But not only is this an awesome series (about faeries, natch ;)) but the author is also a wonderful person. And funny. SO funny. Lesley is a Canadian actress turned author and one of my favorite things she acted in is this commercial.:D
Heehee! I still laugh every time I see it. Anyway, Lesley is the lovely blonde girl. Her series begins with Wondrous Strange and Darklight (below) and concludes with Tempestuous which just came out yesterday.
Wondrous Strange is, essentially a fantasy about faeries and Shakespeare involving two lead characters, Kelley and Sonny. For a taste of Kelley's writing style, I want to give you a little excerpt from pages ten and eleven of Darklight (you can find the full first sixty some-odd pages on Harper's site, here). It's an excerpt she read when we toured together in Canada last year, and even though I heard it multiple times, it's still one of my favorite parts of the whole series!
Kelley reached the Ladies Pavillion on the shores of Central Park Lake and mounted the steps. Her four-leaf clover firmly attached around her neck, she leaned on the railing, gazing out over the still water.
"This bud of love by summer's ripening breath . . ."
She murmured her lines and pictured Sonny climbing a trellis to her balcony.
"May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Good night, good night! As sweet repose as rest
Come to thy heart as that within my breast!"
"Oh wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" asked a voice in the darkness.
Kelley glanced up, startled. "Uh . . ." she stammered, flustered at being taken off guard.
The moonlight pouring down onto the pavilion steps illuminated her like a spotlight.
"Sonny?" Kelley peered hopefully into the darkness of the surrounding woods, trying to make out where the voice had come from. No . . . not Sonny. Sonny wouldn't joke with her like that. It had to have been one of her fellow actors from the theater screwing around. "Alec?" There was still no answer. To cover her momentary unease, Kelley laughed a little. "Fine, I'll play your silly game," she said, and answered with her next Juliet line. "What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?"
"Well," the voice answered, "I'll take that pretty necklace, for starters."
Kelley put a hand to her throat as a stranger stepped out of the shadows and into the light. It wasn't Alec Oakland.
"And I'll take any other jewelry you got. I'll take your wallet too, just for the hell of it. And your watch, if it ain't a knockoff." The man radiated casual menace as he ambled toward her. Her was lean and tattooed and wore a dirty denim jacket and motorcycle boots.
Great, Kelley thought, a knot of fear tightening in her stomach. A mugger with a taste for Shakespeare. This could only happen in Central Park.
*Any typos or formatting issues are mine; please do read the actual, typeset text here!*
Anyway, it's a fun series with a great world building and a healthy dose of theatre! (Which makes me really happy.:D) So Tempestuous came out yesterday so if you are looking for a new faerie series, you may want to try this one.
And for a final treat, here is Lesley's awesome book trailer!
**ETA*** D'oh! I'm a moron and forgot to mention that I am giving away a copy of the entire series. Please leave a comment letting me know why faeries (of any kind) are awesome to enter. (See? Super easy.:D)
Ciao!
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73 comments:
Why are faeries awesome? In my opinion, it's this: you just don't know the truth about them! Do they exist or don't they? Are they sweet little winged people, or are they mischievous little creatures that catch you in their mushroom rings and make you dance until you die of exhaustion? Are they cute? Or hideous and gangly with razor sharp teeth and a lust for flesh? Anything with that sort of mystery deserves the world.
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I've been dying to get my hands on this series! Thank you for the great event! And, congrats on all your success!
I love faeries because of their very nature. The possibilities are endless. With magic like theirs, anything can happen and the "world" is wide open!
Thanks!
Kate
mleger0546{@]rogers{.)com
Fantastic post! That add is so SO funny I've never seen it before and aren't her trailers to die for gorgeous. Thanks for sharing Aprilynne. Leigh.
Why are they awesome? Because they can, in one body, show the extreme dichotomy of existence.
They're the embodiment of "too good to be true", beautiful to the point of fragility from appearance, yet they contain power than can shape nature or destroy your entire perception of reality.
They are dark and light, hard and soft, magic and nature confined to one form. The face you see depends on the angle from which you look.
They are the children's tales that don't age, and they are the creatures that even adults wish really exist.
They are light and life personified with a child's innocent laughter as their harbinger, if you go with the fairy tale version.
They are vengeance and fury, if you go with the warrior vision.
Seasons and elements contained in flesh, they need simply to be in order to fulfill their purpose.
Why are they awesome?
They just are. It's ingrained in their nature.
Faeries are awesome because they are so full of life! They can always have a good time and dance away their worries. (Most of them anyways). Also, their wings are pretty cool too. Evil faeries are awesome too because you don't know whether to sit there in awe of their cuteness or run away screaming.
