Yeah, there may not be sex but the story line is fantastic!
Yeah, there may not be sex but the story line is fantastic!
Nope. I'm out. Done. I'm so over this series. What an utter disappointment.
The sad thing is, up until 90%, it was an okay read. I didn't love it, unlike the three previous books. Most of the time, I felt like the whole purpose of this book was to raise question after question after question, confusing und frustrating the hell out of me, without answering or resolving anything at all. I really should have counted all the 'I can't tell you's and 'That's not my story to tell's and such. Still, it would have been enough for me to read the next installment because I still enjoyed the majority of the characters, and I'm particularly crazy about Tim, the happy, sarcastic, vengeful little Pixie with indigestion issues.
And though Elle Casey decided to take the cheap and easy way to make me curious about what was to come, she succeeded.
But then... THEN! I really hate the direction the story took afterwards. I feel betrayed. There, I said it. As if all the build-up so far, every word I read up to that point had been completely in vain. Pointless.
No. Fucking. Way.
Binge-reading attack over.
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First thing, you will NOT want to put the books down, and if you read like I do, will complete them anywhere between two to four days. ALL the characters have their own strengths and the group chemistry between friends is amazing.
MOST IMPORTANT: PIXIES KICK ASS.
There is a pixie, Tim, who will crack you up and have you laughing so damn hard you won't know what to do with yourself. Truth be told, he STEALS THE SHOW, but Jayne (the main character) is such a delight to read. I was kinda sad how it ended (NO SPOILERS); however, there is so much left out in the open (not in a bad way) that as others have stated, the author's spin off series will inevitably get into that.
I just cannot rave about these books enough and have told many friends about them. Another cool thing: the author will talk to you and is a total sweetheart.
If you like fantasy, a bit of a drama, lots of humor, and a good time then PICK THESE BOOKS.
I still am in love with Jayne's inner voice, the lack of overabundant teenage angst and just a damn good story. I listened to a majority of this book in my car via Kindle's text to speech and found myself (more than once) laughing like a loon in my car.
This series has caused me to put Elle Casey on my auto-buy list and I look forward to more. If I had a complaint it is the same one that I have for most UF authors - please add some ethnic diversity. I guess if you're not 'diverse' you don't notice, but as a reader of fantasy since (wait for it) Interview with a Vampire in 1981, I really miss the fact that asian, hispanic and blacks usually never appear unless the setting is in--asia, s america/spain or africa. But that's my thing.
My Kindle Highlights/Notes:
The thought of a demon wiener getting anywhere near my hoo-hah was absolutely gag-worthy
Note: Ya think?
Great. Not only was I going to be one of those ultra-fertile types I’d read about in health class but some soothsayer had also apparently been talking about my virginity. How rude. How embarrassing.
Note: Ha
To think that prom sex could have saved me from a demon rape was too ironic and awful to fully appreciate right now;
If we couldn’t kill this thing with the combined force of all four elements, I was just going to have to resign myself to losing my virginity to a blind, murdering demon and giving birth to its spawn
I was about to make a life-altering decision while standing in the bathroom, next to a toilet
Note: Dont we all?
Not a dull moment, full of surprises and great characters.
I love Jayne, she rocks the old fae world. Sassy mouth, sarcastic, loyal, courageous and mischievous.
She comes no holds barred in this fae world, makes mistakes but saves the day.
It reminds me of the Shadow Fall serie with the supernatural bunch of incredible friends, plot and humour.
You've got (no telling names because I don't want to spoil the fun):
- a hot incubus, always trying to get in her pants;
- an archer, green fae and former redneck;
- a bubbly water sprite whose moto is "make love not war";
- a daemon protector with Viking's good looks;
- a farting crazy pixie;
werewolves, sirens, witches ...all supernatural creatures.
I juts read the 4 books in less than three days. Go for it!
The Changelings (War of the Fae #1): 3.5 stars
The Changelings (War of the Fae #2): 4 stars
The Changelings (War of the Fae #3): 4 stars
The Changelings (War of the Fae #4): 4 stars
The skinny:
Jayne has a life that leaves much to be desired. The only bright spot is her best friend Tony, who knows her better than anyone, and who is the only consistent, stable presence in her life. One day, Tony discovers one of the nightmares of Jayne’s life. In order to prevent himself from taking revenge on behalf of Jayne, the two of them decide to run away. This action is the domino that sets all the others in motion. Jayne, Tony, and several new friends are thrust into an entirely new world where things they had thought were fantasy are a reality. But Jayne’s problems are not over in this new world; she and her friends must combat a demon larger and more dangerous than they were anticipating. To do this, they have to put aside what they had previously accepted as truth, and allow themselves to believe that everything is not always as it seems.
Likes:
The first thing that stood out about this series was the main character, Jayne Sparks. Jayne is not your stereotypical high schooler. For one, she is very comfortable in her own skin. Although the character seems to be confused about who she is at times, I, as the reader, wasn’t convinced. Jayne seemed to know exactly who she was, and exemplified this through her loud and foul mouth ;) At the beginning of the series, these traits seriously bothered me. I was kind of hoping that Jayne would become a secondary character, because she was annoying the crap out of me. As book one progressed though, I started to…..like?!....Jayne. This feeling only grew throughout book two, three, and four. I ended up admiring her sense of self, even if that sense of self involved an exorbitant amount of swearing, teehee!
