Deirdre and Luke fall in love. There was no inspiration or cause for their emotions written in the pages. I mentally wrote that off to faerie magic then, and expected to have to do the same in the sequel. I was pleasantly surprised to find James' actions entirely feasible. His character is so developed that all of his actions become inevitable -- they're just what James would do. When romance blossoms between him and the faerie Nuala, it is subtle, hesitant and most importantly, real. No pixie dust excuses needed.
Ballad also pushes the faerie lore to new depth, questioning what it means to be "human," and whether humanity is a privilege or burden. Nuala's narration illuminates the pain that comes with being an immortal, cold-natured species -- exposes both the personal value of human love and it's literal worth. Her story is 6 parts bitter and only 4 parts sweet, but it inspires more empathy in her character than a pretty past would, and more hope. Through her journey both the beauty of humanity and harshness of life is expounded.
I can't say enough good things, but I can say "GO READ THIS NOW!" So I will: Go read this now. Ballad is a book to devour once with alacrity, and then again to savor.
Just after an epic showdown with the fey, James is hunted by Nuala, a faerie who exchanges unimaginable talent for years of her victims' lives. Fate sticks its nose into matters and the two find themselves falling into star crossed love. When both Nuala and Deirdre's lives are threatened, James finds himself in a second supernatural battle, but this time around he is faced with a gut-wrenching decision: he has the power to save both of the girls he loves, but the time to rescue only one.
Thoughts: Maggie S. makes me take back my words again. I loved Lament despite my predictions, and now I find myself besotted with Ballad. When I learned that Deirdre and Luke's romance wouldn't be continued in this sequel, I was a little heartbroken. I immediately expected to be disappointed with this book. However, I was surprised to find that Stiefvater kicked things up a notch with James' story. Ballad surpassed all my expectations.
With words as lyrical and haunting as ever, we are sucked once more into a realm of magic. Of love. Of longing. Of danger. Someone needs to give Stiefvater a medal for her ability to inspire compassion for her trouble-seeking characters, because no matter how many times the humans in this book go running (literally) after murderous faeries, I can't help but want to be barreling into the hills beside them. So perfectly is the luring song of the fey described that I find myself expecting to catch a whisper of it in the moonlight. The penning of Ballad is exquisite.
The one real fault I found in Lament was the brash and careless way Deirdre and Luke fall in love. There was no inspiration or cause for their emotions written in the pages. I mentally wrote that off to faerie magic then, and expected to have to do the same in the sequel. I was pleasantly surprised to find James' actions entirely feasible. His character is so developed that all of his actions become inevitable -- they're just what James would do. When romance blossoms between him and the faerie Nuala, it is subtle, hesitant and most importantly, real. No pixie dust excuses needed.
Ballad also pushes the faerie lore to new depth, questioning what it means to be "human," and whether humanity is a privilege or burden. Nuala's narration illuminates the pain that comes with being an immortal, cold-natured species -- exposes both the personal value of human love and it's literal worth. Her story is 6 parts bitter and only 4 parts sweet, but it inspires more empathy in her character than a pretty past would, and more hope. Through her journey both the beauty of humanity and harshness of life is expounded.
I can't say enough good things, but I can say "GO READ THIS NOW!" So I will: Go read this now. Ballad is a book to devour once with alacrity, and then again to savor.
Review:
Cover: This book, like Lament before it, has a beautiful cover. I really love the details on it, and after reading the book, the image of the burning leaf completely goes with the story. Unlike many of the YA covers coming out with a solitary image on a black background, this cover evokes the plot and mood of the story.
Characters: This story changed my perception of both Deirdre and James. I still love them both, just differently now. Deirdre is a little more self-centered in this book, and James much more sarcastic. However, they both grow more into themselves as the story goes on, and even their flaws are just part of who they are. Ballad is told from the point of view of James, and so we see a different side to everything. There are also some new characters in this story, including Paul (James’s roommate) who is smarter than he seems, a bit shy and awkward at first; the cool but slightly dorky Mr. Sullivan who teaches English; and Nuala, the muse who targets James.