(P.s. I have a faerie figurine at the top of my Christmas tree instead of an Angel >.> is that bad? haha)
I've heard really good things about this series~even more now! I'll have to put it on my to read list. Thank you for the recommendation!
I can't improve on what Josin said, so I'll just go with... they're pretty to look at. Really! I could sit and watch fairies all day.
I like faeries because the story possibilities with them are just endless. Particularly because of their nature. There are just so many ways you can write them. It makes them great fun.
I'd like to think that fairies are more than a little mischievous. I like that about them. Thanks for hosting such a great giveaway. YAY!
I just love this series. I can't wait to read Tempestuous. Fairies. They are the best. Everyone always gets hooked on these vampires. Me included but fairies really are better. Josin really said it the best in her comment. I can't top that. So I'll completely and wholeheartedly agree.
Vivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
Fairies are awesome because, while I am dreaming of fairies, I don’t think about my life. I can exist in a fantasy world where winged people play tricks on each other for kicks, and forget about my worries for a few hours. Instead, I wonder what these fantasy creatures look like, and how the everyday noises of their world entrance others.
Hi :)
I remember watching & laughing at that commercial on tv. I didn't know it was Lesley!
Thanks for sharing that & the excerpt.
Faeries embody the magic of childhood wonder.
All the best,
RK Charron
Faeries are awesome because they are tricksters! They love riddles, and you have to be VERY careful what you say around them (I love that!).
Thanks so much for the giveaway! (And omg, that commercial! I had no idea Lesley was in it!)
Faeries are awesome because, in everything I've read about them, they have such flamboyant personalities and because their portrayal of cruel monsters is so juxtaposed with how they appeared in fairy tales.
-Skye (hi_i_am_skye@hotmail.com)
Looks good! Faeries are interesting to me because they're more than meets the eye. They're not just Tinkerbell, ya know?
I love the unpredictability of the fae!
I like that faeries have a way with words. They can't lie but they have ways to bend the truth. I like how they come up with stuff. Thanks for the contest. That was a great teaser!
I love how every author's vision of faeries is different. They can be tricky, or sexy, or scary, or kind, or a combination of all the above. They can be big or small, or human sized. The options seem to be endless, and I just love reading all the different stories you, Lesley, Melissa Marr, Carrie Jones, and so many other YA authors have come up with. They are all so different, and so good! I can't wait to see how this series ends. Thanks for the giveaway!
Well.. Everybody basically said everything I wanted to say about fairies. Which sucks. But I would LOVE to read some new books, especially if they're free! (Yay for being a poor college student!!) So I'll try to put my thoughts into words.
Faeries are awesome because, well, they are! They can be working for evil or good. They can be tiny, human sized, larger than life; they can have wings and fly or they can have beautiful blossoms. They can have magic that changes by the season they're born, or they can be an especially powerful faerie that is supposed to change the world. They have emotions and thoughts that are usually not so different from our own. Everyone's idea of a faerie is so different. Yet, you always can relate to them in some way. You always long to enter their world, experiment. No matter what kind of faeries an author creates, they are always enticing and intriguing. Someday, I hope I can write a whole new spin on my own faeries, simply because the possibilities are endless. They're the quintessence of magic.
Thanks for this fun opportunity! :)
Celeste G. godfreyc137 "at" gmail "dot" com.
Fairies are awesome because they're made out of a babies first laugh, silly. :)
At least that's my favorite explaination.
Although it does make one wonder what a babies first furious screams make.
*shudder*
Why are faeries awesome? Because they can be anything, I've read somethings about them being plants(hehe) humans, and guardian angels. It's mostly just your opinion, you use your imagination and you go from there. Some and the size of humans, while some are so tiny they can fit in your pocket, you'll never know how the story will end, or even begin when it's about faeries. There isn't any rules about them, the possibilities are endless.
I love the myth. They can be anything you want them to be, because noone knows fore sure how they are (if they exists..) and you can make them "your one" and create your one stories.
And they are not so overexposed as for example vampires or angels are right now..
Faeries are awesome because they have such interesting natures - they're possessive and jealous and selfish, but we somehow love them anyway. We like to humanize them and take them from being mean little creatures that steal babies to the friendly creatures who help kids fly with pixie dust or the brooding love interest. They make great characters!!! :)
Thanks for the giveaway! I've been really wanting to read this series!
Faeries are awesome because they are beautiful, but that beauty is deceiving. Faeries are a great way to show that beauty is only skin deep.
Faeries are incredibly awesome because they are totally underrated by just about everyone. People think they're so small and sweet and innocent, when they could also be big and evil and cruel. They can be so many different things, which is completely amazing!
Faries are awesome because they open up people's imagination. Whenever i read a fairy book it opens up my imagination.
Faries are awesom ebecause they are supernatural. In fact they happen to put the "super" in supernatural. I mean they are the most versitial mythical feature. Faeries can can be human like creatures: with wings, unatural powers, or plant-like qualities *cough cough*. or they could be invisible creatures of the darkest kind and have a hunger for humans. They can be almost anything your mind imagines. Unlike other mythical creatures like vampires or werewolves. So pretty much faeries are the bomb and are the greatsest fantasy element every created. Thank you for considering me for your contest!
I would love to win this series!!! I went to Barnes and Noble just yesterday to buy the first one and they didn't have it! I was very sad, It resulted in my wandering around Barnes and Noble looking for a different book to buy until they closed. I ended up buying tea and chocolates instead, they were good but not as good as a satisfying book. Tear!
bellsabee.keener@gmail.com
Brianna Keener
Ok I suck, I was so disappointed with Barnes and Noble that I forgot to talk about faeries. I usually only like to read one book about a certain topic, (ie fairies, the wings book, or angels and Fallen)BUT I saw the word Shakespeare and nearly melted. So, I do admit that while I love fairies, I love YOUR version of fairies, I am more interested this series because Shakespeare is a literary deity.
still bellsabee.keener@gmail.com
still Brianna Keener
I love fairies because they can be sweet or they could be evil. You never know! That is why I love reading about them, to see what angle the author will take!
Awesome contest, thanks!
danceislove27@gmail.com
Faeries are awesome because they are the embodiment of magic and the wild fancies of human imagination. To me they are the equivalent of angels only they are the angels of nature.
Little earth angels caring for the essence of life on this planet. But just as there are fallen angels, there are Fae as well, those one must watch out for.
~Regardless: I love faeries~
Melania
Fairies are awesome....because one, they have so many different kinds of beautiful and elegant wings that allow them to fly which is something I know many long to do, two,they have different personalities(ie. mischievious, evil, good, seductive, mysterious...), three, they have magic, fourth, they are the ones who haunt us in our dreams and crowd the fantasy world of books, and fifth, they are awesome and you made them even more so.
I love your writing and Merry Christmas!!!-LOVE WW
I love faeries because they're so malleable! Throughout human history, since the earliest folk tales featuring faeries (in all their diversities), these creatures have been changed and recreated into any and everything imaginable. They're such a joy for any storyteller to use, because you can make up their nature as you go, and it always seems to fit. Because faeries are essentially universal. Every culture has a faerie story of some sort.
And just plain fun to write about!
Faeries are creatures we all loved as children, and now, because of some awesome YA authors, we can enjoy their magic as teens and adults too.
Thanks for the chance to win all three!!
Hafsah -- brainytex@gmail.com
It's really quite simple. Fairies are awesome because they are so mysterious and exciting. They are magical, too, which is really cool. And no one knows much about them, or if they exist at all. It's very interesting and a little confusing. It's just fun to think about them and read about them. They really make my imagination spring to life more than anything else. So they are just awesome.
And thanks for the book suggestion! I am thirsting for another captivating fantasy novel and I am very excited to read it. :D
By the way, is there any way for me to get Illusions for Christmas? I just cannot wait for it to come out!! I need to learn patience. But I just love your books so much! I have Wings and Spells almost completely memerized. But I'll bet I have to wait for Illusions. Darn! Like I said, I really need some new reading material.
By the way, is there any way for me to get Illusions for Christmas? I just cannot wait for it to come out!! I need to learn patience. But I just love your books so much! I have Wings and Spells almost completely memerized. But I'll bet I have to wait for Illusions. Darn! Like I said, I really need some new reading material.
I just posted the same comment twice. I'm such a dork. Sorry about that.
Fairies are awesome because they can save the world or destroy it. They can be beautiful or terrifying. Sometimes they are tall and seductive, but others they are small and steal your left sock. You never really know what to expect, and that is why they are awesome.