I also grew to love this series because of the secondary characters; most notably Tim. Tim, a pixie that Jayne helps, is quite the character. He is very large and in charge, even though he is a wee little thing. Tim offers a lot of comic relief in the story (which, already contains a lot of humor), through his side comments, itsy bitsy Pixie farts, and his constant preening. Scrum also became a beloved character, despite his resistance towards washing his hair. Scrum ends up being a great friend to Jayne, and a very capable protector.
Not so much:
I didn’t have any MAJOR dislikes regarding any of the books. One problem I did have is that I was left wanting more. The whole series was a gigantic build-up to a supposed battle. The thing is . Because of this, I felt like I was kind of left hanging at the end of book four. To my surprise though, there IS a continuation to this story. I didn’t realize this at first, because “book 5” is marketed as an entirely different series. I will definitely be continuing this story, with the “new series.”
Overall:
These books are definitely not for everyone. If you are in the mood for a snarky, sassy lead, and a cast of funny unique characters, then you might enjoy this series. The world that the author created was pretty cool, not the most in-depth I’ve ever read, but still interesting. I’m happy that I started reading the series, and am planning on reading whatever else the author writes about these characters.
Elle Casey reminds me why I love to try new authors (I've been known to get into an author obsession). Like right now, I'm going Elle Casey all the way until I've read every single one of her books!!! And then, I'll wait for more! Keep writing Elle, because I'll keep reading.
Rated 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Book 1: The Changeling ~ 2: Call to Arms ~ 3: Darkness & Light ~ 4: New World Order
Jayne Sparks is a sassy, foul mouthed, typical teen girl. She hates school, hates her mother's new boyfriend, and absolutely hates boring. Her best friend, Tony, is the biggest nerd in school, but she loves him unconditionally. The day Tony finds out that her mother's boyfriend tried to molest her, he insists that she make a choice. Either run away with him, or he will kill her molester, and the gun he has proves that he's not messing around. They run. Miami is a huge city, filled with runaways, gangs, and prostitutes. But at the train station after realizing they have no money and no where to go, they meet Jared. Jared seems like a nice guy, and he convinces them to return to his warehouse where he offers them food and a place to stay. There are other runaway teens there; Spike- sexy musician with amazing teeth, Becky- tiny girl with a big heart, Finn- southern boy with freckles and a great laugh, Chase- quiet all American boy with huge muscles, and Samantha- bitch extraordinaire. Sleeping on concrete with only a porta-potty for a bathroom and rare meals is not Jayne's idea of living. When Jared, the "leader" of this group of teens brings home an ad for a chance to make money, by taking place in a medical study group, they all jump at the chance. The interviews go well, and all of them but Samantha are accepted into the group. The chance at $500 if they finish the study is too much to pass up, and they all leave Samantha behind in Miami. It turns out, the study ends up being in the middle of nowhere, surrounded on all sides by a thick forest. The leader, Mr. Dardannes and his assistant, Celine inform the teens that the point of the study is to survive. What the hell? They are all given a map, four flags, a flashlight, and enough food and water to last for two days. Their objective is to reach four separate way points that are located throughout the vast forest. Each member of the study group is also given a weapon, informed that there are no laws here and to do what they must to defend themselves. Little do they all know that those weapons will save their lives more than once. Along the way, they encounter vampire-like creatures, gnomes, a pack of hungry werewolves, sirens, and a number of other dangerous creatures. What the hell is this place? Jayne begins to sense a connection with the forest, especially the trees. She can communicate with them, and it seems the trees can communicate back, protecting herself and her friends from harm. As they reach the fourth and final way point, exhausted and running for their lives, they are informed that they must state their "heart's desire" to be free from the forest. Once they all have been allowed entry through the door, they reach a room where Mr. Dardannes and Celine are waiting for them. They inform the teens that they all have been selected because of their Fae blood, but have lost touch with their magic and heritage. They are told that there is a war on the horizon between the Light Fae and the Dark Fae, and their help is needed to win the war. Jayne and her friends are offered the choice to become full Fae, or to return to their human lives- memories of the trial completely erased from their lives. Everyone but Tony, Jayne's best friend agree to become Fae. Tony leaves, on his way back to his family in Florida while Jayne remains at the compound. The words are spoken, and everyone becomes Fae. Spike- an incubus, Becky- a water sprite, Finn- a green elf, Chase- a daemon, and Jayne is an elemental- one who can control the elements. Elementals are extremely rare in the Fae community, and the last time one walked the Earth was more than two centuries ago. Figures. With the help of the entire Light Fae family, Jayne needs to be trained how to control her powers without hurting anyone. As well as how to take on the Dark Fae who are gaining strength and preparing for an attack. She has her friends and her new family, but will they be enough to stop the war looming on the horizon? Or will the Light Fae blink out of existence forever?