Plot: This time, it’s both James and Deirdre who are targets of the new Faerie Queen Eleanor. Only now, with James and Deirdre hardly speaking and Luke in the care of the MUSIC FAERIES there is no one trustworthy to help them out. I liked the plot of this book even more so than Lament. Their are still the underlying themes of trust, choosing, and things being more than what they seem. This time, James has to unravel what is true and what is false, including finding out what really happened with Deirdre in Lament. On top of their struggles with the Good Folk, James and Deirdre must sort out their feelings for each other, and about the new school they find themselves in.
Narration: This book is told from the alternating points of view of James and Naula. I liked the addition of the second narrator, and the change in narrators from Lament. It was generally easy for me to distinguish which character was narrating which chapter (even easier if I bothered to read the top of each chapter, where it told me.) James’s chapters are a lot snarkier, while Naula’s chapters read more musically. In addition to these, we get to read Deirdre’s unsent text messages to James, getting an insight into what was going on with her; often, just enough to wonder what kind of trouble she is hiding from everyone else.
Cross-posted at www.sschpagepals.blogspot.com
Other reviews on www.forestofthedead.blogspot.com
Cover: This book, like Lament before it, has a beautiful cover. I really love the details on it, and after reading the book, the image of the burning leaf completely goes with the story. Unlike many of the YA covers coming out with a solitary image on a black background, this cover evokes the plot and mood of the story.
Characters: This story changed my perception of both Deirdre and James. I still love them both, just differently now. Deirdre is a little more self-centered in this book, and James much more sarcastic. However, they both grow more into themselves as the story goes on, and even their flaws are just part of who they are. Ballad is told from the point of view of James, and so we see a different side to everything. There are also some new characters in this story, including Paul (James’s roommate) who is smarter than he seems, a bit shy and awkward at first; the cool but slightly dorky Mr. Sullivan who teaches English; and Nuala, the muse who targets James.
Plot: This time, it’s both James and Deirdre who are targets of the new Faerie Queen Eleanor. Only now, with James and Deirdre hardly speaking and Luke in the care of the MUSIC FAERIES there is no one trustworthy to help them out. I liked the plot of this book even more so than Lament. Their are still the underlying themes of trust, choosing, and things being more than what they seem. This time, James has to unravel what is true and what is false, including finding out what really happened with Deirdre in Lament. On top of their struggles with the Good Folk, James and Deirdre must sort out their feelings for each other, and about the new school they find themselves in.
Narration: This book is told from the alternating points of view of James and Naula. I liked the addition of the second narrator, and the change in narrators from Lament. It was generally easy for me to distinguish which character was narrating which chapter (even easier if I bothered to read the top of each chapter, where it told me.) James’s chapters are a lot snarkier, while Naula’s chapters read more musically. In addition to these, we get to read Deirdre’s unsent text messages to James, getting an insight into what was going on with her; often, just enough to wonder what kind of trouble she is hiding from everyone else.
Cross-posted at www.sschpagepals.blogspot.com
Other reviews on www.forestofthedead.blogspot.com
Was mir im ersten Teil gefehlt hatte wurde mit diesem erfüllt. Es hat mir viel besser gefallen! Selbst der Schreibstil war mehr "Stiefvater-esque" und das hat mir unglaublich gut gefallen! James ist ein wundervoller Charakter. Traurig finde ich jedoch, dass alles über Luke offen blieb.
by amy
Nuala is part muse, part psychic vampire. While the freedom to sing or write or create is denied her, her mark across history is unmistakable; a trail of brilliant poets, musicians, and artists who have died tragically young. She had no sympathy for their abbreviated life spans; every thirteen Halloweens she burns in a bonfire and rises from her ashes with no memories of what has come before other than the knowledge of how her end will come.
James is the best bagpiper in the state of Virginia - maybe in the country - plus he's young and good looking: just Nuala's thing. But James, extremely confident in his own abilities and in love with another girl, becomes the first to ever reject Nuala's offer. He's preoccupied with bigger things than Nuala: An enigmatic horned figure who appears at dusk and the downward spiral of Dee, his girlfriend-who-isn't.
