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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
James Morgan has accepted a place at the prestigious Thornking-Ash Academy for gifted musicians, mainly because he wanted to be close to his best friend Dee (whose story is told in Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception), who he has a big crush on. James is cynical, slightly arrogant, and can play the bagpipes so well the teachers at the school are uncertain what they can offer him. He attracts the attention of Nuala, one of the leanan sídhe, a fairy who acts as a muse to artists in return for some of their life-force. Nuala's former beneficiaries all lived brief, but brilliant lives. Unlike the men Nuala formerly inspired, however, James recognizes exactly what she is, and refuses to take the deal she offers him, no matter how tempting Nuala makes it seem.
After a while at the school, it is very obvious to James that something strange is going on, both with the faculty of the school, and beyond the school grounds. Every night he can hear the Horned King sing a mournful song, his friend Dee is getting more and more distant, and his relationship to Nuala changes as more and more faeries who have had contact with humans end up dead.
This is the third book I've read by Maggie Stiefvater, and it's probably my second favourite. Lament still holds the top spot, as a book that made me ache with joy when I read it. James is introduced in that book, but then as a supporting character. It was lovely to get to know him better, and see things from his point of view in this book. He is fiercely intelligent, very talented and deeply loyal to his friends. He worries about Dee, and about the new friends he makes at Thornking-Ash. He hides his deep emotion under a veneer of sarcasm and wit, which is not always appreciated by those around him.
On the basis of her two books about faeries and one about werewolves, I so far prefer her faeries. Her faeries are the dark and sinister kind, that play with the lives of mortals for sport and amusement, who use them for their own ends. To catch the attention of said faeries is not a happy thing. I suspect Ballad could be read independently from Lament, but as the events in this novel follow on from the former, it gives back story and added depth to the characters if one has read Lament first.
After a while at the school, it is very obvious to James that something strange is going on, both with the faculty of the school, and beyond the school grounds. Every night he can hear the Horned King sing a mournful song, his friend Dee is getting more and more distant, and his relationship to Nuala changes as more and more faeries who have had contact with humans end up dead.
This is the third book I've read by Maggie Stiefvater, and it's probably my second favourite. Lament still holds the top spot, as a book that made me ache with joy when I read it. James is introduced in that book, but then as a supporting character. It was lovely to get to know him better, and see things from his point of view in this book. He is fiercely intelligent, very talented and deeply loyal to his friends. He worries about Dee, and about the new friends he makes at Thornking-Ash. He hides his deep emotion under a veneer of sarcasm and wit, which is not always appreciated by those around him.
On the basis of her two books about faeries and one about werewolves, I so far prefer her faeries. Her faeries are the dark and sinister kind, that play with the lives of mortals for sport and amusement, who use them for their own ends. To catch the attention of said faeries is not a happy thing. I suspect Ballad could be read independently from Lament, but as the events in this novel follow on from the former, it gives back story and added depth to the characters if one has read Lament first.
Tohle je jedna z těch knížek, kterých se při čtení nemůžete nabažit, ale jakmile je dočtete - no ztrácejí na významu dokud někde nenarazíte na další díl :)
Oblíbila jsem si Jamese - je vtipný a nepředvídatelný a chytrý... Bylo mi troch líto, že se do příběhu tolik nezapletla Dee (na první pohled). Myslím, že James fakt potřebovala a jasně chovala se jako husa, ale měla to těžký...
Tak nějak jsem čekala, že Nuala ztratí svoje vspomínky a James se tak dostane do podobné situace jako Dee. Lépe by ji pak pochopil, sice by mezi nimi pořád byl propast,ale zase by byli kamarádi, jenže ono to zkončilo dobře. Nuala je člověk a Jemes s Dee se usmířili- Jsem ráda? Myslím, že jo, mám ráda šťastné konce, ale budu potřebovat ještě třetí díl abych se konečně rozhodla. Chci poznat Nualu jako člověka, protože jako víla mi nebyla moc sympatická....
