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The Rare #2
The Key to Starveldt
The castle of Starveldt is waiting. Having escaped once from Sanguisidera, Solace and her friends are in desperate need of guidance. Seeking to unravel a cryptic prophecy, they travel to the Rookery, an otherworldly place governed by the enigmatic Liluye. Magical and wild, the Rookery tests them all in preparation for the crossing to Starveldt. But the group is starting to fracture. The threat of Lord Grief continues to grow; old betrayals, lies and secrets boil to the surface with startling consequences. As danger closes in, can they make their peace before everything falls apart Or will the Bloodkin triumph
- GenresFantasy
386 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2011
1 person is currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Foz Meadows
22 books1,163 followersFoz Meadows is a queer SFF author living in California.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 17, 2012
You know how you worry that book two in a series may disappoint ? Well let me tell you straight this is not one of those books!!!!! Foz Meadows utter brilliance has truly brought her characters to life in The Key To Starveldt! I loved every single second of it. Theres romance, danger and a sense of anxiety that forces you too kep reading until the very end where you can only regret that book 3 of The Rare, Falling into Midnight had not been released. Trust me when I say I'm doing my hardest to find out more about when it should be release, as I'm sure once you read these books will too.
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October 3, 2010I haven't read it yet but I loved the first one can't wait to read!!!!!
November 2, 2012
The Key to Starveldt—The Rare: book 2 by Foz Meadows
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing
Format: PB YA 15+
Category: Urban fantasy
Price: AUD $19.95
ISBN: 978 1 921665 25 7
Reviewed by Jenny Mounfield
In book 1, Solace & Grief, readers were introduced to Solace Morgan, a seventeen year old girl raised in care unaware that she is a vampire named in an ancient prophesy. Compelled by a voice in her dreams, Solace left the only home she knew and trekked across Sydney in search of belonging. She found it in a group of misfits known as Rare: those with hidden talents and abilities—young people like Solace who have never quite fitted into society. With these newfound friends she set out to learn of her origins and find her true purpose.
With the key to Starveldt and pages from her mother’s book containing the prophesy in her possession, Solace and friends regroup after the dramatic events at the close of Solace & Grief. As prophesised, there are eight of them, and each has a role to play in the quest for Starveldt.
‘In a place of nameless speaking
bloody-eyed a star is seeking
memories undone
come will eight of rarest making
in their echoes power waking
in their selves and selves forsaking
darkness overrun.’
From the prophesy (P21)
Making their way to the Rookery, a place of safety that exists within and without the world as we know it, the eight learn that Starveldt is much more than just a castle. Within the castle, the key will open a powerful portal that links to every other portal in existence, thereby giving the key-holder access to an infinity of realms. But just as Solace has the ability to open this portal, so, too, does her brother Grief, who was stolen and raised by the evil Sanguisidera (the Bloody Star). The pair will stop at nothing to posses the key.
Dogged by friends who are foes, foes who may be friends, and guided by visions and the utterances of a telepathic cat, Solace and gang must grasp the key’s full meaning and discover who and what they truly are while wrestling evil and their own rampaging hormones. No easy feat. But hey, they have youth on their side and a bag of tricks up their sleeves, so if anyone can triumph these kids can.
With its shades of Alice in Wonderland, Misfits, Supernatural—and others—this series will delight the Twilight generation. Meadows has handled her large cast of characters with ease; each is as multi-layered and complex as the plot—which really is a slippery thing: easy enough to grasp, but not so easy to hold onto. It twists, squirms and folds back on itself, all the while keeping readers guessing.
The Rare isn’t just a story of good and evil, it’s about friendship, loyalty, belonging and dealing with difference. As Solace tries to resist the lust for human blood encoded in her genes—traits her dark brother has embraced—questions of nature versus nurture, not to mention our ability to choose our own fate, are brought to the fore.
I was bowled over by Meadows’ story-telling skill in book one, and book two has not disappointed. If the first two are anything to go by, the final instalment, Falling into Midnight, should be a cracker.
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing
Format: PB YA 15+
Category: Urban fantasy
Price: AUD $19.95
ISBN: 978 1 921665 25 7
Reviewed by Jenny Mounfield
In book 1, Solace & Grief, readers were introduced to Solace Morgan, a seventeen year old girl raised in care unaware that she is a vampire named in an ancient prophesy. Compelled by a voice in her dreams, Solace left the only home she knew and trekked across Sydney in search of belonging. She found it in a group of misfits known as Rare: those with hidden talents and abilities—young people like Solace who have never quite fitted into society. With these newfound friends she set out to learn of her origins and find her true purpose.
With the key to Starveldt and pages from her mother’s book containing the prophesy in her possession, Solace and friends regroup after the dramatic events at the close of Solace & Grief. As prophesised, there are eight of them, and each has a role to play in the quest for Starveldt.
‘In a place of nameless speaking
bloody-eyed a star is seeking
memories undone
come will eight of rarest making
in their echoes power waking
in their selves and selves forsaking
darkness overrun.’
From the prophesy (P21)
Making their way to the Rookery, a place of safety that exists within and without the world as we know it, the eight learn that Starveldt is much more than just a castle. Within the castle, the key will open a powerful portal that links to every other portal in existence, thereby giving the key-holder access to an infinity of realms. But just as Solace has the ability to open this portal, so, too, does her brother Grief, who was stolen and raised by the evil Sanguisidera (the Bloody Star). The pair will stop at nothing to posses the key.
Dogged by friends who are foes, foes who may be friends, and guided by visions and the utterances of a telepathic cat, Solace and gang must grasp the key’s full meaning and discover who and what they truly are while wrestling evil and their own rampaging hormones. No easy feat. But hey, they have youth on their side and a bag of tricks up their sleeves, so if anyone can triumph these kids can.
With its shades of Alice in Wonderland, Misfits, Supernatural—and others—this series will delight the Twilight generation. Meadows has handled her large cast of characters with ease; each is as multi-layered and complex as the plot—which really is a slippery thing: easy enough to grasp, but not so easy to hold onto. It twists, squirms and folds back on itself, all the while keeping readers guessing.
The Rare isn’t just a story of good and evil, it’s about friendship, loyalty, belonging and dealing with difference. As Solace tries to resist the lust for human blood encoded in her genes—traits her dark brother has embraced—questions of nature versus nurture, not to mention our ability to choose our own fate, are brought to the fore.
I was bowled over by Meadows’ story-telling skill in book one, and book two has not disappointed. If the first two are anything to go by, the final instalment, Falling into Midnight, should be a cracker.
July 27, 2012
As the 5 stars says, this book is amazing. Every so often I find books or series that just seem to go 'click' inside my brain. I love the rare books, but my only problem was the Evan/Solace/Laine/Phoebe problem. Evan is SERIOUSLY horny. The only reason I think he and Solace might have a chance is because he hasn't slept with her. He is unstable.
July 26, 2016
Reading small Australian publishers. Australian authors, characters and locations. The story continues from Solace and does a good job expanding on the other world.... but there isn't much momentum. A solid story and recommended but...
December 8, 2011
Just couldnt get into this book.......too much teenager chatter (and im an oldie but i did enjoy the first book)
just didnt seem to be going anywhere......
i didnt finish it!
just didnt seem to be going anywhere......
i didnt finish it!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews