Lament Review and Ballad Preview

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. When a mysterious boy enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of nowhere, Deirdre finds herself infatuated. Trouble is, the enigmatic and conflicted Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin—and Deirdre is meant to be his next mark. Deirdre has to decide if Luke's feelings towards her are real, or only a way to lure her deeper into the world of Faerie.

Lament was Maggie Stiefvater's debut novel, and man can this woman write (well I knew that already because of Shiver, but still, it's amazing to read such a well done debut).

I was absolutely enchanted with Deirdre, the MC. Maggie has a gift for creating heroines that are incredibly relatable and sympathetic, yet are able to retain their own personalities, interests and hobbies (there are no Mary Sues in the world of Stiefvater). Deirdre suffered from extreme stage fright at the start of the story, unsure of herself, her talent, her self worth, but by the end...WOW! And what makes her transformation so satisifying was just how hard she worked to get there. I also love the fact that she could hold her own against those who tried to overpower her or who may have started off more powerful, like...

Bad boy fairie assasin Luke...HOTTIE in the worst (ie best) way possible. What I love so much about the boys in Maggie Stiefvater's stories is although they sort of jump onto the page with all the qualities and traits of an alpha male, they are basically just super sweet guys that fate has thrust into a role they weren't ready for. They are vulnerable and despite their usual supernatural advantage...they come across as equals with the heroine, allowing her to take charge when necessary.

I was totally enraptured with the love story. The lyrical nature of the romance drew me in, giving me butterflies in my stomach and breaking my heart just as easily. I couldn't get enough of Luke and Deirdre....let's just say that Fairie Nookie can give Werewolf Nookie a run for its money...that'd be an interesting smackdown.

The plot twists and intrigue in Lament continually develop through the course of the story, and while Maggie writes these rapidly page turning plots, her execution of the story is so lyrical that while you want to race through the pages and jump to the end, you are forced to slow down and fully appreciate the language. Seriously, read this book you will not be dissapointed, actually, you will love it!

I should mention that besides falling for Deirdre and Luke, I totally have a crush on James, the best friend, bagpiper. I loved every moment he came onto the page-everything he said was unexpected, funny, original and memorable. He was totally awesome...so awesome that he deserves his own story and luckily for him and me and you...James does get his own story in Ballad, which will be released on October 1st. Want some more...

This is a teaser from Maggie Stiefvater's BALLAD, a novel involving homicidal faeries and kissing that's coming out October 1st.

He turned towards me. For a long moment, he stood facing me. I was held, anchored to the ground – not by his music, which still called and pushed against the music already in my head and said grow rise follow – but by his strangeness. By his fingers, spread over the ground, holding something into the earth, by his shoulders, squared in a way that spoke of strength and unknowability, and most of all, by the great, thorny antlers that grew from his head, spanning the sky like branches.

Then he was gone, and I missed his going in the instant that the sun fell off the edge of the hill, abandoning the world to twilight.

Buy it here. Enter the contest at Maggie's blog here.

Enjoy!