The Faerie Guardian, Part I

Sep 10, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Free at Smashwords!
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I loved this from the first two rules and beginning sentence! First rule is to never bring a human into the fae realm and the second rule is to never reveal yourself to a human. "My assignment tonight is cuter than most." Violet is out on assignment to Draven Avenue, doing her duty of protecting humans, when the assignment spots her and follows along back to the fae realm. Well Violet just broke the two most important rules of the Guild....more Free at Smashwords!
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...

I loved this from the first two rules and beginning sentence! First rule is to never bring a human into the fae realm and the second rule is to never reveal yourself to a human. "My assignment tonight is cuter than most." Violet is out on assignment to Draven Avenue, doing her duty of protecting humans, when the assignment spots her and follows along back to the fae realm. Well Violet just broke the two most important rules of the Guild. Mr. Draven Avenue, as in human boy Nate, now has to be escorted home and will cause her to be behind in her training. I loved the way she called him Draven Avenue for awhile. This book had such great wit, romance, and action. The perfect combination.

I loved all the characters and their interactions. Violet also has an arrogant classmate Ryn. He was obnoxious but I still found their fighting entertaining as well. Nate was unbelievably sweet, adorable, and hilariously honest. He spoke his mind and I loved it. Violet was slightly annoyed because she is working extremely hard to be top of her class. She loves the thrill of being a Guardian but it is a dangerous job. She lost both her parents and one of her best friends very young. As Violet leads Nate home they are captured. Violet must figure out a way for them to escape and get Nate home safe. Then she must erase his memory of everything he has seen. Will she be able to do it?

I loved Violet and Nate's journey so much and can't wait to see what they will be up to next. Nate cracked me up with all his questions and shock over the fae realm. I want to go on and on about this novella but since it only has 55 pages I don't want to give too much of it away. It was such a fun read, very easy to squeeze into your reading schedule, so just go ahead and check it out for yourselves! I was sad to see it end so soon. I'll be anxiously awaiting the next novella!

"I guess that could make sense. You are far more attractive than any real life girl who's managed to find her way into my bedroom."

"You can't be a faerie. You're way too big."
I lower my hands, my eyes challenging his. "Excuse me?" I've been called many things in my seventeen years, but big has never been one of them. Quite the opposite, in fact.
"Aren't faeries supposed to be, like, really tiny? With wings and a wand and faerie dust?'
"I'm not Tinkerbell!"

"I was your assignment?"
Wow, you catch on fast. "Yes."
He hesitates a moment, then grins. "That's kind of hot."(less)

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May 18, 2012 Dani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: faerie, magick, novella

A novelette and yet a complete story, this first installment shoves you right into the world of Creepy Hollow, the Guild, the fae and deadly, long kept secrets. Violet Fairdale is a guardian in training. At the top of her class and uniquely gifted, she promises to be unparalleled. Her mission: to protect the human world from mischievous and malicious fair folk, and to keep the humans blissfully ignorant of the magical world that exists just under their noses. And then… one of her assignments goe...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Marcio rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is my first foray into fantasy since reading Harry Potter and I was very pleasantly surprised by this little story. Being a fan of endearing characters, I was immediately drawn to Violet Fairdale. A good-hearted warrior with a tough exterior.
The innocent romance that develops between her and Nate is very heart-warming and will take any reader back to their adolescent years, where we are reminded of the pangs of our first love. Then there is Ryn, whom at first I didn’t care much for but then...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Arthistorychick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult, paranormal-series

Creepy Hollow #1: Guardian by Rachel Morgan
Source: Purchase
4/5 stars

I have often shied away from reading novellas because there generally just isn’t enough time for the author to completely develop characters and/or the plot. I am certainly glad I didn’t realize (until after I clicked purchase) the Creepy Hollow series is actually a series of novellas otherwise I would have missed out on a (OK four) fun and entertaining read by Rachel Morgan.

Violet Fairdale is a young faerie who is in her last m...more Creepy Hollow #1: Guardian by Rachel Morgan
Source: Purchase
4/5 stars

I have often shied away from reading novellas because there generally just isn’t enough time for the author to completely develop characters and/or the plot. I am certainly glad I didn’t realize (until after I clicked purchase) the Creepy Hollow series is actually a series of novellas otherwise I would have missed out on a (OK four) fun and entertaining read by Rachel Morgan.