YOU ARE SO AWESOME! BTW, cool cover. The reason why faeries are awesome is simple. The very word brings up memories of sitting in the backyard, determined not to leave till you catch one. And then leaving two minutes later. Faeries haunt our dreams, flit across our stories, and dance in our deep most desires. Faeries are the undetermined form of the essence of magic, mystery, and passion. Faeries have lingered in our minds for century after century, and I know they will stay strong long after you and I pass away. They are what makes daydreams interesting, and what create them in the very first place. Fey, Faerie, Faery, Fairy, there are countless names. There are even more countless possibilities for what these creatures can do and are. Faeries are awesome because there everything and anything, they fill your head with dreams and awaken your inner child, and form those memories that stay with us for years to come. But really, I may love Faeries because of what they make me feel, you could love them because they could be anything you want them, your best friend could just love because they are cool to read about! Faeries are imagination. Love them because they're fun to love!
-Kayma, (I'm 12 if that means anything)
kcmark@shaw.ca
Faeries are magical! I love the magic and mystery that comes with them! They encourage you to dream and imagine!
I love that with caries you can go to the extremes with them being good or bad and also that even though there are usually general traits for what makes a fairy, a fairy, there is still a wide range of what is done with them and a wide range of types of fairies!
Thanks for the giveaway! I love these books!
Christinaferko(at)gmail(dot)com
Christinasbooks.blogspot.com
Also, that commercial is hilarious. I did r know she used to act. Very cool
Oh these books sound wonderful!
Let's see...fairies are awesome because they embody both light and dark. Mischief and mayhem on one hand, sweetness and grace on the other. They are distilled examples of things we, as humans, strive so hard for. Yet, if we realized the extremity of any one of these aspects, we would be ruined. Fairies are one way to view the possibility of being so extreme through a safe lens.
zandila at gmail dottrina com
Haha I never knew that was Lesley in the commercial!!
I SO want to read this series, please enter me if this is open internationally.
I love that faeries can be crafty and sneaky and devlish and unrestrained and light and carefree and eerie and beautiful and oh so many possibilities!
I like reading about faeries because they are mysterious. Are they honest or mischievous?
One thing for sure, I like how faeries have a connection to nature. The element of nature adds a touch to the faeires' personalities and characteristics. They treasure things about nature that others forget.
More so, beauty seems to be an attribute of almost all faeries. So books about faeries give you this nice warm journey to learning the real faerie underneath that beauty. In the end their personality and who they are is more important than what is seen on the outside!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks,
Jamie
turtle_jamie_05@yahoo.com
Faeries are awesome for so many reasons. One being their way to bend what is fact or fiction. They can't 'lie' but they can mislead. They are sneaky and cunning, and even though you are are aware of this, a person is still taken off guard. It is impossible to predict the unpredictable.
Its kind of funny to read these posts :) Its easy to see which books some people get there faeries from (like, of course, Wings, but also Peter Pan's Never-never-land, The Mortal Instriumenst's Seelie Court, Wicked Lovely among others..). Its interesting.. :p
Faeries are awesome because there is just so much to them!!! Everything I have ever read or watched or was told is something a little different! They are so interchangeable and you can hear so many great stories about faeries!!!
Fairies are awesome because they're up to their own interpretation. They can be evil or good and there is so many myths about them. It's nice to believe in something unreal once in a while. They have magic and who doesn't love a little magic? Everyone needs a little magic in their lives.
Love the covers - so pretty!
Hope you enjoy a great holiday season! :)
Faeries are awesome because there are so many different types of faeries. Some are sweet and sparkly, others are mischievious, and some are just simply evil and cunning. It's always exciting to read a new faerie book because you just don't know what to expect. Oh and they're also awesome because the get all these alternate spellings: faerie/faery/fairy!
I love this series! Can't wait to read the newest!
Fairies are awesome because there are so many different types. You can read a zillion different fairy books and not one of them is the same. They are the definition of possibilities to me :)
Lisa
jlhsperry624@hotmail.com
Faeries are awesome because they are magical. They can be anything you want them to be. There are so many different versions of faeries, and everyone has their own idea of them. Faeries are something that children have always dreamed about, and they're something adults can too. They're awesome because you don't outgrow them!
I absolutely love faeries because no matter who tells their stories they can be portrayed in so many different ways! It's like learning of a new race everytime I read a faery story. I also like how beautiful they are, but at the same time can be mischevious. Although I do have to say the fact that they are basically one with the earth pretty much trumps all others such as weres, vamps etc...
Thanks,
Nichole
nichole_gutierrez2002@yahoo.com
Fae are beauty, delicacy, courage, intelligence, and of course magic at once. When you think of them, you are immediately transported to a world pure in its origins and natural in its form. I used to love to play with little dolls and called them fairies, use tree leaves as their clothes, and flat rocks as their plates when they sat in branches to have dinner. I think fairies are awesome because the naive yet complete idea of a being that is so connected to the environment and part of a society that is so far beyond reach, it's something to admire. Hard worker beings always working toward the grater good, whichever that might be.
Why Faeries? Because I really loved a Midsummer Night's Dream and that I am still amazed by what authors come up with, playing around what was written about 400 hundred years ago. And because I'm in love with Barrie's vision of the fairies : that they are born of a baby's laughter. Isn't this magical?
Imagine the scene from The Empire Strikes Back of one of those giant walking war machines tripping after its legs get surrounded by a cable. Now imagine fairies doing that with their fairy twine. Pretty cool, huh?
Faeries are awesome because... well they are portrayed so many different ways. In one story, they could be mischievous, or dangerous in every way. But, in another story they might be helpful, beautiful, charming, and cute. You never really know with faeries. And, I don't think we ever will. They make me wonder what their true role, what their true identity is. Are they kind little things that lurk in flower beds? Are they dark, powerful, and out to posses, out to kill? Are they part of the world, part of nature? Or are they something else entirely? Faeries give us a sense of wonder and a taste of magic. They keep you guessing. They keep you on your toes. There are so many things about them that we don't know, don't under stand. They are wonderful and exciting. Even though there is a chance they don't exist. Faeries are awesome! And, I love them dearly!
Fairies are the Magic in everyday life. They are truth, beauty, love- all uninhibited by the chains of human life.
They are the hope and light from which magic springs forth.
Faeries are awesome because they are what we dream of being. Light or dark, but always beautiful.
I also like them because my grandmother used to read me the poem "There Are Fairies at the Bottom of My Garden" by Rose Fyleman, and I loved the idea of being the fairy queen.
Why are faeries awesome? This is a tough question, only because I know you don't have all day to read my answer. So,in short, they're awesome because...
~They're magical!
~They're surreal!
~There's so much myth and secrecy surrounding them, giving you a vast imagination about them
~They beat vampires any day because they're alive and just cooler alltogether.
But...
~I really need to give you a REASON?
Thanks for this awesome giveaway!
rivkarno1(at)hotmail(dot)com
Faeries are awesome because they are strong and lovely and tempting all at the same time! In your books, Aprilynne, they are awesome because they are animate plants!! Whats not awesome about that??!!
Hhaha always luv ya Aprilynne. Thanks!
Why are faeries awesome? Because their stories have brought my mom and I together. We both love to read and your amazing books have been another series we have gotten to enjoy, argue, talk and get even closer together!
Oh yeah- also awesome because they are REAL!
I guess an email would be good!
ema5695@aol.com
Once again, another great post!!! :D Lesley Livingston is so very funny in the ad! So anyway Fae are awesome because they have the appearance of being pretty, good natured, little people that live in flowers and mushrooms that especially love to help humans and flowers. Fae can have another side though, cheeky and naughty faeries that love to cause trouble and be mischievous. So I love the mystery and magic surrounding the fae.
Funnily, i've been collecting figurines of faeries for years. When i was younger, when I lost my teeth the 'tooth fairy' used to leave me little faeries so now i have a little family of them :D
Thanks!!!!
(And congratulations about Gwendolyn)
Why are faeries awesome? Why AREN'T faeries awesome! My favorite thing is their ability make things from the earth (elixirs, potions, glass vials, etc).
sarahsberryblonde@hotmail.com
faeries are awesome because they are FAERIES. smart, sassy, mysterious, romantic...sigh :)
Faeries are awesome because authors can do so many different takes on them, they can be good or evil, have magic or wings, etc.. And faeries are interesting and pretty to look at.
Faeries take people (including me) to a wonderful fantastic magical world that doesn't exsist in the 'real world'. Faeries take us back to wonderful childhood memories of everything that was 'real' until we grew up.Places like Avalon and Neverland and we never questioned it. Your books and others like it, take me back to a simpler time when life wasn't so complicated...I appreciate your work! In short Faeries are awesome and amazing because they are mystical and intriguing. So excited for Illusions to come out and good luck with book 4! Yea you!
Hello! Well, I'm a new fan. I just finished reading Wings a couple hours ago. IT IS AMAZING! I'm from México, and found the book (alas, in spanish) last sunday. I am in love with the book. I made a re-search and just found there is a second book (Spells) and there with be a third one really soon (Illutions) I'm very excited, but I'm afraid that spells hasn't been translated to spanish yet. I would love to ready the book in its original language, but my english isn't perfect, so I wouldn't be able to understand it completetly. It would be amazing if you had some information about the transaltion, specially her in Mexico. I WANT TO READ SPELLS REALLY SOON! I wish you can answer, even if you don't have any idea about my questions. Again, congratulations! I have a new favorite book.
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