Quick reaction: I really enjoyed this one! Very fun and quick read--with lots of good stakes. There were a few parts I felt could've been smoothed out, but overall, a definite page-turner.

Actual, full review: Original is here. (Note: Due to copy-and-paste, formatting and links have been lost.)

With a fresh twist on the faery lore, Feyland: The Dark Realm will slowly find its way into your mind... and your heart.


Anthea Sharp proves that self-publishing does not equate poor quality. The prose of Feyland is wonderfully simplistic and to-the-point, the novel is entirely polished, and absolutely enjoyable. I loved the characters--Tam, Jennet, Marny, heck, even The Bug. Jennet and Tam felt a bit generic at first, but after a while, they sprang to life in a sudden yet subtle way that I hadn't realized until the stakes tumbled over themselves in a dangerous hurry. And that's another thing I loved--the stakes don't drop, and Jennet and Tam know it. They're not trying to ignore it or deny it. They're straightforward and fight against it.

The only thing that kept me from full-on loving this novel was its predictability. Again, I have to clarify that I can guess plot twists really, really easily, so this could very well apply to only me. But I thought that there were a few directions Anthea could have taken a few plot points that didn't happen, and I was a bit disappointed by that. I also wish the secondary characters were a bit more developed--they had personalities, but were quite predictable as well.


Overall, though, I truly enjoyed this book. It's a fun novel that will fight for your attention--and succeed. I read it in one sitting. The plot will push you forward on this crazy rollercoaster of a ride, the romance is adorable and realistic, and the characters will make you want to laugh and cry at the same time--in an infinitely good way.

Forget that this is a faery book. It's more than that. It's the story of a girl, a boy, and their brilliant strength.