Goodreads
Series: #4 in the Rebel Angels series
Pages: 448
Released: March 24, 2015
Publisher: Tor
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
For new readers:
Here's what you can expect with the Rebel Angels series
(NO SPOILERS)
Characters that feel absolutely real. These don't feel like fictional characters at all. It feels like I'm reading an account of real people and real events. Which is, you know, saying something considering they're fairies and all.
Strong emotions. Rage against the villains with the kind hate where your entire being takes part in the visceral hatefest. Inexplicable but all consuming love for the heroes. Elation when things go right for them. Absolute devastation when things don't (which is frequent). These characters go all in with everything, and I was swept up along with them.
Stellar world building. There's world building that's interesting because of the creatures or new ideas it brings. There's world building that's fun because it makes you want to live in it. There's world building that's complex because of the depth and scope of the details and rules. Then there's world building that combines all those things and feels absolutely real. Gillian Philip's world is the last type of world and I wouldn't be at all shocked to discover it exists parallel to our own world.
For established readers:
Here's what you can expect in Icefall
(Spoilers for newbies!)
Major characters die, and it ripped my bleeding heart out.
Dead characters come back (briefly) in an awesome, awesome scene.
A resolution to all the dangling story threads.
A slower, wandering first three-quarters of the book (much like in the other books) but with memorable scenes throughout.
Also, much like the other books, an explosive final quarter that makes the entire book worthwhile.
Sobbing. Of both the happy and sad variety.
Bottom line (NO SPOILERS)
Gillian Philip's Rebel Angels series is a powerhouse from start to finish. Dip your toes into the first book, and if you like that, then you'll like the rest of the books.
By all rights, I should actually hate this series. The books are confusing, the characters can be infuriating, the pacing is all kinds of off, they're all fairies, and none of the rules of conventional storytelling are followed. I should absolutely hate it.
I absolutely love it.
There's something otherworldly and special about these books that defies what should be. I can't fully describe why I recommend them, but I wholeheartedly do.
This is an adult/upper YA fantasy/urban-ish fantasy series.
Click on the covers to go to my reviews of books 1-3
I feel like I become more and more of a fan of Carolyn Meyer with each book I read. None have totally amazed me (though The Bad Queen
is by far my favorite) but by this point I've come to look at her
historical fiction books as a solid, dependable standby for when I want
"good enough to be satisfying" historical fiction.
And The Wild Queen did totally satisfied my desire to read more about Mary, Queen of Scots (have you seen Reign? No? Ah go watch now! It's like Gossip Girl meets historical fiction and it's my latest guilty pleasure. Watching an adult Anne (of Green Gables), I mean, Megan Follows, play the scheming Queen Catherine is totally worth it alone).
Ahem, anyway, Carolyn Meyer's take on Mary is typically Carolyn Meyer-ish. Not shallow but not very deep characterization, surprisingly heavy on the historical detail, and written in a very easy breezy way. This is heavy historical fiction that reads real easy and is perfect if you want the knowledge of a history lesson but none of the snooze or work.
Gosh do I love this series. I don't know what it is about it, but Gillian Philip's books are like crack. I can't get enough of them and each installment in this series is unwaveringly solid.
Seth has grown up a lot and is firmly in the "awesome characters to root for" column, which makes it even better that his romance here just overwhelms me with happiness for all parties involved.
Like the previous books, even when there isn't a whole lot going on (and there ARE periods of not a lot of action) I'm still totally absorbed because the characters and world building are so phenomenal. I feel like I'm getting peeks through the veil into the lives of these real people (fairies, whatever. I actually like these fairies).
When the action does pick up though, and boy does it pick up, it's non-stop and equal parts exciting and tear-my-heart-out agonizing. I can't believe some of the things that happen in this book! I also can't believe I have to wait a year to read the conclusion. And I also can't believe it's going to end, because this is the type of series I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading.
Finished copy & ARC from publisher
Rating: 5 out of 5
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?
#1 in the Rebel Angels series
Release Date: February 19, 2013
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 368
Received: Finished copy from publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Goodreads
#2 in the Rebel Angels series
Release Date: November 19, 2013
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 400
Received: Finished copy from publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Goodreads
This is a review for the first two books in the series, and there are NO spoilers!
Review
I can't really explain why I like these books, but I definitely do like them. Even though I should hate them.
They're filled with fairies. Really enigmatic, brutal, inhuman fairies. That I would normally hate, but I don't.
They do and say things and I have NO CLUE why or what they mean. Part of that is because they're fairies and I guess that goes with the territory. Part of it is their language, which is all Highlander and slangy. The rest is because I think the author has a whole lot of explaining left to do.
Some of this is revealed in bits and pieces as the story progresses (which I like a whole lot), but mostly I don't think I'm going to be getting any convenient info dumps to help explain the world. This is one of those cannon-bomb yourself into the world and hope you manage to swim kind of situations.
