Blackbringer (Dreamdark)

I have not read a lot of fantasy as an adult, but I think I will pick it up more often, after reading this book! I forgot how deeper ideas and commentary on our "real" world can be made through the eyes and story of a character like Magpie. I was totally pulled into this YA novel from the get go. The story moves fast, always keeping your interest, and all along Miss Taylor drops just enough hints of what is to come to keep you guessing. Also, I was really taken by surprise and blown away by the climax! I felt like I was watching an action movie in my mind!

This book would be perfectly wonderful for any young reader, and it also holds an adult reader's attention with no problem. It is well written with amazingly imaginative, and even poetic language. I look forward to my children reading it! Can't wait for the next one to come out. :)

Faeries of Dreamdark - Blackbringer is a refreshingly original tale featuring a highly original cast of fae and other magical folk, with assorted animals playing pivotal roles, too. The protagonist, Magpie Windwitch, is a faerie born to a destiny unlike any other faerie's. She must defeat an ancient evil, which is not what it seems. Helping her with her daunting task are her loyal kin; a murder of crows with quirky and memorable personalities and habits, several faeries, a Djinn, and many other magical beings.

As the plot thickens, Magpie learns of her destiny, and makes new allies, the most important of these being Talon Rathersting, the prince of the Rathersting clan, who has his own central role to play alongside Magpie.

Where do I start with this book? Loving faeries and anything to do with them, I could not pass up on this book. It helped that Neil Gaiman plugged the book in his blog, though I cannot find the post to back this information up anymore. I was not disappointed by my purchase - Laini Taylor offers a new kind of faerie world, a wonderful, yet sufficiently dark and complex place full of things almost forgot, things that our heroine with her companions seeks to restore.

The writing is detailed, every sentence perfectly honed. Laini's descriptive writing is what makes her book like no other, her words come alive in a startling vividness thanks to the meticulous details of all the settings provided by her. Ever the escapist, I would gladly fly off to Dreamdark and live in the roots of a murmuring, ancient tree!

I am very much looking forward to the sequel coming out this fall, and I will definitely get it when it's out. I'm also glad I have the old version of the book, since the series' name has been abbreviated to "Dreamdark", as opposed to "Faeries of Dreamdark". Without the blunt reference to faeries, I might never have picked this gem up!

Demon fighting crows and Faeries, who could ask for more? I know I couldn't. Magpie Windwitch is one-of-a-kind, she's the only faerie who still believes that the demons even still exist! Most of them just remember the old demon stories as... well.... stories. But the demons are back, and Magpie is going to stop them, with the help of her crow-brothers. But something comes along that Magpie's not ready to face, and threatens to take everything away.

I devoured this book in one day! The characters were charming and perfectly loveable. I almost cried at parts and laughed out loud at others.

The sequel (by the way) is just as good. Go Dreamdark!

this...
dear lovers of faerie lore,
... is a wonderful addition to the long tradition of fairy tales. It is a great story with vivid characters struggling against evil (well, what's new there?) but most of all we loved the relationships among the heroic group that fights together for the good. If you like faerie stories, you'll surely love this one. It's exciting and well written and we look forward to reading more by this author.
kyela,
the silver elves

I had been awaiting the day that Blackbringer came out for months (like perhaps a star wars geek waits for the opening night, except I didn't camp out, or wear a costume when I picked it up) because I wanted so badly to read it again! I was lucky enough to get to read one of the last drafts of Blackbringer (in two days, on vacation at the beach, I didn't see to much of the beach those days!) and I couldn't wait to read it again, but this time, without the danger of losing the pages!

Its fantastic. I don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said by the other reviewers. I was sad to close the book every time I had to put it down. And-like all my favorites-I was regretting reading it so fast when I was done with it, because I wasn't ready to leave that world! Laini created such a beautiful forest (Dreamdark) that I could picture it in my mind, and I wanted to be there in Poppy's garden and workroom, and I wanted to have dinner in the Rathersting castle surrounded by fierce, tattooed fairy warriors!

So all in all, go get this book, read it, then make all your friends read it, none of you will regret it!

Having run across the author, Laini Taylor, in the blogosphere, I was eager to read her novel. I've stayed well away from fantasy for a while now, but made an exception.

I'm so, so glad I did.

Taylor manages to world build in a lovely, engaging way, creating a rich tapestry (you'll forgive my inside joke if you've read the book) of culture and history along with magic and adventure. I also loved that she manages to dance the line between lyrical and accessible--her writing is beautiful without taking over the story.

The story itself was interesting, and filled with enough mystery--and consistent answers--to keep the pace moving quickly without ever becoming frustrating. One thing I particularly enjoyed was the subtle shift in voice depending on whose point of view the narration focused on. Taylor is a very skilled writer, and it's obvious she loves her characters and the world she made for them. She writes it so well, you can't help but love it, too.

Although it's a great adventure, the book is never too violent, and with only made-up swearing, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone. With the paperback schedule for May, I'm already figuring out who I can give it to for birthdays and Christmas (and counting down until the sequel)!

I Love this book. I read it over a year ago and it still lingers in my mind. Some books are character books. Some books are plot books. This one is strongly both.

I love the characters like long lost friends. They feel vulnerable, yet strong. Scared at times, yet brave. And while I loved the characters, the story and adventure kept me turning pages. What could be better in a book?

The imagined world is fun to enter, yet it feels as real as the characters do -- My favorite kind of fantasy to read. Here you aren't lost in a hodgepodge of confusing other-world rules and names, rather you feel like you've kind of always known the place, it has a sense of home, of heart, of being real.

Also, the main character is female but this is a story I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to guys, even those who I wouldn't think would read a book with a main character who is female usually.

A fantastic book. One of my favorites.

Oh ya, plus there are really cool crows involved. I love crows.

I was actually lucky enough to meet Ms. Taylor at the 2007 American Library Association's Midwinter meeting in January in Seattle, WA. She was a last minute substitution for Mercedes Lackey who was snowbound in Oklahoma. I almost turned around when I saw the sign that said Ms. Lackey would not be there since she was the one I'd really wanted to hear. Man, am I so glad I didn't!! Ms. Taylor was so impressive - and engaging - as a first-time speaker, I felt sure she had to be as impressive and engaging as a writer! As soon as the event ended and she was spirited away to her publisher's booth in the exhibit hall, I decided to go by and thank her. I was very excited to see that they was giving away advanced uncorrected proofs of "Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer," so I ended up with it and her autograph. And I wasn't disappointed in the least.

Ms. Taylor has managed to weave a story - familiar yet unique - that draws you in with her first words. I'm not generally into fairy stories, but I have always enjoyed an engrossing tale, particularly when the heroine is bucking the system or doing something important that no one else is willing to do.

This story covers the waterfront - you have good djinns and bad djinns and djinns that just don't care anymore. You have good faeries and bad faeries and faeries that can't see that their time in the world is about to come to an abrupt end. And then you have the animals and all the other non-faeries who have been patiently waiting for Magpie WindWitch to grow up and fulfill her destiny. Mags is one of the most fully developed and "real" characters I've read in a long time... probably not since Anne McCaffrey's Pernese characters and Elizabeth Moon's Ezmay Suiza and Herris Serrano. Ms. Taylor can hold her own among these heavy-weights! I can't wait until she takes us back into that wonderful world again.

This was the sort of book I like to linger over, just enjoying the pretty words and the vivid images. I was not surprised to learn that Ms. Taylor is an artist, because BLACKBRINGER reminds me of the sort of intricate, beautiful-with-corners-of-creepiness picture books I loved as a kid. But it was also a just plain fun story, with a fresh and spunky heroine, and ancient mysteries and magic.

Also, I just loved the crows. Unreasonably. I wish I had my own pack of cheerful, loyal, cheroot-smoking theatrical crows to fly off on adventures with.

Aside from the fact that it was one of those incredibly written adventures that you love so much that you have to pass it along to everyone you know (My husband and I took turns passing it around), the story lingered. I didn't want to wake up the next morning because I was Magpie, flying with the crows. Certain things still trigger snatches of the story that make me smile. I highly recommend "Blackbringer" to anyone, regardless of age or gender. Most books are easily forgotten. You won't want to forget this one.

I inhaled this work. The plot is intense and involved. I loved how new twists kept me from growing lazy in my reading. If you love fantasy/adventure this is the book for you. The characters have deep personalities and I always love to read fantasy novels with new takes on magical powers.
I say take a chance on first time author Laini Taylor, you won't be dissapointed. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.
Dorine White

I am a 56 yr old accountant and I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's rather like Harry Potter, not just for children. Why they changed the title on the paperback is beyond me and becomes confusing for the reader. I thought it was another book in the series, but it is not. I would recommend highly for a nice night of escapism. Well written, not banal, good characterization. One of my top ten in this genre.

I don't think I've ever read a book about Faeries. Wizards, Djinn, Vampires, yes. Faeries, no. They just have this boring reputation of sitting by a river making things grow and didn't seem very interesting to me. Well, that's all changed now, who knew Faeries were so interesting?

I love to read books that approach magic in a way that is fresh and original, and this one does. It is a fully fleshed out world with history and fables and magical beings with different abilities and traits. And the plot is engaging - full of surprises and edge-of-your seat action. I highly recommend this book for both boys and girls who love fantasy.

I read far and wide, all genres. I am especially hard to please when it comes to fantasy because there's a lot of bad fantasy out there. But oh, Blackbringer, the first in the Faeries of Dreamdark series, is something special, in its own category. I never stopped marveling at Taylor's creative mind--from Magpie being the granddaughter of the West Wind, to the wisecracking crows, to the fact that all existence is spun upon a great tapestry by a powerful Djinn. She's woven (no pun intended) so many clever threads into a ripping good yarn that's beautifully visual and unforgettable. I can't wait for the sequel!!

One word: WOW!! Laini Taylor has delivered a knock out punch with her first novel.
I am a historical fiction type girl. I always want to know about the spark, the event that led the author down the path to write the story.
As a child I was all about the faeries, fairy tales, and make believe worlds. I read and re-read Tolkien. Then I switched to a more eclectic approach in my book choices and fantasy got left behind for the most part.
Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringerbrings me back to the world of fantasy. It's a book to savor. And that is exactly what I did. Savor. I didn't allow myself to rush my reading. Laini's writing is tight, flowing, and the language rich. From the prologue, the blessing of baby Magpie by the animals to the end as she and her family of crows and other friends head to the next adventure(can't wait for the sequel), you, the reader, are mesmerized. Jim Di Bartolo's art work and cover conveys a faerie you just don't want to mess with.

Although I don't usually read much fiction or YA books, I read Laini Taylor's blog, Grow Wings, and was excited to buy Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbinger when it was first published in 2007. In her blog posts Laini always seemed so excited about her characters, which she had shared were faeries, and I thought that was really cool ~ that the characters in her book were faeries and that she was so enthusiastic about them. I was also eager to read her book because I had read some of her short stories on her blog and knew that she takes the time to create amazingly detailed worlds for her readers.

But then I got distracted ~ which is easy for a mom with two young children to do!

This past summer(2008)I was swept away into Stephanie Meyer's fictional world. I wanted to stay in fantasy land a bit longer so I decided to browse more YA titles and came across Blackbringer again.

I am so glad I bought and read Blackbringer!

I love the way Laini created an entire Faery universe complete with a compelling and believable history. I became very absorbed in the story. The pace of the book is excellent. I read it in just a few nights. The main character, Magpie (I love her name!), is fierce, spunky, and quick witted. I had a very clear picture of Magpie through Laini's descriptions and several illustrations that accompany the text. (I love that ~ I love a few illustrations in a book) I also really liked the character, Talon, and the slow budding romance between him and Magpie. I closed the book wanting more ~ which to me is one of the signs of a great author.

I never felt like I was reading a young adult book. As soon as I was finished with Blackbringer I passed it on to my sister-in-law. I would recommend Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer to everyone...young, old, male, female, human or....

I am looking forward to the sequel, Silksinger, coming out September 2009.

I was enchanted by Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer. Laini Taylor's writing pulled me in, and the characters and story wouldn't let me go. The first bit of dialogue hooked me; I loved how the characters DON'T use some exalted High Language, but instead speak in a wonderful rough-and-ready dialect. Dialect is tough to pull off, and one that's largely invented even more so. But Taylor does it brilliantly; enough to add richness and flavor, not so much as to be confusing.

The main character, Magpie, is simply a joy. Flawed, impetuous, down-to-earth, surprising, with an endearingly tender heart...I could spend 400 more pages happily in her company! And I have a special soft spot for Talon; his and Magpie's bumpy, growing relationship is pitch-perfect. The writing is marvelous, with unexpected twists and details that make the story pop off the page. (I have visual images of Batch, the scavenger imp, that I will never get out of my head! Not that that's a bad thing...they made me laugh out loud.) The story moves at a great pace, never slacking, right through to the very satisfying end.

Dreamdark's world of faeries and imps, crows and Djinns and mannies is a delight. Highly, highly recommended.

I have never reviewed a book or product on the store before, but after reading this book I just had to!

I am an avid reader (4-5 books in a good month)and I just love fantasy and science fiction (but I read other genres as well). This book has been such an amazing journey for me. I love the author's writing style. I love how she describes things in unexpected ways. The story line is orginal and exciting and takes you all over the place without making you feel like you are getting whipped around. I love the way the author just sort of "drops" you into this story in a unique and different way.

Such a great book, I can't wait for the next one!

when i walked into the strand bookstore, the largest bookstore ever, i knew there was a book in there that was THE book. this book was it. i always loved strong female characters, and magpie windwitch was the perfect example. she didn't let anybody stand in her way. i also enjoyed the authors portrayal of faeries. in some books, faeries are weak, vain, and sometimes downright mean. in this book, faeries were strong, demon-fighting warriors- or most of them are. plus, laini taylor throws a little bit of mystery surrounding who magpie really is. add a pinch of pixie dust, mix it all together, and you have an awesome book!

Laini Taylor is very imaginative and a good writer. I've been waiting for her next book in the series to come out. Often I try to buy the paperback version of books in order to conserve money but I paid the extra money to get the hardback version of this and her new book because I know I will be keeping them around for years.

If you read only one fantasy book this year, read this one.

Gotcher attention, eh? I think that if you knew me, you'd know that I don't throw out statements like this willy-nilly. I've read enough books for children and teens to know that no matter how good a story seems while you are reading it, there's bound to be another that steals your heart a day or two later. Good books are published every single day, and declaring one to be the be all and end all of any category is just plain wrong.

That said, if you read only one fantasy book this year, read this one.

I mean it. First time author Laini Taylor has written a doozy of a debut. It's one of those books you read and then find you can't put down. I repeatedly found myself on the New York City subway system in a state of frustration every time I arrived at my stop. Somehow, Taylor is able to write a fantasy novel so compelling that you can never put it down because you've found yourself at a particularly exciting moment. Separating itself from every other fantasy series out there (an accomplishment in and of itself) Taylor's written a book with just enough humor, tension, excitement, hope, joy, and pure unadulterated despair to please even the most jaded of fantasy loving kiddies. And it's about freakin' fairies.

Funny story. Remember that old fairy tale about the guy who found a genie in a bottle and when he opened it he was granted three wishes? Well, it won't surprise you too much then to hear that these days whenever a human finds a bottle their first instinct is to uncork the sucker. Problem is, genies aren't the denizens of these bottles. Demons are. And when the demons are let loose upon the world there's only one gal with the guts to put them in their place. Magpie Windwitch just happens to be the granddaughter of the West Wing (it's a long story), a fairy, and she's traveling with her seven crow companions. Her job is to track down and recapture these wayward devils by any means possible. She's good at her job, but little of her training prepares her for the darkest creature let loose yet. Called the Blackbringer, this nasty piece of work is intent on destroying the world, and its chances happen to be pretty darn good. To defeat it Magpie will have to cross over to the world of the dead, befriend the flightless, scurry, kill, confront the creator of the universe (who is SUCH a pill these days), and discover her true past. If you didn't know her, that might sound like a tall order. If you knew her, it would still sound like a tall order, but at least you'd know she'll tackle it with everything she's got.

Hopes were not high when I first picked up this book. I'll level with you here... author Laini Taylor was previously best known for a line of fairy ornaments called "Laini's Ladies". From that you might imagine the book to be a sweet little flower fairy tale with a lot of dew-sipping and moonlight dances. Thank God for Laini's husband Jim DiBartolo, then. Basically, it's going to be hard to sell any book with the word "faeries" in its title to the male fantasy-reading public. That's where Jim comes in. His illustrations for the book are fairly spare, with less than ten dotting the book. Still, Mr. DiBartolo has nailed the tone of his wife's text. The image of Magpie on the cover is perfect. She looks like she means business. All the characters in this book look that way, actually. There's nothing soft, flower fairyish, or namby-pamby about these sprites. And one can only hope that exposure to the Artemis Fowl books will have given readers an inkling of the kick-butt nature of faeries in general.

Not that there isn't a healthy dosing of humor to boot. The crow brothers that accompany Magpie at all times act like a feathered version of Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men, language and all. They smoke cigars and put on plays at the drop of a hat (which is particularly amusing when you consider the lack of opposable thumbs and all). Every character here (except maybe the villains) has a sense of humor, and it's an honest one. Taylor doesn't have to force the jokes. They come naturally and lighten an already quick and fancy book.

Okay, but what's the most important thing in any fantasy novel? The quality of writing, duckies. First and foremost there's the language in this book. Taylor's managed to create a kind of new speech that is infinitely understandable, but at the same time distinguishes itself from the pseudo-Gaelic slang so many other authors indulge in. There's a great deal of pleasure to be taken in phrases like, "hush yer spathering," or, "it shivers me," or, "un-skiving-likely." . She's also a keen ear for lush otherworldly descriptions too. Some are gorgeous and remarkable. Others are so horrific you're half amazed no one's thought of them before. "Its mottled brown skin had the texture of dried gut stretched over a skull, and so crude were its features it seemed to have been sculpted in the dark, and with one obvious omission: it had no mouth." I won't describe any more except to say how it goes about GETTING a mouth is grotesquely unique.

Of course, the inevitable comparison here is going to be with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The funny parts and mix of fantasy and horror placed alongside a heroine with supernatural powers who fights demons? Yeah. We've seen it before. The thing is though, this isn't a Buffy rip-off. It's powerful in its own right with its own distinctive mythology and unique world. Then again, it can definitely be boiled down to one girl saving the world. Why? Well, as the book explains at one point, "As with each devil she captured, she was the only one trying." The nice thing about having Magpie as your heroine is that even when you're worried for her, you're not so worried that you don't trust her. She may have the manners of a pit bull and the self-grooming talents of a mangy cat, but she's tough and fun and will take on anything her size or larger if you let her.

You know what I liked about this book? No rhyming prophecies about the future. Can I tell you how rare it is to find a fantasy that doesn't contain at least one, if not more, poorly rhymed prophecies about a "chosen one"? Okay, so fine. Magpie is kind of a chosen one. But she doesn't have to solve any riddles about it and her destiny isn't written in stone on an ancient parchment somewhere or anything. Besides, as the book puts it so perfectly, "She decided finally that it's not so bad to find out you have a destiny when it's something you were going to do anyway." And by the way, when someone dies in this book it matters. It matters intensely. This isn't one of those books where people die left and right and the stoic hero doesn't feel the loss. Nuh-uh. If someone dies Magpie feels mourns it up. This is something not all authors think to do, and I for one appreciated it.