Violet Fairdale is a young faerie who is in her last months of training to become a guardian. Violet is an orphan whose family has always served as guardians; guardians are members of an elite group of faeries whose job it is to protect unknowing humans from dark faerie attacks. Humans can’t see fairies and they certainly can’t travel to Creepy Hollow so how is it that Violet finds herself in a heap of trouble after one of her “assignments” not only sees her but hitchhikes his way into Creepy Hollow? Balls!!

Violet and Nate (her hitchhiking human) now have to get Nate back to the world of humans so Violet can go before the Council to receive her punishment for breaking some of her people’s most important laws. Here’s the rub: before Violet and Nate can get anywhere near Nate’s home they are both whacked on the head, kidnapped, and Violet’s magic is bound so she can’t work to save them. Balls again! The kidnappers want two things: 1) Nate’s biological mother whom he has never met and; 2) the name of the faerie with the special ability of being able to locate anyone anywhere.

I found this short read to be quite satisfying as Morgan does a great job of setting up her plot and developing her characters in a very short amount of time. I like Violet! She has purple streaks in her hair (awesome), uses the work wonky (one of my faves!), and takes her skills and her assignments very seriously. Here’s what Violet must do:
1)Get herself and Nate to safety
2)Figure out why a faerie would want a human woman
3)Continue to bury the secret of her super-special skill and
4)Try not to think too hard about how cute Nate is

For Nate, he has to admit that not only does he want to know who his biological mother is but also accept that he is going to need help discovering her identity. The only problem with his plan is the fact that Violet has been tasked with erasing Nate’s memory. To be continued . . .

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Jun 02, 2012 Tiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

I knew it was a novella, but I still think it was too short :) (That's because I wanted to keep reading). Guess I'll just have to pick up the next ones! I think it's a fun idea that she's putting out a new installment every month, though I'm hoping she'll put together a finished novel with all of them together, since I'd like to have them all in one place on my Kindle, rather than having to open 7 different documents to read the whole book.

Super fun and quick, you get right into the action and...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Chapter by Chapter rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading what Guardian was about, I was really, really (x500) excited to get started. I just couldn’t wait to start reading because I was sure that Guardian would be addictive—but wait! What is this? It is a novelette?! Well don’t let that get you down because I think that with Guardian being a novelette only made the story better and better. And for those of you who don’t know, a novelette is (and I quote): “a brief novel or long short story”- Dictionary.com.

Back to the review! Alright wel...more After reading what Guardian was about, I was really, really (x500) excited to get started. I just couldn’t wait to start reading because I was sure that Guardian would be addictive—but wait! What is this? It is a novelette?! Well don’t let that get you down because I think that with Guardian being a novelette only made the story better and better. And for those of you who don’t know, a novelette is (and I quote): “a brief novel or long short story”- Dictionary.com.

Back to the review! Alright well first of all, Guardian started with a heck of a lot of mystery. As we watch our main character Violet (which is a kind of funny play on a name because her eyes and hair are purple) examines a handsome young man from outside of his window. Despite how creepy and stalkerish that may sound, the story quickly jumps into some action where we get to see just how powerful our faerie main character is and fights a serpentine woman. However, shortly after encountering the snake woman and after she accidentally ends up talking to the same young man she was protecting—we are thrown headlong into the world of faeries.

Author, Rachel Morgan, describe the world in such vivid detail that I could easily see what a pixie should look like in my mind’s eye or what Violet’s bow and arrow should really look like. In fact, Morgan described and wrote everything at such a nerve-racking and addicting pace that the novelette that only consisted of fifty-five pages suddenly felt longer than it really was. Not to mention where all of the characters felt entirely real, which sounds kind of funny since it was a novel(ette) about faeries.

I do wish I could say more but since this review is spoiler free, I guess the last thing I can tell you about is the budding romance that may or may not take place between Violet and Nate. There were so many moments where his cliché comments had me giggling and Violet’s reactions had me grinning. And as for Violet, she definitely is far from a defenseless character. She’s powerful and reminded me a lot of Rose from the Vampire Academy series.