Miluju jak slyším hudbu, když ji Maggie (autorka) líčí. Je to krása a to hudbu neposlouchám :)
Oblíbila jsem si Jamese - je vtipný a nepředvídatelný a chytrý... Bylo mi troch líto, že se do příběhu tolik nezapletla Dee (na první pohled). Myslím, že James fakt potřebovala a jasně chovala se jako husa, ale měla to těžký...
Tak nějak jsem čekala, že Nuala ztratí svoje vspomínky a James se tak dostane do podobné situace jako Dee. Lépe by ji pak pochopil, sice by mezi nimi pořád byl propast,ale zase by byli kamarádi, jenže ono to zkončilo dobře. Nuala je člověk a Jemes s Dee se usmířili- Jsem ráda? Myslím, že jo, mám ráda šťastné konce, ale budu potřebovat ještě třetí díl abych se konečně rozhodla. Chci poznat Nualu jako člověka, protože jako víla mi nebyla moc sympatická....
Miluju jak slyším hudbu, když ji Maggie (autorka) líčí. Je to krása a to hudbu neposlouchám :)
This book should have been titled, Ballad: A Collection of Feels with a Side-Dose of Nuala. Wow. Okay, I am in love with [b:The Iron Fey Series |22559534|The Iron Fey Series Julie Kagawa 5 Books Collection Set|Julie Kagawa|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405389001s/22559534.jpg|42021461] but as far as completely "historically" correct fey, this series is the one to read. Not to mention the heavy doses of Celtic myth and music. *sighs happily* I think I'm in love. Wait, no question about it, and am in love with this series. Hello, it's written by Maggie Stiefvater. I'm in love with her writing so of course it's safe to say that I'd fall in love with everyone of her stories.
Anyways. Reason why this book should be titled how I said previously - one word: James. And another word: Deirdre. I got so mad at them because they both were so helplessly blind in this book. (Stupid faeries! A thousand curses of iron on you!) They're best friends, and if that wasn't bad enough, James is in love with Deirdre, but he's too nice to say it. (A thought: actually he did say it, but that's from Lament, and after that nothing was really done. *sulks*) And Deirdre is a cloverhand, which in short terms is a faerie magnet. The fey are drawn to wherever she is, which in this book, just so happens to be Thornking-Ash, a prestigious school for gifted musicians...and also with a few mysterious, fey secrets of its own.
Without dissolving into a ranty mess of fangirl feels, suffice to say that in my humble opinion, James and Deirdre belong with each other. It just seems fated to be, faeries aside. Not that I have anything against Nuala...she's just still a little too faery for me. And she slipped quite easily into James life and feelings, a little too easily if you ask me. Sure, having the ability to read his thoughts and looking like what he wants you to look like and also able to affect his moods doesn't hurt. Can we say manipulation? Yeah.
And then there's Dee. Poor Dee. I felt so bad for her! Tossed back and forth between faerie politics and not wanting to drag James into it again. I totally understood her situation, even though I hated it, but it wasn't pathetic or silly. Yes she makes a few bad mistakes, but puhlease stop asking for perfect characters. I still love her.
I really never cared for Luke. There wasn't much of him in here, and I'm glad.
The orchestra concert aka "the chapter that gave me massive James and Deirdre feels in good ways". I loved that part. *melts into pile of warm happy feels* *ignores the other sad feels* See, that part right there is proof why James and Deirdre are perfect.
Okay, I shall stop now. No one ever said faerie stories ever ended happily...and they rarely do either. As far as the rest of this story: Plot twists are for dead kings, James' humor is awesome and I love reading things from his perspective, Paul is interesting, who the heck knew what Sullivan's past really would be like, and I hate Delia. Nuala is okay. Eleanor is not. I love this book. Goodbye.
