Spell Hunter opens a great new series by a Canadian author. The plot is fast moving, with a very unique approach to faeries, and the main character, Knife, is brave and feisty and easy to cheer for. It's a great pick for both teens and advanced middle graders.

Just finished this book. And enjoyed it immensely. It took awhile to keep track of the individual Faeries names but then I was hooked and had to figure out what great thing this Faery named Knife would take on. Now I am anxious for lots to discover this book.

I've been lucky with fantasy novels lately, first with The Demon's Lexicon (review to come) and now with Spell Hunter by RJ Anderson. The Demon's Lexicon is the darker of the two, with Spell Hunter veering onto the fairytale-ish of sides. But, both are fully satisfying novels, with wonderful worldbuilding and strong lead characters .

In Spell Hunter, we are introduced to a young faerie, named Byrony, who is attempting to climb out the window of the Oak where a faery kingdom resides. This action is met with fright with her foster mother, Wink. Outside the Oak, is a world which few of the faeries have ever seen-dangers wait outside including crows (the faeries are only seven-inches tall) and most terrifying of all, the "monsters" or rather, the humans. However, just as Byrony glimpses one of the monsters, she is pulled back to the safety of the Oak.

But every since that day, Byrony can't help but wonder why humans are considered dangerous. So, when Byrony is given the job of Hunter, one of the only jobs that requires a faery to go outside, she takes the name Knife, becoming a fierce, knife-wielding, crow killing warrior, seizing the chance to explore and find an answer to her questions. And those answers may be needed more than ever before. Years ago, the faeries lost their magic, and along with it, their desire and understanding of friendship and creativity. And, now, the already tiny faery population is dwindling as faeries succumb to insanity.

I picked up this book up because it was blurbed by one of my favourite authors (Megan Whalen Turner) and was surprised by how much I liked it. RJ Anderson did a wonderful job of creating the faery realm. The faeries almost behave like a beehive, with faeries performing certain jobs at the request of their queen (without whom, they would be dead). The lack of conversation and constant bargaining between the faeries really shown the isolation that Knife feels.

Besides the fact that Knife is a fierce, independent (but not overly so) character, the other characters are fleshed out well, my favourite by far being Paul. Another blogger (I can't remember who exactly, sorry) commented about the uniqueness of having a cripple for the main character and how well-carried off Anderson's portrayal of Paul was-you never feel sorry for him. I thought that was a really good point. I mean, honestly, when was the last time you read a book where a primary character is a cripple? Or even the love interest? I can't remember a single one with the exception of maybe The Secret Garden and the Fearless series (Ed as one of Gaia's manymany paramours...haha).


Judging by the cover, I think the novel may be marked to MG, but with all that RJ Anderson covers in the novel, I think older readers will enjoy it too (I did).

faery rebels was not at all a romance at ALL. i didnt like it.