Through all of the action, romance, and the mystery of why the Unseelie fey want Nate’s mother and who this strange Guardian with the ability to find people, I have got to say that Guardian gave me everything I wanted and more. (less)

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Mar 09, 2012 Sheena-kay Graham rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, 2012-debut-authors

At first when I found out it was under 60 pages I was suspicious. Buy an ebook with less pages than a small collection of short stories. Novelette? Sure, sure. But as I read more about it online I decided to give it a chance. Plus a little blog and twitter chat with the author Rachel had me sold. She's so nice and after reading Guardian, talented too.

I give this excellent story 5 stars. Why? Because I've been less entertained by full out novels than I've been enraptured by a short ebook of top...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

First thing you need to know is that the publication date for this novelette, as the author calls it is March 5th. It was 9 chapters on my Kindle and didn't take any time to read at all which was really kind of nice. Sometimes you want a story like that. But this story is far from concluded. It's wrapped up, but you know it's just the beginning of a much bigger story. The author, Rachel Morgan, plans to publish one novelette a month in the series, I'm guessing around the same amount of words.

So,...more First thing you need to know is that the publication date for this novelette, as the author calls it is March 5th. It was 9 chapters on my Kindle and didn't take any time to read at all which was really kind of nice. Sometimes you want a story like that. But this story is far from concluded. It's wrapped up, but you know it's just the beginning of a much bigger story. The author, Rachel Morgan, plans to publish one novelette a month in the series, I'm guessing around the same amount of words.

So, you've got the book synopsis. Basically Violet fights the bad faeries in the human world. So how does she know where to go? The seers have a basic idea of where to go and who to protect. So that's why she's sitting in Nate's room while he lies drooling on his math book. (Bet he'd be embarrassed if he knew she saw that!) Then the reptiscilla shows up and goes after the sleeping Nate and just like that, the fight is on between Violet and the serpent woman. But, of course, Nate is woken up and when all the fighting is over he asks Violet what that was. Violet is shocked. The number one rule of the Guild is Never Bring a Human into the Fae Realm. The number two rule is Never Reveal Yourself to a Human. But she checks her Glamour and its still there so he's just one of those humans who can see through it. She pretty much convinces him he's dreaming and is making a door on the wall to leave when she falls on the Faerie Path only to have him fall on top of her. He's grabbed hold of her shirt and followed her into Faerie. Now, not only does she have a lot of explaining to do, she's got to take him home, the long way around, he may not survive another trip on the Faerie Paths.

That's all the story I can tell you, since it's so short, but I'll tell you this, in nine short chapters, they form a quick bond, not love, but a "we're in this together" type of bond or "I got you into this I'm gonna help get you out". I'm not sure which. And they do go through quite a bit for such a short time so it's action packed. The story is told from Violet's point of view, though I do wish I could hear it from Nate's point of view, too as he's seeing Faerie for the first time. And there are a whole host of characters that we meet in this short novelette and already I don't trust most of them. Not until they've proven themselves otherwise. Morgan has written it so you only know that you can trust Violet and Nate and even people that come to their aide, you're not so sure about.

Character development is a little lean, but again, since it's such a short piece, it's hard to develop the characters. I like Violet, but she has a hard edge to her. She's lost a lot in her 17 years, not just her parents. But she isn't afraid to expose some of this to Nate. Nate seems a bit youngish, but maybe he's just naive not having visited Faerie before so he doesn't know what can happen.

I'm so looking forward to the next installment of the Guardian. There is a lot of information at the website and a blog tour starting March 6th. I'll have Rachel Morgan on my blog for an interview on March 14th. I hope you'll take a look at Guardian when it publishes. I think you'll very much enjoy it!(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Book Whales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted @ Book Whales

This is a novelette, only 55 pages. I was really excited to read this book since it involves faeries. I am a sucker for faerie stories. I've read this book while I was eating my breakfast. “Coffee, pancakes and a kindle in hand…Life is good!” I know that this book is a fast read so I took my time reading it.
The Guild rules
1. Never reveal yourself to a human
2. Never bring a human to fae realms
“You can never break the Guild’s two most important rules”

Violet is a gua...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Lindsay Paige added it

Title Thoughts: Fits!

Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. It's beautiful and fits Violet to a T.

What a cute little story! Guardian has everything required for a good read: engaging characters; characters I like; a good story! Morgan teased me throughout the book and left me wanting to read the next book. You know how TV shows use teasers to get you to watch the show, then tease you throughout the show, and then uses a teaser at the end to get you to watch the next episode. Morgan does just that wi...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: starters-prose

Violet Fairdale "isn't Tinkerbell." The seventeen year old may not be inches tall nor have wings, but she has magic and competence in abundance and is at the top of her class, leading the way for the next generation of faeries that protect unknowing humans from the nastier elements of the fae realm. But when her latest assignment not only sees her, which he shouldn't have been able to do, but also follows her back home, which he shouldn't have been able to survive, Violet will surprisingly disco...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Nereid rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairies

I am not really into Novella's as you just get started and then it finishes so quickly but I was drawn by the cover and write up so I gave it a shot. This is a light hearted read which has plenty of action straight up. Violet is a trainee Guardian and her job is to rescue humans from the Fae creatures that prey on them. Out on a routine assignment she is confronted by a boy who can see through her faerie glamour and actually see her saving his life. He follows her back to the Faerie Realm and no...more

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May 01, 2012 Jill Swanson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, arc-and-giveaway, blog-review

I really wish this was a longer story! I was surprised to see it was only 31 pages in my Adobe Digital Editions.
However, it being a novelette does not hinder it in any way.
I rather liked being able to read a short fantasy for a change.
There was just enough of everything packed into the pages of Guardian.
The author, Rachel Morgan, did an excellent job of writing a fun and fast paced story that kept my attention the whole way through!
There are many full length books that didn't entertain me as muc...more

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May 01, 2012 Jinky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, short-story, provided-for-review

(3.5)
I didn't realize that this was a novella (I have no sense of page numbers when it comes to ebooks) so you can imagine my surprise when the book ended at about an hour's reading stating ..to be continued. I wanted to hunt down the author and bark, "No you didn't!". I was initially upset as you can see but after browsing through the book's website for some answers, I was pacified. Apparently this is going to be a series of short novellas, an installment a month (started this past March). Neve...more (3.5)
I didn't realize that this was a novella (I have no sense of page numbers when it comes to ebooks) so you can imagine my surprise when the book ended at about an hour's reading stating ..to be continued. I wanted to hunt down the author and bark, "No you didn't!". I was initially upset as you can see but after browsing through the book's website for some answers, I was pacified. Apparently this is going to be a series of short novellas, an installment a month (started this past March). Never heard of such a thing. As I understand it, it will play out like that of a TV series but in monthly episodes. That's pretty cool! According to the website, there will be at least seven installments.

This was a great start to the series. The story moved along quickly and you were introduced to a whole new fantasy world full of characters, rules, and terms. Simple enough, the top two rules that faerie in training received was: 1) Never reveal yourself to a human and 2) Never bring a human into the fae realm. Of course, Violet ends up breaking those two rules when it came to her assignment to protect Nate. Nate saw the ninja fighting Violet did with the reptiscilla that was to harm him. He also manages to grab onto Violet as she was to return to Creepy Hollow and he passed through unscathed even though humans would not survive such a journey. Looks like there's something special about Nate? And so the story goes with the adventure of Violet returning Nate back home, give him a potion to erase the memory of this other world, and still graduate. Of course, Zell and Drake had to spice things up and this journey was going to be forked. So there we await what will happen next in book two. Oh, did I forget to mention that Violet and Nate kissed twice already? Indeed, an example of the fast pace this book launches the reader into.

This was well written. The story telling was descriptive and entertaining. It was just incredibly too short, so I felt cheated and lost for proper rating. I didn't expect a novella. It affected my experience with the book. My bad for not knowing the conversion to word count! Nonetheless, it got me looking forward to the next installment so that's mighty telling. Overall, this promises potential to be a remarkable series. Great job Ms. Morgan!

If you like twisty, action filled, fantasy story packed in a short time then this book is for you. If you don't like to wait so long for an installment then this is your series. I didn't like the abrupt ending at first but I think I'm warming up to the idea of quick episodes.

*Received copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review

Jinky is Reading (less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Cherie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rachel Morgan’s GUARDIAN delights with a spunky heroine and a cute, sometimes clueless boy.

Violet Fairdale has her life down to a science. She’s near the top of her faerie training to be a guardian until one assignment shatters her ranking, her heart, and nearly her life. Nate, her current assignment, can not only see her, but he also manages to follow her into Creepy Hollow, the fae realm. Vi must find a way to get him back home before she faces expulsion or worse.