Anyways. Reason why this book should be titled how I said previously - one word: James. And another word: Deirdre. I got so mad at them because they both were so helplessly blind in this book. (Stupid faeries! A thousand curses of iron on you!) They're best friends, and if that wasn't bad enough, James is in love with Deirdre, but he's too nice to say it. (A thought: actually he did say it, but that's from Lament, and after that nothing was really done. *sulks*) And Deirdre is a cloverhand, which in short terms is a faerie magnet. The fey are drawn to wherever she is, which in this book, just so happens to be Thornking-Ash, a prestigious school for gifted musicians...and also with a few mysterious, fey secrets of its own.
Without dissolving into a ranty mess of fangirl feels, suffice to say that in my humble opinion, James and Deirdre belong with each other. It just seems fated to be, faeries aside. Not that I have anything against Nuala...she's just still a little too faery for me. And she slipped quite easily into James life and feelings, a little too easily if you ask me. Sure, having the ability to read his thoughts and looking like what he wants you to look like and also able to affect his moods doesn't hurt. Can we say manipulation? Yeah.
And then there's Dee. Poor Dee. I felt so bad for her! Tossed back and forth between faerie politics and not wanting to drag James into it again. I totally understood her situation, even though I hated it, but it wasn't pathetic or silly. Yes she makes a few bad mistakes, but puhlease stop asking for perfect characters. I still love her.
I really never cared for Luke. There wasn't much of him in here, and I'm glad.
The orchestra concert aka "the chapter that gave me massive James and Deirdre feels in good ways". I loved that part. *melts into pile of warm happy feels* *ignores the other sad feels* See, that part right there is proof why James and Deirdre are perfect.
Okay, I shall stop now. No one ever said faerie stories ever ended happily...and they rarely do either. As far as the rest of this story: Plot twists are for dead kings, James' humor is awesome and I love reading things from his perspective, Paul is interesting, who the heck knew what Sullivan's past really would be like, and I hate Delia. Nuala is okay. Eleanor is not. I love this book. Goodbye.
I can't decide between 3 and 4 stars for this book...
I like that it's written more from the perspective of James than of Dee, but to see Dee kind of spiraling when in the first book she appeared to be (sort of) a strong young woman, is kind of a turn off. Especially because you don't really get to see what's happening in Dee's world since her perspective really isn't used.
I like that it's written more from the perspective of James than of Dee, but to see Dee kind of spiraling when in the first book she appeared to be (sort of) a strong young woman, is kind of a turn off. Especially because you don't really get to see what's happening in Dee's world since her perspective really isn't used.
An interesting book about how the realm of faeries interacts with modern-day teenagers. The book started slow, but got exciting at the end.
Ok. First things first, I need Requiem. I need Luke Dillon in my life. I liked the overall plot of this book, even though I didn't really grow to like either of the main characters. I think that is because I liked Luke and Dee so much from the first book and Dee is a bit absent from this one both literally and figuratively. One of the stand out characters for me was Sullivan. Also, it ends in a foreshadow cliffhanger with the third book not having a release date in sight (and Ballad is from 2009). Overall, I liked the plot, I'm just partial to Dee and Luke over Nuala and James. The writing and magic was still spot on for me, even more cohesive than the beginning of Lament which kind of just threw the reader in. Also, there are some parallels to The Raven Cycle (names and symbolism). To satisfy my Luke Dillon crush and cliffhanger curiosity, I really hope Ms. Stiefvater decides to publish Requiem soon. 3.75/5
After I read the first installment of this series, I said that I was eagerly awaiting the next installment. Well my wait for volume 2 is over, and now I have to be patient about volume 3.
Ballad is told by James and Nuala. James was an important character in Lament, since he is Diedre's best friend. He has started at a new school, Thornking-Ash to be with Dee. Nuala is a Leanan Sidhe, one of the many faeries who populate this story.
It took me a little while to remember James and Diedre's story, but once I got that back, Ballad moved quickly. I am not sure how this book would read if you had not read Lament. I think it would be possible to follow the story, but having read Lament made everything clearer.
