What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kingdom of the Good People
Claire was almost eleven. Her father’s divorce from her stepmother and her older sister’s marriage had left the girl practically alone on a sprawling farm just a few miles south of nowhere. Claire was the fifth daughter of a fifth daughter and the last of Liam O’Brian’s little girls. Her days on the farm rarely differed from one to the next. She tended to the needs of the house, took care of her father and the smaller livestock. And like the rest of her days, she did these things alone.
But on one particular, sweltering summer afternoon, Claire was not alone. A small, anxious, mythical visitor had entered her world on a quest that he wanted no parts of.
Bhara, the king of the faeries of E’lore, had died. On his deathbed, he had a vision that told of the return of his clan’s ancient and revengeful enemy, the Fomorians. Given the faerie’s meager defenses, this meant the threat of enslavement of his people if not the annihilation of their world altogether.
But, there was “One.”
“One” who was meant to come to E’lore and champion the faerie’s battle.
Tobas was a luckless faerie who had drawn the short whisker and therefore had been “elected” to seek out the champion that Bhara foretold would save E’lore. Much to Tobas’ dismay, this champion was a human. Tobas did not believe in prophecies or champions or the inhabitants of the world that he now found himself in. The reluctant faerie had flown through the portal in E’lore and had landed in a sprawling pasture on the farm belonging to Liam O’Brian and his daughter, Claire. However, the unlucky faerie’s mission did not go as planned.
Tobas was meant to bring back the “brave warrior” of Bhara’s dream, instead he brought back Claire. Tobas did not mean for her to follow him back through the portal; he just wanted to go home.
But sometimes Fate intervenes and sets the course of your future for you.
With the help of Sarla, Tobas’s kind and gentle mate, Claire recovered from her abrupt entry into the faerie kingdom. When she awakened, she found herself in a beautiful and charmingly elfin realm full of other-worldly landscapes and mythological creatures. With the exception of her encounters with rude leprechauns, violent fog storms and a flatulent grogoch, Claire’s time in the kingdom of the good people was like a dream. It was not until her last night in E’lore that the dream became a nightmare of vengeful wizards, blood-thirsty mercenaries and a glimpse into the truth that was her past and her future.
As predicted, the Fomorians found their way into the serene and delicate world that was home to the faeries. Banth, the only leader in the realm after the King’s passing, and his trusted advisors, Yarn and Meeks, set out to spy on the Fomorians and divine their purpose.
Once secreted inside the tent of the intruders, it was not the sight of the filthy, raucous soldiers that surprised the faeries, but what the army had brought with them through the portal into E’lore that left the faeries astounded. The Fomorians had with them a talisman that belonged to the Tuatha de Danann before their exile into E’lore—before they were called faeries. A talisman stolen from them centuries before and thought to be lost forever.
It was a book.
The presence of their sacred book forced the eldest of the clan, Yarn, to tell his kinsmen the truth about their past and their king. A truth that raised more questions than it offered answers.
Realizing that any attempt to engage the Fomorians in battle would be futile, they decided that if they did nothing else, even if they could not save themselves, they were going to steal back their all-powerful book. It was this brave and impossible quest that changed the lives of the faeries of E’lore forever and showed them the truth about their past and its inextricable link to their present.
Where Eire’s ancient legend of the dawn of faeries ends, The Kingdom of the Good People begins.
But on one particular, sweltering summer afternoon, Claire was not alone. A small, anxious, mythical visitor had entered her world on a quest that he wanted no parts of.
Bhara, the king of the faeries of E’lore, had died. On his deathbed, he had a vision that told of the return of his clan’s ancient and revengeful enemy, the Fomorians. Given the faerie’s meager defenses, this meant the threat of enslavement of his people if not the annihilation of their world altogether.
But, there was “One.”
“One” who was meant to come to E’lore and champion the faerie’s battle.
Tobas was a luckless faerie who had drawn the short whisker and therefore had been “elected” to seek out the champion that Bhara foretold would save E’lore. Much to Tobas’ dismay, this champion was a human. Tobas did not believe in prophecies or champions or the inhabitants of the world that he now found himself in. The reluctant faerie had flown through the portal in E’lore and had landed in a sprawling pasture on the farm belonging to Liam O’Brian and his daughter, Claire. However, the unlucky faerie’s mission did not go as planned.
Tobas was meant to bring back the “brave warrior” of Bhara’s dream, instead he brought back Claire. Tobas did not mean for her to follow him back through the portal; he just wanted to go home.
But sometimes Fate intervenes and sets the course of your future for you.
With the help of Sarla, Tobas’s kind and gentle mate, Claire recovered from her abrupt entry into the faerie kingdom. When she awakened, she found herself in a beautiful and charmingly elfin realm full of other-worldly landscapes and mythological creatures. With the exception of her encounters with rude leprechauns, violent fog storms and a flatulent grogoch, Claire’s time in the kingdom of the good people was like a dream. It was not until her last night in E’lore that the dream became a nightmare of vengeful wizards, blood-thirsty mercenaries and a glimpse into the truth that was her past and her future.
As predicted, the Fomorians found their way into the serene and delicate world that was home to the faeries. Banth, the only leader in the realm after the King’s passing, and his trusted advisors, Yarn and Meeks, set out to spy on the Fomorians and divine their purpose.
Once secreted inside the tent of the intruders, it was not the sight of the filthy, raucous soldiers that surprised the faeries, but what the army had brought with them through the portal into E’lore that left the faeries astounded. The Fomorians had with them a talisman that belonged to the Tuatha de Danann before their exile into E’lore—before they were called faeries. A talisman stolen from them centuries before and thought to be lost forever.
It was a book.
The presence of their sacred book forced the eldest of the clan, Yarn, to tell his kinsmen the truth about their past and their king. A truth that raised more questions than it offered answers.
Realizing that any attempt to engage the Fomorians in battle would be futile, they decided that if they did nothing else, even if they could not save themselves, they were going to steal back their all-powerful book. It was this brave and impossible quest that changed the lives of the faeries of E’lore forever and showed them the truth about their past and its inextricable link to their present.
Where Eire’s ancient legend of the dawn of faeries ends, The Kingdom of the Good People begins.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2014
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 14, 2023
“The Kingdom of the Good People: The Book of Sorcha” by Melissa Helm is a very enjoyable story that combines the real world with the world of faeries. Ms. Helm does a fantastic job of giving her readers an excellent tale filled with excellent characters, and I loved it. While the story is meant for young adults, I think it speaks just as easily to adults, or at least to me.
This is a story about Claire. She is an 11-year-old girl who lives with her father on a large farm that is in the middle of, well to be completely honest, nowhere. Claire spends all her time alone, taking care of the house, her father, and some of the animals. It is also a story about Tobas, a sad and out-of-luck faerie, who has been chosen to search for the hero out there who will save his homeland of E’lore. Of course, Tobas’ quest does not go as planned, not that any of them normally do. Tobas returns through the portal to his homeland, not with a hero, but with Claire who has followed him by accident. Is this a huge mistake or fate? That is something you will only know if you read the story.
With “The Kingdom of Good People” Melissa Helm has woven an intricate and well-written story. Each of the characters seems very real to the reader and you will feel every single emotion, from their sadness to their anger to their joy, right along with them. In addition, it is easy to see that the author is very well-educated on everything to do with Irish facts and folklore and that makes the book even more interesting to read. The combination of fabulous fiction and wonderful history is simply delightful.
This story is one that really pulls the reader in with such fun and descriptive writing from the very first page, and never lets go. I truly hope that there is going to be a book two with these characters because it is a story that should be continued and with such a wonderful writer in charge, I am sure that any subsequent books will be just as riveting.
“The Kingdom of Good People: The Book of Sorcha” by Melissa Helm is one that should be on every reading list, whether you are a child or an adult. I can assure you that, as an adult, it will make you feel like a child again as you read through the pages. I enjoyed the book immensely and recommend it to all. Within the pages you will learn a lot about Ireland, you will feel the unhappiness and the happiness of all the characters, you will root for them throughout, and, when you finally finish that last page, I bet you will wish you could be a faerie when you grow up. I know that I did. 5 Stars!
This is a story about Claire. She is an 11-year-old girl who lives with her father on a large farm that is in the middle of, well to be completely honest, nowhere. Claire spends all her time alone, taking care of the house, her father, and some of the animals. It is also a story about Tobas, a sad and out-of-luck faerie, who has been chosen to search for the hero out there who will save his homeland of E’lore. Of course, Tobas’ quest does not go as planned, not that any of them normally do. Tobas returns through the portal to his homeland, not with a hero, but with Claire who has followed him by accident. Is this a huge mistake or fate? That is something you will only know if you read the story.
With “The Kingdom of Good People” Melissa Helm has woven an intricate and well-written story. Each of the characters seems very real to the reader and you will feel every single emotion, from their sadness to their anger to their joy, right along with them. In addition, it is easy to see that the author is very well-educated on everything to do with Irish facts and folklore and that makes the book even more interesting to read. The combination of fabulous fiction and wonderful history is simply delightful.
This story is one that really pulls the reader in with such fun and descriptive writing from the very first page, and never lets go. I truly hope that there is going to be a book two with these characters because it is a story that should be continued and with such a wonderful writer in charge, I am sure that any subsequent books will be just as riveting.
“The Kingdom of Good People: The Book of Sorcha” by Melissa Helm is one that should be on every reading list, whether you are a child or an adult. I can assure you that, as an adult, it will make you feel like a child again as you read through the pages. I enjoyed the book immensely and recommend it to all. Within the pages you will learn a lot about Ireland, you will feel the unhappiness and the happiness of all the characters, you will root for them throughout, and, when you finally finish that last page, I bet you will wish you could be a faerie when you grow up. I know that I did. 5 Stars!
May 22, 2024
great fairy tale
Good book to read to the children at bedtime, very descriptive without being overboard. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes fairy tales. This book is for young adults and adults that are young at heart.
Good book to read to the children at bedtime, very descriptive without being overboard. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes fairy tales. This book is for young adults and adults that are young at heart.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews