The Faerie Guardian, Part IV: Masquerade

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The Faerie Guardian, Part IV: Masquerade (Creepy Hollow)

by Rachel Morgan (Goodreads Author)

4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 · rating details · 61 ratings · 14 reviews

This short ebook is no longer for sale. You can now read it as part of the novel The Faerie Guardian!

Kindle Edition, 98 pages

Published July 27th 2012

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Aug 22, 2012 Arthistorychick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-series, paranormal

Creepy Hollow #4: Masquerade by Rachel Morgan
Review by Leisha O’Quinn
Source: Purchase
4/5 stars

Nate is a rat bastard!!!! Masquerade opens with Violet having discovered Nate is a wretched, awful, rat bastard, traitor!! Oh, and Violet is seriously wounded from her encounter with Scarlett’s newly identified boss, Zell. The cherries on top of this fantastically awful sundae:

1)Zell is no ordinary faerie but a prince of the Unseelie Court
2)Not only is the rat bastard a Halfling, he is a Halfling with...more Creepy Hollow #4: Masquerade by Rachel Morgan
Review by Leisha O’Quinn
Source: Purchase
4/5 stars

Nate is a rat bastard!!!! Masquerade opens with Violet having discovered Nate is a wretched, awful, rat bastard, traitor!! Oh, and Violet is seriously wounded from her encounter with Scarlett’s newly identified boss, Zell. The cherries on top of this fantastically awful sundae:

1)Zell is no ordinary faerie but a prince of the Unseelie Court
2)Not only is the rat bastard a Halfling, he is a Halfling with the power to control the weather
3)Ryn is the one to find Violet lying passed out and bleeding and . . . well, you’ll just have to wait for the and.

At this point, you just have to think Violet’s life can’t get any worse than it already is. But it can :( Once Violet is firmly on the mend thanks to Ryn (what???) and his family, Violet is called into action by Ryn for a secret, non-Guild-approved mission. Ryn’s little sister Calla is missing and he needs Violet and her super power to help him find and retrieve her. Although Violet agrees to help she can’t quite figure out if Ryn’s new and improved attitude is because he needs help or if there is something else behind his mood swing.
The really nice thing about this installment is the backstory of Ryn and Violet and how they went from being virtually inseparable to enemies. The cause of the rift is a shared tragedy that has torn the two apart and has caused years of anger and animosity. But, the shared mission to save Calla allows time for Violet and Ryn to discuss their pas and their anger and begin to find a way back to the friendship they once had. This mini-plot is being played out within the context of the larger plot which includes everyone and their dog! The majority of this novella takes place within Zell’s mansion where Calla is being kept. After sneaking in to the mansion as masquerade guests, Violet and Ryn discover that Clla is not the only captive of the clearly deranged Zell and his minions. The plot the two guardians-to-be uncover is evil, cruel, and something that can no longer be kept from the Council.
Overall, I have very much enjoyed the first four installments of the Creepy Hollow series and am certainly looking forward to the continuation of the series. I like Violet, am starting to like Ryn, and am hoping that Nate is not truly as wretched as he appears to be at this point. Morgan has filled her pages with just enough description to be satisfying, lots of snarky conversation, and characters that are easy to become invested in. This series has a little bit of romance, quite a bit of action, and good strong plot line that is apparently going to continue for some time. YAY for readers on this last bit  Creepy Hollow is young adult friendly and would satisfy most adults who are looking for a quick, light paranormal read.(less)

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Aug 16, 2012 Jinky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

(3.5)
This series is turning out to be a book soap opera guilty pleasure (without the smut). I am hooked! Ms. Morgan can weave and tell a captivating story. Oddly enough, I'm not a great fan of Violet, the main protagonist, but the people surrounding her sure makes her life interesting and therefore the read quite entertaining. This time around, we find out more about Ryn, her supposed arch rival. We discover that he has a soft spot. A great reminder that what you see of a person may just be the...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Dani rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: novella, faerie

4.5/5 stars

*** For those of you who have not read the previous three novelettes - Guardian, Labyrinth, and Traitor - this review will contain some spoilers. So just be aware...

After her now ex-boyfriend Nate betrays her to her enemies, Violet barely escapes the confrontation with her life. Heartbroken, gravely injured and beyond saving herself, Violet finds rescue coming from the unlikeliest of persons - Ryn. However, as can be expected, help comes with a price... and a whole lot of snarky comme...more 4.5/5 stars

*** For those of you who have not read the previous three novelettes - Guardian, Labyrinth, and Traitor - this review will contain some spoilers. So just be aware...

After her now ex-boyfriend Nate betrays her to her enemies, Violet barely escapes the confrontation with her life. Heartbroken, gravely injured and beyond saving herself, Violet finds rescue coming from the unlikeliest of persons - Ryn. However, as can be expected, help comes with a price... and a whole lot of snarky comments. But when Ryn's little sister is kidnapped, Vi becomes his last hope of finding Calla. So he calls in the favor Vi owes him. Loathing the idea of working together with the guy who's made it his mission to make her life hell, but also knowing she's indebted to him, she agrees.

For as long as the reader has known them, fellow guardian trainees Violet and Ryn have been at each others' throats. The exact reason is unknown. But reading between the lines it's clear that whatever the problem is, it's rooted more deeply than simply being the best in their guardian class. I've been wondering and theorizing as to what that might be, but in Masquerade, we finally get some insight as to why these two hate each other so vehemently and the truth behind their history with one another.

The Ryn we've seen to this point is mocking, calculating, and at times cruel. He's without a doubt got that dark, sexy, dangerous thing going on, but his attitude toward Violet overshadows all of that. He enjoys getting under Violet's skin, enjoys getting the better of her, enjoys seeing her squirm... and not in an adorable, pulling-on-her-pigtails-because-he-likes-her kind of way, but in more of a malicious sort of way. Ryn's been a Grade-A jerk and even an antagonist in the previous stories. Like I said, I got the vibe that his intense dislike of her is motivated by something other than mere academic rivalry.

Now that I've told you all that, would you be surprised to find out that I absolutely love his character?

In Masquerade, Rachel Morgan allows us a somewhat different view of Ryn - the Ryn behind the snide comments and insults. This Ryn loves his little sister so desperately and will do anything within his power to save her. There's such a large disconnect between Violet's tormentor/archrival and Calla's fiercely protective big brother. But as Vi and Ryn work together to bring Calla home, Rachel begins pulling all the pieces together to finally give us the larger picture of which Ryn is the real Ryn. Or as is more often the case, that it's far more complicated than that.

The dynamic between Ryn and Vi is what made this particular book so enjoyable to me. They hate each other, but he saved her life and she owes him, and now they must work together. No matter how much they find each other disagreeable, they can agree on the fact that his sister's in trouble and needs saving. I love how Vi goes toe to toe with Ryn. I love how ruffled Ryn makes Vi. I like how brutally honest they are with each other as they get to the heart of problem between them. Violet plays it so close to the vest with her emotions so often, and though we, the reader, get to see exactly what she's thinking, she's got a well-practiced poker face with most other people. And that's one of the reasons I like Ryn: more than any interaction Violet's had so far with all the people we've been introduced to in her life, the conversations and... possible altercations... with Ryn feel the most genuine. She gives it to him straight and he dishes it right back.

Speaking of Violet, if anyone deserves to curl up in a ball in front of the TV for a week watching Lifetime and existing on nothing but Rocky Road... it's Violet. A series of weird events since she met Nate, Vi's life has been turned completely upside down. And now in the face of Nate's betrayal and Ryn's extremely unexpected bid for help, it's only gotten more strange and a great deal more painful. However, Violet is a strong person, she's functional despite her heartbreak. Not that she doesn't feel the loss and anger deeply... she does. A product of her Guardian training or a coping mechanicism learned from her own, personal tragedies, Vi's able to compartmentalize her emotions and do what needs to be done.

Regarding the overall plot, Masquerade is exciting, action-packed with delicious amount of tension both in the story and in the relationship development. Whether it's been overly apparent or not, Rachel has been developing a prominent story arc since Guardian, and in Masquerade we are given some major pieces to the puzzle. And while the story gives some answers, as any good story does, those answers raise more questions.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, but Rachel Morgan does a fantastic job at fitting a complete story into the constraints of a novelette's word count. So much happens in Masquerade, and happens in a way that felt natural and not rushed. I honestly felt like I'd read a full-length novel by the time I finished, and I believe that's because she's got a natural knack, an intuitiveness, for the pacing and organic development of both story and characters. Her writing never fails to impress me. It's polished, her dialogue is snappy and clever, and she's wonderful at emotionally connecting the reader to her characters.

Overall, The Creepy Hollow series just continues to get better and better with each novelette, and Masquerade is my favorite yet.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

Masquerade is the fourth story in Rachel Morgan's Creepy Hollow series and I would highly recommend reading them in order or you won't be able to follow the ongoing plot. I'm going to warn you now that this review will contain spoilers for previous stories so if you haven't started reading it yet then look no further. I can recommend checking out the first story Guardian though.

After the shocking betrayal at the end of Traitor Violet barely escapes her latest battle with Zell with her life. Badl...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the fourth Creepy Hollow novelette and follows up directly on the events of the third (Traitor). Masquerade has a lot of depth, all of which will be lost if you're not familiar with what has come before. Start at the beginning (Guardian). **This review contains no spoilers for Masquerade but will by necessity have some for the previous books.**

Coldly betrayed by someone she trusted and hunted by those who've discovered her secret ability to find things, things can't get much worse for se...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Haraiah Eve rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading Traitor, I was fairly certain I'm going to get worked up hating Nate the jerk even though I sort of didn't like him in the first place, just for Violet's sake. Then I read Masquerade and HOLY...[profanities]. What was that? WHAT WAS THAT? Why, oh why, did it have to end there? Just when I thought I was getting to the best part.. turns out THAT part is where I die. I won't say anymore about this series, just that you read it! It's short and won't take up much of your time but will t...more

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Oct 21, 2012 A. K. Fotinos-Hoyer rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this continuation of the Creepy Hollow story, but I was expecting more than this installment delivered. As usual, it was very well-written, well-paced, and flowed well - the author is a fantastic writer - but, the voice didn't have the same spark to it that made me fall in love with the previous installments. I can't quite define what was missing, but the tone of the story shifted in a new direction. Maybe this is a danger of writing a story in separate installments rather than as one...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Cherie rated it 5 of 5 stars

The next installment to the Creepy Hollow series, Rachel Morgan’s MASQUERADE not only fills in the pieces of what has gone before the series, but it excites with adventure, heart break, and possible friendship.

Violet’s boyfriend betrayed her, and she decides to forget her feelings toward him. While her friend creates the potion, her enemy Ryn not only saves her life but asks for her help in finding his sister. Vi wants to ignore his request, but she can’t. As Vi and Ryn work together to find his...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-fiction

Ryn and Violet were childhood friends, but when Ryn’s brother died Ryn turned his back on Violet and has been a pain in her side ever since. But in MASQUERADE, Ryn’s sister is missing and he needs Violet’s help to find her. Could teaming up with her rival create sparks?

This is a fun and fast paced series that I highly recommend.

This review originally appeared on http://www.faeriewriter.com

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Feb 10, 2013 Booknut rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bad-boy-but-with-good-heart, books-i-love-dearly, can-t-get-enough-of, fey-fiction, heartbreaking-betrayal, heartwarming

More Ryn, yay!!!

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Aug 02, 2012 Kristine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nate who?? Loved this installment!!

1 like · like · see review

Aug 24, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Finally some background on Ryn but dying to know what is up with Nate!!!

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May 21, 2013 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this series. A lot happens in such a few short chapters. It is very fast paced and exciting. Looking forward to more.

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Jun 09, 2013 Sarabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-my-nook

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About Rachel Morgan

Rachel Morgan was born in South Africa and spent a large portion of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making. After completing a degree in genetics, she decided science wasn’t for her—after all, they didn’t approve of made-up facts. These days she spends much of her time immersed in fantasy land once more, writing fiction for young adults.

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The Faerie Guardian, Part IV: Masquerade (Creepy Hollow)

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