Crystal Bones [Hardcover]

Readers are likely to be echoing these sentiments of Cynthe long before she utters them on page 226, but truth is both are mistaken. The grim, horrific events of this book: parents murdered, baby sister kidnapped, farmstead destroyed, land stolen, unhealed wounds and injuries piling up, freedom and lives repeatedly threatened, all take place in a single, terrible week following the half Fae (or Faelin) twins', Diello's and Cynthe's, thirteenth birthday.

They also get their noses repeatedly rubbed in what to their shock (most of) their human neighbors really think of Faelin: somewhat lower in status and less desirable than pond scum. (In fairness to Antrasins they have SOME excuse for their prejudice. The famous Goblin Wars with the Fae were largely fought on their territory, and after finally winning, the Fae apparently did nothing to repair the devastation their victory had wrought in Antrasia, leaving Antrasins with extremely dim views of everyone involved, ESPECIALLY the living proof of "sleeping with the enemy".)

Frankly, I came close to taking away a star because as the awfulness piled up, I was finding it harder and harder to keep reading. A slight lessening of the relentless downbeat at the end stayed my hand this time, but I'm going to have a lot less patience with the sequel The Call of Eirian if, as some of the reviews suggest, the grim tedium continues.

IMHO there's little to be gained in writing a trilogy so that no one ever wants to reread the first two books!

This YA fantasy series opens up on fraternal Faeilin twins', Diello and Cynthe's, thirteenth birthday and unfolds into virtually non-stop action. From birthday celebrations to disasters, events overcome the pair with a lot of magic, fighting and new friends at every turn. The book features a lot of fantasy "traditional" type characters - from talking animals, magic swords, to elves, goblins and wizards. With the young age of the main characters (the story comes through Diello's eyes), this falls to the younger end of the YA market. And with the strong emphasis on action, the characters all lack a surprising amount of emotional development. This magical land is, however, surprisingly detailed without long sections of exposition, so it will be curious to see if more character development occurs in the remainder of the series. It ends on enough a cliffhanger, that I am definitely looking forward to seeing the twins' adventures continue.

C. Aubrey Hall's debut novel in her Faelin Chronicles is an awesome and engrossing young adult fantasy book. I read it in a couple of sittings, and my son read it in one day during breaks at school (he's an incredibly fast reader).

The characters, Diello and Cynthe, are thirteen year old twins who are half-human and half-Fae. The book opens up on their birthday, when they're supposed to come into their wondrous Fae powers. That celebration is put on hold, though, because the family runs a struggling farm and those chores can't be put off, which bums out both twins. They do manage to get one break when their mom sends them to Lord Malque to deliver a banquet cloth she's made.

I felt a lot of sympathy for Diello and Cynthe in the beginning when their important birthday doesn't go as planned, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. That day turns out much worse, and that was when the hook on this read was firmly planted.

Hall progresses into the story, mixing in hints of the Fae culture as well as the day-to-day medieval life, and one bad thing turns into a worse one. As if surviving a goblin attack that burns down their farm isn't bad enough, the people the twins turn to for help end up making their lives even worse and their continued existence doubtful, as well as taking away their baby sister.

The twins are well drawn, and there is a definite role reversal. Diello is the one with common sense, while Cynthe is the hothead. She's more athletic than her brother, too. Yet together they make a good team.

The magic in this book is subdued, just touches rather than a major force. Even so, I was surprised when the two cross paths with a talking wolf that gives her life to protect them, then hints at the dark secrets their parents have hidden all their lives.

Although the first book doesn't cover much physical territory, I get the feeling there is a whole, wide world awaiting in the next book, and I can't wait to read it. The foundations of a lot of mysteries are laid in this novel, and there are several cliffhangers as well. Readers looking for an absorbing and gripping fantasy read for will be in good hands with Crystal Bones.