GUARDIAN bursts upon the page...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own-kindle, read-in-2012, for-review-read

3.5 Stars

Guardian is the first story in the Creepy Hollow series by Rachel Morgan, these short stories will be published as ebooks on a monthly basis with the second story Labyrinth already available. What I really like about this kind of serialised story is that you never have too long to wait for the next instalment. They also make great quick reads for when you don't have the time to get stuck into a full length book and you just want something that you can read in one sitting.

According to Am...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Soumi(in love with Puck) Roy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, books-i-reviewed, arc-e-galley, fairies

Guild Rule No. 1:
Never bring a human into the fae realm.
Guild Rule No. 2:
Never reveal yourself to a human.

And you can’t break neither of the rules

Only 9 chapters and it will take you to a roller costar ride of adventure, leading you to a journey through the deep forest of secret fairy realm called Creepy Hollow (Well, don’t mix it up with sleepy hollow).
Chasing Reptiscilla, an unpleasant kind of fairy under trainee fairy guardian Violet steps on a human boy Nate and accidently took him to Cre...more

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Jul 08, 2012 A. K. Fotinos-Hoyer rated it 5 of 5 stars

I downloaded this for free and read it without knowing exactly what to expect. I follow Rachel Morgan's blog so I knew she was a talented writer, but didn't know much about Creepy Hollow. And I have to say - I loved it!

The writing was clean, the plot was fun and engaging, the dialogue witty and real, and I completely connected to her characters. The world-building was seamlessly natural and a unique take on the land of fairies. The only negative thing that can be said about this was that it was...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Lucinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fae, Faeries, magic and mystery this spellbinding YA story is just wonderful, bringing fantasy to life!!

Part 1 of ‘The Faerie Guardian’ is a brilliant read and one that kept me glued to the pages, lost within an original magical tale that took my breath away. I love all things Fae and this delightful story exceeded all expectations, by also including references to recognizable fantasy elements (i.e. JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit). The stunning cover is just so beautiful and which captures, Violet, t...more Fae, Faeries, magic and mystery this spellbinding YA story is just wonderful, bringing fantasy to life!!

Part 1 of ‘The Faerie Guardian’ is a brilliant read and one that kept me glued to the pages, lost within an original magical tale that took my breath away. I love all things Fae and this delightful story exceeded all expectations, by also including references to recognizable fantasy elements (i.e. JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit). The stunning cover is just so beautiful and which captures, Violet, the heroine of the story perfectly with her purple streaked hair. This is an introductory story that continues in the full novel, and so this ended on a dramatic cliffhanger with many questions unanswered.

Violet Fairdale is Faerie. Her role is to protect humans. She is desperate to train as a Guardian and so hopes to end her apprentice with high grades…unless something gets in her way.

One evening Violet is watching over a young human when a Reptiscillia attacks and she transports this human into her world; thus breaking the Guild rule number 1 (which is to NEVER bring a human into the Fae realm). The boy is miraculously alive and so she breaks the Guild rule number 2 (which is to NEVER reveal oneself to a human), and so the journey begins.

Nate is different. He is presumed to be human and yet is able to not only see through Faerie Glamours, but is also to survive many other impossible things. As Vi and Nate try to undo what has already transpired, events take a turn for the worst when they are captured and Vi fights for her life. As teenage love blossoms and a new quest begins outside of the Fae realm, Violet must concider what is most important to her – becoming a top Guardian or helping her boyfriend discover the truth…

Full of magic, mystery and fast-paced action this mesmerizing, captivating tale is truly wonderful. I loved various elements within the story that were so inspired, such as ‘the stunner spell’ that is comparable to Harry Potter as well as the wit and humor and moments that made me laugh (mainly Vi and Nate bickering which also reminded me of a Ron and Hermione moment!).

Cleverly crafted, exciting, interesting and truly original this brilliant story was a delight to behold hence I now cannot wait to find out what happens next by reading book 2. Character-driven with a dry sense of humor, a sprinkling of fairy dust and a dash of irony this exceptional, remarkable story is one that I highly recommend. If you love all things YA, fantasy, magic and myth then I urge you to add this to your bookshelf!
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Mar 13, 2012 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, arc-s, e-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. **First, I'd like to say a BIG thank-you to author Rachel Morgan for providing me with an ecopy of this to read and review as part of her blog tour!**

Guardian by Rachel Morgan is an incredibly fun, exciting, although somewhat short story that caught me from the very beginning and left me desperately wanting more!

One of the things I loved about this novelette is that Morgan begins the start of her captivating tales pretty much straight away. There’s no prelude or messing around. Violet and Nate m...more **First, I'd like to say a BIG thank-you to author Rachel Morgan for providing me with an ecopy of this to read and review as part of her blog tour!**

Guardian by Rachel Morgan is an incredibly fun, exciting, although somewhat short story that caught me from the very beginning and left me desperately wanting more!

One of the things I loved about this novelette is that Morgan begins the start of her captivating tales pretty much straight away. There’s no prelude or messing around. Violet and Nate meet, get tangled up due to a series of events and their story begins! Morgan’s writing style is fantastic; easy to read, vivid, and perfectly descriptive. The world she has crafted is exciting, although I would have liked a bit more explanation of the workings within it, but seeing as this is the first novelette in a series, I foresee a lot of expansion in future books.

Our main character Violet is an awesome heroine to follow! She’s feisty and independent and well and truly able to take care of herself, despite some of the situations she finds herself in. The girl’s got spirit and flair and her sharp tongue and quick wit had me in stitches at times. Morgan writes her “voice” in such a way that you can’t help by love this quirky and sarcastic guardian.

The interactions between Vi and Nate, the human boy that she accidently returned to the fae realm with, constantly brought a smile to my face. Nate is sweet, with just the perfect amount of personality to be interesting within the story, yet not overbearing. His own wit and outlandish comments entertained me even as they annoyed Violet. His modem day references to films and occasional cluelessness endeared him to me.

There’s a romantic connection between the two of them, but it’s not rushed or forced despite the shortness of the story, but rather a delicious possibility as Violet begins to feel things she’s never before felt. Both Violet and Nate are sweet and although it’s early days I cannot wait to see how Morgan develops and enhances their relationship.

Filled with colourful characters, that personally I want to know more about, and with a feisty heroine, the tone of the story is light, while still being fun. Guardian left me wanting more and I eagerly await the next installment!(less)

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Nov 01, 2012 Pamela rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

To be honest, I dislike self-published works because more often than not, there are too many typos. And I hate typos.

Guardian was no exception. There are dozens of sentences lacking spaces between words. But let’s get onto the story.

I didn’t actually like it. At first. The conversations were just too long. Now that I think about it, I think it was only my boredom and skepticism making it seem long. Nevertheless, it averted my attention. When I finally started reading it again, the action starts....more

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Sep 02, 2012 Suzuk1girl rated it 2 of 5 stars

It wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. Creepy Hollow.. really thats the name of the little town or whatever place she lives? A girl named VIolet with purple hair and purple eyes? Wow.. Can you san corny?

Character wise with only about 50 something pages was very brief. Nate - seemed okay and everyone else was kind of blah. Would I continue reading the next few books? Maybe, when I'm bored possible. Since I've already got them. Filed in the second hand books that I would read if I'm on a reall...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Kittie Howard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rachel Morgan's "Guardian" Charms the Stars

When I was a kid, I believed in the tooth fairy and that I had a fairy godmother, both of whom, I was sure kept me in penny candy during the day and, later, as my imagination grew, my fairy godmother kept the dreaded Dracula away at night. I'm convinced my fairy godmother had enormous powers. How else to explain her protection after my mother found garlic hanging on the backside of my bedpost? under the bed? under the sofa's cushions in the living room?...more Rachel Morgan's "Guardian" Charms the Stars

When I was a kid, I believed in the tooth fairy and that I had a fairy godmother, both of whom, I was sure kept me in penny candy during the day and, later, as my imagination grew, my fairy godmother kept the dreaded Dracula away at night. I'm convinced my fairy godmother had enormous powers. How else to explain her protection after my mother found garlic hanging on the backside of my bedpost? under the bed? under the sofa's cushions in the living room? (In case Dracula entered by the front door.)

However, At LSU (Louisiana State University), I encountered The Faerie Queen and almost fainted. Edmund Spenser, a 1500s rock star, had written one of the longest poem in the English language. My instructor actually expected me to read the behemoth over a long weekend. (He'd obviously never heard of Happy Hour!) Okay, Spenser had a thing for Queen Elizabeth I of England. I got it! So I read a few pages, went to the bookstore, and bought an abridged summary.

My love for faeries returned when I read Rachel Morgan's "Guardian," the first book in her "Creepy Hollow" series. I hadn't a clue this would happen when Rachel asked me be to be a beta reader. "Er, Rachel, I'm into alligators and gumbo. Faeries?"

"Please give the book a try. If you don't like it, you won't hurt my feelings."

"But just send a couple of chapters at first, okay?"

A couple of pages into the first chapter, I e-mailed Rachel for the rest. Yep, "Guardian" hooked me. I fell in love with Vi, a guardian faerie with purple air, magical powers, and a super cool wit. Nate, the gorgeous human the Guild had sent Vi to save, made me think of wine by a cozy fire when hub came home.

Through a clever plot, Nate enters a magical world hidden from humans where pixies, elves, and goblins abound in forests. Trees morph into dwellings. Mushrooms glow from ceilings. Faeries summon daggers from thin air, a good thing, as it turns out. Not every faerie is a good faerie. Jealousy and sinister innuendos abound.

Vi has to outfox adversaries and overcome a failed assignment if she hopes to graduate with the Guild's highest award for a guardian. Nate's human personage presents enormous problems. For openers, Vi wasn't supposed to bring a human into her faerie world, ahem, one of those things supervisors don't like -- and tell you so.

"Guardian" is a page-turner with a super delicious plot and fantastic characters who draw you into their worlds. I hope you enjoy this gorgeous read as much as I did. My rating: 5 stars.(less)

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Mar 08, 2012 Trisha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal, romance, adventure, diy, writer-friends-books

I'm not much of a book reviewer, though I do occasionally throw together a bunch of words to try and describe what a book means to me. This time I'm writing a review as part of a book tour - the very first I've ever participated in! It's exciting, especially because I got to review an awesome book (well, novella) that I absolutely adored and would give 50 million stars to if I could. ;) That novella is by Rachel Morgan and is the first in her Creepy Hollow series. To learn what the story's about...more I'm not much of a book reviewer, though I do occasionally throw together a bunch of words to try and describe what a book means to me. This time I'm writing a review as part of a book tour - the very first I've ever participated in! It's exciting, especially because I got to review an awesome book (well, novella) that I absolutely adored and would give 50 million stars to if I could. ;) That novella is by Rachel Morgan and is the first in her Creepy Hollow series. To learn what the story's about, check out the Creepy Hollow website.

When I agreed to be part of Rachel's book tour, I didn't really know what I could expect. I'm not too familiar with Rachel's writing, except through her blog, so I was going in blindly (though the blurb had got my attention and interest!). Starting to read GUARDIAN, I was drawn in and delighted pretty much from the first word. First off, I'm a huge fan of first person present tense, which is how this story is told. I love Rachel's beautiful descriptions of the fae world (Can I please visit? Maybe stay a while?), and as I was reading I could already imagine the story as a gorgeously lush movie. Or maybe even a captivating TV show episode!

Not only is the writing beautiful, it's cute and quirky and funny too. Tora, Violet's boss (or mentor, maybe?), has an office lit by a squirming glow-worm on her ceiling! I want to go and pat the little wormy. After Vi leaves Tora's office (post lecture for breaking the two big rules), she finds Nate hanging out with a little tree sprite who giggles and pokes him in the face before fluttering away (CUTE!). People receive "fae text messages" (as I like to think of them) on little amber tablets instead of mobile phones. There are just endless moments of cuteness - the story is littered with them. But they're mentioned in passing, as a matter of course, so they don't draw you out of the story, they just kind of make it sparkle. The writing flows effortlessly, making for a quick and captivating read.

The dialogue is entertaining and realistic, two things I value highly in any story. For example, on page 6, Nate is surprised to learn that Violet's a faerie:

Nate: Aren't faeries supposed to be, like, really tiny? With wings and a wand and faerie dust?
Violet: I'm not Tinkerbell!