I honestly could not put these books down. I read them on a recommendation of a friend of mine, and damn, I'm glad I listened to him. My particular infatuation with the Faerie world was completely satisfied with this series. The plot was well thought and original enough. The characters are very well written, although Jayne can be whiny and full of self pity at times. She is a solid, badass protagonist- she takes zero orders or insults from anyone and tells it like it is. It was filled with sarcastic humor, my favorite kind of course, and I caught myself laughing out loud more times than I can count. The language is on the vulgar side (you won't hear any complaints from me) and probably not suitable for anyone under 17. I enjoyed that there was zero romance, with the exception of a few sexy scenes throughout the four books. It wasn't focused on a Romeo & Juliet style love affair between teenagers, so thank you Elle Casey. This series is full of plot twists, suspense, and drama that makes your heart race and your toes curl. I loved every single minute. There is a follow up series called Clash of the Otherworlds that has officially been moved to the top of my to be read list. I recommend this series for anyone who enjoys the Faerie world, or any urban fantasy junkie.. It was well worth the read and I cannot wait to begin the follow up series!
Romance-wise, I predicted it! Kind of... not the Chase part, but the other part.
Jude annoys me sometimes with her immaturity, but she acts really human and reminds me of myself, when I stop to think about it.
We begin with beloved character Jayne's attempt to recover from a shocking battle with the the Dark Fae, who launched an attack on the Light Fae compound. Jayne's inability to control her elemental powers of Earth and Water has left her in the dark, quite literally, and she must depend upon her friends to help her find her way. Her friend Becky, a Water Sprite, is missing. Her protector Chase is still seemingly aligned with the enemy, and now there is evidence that things back in the human world are not well.
Jayne and her best friend Tony, who is now a changeling as well, find some disturbing messages coming from home, and must decide how to deal with this threat to their families back home in Florida. With war on the horizon, there is risk in any decision, and Jayne can sense that there is something very wrong with these calls to return home.
Jayne also is battling with her own heart, finally realizing that she has very strong feelings for one person in particular, and the one person she might have no chance at a future with. We finally see the softer side of Jayne, the tough facade eroded to reveal a girl very much trying to find her place in the world and someone to love.
There is just too much greatness in this novel for me to spoil with hints in this post. If you have been following my previous reviews, you will know that there is so much going on, I couldn't possibly give away all of it. But this time, I want you to discover it all on your own. This fourth and final novel in the War of the Fae series is endlessly satisfying, but will leave you with the most shocking turn of events imaginable. It is heartrendingly good reading, and you will find yourself teary eyed when all is said and done.
While I have always felt these books are most appropriate for Young Adults and Adult readers, I want to stress that they are as much accessible to male readers and to female readers. These are not even remotely like some Paranormal Young Adult novels with a female protagonist that seem to revolve around love and heart break, these books are about action, war, friendship, and finding out who you are truly meant to be. There is cussing, and some romance, but it is all very PG and not at all the center of the story, so don't hesitate to grab up this series as the perfect gift for your Teen or Young Adult readers.
Bottom Line: If you have been reading the previous books in the War of the Fae series, or plan too, you can be confident that this novel is as good if not better than its predecessors. Elle Casey's writing is almost impossible to put down, and satisfies the reader endlessly. You will be happy to know that this story, while culminating in this fourth novel in the War of the Fae series, is thankfully continued in the next series of books by Elle Casey, Clash of the Otherworlds.
"No, that's not what I said! You have to tell the story right. And use the flair voice that I'm using. It's better that way."
Flair voice? omg, too perfect.
"Yes, ladies and gentlefae, I know, I know. I am amazing, aren't I? That's right. I'm a hacker. I hack stuff. Did you see me hack that mother? Yes, you did. I hacked it. I hack all the time, actually."
And in relation to that quote above, I love how Elle Casey kept it real, characters with knowledge of modern human lingo always had a reason, and note was taken when characters didn't -- it was usually really funny when they didn't too.
This was probably my second favorite book in this series, because of the sweet moments with Jayne and Tony.
There were some sad moments in this one, but I think the series needed it, it really propels the series forward from here with renewed vigor.
Another for the favorites shelf!!
The series ending was very bittersweet for me but I loved it. It ended in a way that allows for Jayne's story to be continued, which Casey is doing in Clash of the Otherworlds. Which you guys should be seeing a review for in a couple of days. Now I apologize for my short review but I am still feeling very emotional after finishing New World Order and I have some crying to get back to. Now if you'll excuse me...
Characterizations: on point
Content: on point
Story line: on point
Humour: on point
I mean what more is there?
The only fault I found with this last book is that it seems that Jayne the heroine expanded her vocabulary and eased up a bit on the profanity, eh ehm, I mean, her sentence enhancers! which was the most hilarious part of her dialogues. Not in an immature way but this is where the buttress of her emotions lie.
Loved the series! Would recommend it to anyone who would listen to me rant.
If you're into fantasy, the Fae, magic, and today's society, then I highly recommend giving this a read. There isn't much separation of the books, it sometimes feels like it all should have been one thick novel, but it's definitely one way of keeping you hooked.