Review - "Lament; The Faerie Queen's Deception" by Maggie Stiefvater

Lament – Maggie Stiefvater

Description; Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a prodigiously gifted musician. She’s about to find out she’s also a cloverhand – one who can see faeries.

Unexpectedly, Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy named Luke who enters her ordinary life seemingly out of thin air. But his interest in her might be something darker than summer romance. When a sinister faerie named Aodhan shows up with deadly orders from the Faerie Queen, it forces Dee right into the midst of Faerie. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend.

Deirdre had been wishing her summer weren’t so dull, but taking on a centuries-old Faerie Queen isn’t exactly what she had in mind.

Review; “Lament” was an intriguing read and the description had me pining for the book during April. When I got my batch of books in the mail, Lament was the one I began immediately.

Dee is a great character; she’s loyal, she’s occasionally funny, and she is so human, flaws and all. I enjoyed her interactions with Luke, who was also a well developed character with a cloak of mystery hiding him from both the audience and Dee. I loved his story – it was one of great sacrifice and character, and just a little heartbreak.

I did have a little trouble getting into the book…the first 40 pages didn’t seem to captivate me like others have done. But once I passed that mark, I sat in the sun and read all day. I liked Stiefvater’s take on the faerie world – it was refreshing, intriguing and mysterious. James was a fabulous best friend – he was witty and had a habit of popping into the story at the perfect times to lighten the mood.

I found myself a bit dissatisfied with the ending…though I can’t really place why. Maybe it was because I felt that a lot of things were left unanswered…like what of Delia? In comparison to her more recent work, “Shiver”, Lament didn’t delve into a deeper realm of connection between the two main characters as I felt Shiver did. But it was still really enjoyable – a great read for those faerie lovers looking for a hint of romance. Definitely worth checking out!

3.7 horse rating.

.7