And as for plot, well, that part's just cool. It moves fast, drawing us swiftly into the action (and the romance. Which was another very very cute aspect of this story. I basically squeed when...ohh, well, why don't you read it and find out?), and we don't have any moments when we're rolling our eyes going, “Come on, get on with it already!” In short, this was a delightful read and I want to read more. NOW.(less)

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May 02, 2012 Beatriz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairies, own-kindle

I was lucky enough to receive Guardian from Rachel Morgan after winning a giveaway on Some Like It Paranormal. After more than a month, I finally had time to read it. I read it in just a few hours, so I can't believe I waited so long to read it! But now I can say that I absolutely loved it!! Since it's a novelette, it's pretty short, but that doesn't mean that it isn't good. I felt like a lot happened, considering how short the story is. There was enough action and it wasn't slow at all. I felt...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Nicola Vermaak rated it 5 of 5 stars

What an amazing book! My only disappointment was that it finished so soon. As I turned the last page, all I felt was, NOOOOO!, I want more! I almost turned back to page 1 just to read it all again, and get lost in the wonderment of the world Miss Morgan has created. The characters were unique and interesting, I especially enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters and cannot wait to see where this leads in the next book. Miss Morgan has written a delightful first book. Keep them co...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Sydney Owen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-stars, self-pub, novelette

Guardian is a novelette I've been pinning for since the 3rd Writers' Campaign. I was starting to miss the world of Paranormalcy and The Iron Fey. Guardian seemed like the perfect answer and on some level, it was.

Creepy Hollow, the world of the fey and other magical beings, is an interesting setting so far. I look forward to exploring more of it in the later installments. What we learn of Creepy Hollow is explained by Vi to Nate, in great detail, on the way to the human world. For me, it's takes...more Guardian is a novelette I've been pinning for since the 3rd Writers' Campaign. I was starting to miss the world of Paranormalcy and The Iron Fey. Guardian seemed like the perfect answer and on some level, it was.

Creepy Hollow, the world of the fey and other magical beings, is an interesting setting so far. I look forward to exploring more of it in the later installments. What we learn of Creepy Hollow is explained by Vi to Nate, in great detail, on the way to the human world. For me, it's takes up too many pages, seems a lot like info-dumping, and kind of doesn't make sense. I mean, why tell a human everything about what's supposed to be a secret place? Isn't it a bit pointless when you're going to make them forget the whole experience later? Just give them a brief summary to keep them satisfied and the dangers so they don't get themselves killed. In fact, all Vi need to do was finish the job.

Fine. So maybe she wanted to pass the time (however, that doesn't seem guardian-like because... it just doesn't) and had thought, Oh! Well, he won't remember anything. No harm, no foul. I wish that her reason was put in to clear things up.

I like the side characters, Ryn and Tora. Their personalities and attitudes managed to endear them to me during their one and only moment in Guardian. I completely support Ryn as a love interest. Vi and Ryn have been "frienemies" since childhood and could possibly have a love-hate relationship, which I personally love and have stated before. I'm over with ignorant humans and magical beings together. Now guess how I felt about the romance of Nate and Vi.

Nate looked incredibly dim-witted and always needed someone to take care of him. Even if he is in unknown territory, it's not a desirable trait I would like to read in a character. I admit that the romance was smooth, despite the fact that it advanced all too quickly.

(view spoiler)

This review also appears on Starry Storm.(less)

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Oct 02, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, ebooks, favorites

This was a short novelette. The Creepy Hollow series contains 4 short novelettes which will be put together in one book soon enough titled "The Faerie Guardian". Since I really enjoyed the story I will definitely get the compilation of all these novelettes.

This novelette started off right into the action. Violet was on an assignment to keep this human boy safe from the creepy faeries. He accidentally sees her and her cover is blown. Somehow the glamour she uses didn't work, then she lies and te...more

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May 29, 2012 Christine Rains rated it 4 of 5 stars

Violet Fairdale is at the top of her class. She's the best guardian in training the faeries in Creepy Hollow. That's until she fails an assignment. The human boy she was trying to protect sees her and hitches a ride with her back to fae realm. Now she's broken the rules and she has to somehow remedy the situation. Easier said than done when more monsters come for them. Violet realizes she's taken on more than she expected helping the boy and can only hope her skills can get them out alive.

What a...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Elisabeth Wheatley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, indies, action-fix

Short book=Short review

I got into this book very easily and stayed hooked until it was done. Vi is determined, all-work-no-play kind of girl who is good at what she does and strives like no other to be the best. At the same time, there is an endearingly vulnerable side to her and I was kept on the edge of my seat watching the romantic sparring between her and Nate. This story ends in a cliff hanger that has left me dying for the next novella, and the others in this series are high on my to-read...more

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title link	preview: The Faerie Guardian, Part I: Guardian
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The Faerie Guardian, Part I: Guardian (Creepy Hollow)

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