Faerie Winter

Faerie Winter by Janni Lee Simner (Random House)

HB RRP $18.95

ISBN 978-1-7427-5068-2  

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh       

Faerie Winter is the sequel to Bones of Faerie. Simner created a post-apocalyptic world that is recovering from a devastating war between humans and the magical Faerie. Liza is one of many humans who have magic powers. She used to hide her powers of summoning but not anymore. Now she’s free to use them. She’s rescued her mother from the deadly wastelands of Faerie and banished her evil father.

Now her town is on the verge of a famine as Winter hits. Plants and trees show no sign of growing. Liza wants to care for her mother but she’ll discover that their protective relationship works both ways. Just as the title suggests, this is a dark story with loads of icy tension, especially between Liza and her mother. Liza’s yearning for answers about the war and time of Before. But there’s a reason why Liza’s mother has kept quiet about the past.

The townsfolk are still nervous about the kids who have magic, including wolf Matthew and animal talker Kyle. They all band together to face a deadly lady in the forest, who’s on the trail to hunt down Liza’s mother.

Simner grips you with her distinct narrative and eerily descriptions of a barren world. It’s recommended that you read Bones of Faerie to make better sense of the story. The restrained use of magic doesn’t restrict the violence; in fact it enhances the action scenes because no one’s overly powerful. It’ll take more than magic for Liza to save the day.

    

Faerie Winter isn’t a complete sequel, it doesn’t hint at solving anything vital. But it does raise some interesting quesions, in another book perhaps? Recommended for ages 12 and up.