And I think I'm kinda doggy paddling.
Reading these books feels like watching the Spanish channel where I can sort of piece together what's going on, but there's a whole lot I have to shrug off and admit I have no clue what they're going on about.
At least there's Conal, who is main character Seth's brother and a significant character in his own right, and he's clear as crystal. And saintly. He's kind of like an Aragorn with his whole beloved-by-all do-gooder morality and rough appearance that does absolutely nothing to hide his halo of wonderfulness. And, just like Aragorn, I can't help but love him.
But his brother Seth, he's not really a nice guy, even though Conal always looks out for him and has an inexplicably unwavering faith that Seth can redeem himself. And he kind of does.
See, the thing about Seth is he's like a dog that is always peeing on your carpets and stealing your last slice of cake and ripping up your favorite sweaters. But then it turns around and does something super sweet like cuddle when you're sad.
I can't wrap my head around Seth, but my general feeling is that I really want to like him and I keep latching onto all the glimmers of goodness he occasionally let shine through. Either way, he's caught my interest for sure.
The glimmers are my first favorite thing. Gillian Philip does a great job crafting little relationships that are full of tenderness and awwww. Seth and Conal have that whole "brothers in arms" thing going on that I LOVE. It's made even cooler by their matchy match pets of awesome (each brother has a wolf and a waterhorse, and I'd probably read this series solely to spend more time with these creatures). Dog lovers will appreciate the relationships with their wolves, especially.
I'd mention some of the other relationships, but they'd be huge spoilers so I won't. But just know, there are relationships with humans that are tender and beautiful and heartbreaking.
My second favorite thing is the world. Now, again, I don't fully get this world. There are all kinds of rules and history and motivations and creatures and I'm not sure how they all fit together and what they all mean. But I'm having a ton of fun figuring it out.
Finally, my third favorite thing is villainess Kate. She has creepy henchmen (SO ewww), inexplicable power, and a game plan that I only partially understand.
What I DO understand is that this lady is full of secrets, she is totally NOT what she appears to be, she is EVIL of the best kind, and her nefarious plotting is the long-game kind (which I LOVE). The series spans centuries, and Kate's plots slowly unfold in a cat-and-mouse game against Conal and Seth who are trying to bring her down in a razor's edge dance to which only Kate seems to know the steps. It's tense, it's heartbreaking, it's confusing, and it's a lot of fun.
Bottom line
This series is strange, but also strangely beautiful. Gillian Philip reminds me of authors like Rachel Neumeier and Sharon Shinn, with the authorial chops to overcome things that would normally send me running.
Don't expect concrete. Don't expect the traditional approach to storytelling with a linear plot and a clear framework for the story. Time jumps by centuries. Characters appear and disappear. Connections are not always readily apparent. The story is as harsh and bewildering as fairies themselves, and her fairies may be the most convincing to me as a result.
This is a hard series for me, but it's a rewarding one. The glimmers, the characters, the moments between them. The losses and triumphs. The determination of war and the crushing defeats.
I may not be sure exactly where I'm going or who I'm going there with when reading these books, but I'm certainly in for the long haul.
* This review is for Firebrandand Bloodstone. The third and final book of the trilogy Wolfsbanewill come out July 2014, and I'm having a hard time waiting.
Gillian was kind enough to stop by today to answer all of my very importantquestions, providing what are quite possibly THE BEST answers imaginable (there's Spike, Clint Eastwood, evil queens, guys you want to kiss and slap, AND flesh-eating horses in this interview!).
Q: Which one of your characters would you most want to kiss?
A: Oh boy. Seth, without a doubt. I fancy him like mad and I think he’d be a great kisser. Not so much with the long-term relationship though... he’s so cranky and temperamental. Also, seriously unfaithful.
Q: Which one of your characters would you want to swap BFF charms with?
A: Jed. Jed doesn’t appear till the second book in the series, but I adore him and I think he’d be a brilliant friend. He’d also be willing to sing karaoke for a laugh, would let me steal food off his plate because it looks better than mine, and get me home safely after a wild night out. If I had to choose one person in Firebrand itself, it would be Sionnach. He’s kind of monosyllabic, but he’d be such a relaxing companion. I could watch movies with him and he wouldn’t be constantly asking me what just happened or where he’s seen that actor before.
Q: Which one of your characters do you most want to slap or give a verbal tongue lashing to?
A: And again with the Seth. In fact he quite often gets a slap or a tongue-lashing from the other characters, but he deserves it, and there are times when I’d like to do it direct.
Q: If you were transported into your book, which scene would you most want to reenact?
A: The part where Seth tames his kelpie. I would LOVE to ride a kelpie, so long as I could be guaranteed not to get eaten at the end of it. Two of my best memories involve galloping horses across wild landscapes (in the Scottish borders and on the slopes of Mount Kenya) so to reenact that scene would be kind of an extreme version.
Q: Which one of your character’s brains would you want to pick the most?
A: The evil queen, Kate NicNiven. I’d love to know what makes her tick. Actually, I’d really like to know what she’s up to. I’m not entirely sure she’s told me the truth about the ending yet. Or Seth’s mother, Lilith. I’d like to ask her what on EARTH she was thinking.
Q: Which scene do you think will surprise readers the most?
This is what I call "motivation to read book 2"
A: Um. There’s a scene in Kate NicNiven’s fortress, during a year Seth and Conal have to spend working for her. Something happens between the brothers that kind of surprised me when I was writing it.
Q: Which scene was the most fun to write?
A: The one when they leave the fortress, and go back to their own dun. A few violent things happen, but nothing anyone doesn’t deserve. And Seth is at his absolute rudest.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give your main character?
A: For heaven’s sake, settle down, stop being so defensive and give everyone around you a chance to get close to you. (On the other hand, that wouldn’t make for much of a story...)
Readers should add FIREBRAND to their To Be Read list if they like...
Books about:
Hey, it's a rule: Mention Spike, pictures must follow
Lost causes and last chances, non-fluffy romance, battles, witchfinders, wolves, snarky adolescents with heroic big brothers, and flesh-eating horses.
Books/movies like:
Um... A Fistful Of Dollars meets Macbeth meets Merlin the TV series with a dash of Kill Bill. Does that make any sense? No...
Main characters like:
He’s surly, resentful, violent, bitchy, a bit on the prejudiced side. But underneath it all, he’s mush. I was watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer recently and he’s a little bit Spike.
Romantic leads like:
He’s not very romantic. As I mentioned earlier, he needs a good slap, frankly. But he looks and acts rather like Billy Crudup as Ned in Stage Beauty.
About Firebrand:
At the end of the sixteenth century, religious upheaval brings fear, superstition, and doubt to the lives of mortals. Yet unbeknownst to them, another world lies just beyond the Veil: the realm of the Sithe, a fierce and beautiful people for whom a full-mortal life is but the blink of an eye. The Veil protects and hides their world…but it is fraying at the edges, and not all think it should be repaired.
Discarded by his mother and ignored by his father, sixteen-year-old Seth MacGregor has grown up half wild in his father’s fortress, with only his idolized older brother, Conal, for family. When Conal quarrels with the Sithe queen and is forced into exile in the full-mortal world, Seth volunteers to go with him. But life beyond the Veil is even more dangerous than they expected, and Seth and Conal soon find themselves embroiled in a witch-hunt—in which they are the quarry. Trapped between the queen’s machinations at home and the superstitious violence of the otherworld, Seth must act before both of them are fed to the witch-hunters’ fires…
Brimming with intrigue and rebellion, Firebrand is the first book in the Rebel Angels series by Gillian Philip, the Carnegie Medal–nominated author of Crossing the Line and multi-award-nominated Bad Faith.
I live in the north-east highlands of Scotland, with one husband, two children, three dogs (Cluny, Milo and Otto), two psychotic cats (the Ghost and the Darkness), a slayer hamster (Buffy), three chickens (Mapp, Lucia and Mrs Norris) and a lot of nervous fish. I have taken a solemn vow not to get any more pets. I will probably break this vow.
Writing for a living is (a) what I always wanted to do; (b) occasionally frustrating; (c) a lot of fun – I take dictation from the characters in my head, who spend their lives telling me what’s going to happen next.
But I like it that I never know just how it’s all going to end – not till the fat lady sings, the villain meets a suitably sticky end, and the boy gets the girl (or indeed the boy).
As well as full-length books, I write fiction for secondary Key Stage 3. Life Of The Party, Mind’s Eye, Sea Fever and Cyber Fever have been published by Evans Brothers, and short stories The Changeling, Rockface, Misty and The Kindest Cut appear in their sci fi, crime, ghost and comedy collections. And I ghostwrite fiction for companies including Hothouse and Working Partners. (From Goodreads)
Thank you so much for stopping by, Gillian!
Oh Seth, doesn't he sound wonderful? In that totally not a guy I'd like in real life but exactly the kind I'll swoon all over in fiction kind of way. Though Jed sounds like a pretty good real-life catch. Any guy who would let you eat food off his plate because it looks good is a keeper.
(and, shhhh, while watching a movie, I'm totally the person asking what just happened or where I've seen that actor before).
Have you read Firebrand?
How would you answer these questions?
(Remember, no spoilers please!)
Want a chance to win your own copy of Firebrand?
Info for the giveaway:
What you can win: A finished hardcover copy of Firebrand by Gillian Philip!
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You must be 13 years of age or older
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Your address is not required, but including it will help with sending the book out to you sooner
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