When I was a little kid I used to love to play along the creek by my grandparents’ farmhouse. One of my favorite things to do was to build small houses on the rocks along the bank, filling them with clover blooms and rosehips and birch catkins for the faeries who lived there.
What is it, do you suppose, that is so enchanting about the idea of tiny people living alongside us, under toadstools or even in our walls, making stools out of spools and bathtubs out of gravy boats?
I’ve read two different books lately that both feature small folk, and I loved both of them for different reasons.
(I won’t bother with plot summaries, but you can click on the titles below for links to Goodreads, where you can find much better ones than I could provide.)
Can you see how much I loved them from that gleam in my eye? Unfortunately some faery children have apparently run off with my camera cord to use it as a jump-rope, no doubt, thus I must rely on my (inferior quality) laptop camera.
Small Persons with Wings by Ellen Booraem has a rare sort of humor that reviewers have rightfully (in my opinion) compared to Diana Wynne Jones. There’s a certain absurdity to the antics of Mellie and the Parvi (the “small persons with wings”), but yet it’s balanced a weight of real emotion and consequence. A “grandeur” (to use a term oft-mentioned within the book itself). I particularly loved Mellie as a main character — she’s gutsy, determined and snarky. This one just came out in January, so it you find that combination as appealing as I do, you can check it out for yourself!
(Full Disclosure: Ellen is a friend, a lovely person, and and a fellow Mainer, though sadly several hours away from me. I first read SPWW a few months ago, pre-publication, and was honored to be able to provide a blurb.)
Arrow by R. J. Anderson is the third book in the series that began with Knife(UK)/Spell Hunter(US) and continued with Rebel(UK)/Wayfarer(US). Each book has featured a new main character, but is part of an overarching story of several bands of faery folk and their human allies, of love and honor and bravery and magic.
I have loved them each in turn, but I think Rhosmari may be my favorite of the three protagonists. Not only is she, refreshingly, a “faery of color”, but she’s a pacifist. She’s the sort of character a lesser author might have turned into a preachy, insufferable bore, but in R. J. Anderson’s hands Rhosmari is anything but. She’s vivid and full of emotion and over the course of the story her beliefs are tested to the core. I can’t say much more about her personal arc without spoiling it, but I really loved it. And then there’s Martin. Ah, Martin. I can’t help it. I am a sucker for bad boys when there’s a possibility of redemption.
(Full Disclosure: R. J. is also a friend. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to meet such excellent and talented folks– it is one of the best parts of having been published! I bought my copy of Arrow from Amazon UK, as it is sadly not available from any US publisher at this time).
And now the giveaway, courtesy of the vagaries of international postal service!
I ordered myself copies of both Rebel and Arrow from Amazon UK earlier this year. And waited. And waited. 15 days after the expected arrival date I sent a note to customer service. They wrote back to say something must have gone awry, and that they would send another set. And that if, for some reason, I did end up getting the first batch, to keep them with their compliments, since returning them overseas would be silly.
So this week, of course, I got both packages, one after the other. So… I am going to give away the extras: one copy of Arrow, one copy of Rebel! And while I’m at it, I’ll also send out a copy of Small Persons with Wings!
If you would like to win a copy, please comment on this post and tell me which book you would like (ARROW, REBEL, or SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS) and why! And please provide an email address so I can contact you if you win!
I will pick three winners (one for each book) randomly on March 14th.
US/Canada shipping addresses only, please!
Note: I will ONLY be tracking responses to the ur-post on my devafagan.com site, and the crosspost on livejournal. If you comment on Facebook or Goodreads I will not be able to count it. Thanks!
Tags: reading
I would absolutely adore a copy of Arrow. I am a US reader who has been waiting for ages, but has not yet ordered a UK copy. I loved the first two, and I'm eagerly awaiting the third.
I too want ARROW in the worst way. I’ve thought about ordering it via amazonuk but have been kind of afraid. So happy you had good results with them. I’d love to take your extra copy off your hands;).
I'd love a copy of Rebel. I discovered R. J. Anderson from her fanfiction days but I've never been able to catch any of her books in the local stores in Illinois. It's been a bit depressing.