It becomes obvious to James that Nuala's presence, the horned king of the dead, and Dee's slow self-destruction are all related, and that Dee is in the center of a very deadly faerie game. While James struggles to unwind the tangled threads of the story, Nuala shadows him, seeing her conflicted, dual nature reflected back at her in him. She finds herself lending him inspiration for nothing - for the hope of requited affection. But even as James begins to realize his feelings for both Dee and Nuala have changed, the thirteenth Halloween descends, with it's bonfires and rituals for the dead, one deadly for Nuala and the other for Dee. James can only save one.
I know there have got to be better faerie books out there. This book did not satisfy my desire for something faerie. First, I would like to say, not reading Ballad before reading Lament(even though many people/critics say it's a stand-alone). I read Lament and liked it (read my review). Thinking this was a sequel, it obviously bugged me when the main characters of Lament got very lost in translation. This may have been the most disappointing thing about this book. The main female character Dee and her love for Luke was very enticing in Lament. So, naturally, I was sad when Dee was hardly mention and Luke was nowhere to be found. Luke was my favorite in Lament - strong, good looking and Dee's rescuer. So, yes, I wanted to read about him again. Now, I would not have read these books back-to-back considering they really weren't a sequel (even though you couldn't read the second book first and fully understand it. Crazy, huh?) OK...so obviously I was disappointed.
If you must read the sequel to Lament (it is worth reading, if you like faerie books) - be open to new main characters, forget about the perfectly good ones from before, know enough about faeries to get by, cross your fingers and maybe if you don't have an impatient personality like I do, you might just like it.
~Amy
*Word to the parents- there is some kissing, crude behavior and moderate language in this book. If you want more information about content, go to Ballad on Parental Book Reviews.
Nuala is part muse, part psychic vampire. While the freedom to sing or write or create is denied her, her mark across history is unmistakable; a trail of brilliant poets, musicians, and artists who have died tragically young. She had no sympathy for their abbreviated life spans; every thirteen Halloweens she burns in a bonfire and rises from her ashes with no memories of what has come before other than the knowledge of how her end will come.
James is the best bagpiper in the state of Virginia - maybe in the country - plus he's young and good looking: just Nuala's thing. But James, extremely confident in his own abilities and in love with another girl, becomes the first to ever reject Nuala's offer. He's preoccupied with bigger things than Nuala: An enigmatic horned figure who appears at dusk and the downward spiral of Dee, his girlfriend-who-isn't.
It becomes obvious to James that Nuala's presence, the horned king of the dead, and Dee's slow self-destruction are all related, and that Dee is in the center of a very deadly faerie game. While James struggles to unwind the tangled threads of the story, Nuala shadows him, seeing her conflicted, dual nature reflected back at her in him. She finds herself lending him inspiration for nothing - for the hope of requited affection. But even as James begins to realize his feelings for both Dee and Nuala have changed, the thirteenth Halloween descends, with it's bonfires and rituals for the dead, one deadly for Nuala and the other for Dee. James can only save one.
I know there have got to be better faerie books out there. This book did not satisfy my desire for something faerie. First, I would like to say, not reading Ballad before reading Lament(even though many people/critics say it's a stand-alone). I read Lament and liked it (read my review). Thinking this was a sequel, it obviously bugged me when the main characters of Lament got very lost in translation. This may have been the most disappointing thing about this book. The main female character Dee and her love for Luke was very enticing in Lament. So, naturally, I was sad when Dee was hardly mention and Luke was nowhere to be found. Luke was my favorite in Lament - strong, good looking and Dee's rescuer. So, yes, I wanted to read about him again. Now, I would not have read these books back-to-back considering they really weren't a sequel (even though you couldn't read the second book first and fully understand it. Crazy, huh?) OK...so obviously I was disappointed.
If you must read the sequel to Lament (it is worth reading, if you like faerie books) - be open to new main characters, forget about the perfectly good ones from before, know enough about faeries to get by, cross your fingers and maybe if you don't have an impatient personality like I do, you might just like it.
~Amy
*Word to the parents- there is some kissing, crude behavior and moderate language in this book. If you want more information about content, go to Ballad on Parental Book Reviews.