A Dreadful Fairy Book

By Jon Etter

Readers, beware: what you hold in your hands is a dreadful fairy book. 

I wish I were narrating almost any other fairy story, but alas, this is my lot. Whatever expectations you have of delightful and whimsical fairies are sure to be disappointed. There are certainly fairies, but most are not proper fairies. Some who are supposed to be nasty are disappointingly nice, while some who should be kind and helpful are disconcertingly surly, dishonest, and generally unpleasant company.

Our heroine is, perhaps, the worst offender―a sprite more interested in books than carefree games, who insists on being called Shade. She is on a quest, albeit with rather questionable companions, to find a place to call home. A place of companionship, comfort, and, most importantly, positively filled with books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
• Release date: Nov 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781948705271

Reviews for A Dreadful Fairy Book

[billiebook · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The author obviously took inspiration from A Series of Unfortunate Events when choosing his narrative style. Unfortunately, he's not as skilled or polished as Snicket/Handler, so the narration is inconsistent and often falls flat. There are also a number of culturally-insensitive accents, one of which is given to a prominent supporting character. (The author tries to wiggle out of any potential offensiveness by pointing out that it's an accent the character is putting on, but that doesn't actually make it better.) The worst thing, though, is that there's a main character who doesn't experience any growth. She's actually more sympathetic at the start of the book than at the end. It's like having friends has made her a worse person/fairy. Maybe that was the author's intent, but even Lemony Snicket made the Baudelaire siblings good people thrust into bad circumstances. Without the reader empathizing with the protagonist, they aren't going to want to spend 300-ish pages with them.

There was a good idea at the heart of the book and some clever moments, but it needed more work and editorial guidance.

[jwitt33 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Readers, beware: what you hold in your hands is a dreadful fairy book. I wish I were narrating almost any other fairy story, but alas, this is my lot. Whatever expectations you have of delightful and whimsical fairies are sure to be disappointed."Lillyshadow Glitterdemalion, or Shade as she prefers to be called, is a little sprite, but she's unlike any other sprite in Pleasant Hollow. She's a little bit rounder and doesn't have colorful butterfly wings like the others, and most of all, she LOVES books, which the other sprites just can't wrap their heads around. Shade lost her parents but still has the books they all used to read together, until the other sprites set off fireworks and burn her house down. All but one of her books are destroyed ("Traveling in the Greater Kingdom: A Guide to the Wonders and Dangers of the Fairy World," written by Stinkletoe Radishbottom), and Shade decides she has to leave Pleasant Hollow and go in search of a place full of more books than she could read in her lifetime. During her adventures, she meets a host of colorful characters who help her out in her quest.The world building in this book was phenomenal. The characters were fun and varied, and you find yourself rooting for Shade and her friends. I did think Shade had an attitude most of the time, but since this book is written for the middle grade crowd, I don't know if that would be a problem with them or not, although I doubt it. This was a very easy and quick read.In summary, I enjoyed reading this book and think the MG crowd would also have fun with it.4/5 stars.*** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

[thomas.cannon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I do not have young kids anymore, but this would be a good thing to read with your children. It is updated for today's humor without being toilet humor, etc. As an adult, it kept me reading and engaged.

As I read it, I found myself a little upset that two of the characters are The Marx Brothers as fairyland creatures. Yet, I did enjoy them. Truth be told, I am an author that did a takeoff of "Who's on First?" So who am I to throw stones.

This is a fun book to read with your kids and the design of the book is well-done and adds to the experience.

[beverlyjean-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First, the title of this book, A DREADFUL FAIRY BOOK, written by Jon Etter, Narrated by Quentin Q. Quacksworth, Esq. and Illustrated by Adam Horsepool, hinted that I’d find something a bit different when I read the story. Second, I read the warning from the Narrator and guess what? It came true. Yes, this book is different than any book I’ve read about fairies or other creatures. It’s a good difference, with a cast of characters that I will remember for quite a while. How can I forget Shade, a winged species of fairy known as a sprite.? She’s spunky and brave and an inspiration, even in her troubled times. She also loves books. It’s a story of friendship and standing up for your rights. It’s a story that I think young people and old people (like me) will enjoy. A good read for school libraries, public libraries, and your own private library. Happy reading.