The Faerie Guardian (Creepy Hollow #1) by Rachel Morgan

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The Faerie Guardian (Creepy Hollow #1)
By:  Rachel Morgan
EARC, 243 Pgs.

Published:  11/05/12
Self-Published

Source:  Author (For a honest review)

GR's Summary:

Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until a cute human boy who can somehow see through her faerie glamour follows her into the fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the fae realm. Easy, right? Not when you factor in evil faeries, long-lost family members, and inconvenient feelings of the romantic kind. Vi is about to find herself tangled up in a dangerous plot—and it’ll take all her training to get out alive.

My Thoughts:

First, I want to say that I am in love with the beautiful book cover of The Faerie Guardian.  It's simple, yet vibrant and magical, and after reading the story, I have to say that it's a perfect match!  I enjoyed this fast-paced, action-packed fantasy from beginning to end!  There were many elements that made this story succeed.  I enjoyed the beautiful setting of Creepy Hollow, the strong world-building and character-building throughout the story, learning about the various types of paranormal creatures (Faeries, Pixies, Sprites, etc.), and the interesting and entertaining plot that unraveled as mystery after mystery was revealed. 

The setting of the story took place both in the human realm and Creepy Hollow.  I loved reading about all of the beautiful colors, nature, and paranormal creatures in Creepy Hollow.  I felt like Creepy Hollow was a place that really existed.  I could visualize the beautiful tall trees, waterfalls, smell the fresh rain water, see the various creatures roaming about, and hear the sounds echoing in this magical environment.  I envisioned  an enchanting paradise like Pandora in the movie Avatar. 

I loved the main character Violet (she goes by Vi.)  Vi was independent, strong, assertive, intelligent, and a hard-working 17 year old faerie.  She was beautiful, innocent, courageous, skilled, and a survivor.  Vi was a perfect combination of awesomeness, in my opinion.  She was a guardian in training, (in her 5th year,) of learning how to protect humans, and those that needed protecting from various dangerous paranormal creatures.  She had lost both of her parents (who were faerie guardians) at a young age, and therefore, was independent, responsible and living a lonely life all on her own.  The only real friend she had was her mentor, Tora, who was like a surrogate mother/teacher/friend.  Tora was very likable, and Vi had a very special relationship with her.  Vi threw herself into her faerie guardian training and assignments.  It was important to her to graduate at the top of her class, as her mother had done before her.  Another primary character, Ryn, was her toughest competition, and they had a very interesting relationship.  He ridiculed her every chance he got, and she would dish it right back!  I was highly entertained by their interactions, and thought that if they didn't spend so much time bickering, they would make a good couple!  Ryn was a very interesting character.  He was confident, knew he was good-looking, and had a lot of anger toward Vi.  At first he annoyed me, but then I realized why he was the way that he was, and realized he used his anger to deal with the painful  loss of his brother.  A painful loss, the Vi shared with him.  Another character central to the story was Nate.  He was a human boy that was able to see past Vi's faerie glamour when she was battling  an evil creature intent on attacking him.  Little by little, Nate and Vi fall for one another.  There was a lot of mystery that came to light both about Nate, and numerous faeries that were abducted, as the story unfolded...

The plot of the story was really awesome.  I enjoyed the descriptions, the mystery, and the action that took place throughout the story.  I loved reading about Vi and Ryn's intense faerie guardian training, the assignments that Vi went on, and the mystery behind both Nate, and the antagonists in the story.  There were a lot of plot-twists that continually kept me guessing, and one that really shocked me near the end of the story!  I can't wait to read the sequel, which is suppose to come out this year!  I'm so excited to see how the rest of the story unfolds!  I have some predictions, and am hoping for certain events to take place!  One thing is for certain, if the series continues to be as great as the first installment, it will be making my favorite's list!  



My Rating:


I give The Faerie Guardian, by Rachel Morgan, 4.5 Magical, Otherworldly, Action-Packed, Kick A** Heroine Stars!  This was an excellent YA Paranormal Story, and I recommend it to readers that enjoy stories with a beautiful setting, magic, faeries, interesting characters, and mysteries that need to be solved.  If you've read and enjoyed Aprilynne Pikes's Wings Series and enjoyed it, this would be an excellent series to delve into!  

My Favorite Quotes:



"I look up and find him staring at me.  His gaze makes me feel hot all over.  I lift my hand and run my finger over the almost invincible scar on his chest.  He shivers at my touch.  Gently, he reaches out and cups my face in his hand, brushing his thumb over my cheekbone.  I lean forward to meet his kiss.  My hands slide down over his jacket and slip beneath the hem of his T-shirt.  His skin is warm, smooth.  I skim my fingers across his back, feeling the ridges of his spine and..."  (eARC, 102) 


"And Vi?"  she adds.  I stop and look back, my hand resting on the door knob.  Please try to refrain from throwing deadly objects at your classmates."  (eARC, 128)

                     About the Author:  Rachel Morgan

Rachel Morgan was born in South Africa and spent a large portion of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making. After completing a degree in genetics, she decided science wasn’t for her—after all, they didn’t approve of made-up facts. These days she spends much of her time immersed in fantasy land once more, writing fiction for young adults.

                    Rachel Morgan's:  Website/Facebook/Twitter


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