Hi! You won Rebel! Please email me your mailing address at deva at devafagan dot com by March 23rd and I will send it along.
I'll join the chorus for Arrow! There's not even a US release date for it yet–I work at a large chain bookstore; I've checked. The first two were immediate purchases for me, and I so want to find out what happens with Rhosmari and Timothy, especially after the revelations regarding the Empress and the Oakenwyld faeries' powers!
Hi! You won Arrow! Please email me your mailing address at deva at devafagan dot com by March 23rd and I will send it along.
Enter me for ARROW as well! Faeries are still big at my library and I'd love to share this UK book with my teens. Thanks!
I would love to win a copy of "Small Persons with Wings;" it sounds like the kind of story that I would really enjoy. I do like a bit of snark and a bit of absurdity, and I've always loved faeries, ever since I was little – although I'm sure that's not a surprise.
I would LOVE love a copy of REBEL. I am trying to build my collection of the 3 book and did get my copy of Arrow from bookdepository. they were great. I am still hunting for Knife and Rebel…I think the UK covers and titles are SO much cooler than the US versions
I would like "Arrow"…I'm another R. J. Anderson fan who wishes it was available in the U.S.!
Gee, Deva–it woudl have been fun to have you as a neighbor back in the day, although I myself liked beech roots best for my fairy houses!
I'm going to put my name in for Arrow too!
Would LOVE Arrow for the sole reason of continuing the series!
Read and adored Faery Rebel (Knife kicks butt!) and liked Wayfarer. Was saddened that Arrow will not come to the US, but it only makes me want it so much more 
I'm a big DWJ fan so I'd love a chance to read Small Persons with Wings, I've heard good reviews for it elsewhere so bring it on!
Hi! You won SPWW! Please email me your mailing address at deva at devafagan dot com by March 23rd and I will send it along.
Hi Deva,
Please count me in the running for Small Persons With Wings. It is on my list to read, and I’d love my own copy!
My six-year-old son decided to build me a “fairy house” with Daddy for my Christmas present because he knew I loved fairy tales and fairy stories. It turned out so beautiful, and I even cried!
Thanks for the giveaway!
I'd love a copy of Arrow too–I have the first two in the UK editions, but haven't been able to order the third yet.
Arrow please…
Will send an email by pm…
Put me in the ring for Arrow as well! I have the first two, ordered from Amazon UK because I liked the cover better for the first one than the US cover and the second hadn't come out in the US at all yet. I would love to have the third UK version to round out my set
I'm entering my e-mail addy in the guest comment email box, but if that doesn't work, i can be contact at bl1nkfa1ry @ aol dot com (without spaces and with an actual . instead of "dot")
Ooh! I'd be interested in either Arrow or Small Persons with Wings (I already own Rebel, and it was great!) I love Rebecca's writing, and I'm looking forward to reading Ellen's. I'm at hvozdany at hotmail. com
What an awesome contest! I"d love to win Small Persons with Wings. I love fairy stories and this one sounds like one that my grand children would love to read. I'll pm my email.
Awesome contest! Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favorite authors. I love her humor and the way she looks at the world–besides, who can resist a story called Small Persons With Wings?
Although I bought a copy of "Arrow" from England for my library, I would love another one so that my sister and her colleague can also put it on their library shelves. This is such a great series! And it's such a shame that the third volume is not available in the U.S. I have both of the others in my teen room and would love to offer every book in R.J.'s excellent series to my young teens.
[...] First, a reminder: there’s still time to enter the giveaway for faery books here! [...]
I would love to read Small Persons With Wings! It's been on my radar since I heard of it. The other two, I already own.
Even if I don't win, thank you, Deva.
I would love Arrow because I am a Canadian reader anxiously awaiting its release over here!
I would love a copy of PERSONS WITH WINGS. I'v read all of R.J Anderson's books and I adored them and can't wait for the new one to come out in 2012. After reading these amazing books I'm in love with faery story's an I want more! (but I'm also writing my own story and I learn so much from these books.)
xxx
(pleas, pleas, pleas…,pleas!)