Because I had read Lament, it was obvious that this was a continuation of Dee's involvement with the faerie world and that James would be drawn in because of his involvement with Nuala.
As the story moved forward, I could hardly put the book down. What was going to happen to James and Diedre's relationship? How does Paul, Sullivan and Nuala fit into the tale? Why are the faeries so interested in Dee.
All I can say is read this book. You will find it intriguing if you have not read Lament, and if you have read the first volume, you won't be able to let go of this book until the very end.
Now, where is volume 3?
Ballad is told by James and Nuala. James was an important character in Lament, since he is Diedre's best friend. He has started at a new school, Thornking-Ash to be with Dee. Nuala is a Leanan Sidhe, one of the many faeries who populate this story.
It took me a little while to remember James and Diedre's story, but once I got that back, Ballad moved quickly. I am not sure how this book would read if you had not read Lament. I think it would be possible to follow the story, but having read Lament made everything clearer.
Because I had read Lament, it was obvious that this was a continuation of Dee's involvement with the faerie world and that James would be drawn in because of his involvement with Nuala.
As the story moved forward, I could hardly put the book down. What was going to happen to James and Diedre's relationship? How does Paul, Sullivan and Nuala fit into the tale? Why are the faeries so interested in Dee.
All I can say is read this book. You will find it intriguing if you have not read Lament, and if you have read the first volume, you won't be able to let go of this book until the very end.
Now, where is volume 3?
Actual Rating: 2.5*
I really enjoyed [b:Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception|3112850|Lament The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265410418s/3112850.jpg|3144132]. I thought it was the perfect mix of faerie mythology and Irish mythology that blended together with how great Dee and Luke were together. Therefore, I should have loved the sequel, Ballad. However, I did not.
I didn't like the shift from Dee and Luke to James and Nuala. Their characters and story were not nearly as engaging as Dee and Luke's had been. I was mostly just waiting for the story to be over rather than really enjoying myself. I think most of this stemmed from the fact that Nuala was not likeable and was constantly butting in to where she was explicitly told she was not wanted: James's life. And James, while funny, was too much. I couldn't relate to him at all except when it came to realizing he was better off without Dee in his life because he found better friends who actually cared about him.
The plot for this one was meh. I liked that it brought all the characters together and showed us the darker side to the fae that Stiefvater had created but I was kinda bored with how much time it took to get there. I felt like there were a lot of filler aspects to this one to make it a full novel rather than a novella. I also would have liked actual scenes from Dee rather than her weird text messages (with bad grammar, which is how people texted in 2009 but not how people text now and it drove me up the wall). I felt like Dee was wasted in this one because she was such a huge, important part of James's life and was given cameo scenes at best.
But, Stiefvater's writing was flawless again. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the plot or characters, I was still engrossed in the writing and the world. I loved the descriptions of both the faerie world and the human world and how they intertwined. I loved that we got to see the faerie world from a faerie who wasn't quite faerie or human because it gave us a different perspective than what we had seen before. This version felt more real than what we saw in [b:Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception|3112850|Lament The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265410418s/3112850.jpg|3144132] because it wasn't as romanticized in a sense.
I do recommend this one, still. Especially if you loved [b:Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception|3112850|Lament The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265410418s/3112850.jpg|3144132]. You can also read this one as a standalone, but I would recommend reading them both if you are going to read this one anyway. I hope that if there is another book to this series that it shifts its focus back to Dee and Luke because they are much more interesting than James and Naula.
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I really enjoyed [b:Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception|3112850|Lament The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265410418s/3112850.jpg|3144132]. I thought it was the perfect mix of faerie mythology and Irish mythology that blended together with how great Dee and Luke were together. Therefore, I should have loved the sequel, Ballad. However, I did not.
I didn't like the shift from Dee and Luke to James and Nuala. Their characters and story were not nearly as engaging as Dee and Luke's had been. I was mostly just waiting for the story to be over rather than really enjoying myself. I think most of this stemmed from the fact that Nuala was not likeable and was constantly butting in to where she was explicitly told she was not wanted: James's life. And James, while funny, was too much. I couldn't relate to him at all except when it came to realizing he was better off without Dee in his life because he found better friends who actually cared about him.
The plot for this one was meh. I liked that it brought all the characters together and showed us the darker side to the fae that Stiefvater had created but I was kinda bored with how much time it took to get there. I felt like there were a lot of filler aspects to this one to make it a full novel rather than a novella. I also would have liked actual scenes from Dee rather than her weird text messages (with bad grammar, which is how people texted in 2009 but not how people text now and it drove me up the wall). I felt like Dee was wasted in this one because she was such a huge, important part of James's life and was given cameo scenes at best.
But, Stiefvater's writing was flawless again. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the plot or characters, I was still engrossed in the writing and the world. I loved the descriptions of both the faerie world and the human world and how they intertwined. I loved that we got to see the faerie world from a faerie who wasn't quite faerie or human because it gave us a different perspective than what we had seen before. This version felt more real than what we saw in [b:Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception|3112850|Lament The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265410418s/3112850.jpg|3144132] because it wasn't as romanticized in a sense.
I do recommend this one, still. Especially if you loved [b:Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception|3112850|Lament The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265410418s/3112850.jpg|3144132]. You can also read this one as a standalone, but I would recommend reading them both if you are going to read this one anyway. I hope that if there is another book to this series that it shifts its focus back to Dee and Luke because they are much more interesting than James and Naula.
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Ballad is a poor sequel to Lament. Perhaps if the third book in the trilogy had been released, I could see the narrative as a whole and understand the perspective shift, but as a reader going from one decent book to a second not-great one... I don't see the connection. The second book is in a different setting, from the perspective of a different main character, and the previous protag really doesn't seem all that important to this narrative. I get the teenage angst and the unrequited love storyline but she didn't seem super important when I read it.
Like other reviewers, I didn't feel connected to Nuala, which disconnected me from the story itself. I wasn't apathetic to the point of hating it, but I just didn't quite connect to the narrative enough to keep me going. Knowing that Stiefvater doesn't have the third manuscript to a place she's happy with and it's been 6 years since this was published, I get the feeling this needed more work before publishing.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend reading this until we have a definitive third narrative for the trilogy.
Edit 8/10/15: and what in the heck does the cover art have to do with the book?!
Like other reviewers, I didn't feel connected to Nuala, which disconnected me from the story itself. I wasn't apathetic to the point of hating it, but I just didn't quite connect to the narrative enough to keep me going. Knowing that Stiefvater doesn't have the third manuscript to a place she's happy with and it's been 6 years since this was published, I get the feeling this needed more work before publishing.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend reading this until we have a definitive third narrative for the trilogy.
Edit 8/10/15: and what in the heck does the cover art have to do with the book?!
Reading: Physical Book; library borrowing
Plot: 6.9/10
Character: 8.6/10
Font: 7.7/10
I havent read the first book yet but I bought this last year so I was just picking this book out of my reading slump. I wasn't really keen to read this book but after flicking through the chapters, I've became hooked!
Surprisingly this book is daammn good and I like the main characters in this book: James and Nuala. I hate Dee just like Nuala confessed herself but she's James best friend urrgghh.
Anyway I will try to read the first one and Im gonna read Shivers trilogy.
I love Maggie Stiefvater style of writing :)
Plot: 6.9/10
Character: 8.6/10
Font: 7.7/10
I havent read the first book yet but I bought this last year so I was just picking this book out of my reading slump. I wasn't really keen to read this book but after flicking through the chapters, I've became hooked!
Surprisingly this book is daammn good and I like the main characters in this book: James and Nuala. I hate Dee just like Nuala confessed herself but she's James best friend urrgghh.
Anyway I will try to read the first one and Im gonna read Shivers trilogy.
I love Maggie Stiefvater style of writing :)