Oh. And there's a warrior prince that knits. And a horrid little scavenger imp who enjoys putting his toes in his nose. And a host of other interesting, terrible, wonderful things all packed together in this book without ever feeling rushed or overused. For all its 400-some pages, "Blackbringer" moves at a remarkable clip, never getting bogged down or slow it doesn't sacrifice character or plot for the sake of action. Laini Taylor's balancing act with this novel should be studied intensely by those wannabes that want to break into the world of fantasy writing for kids. It's one-of-a-kind and worth a taste. I meant what I said and I said what I meant. If you read only one fantasy book this year, read this one.

The faeries of Dreamdark have isolated themselves from the rest of the world, preferring to live quietly and peacefully within their own race, but Magpie Windwitch is unlike other faeries. She roams the world, ridding it of devils unleashed by unwitting humans with her band of crows. When a dark force threatens to undo all of creation, Magpie finds herself thrust into an adventure so enthralling that I had a hard time putting the book down. Laini Taylor has created a fascinating world with a strong character-driven plot that is fresh and engaging. It took me a few pages to get used Magpie and the crows' unique dialect, but once I got into the plot and picked up on Taylor's original and unique style, I was enchanted by it. I particularly loved how the characters were real, with flaws and struggles and convictions that were endearing and had me rooting for them the whole way through. I would recommend Blackbringer to youth and adults alike, and I can't wait until my kids are old enough to enjoy it. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment...

I listened to this book on Audio and it is so beautiful, It's a wonderful tale of A young fairy named Magpie Windwitch who is the grandaughter of the west wind and how she saves Dreamdark (where the fairies live). This is a story to warm your heart (and will probably make you shed a few tears).

I cannot recommend this book enough!

I bought this beautifully crafted book because I enjoyed the author's blog. I had no idea of the enchantment that it would cast over me. From page one I felt that sense of faerie that one feels, for instance in Tolkien's Ring trilogy. The tiny faerie, Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind,and her small company of crows,who are Magpie's air-borne transportation as well as her companions, face a menace that threatens to destroy their world. It is a world completely different from ours, made believable by the vivid and consistent descriptive powers of the author. As Magpie faces challenge after challenge, the suspense never lets up. The story compelled me to keep reading, but the author's mastery of language, sharply descriptive and lyrical, was an additional pleasure. This is a story that I, a great-grandmother, enjoyed and which I intend to share with all my great-grandchildren as they reach reading age.

Blackbringer is a briskly paced story chock full of amazing and colorful characters. There is danger and mayhem interspersed with moments of great charm, wisdom and a hint of romance. I would recommend it to fantasy fiction fans in their teens or more.

Buy this book! Right now! Laini Taylor has done what only a handful of writers manage to do. She has written a story that manages to be completely new and feel intimately familiar at the same time. There is language you won't know, there are references you won't have seen before, and it's about faeries and talking crows but you will feel like somehow you KNOW them.

I read this book in a breathlessly short time. I was hooked from the beginning. I loved it because although it is a YA book, her writing is universal. There is a truly scary villain with a TRULY gross minion, the crows smoke, Magpie (the main character) is fierce (makes me want to strap a knife to my thigh and take on the world!) and there is just enough magic and mayhem and real darkness to keep you tingling for more.

Really - buy it now!!

I listened to the audio performance by Davina Porter. Her narration increased my enjoyment of an already original and character driven story. I have read there is some problem with the publisher of these stories not wishing to continue the series. I think that would be a huge mistake. I have read other books by Laini Taylor, and although I enjoyed them, this series deserves more. I have never enjoyed a "faerie tale" so much. :)

If only Laini Taylor's "Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer" had among its spells and enchantments the recipe for stepping into this cleverly rendered world, I'd have a new "happy place". I still do in my mind, thanks to some of the most descriptive writing I have ever had the pleasure to read.

Laini's beautiful prose will make you ache to fly between the covers and inhabit this most magic and fantastical place to take part in the many adventures of Magpie Windwitch and her friends. I can't wait to read it again, this time aloud to my 8 year-old daughter, and I'm certain it will inform hours of dress-up play.

Rarely do I rave about a book, but this one is going to be at the top of my list for as long as the Faeries of Dreamdark inhabit my imagination - and beyond - to the anxiously awaited follow-up.

You wouldn't think a little faerie could take such a firm hold of your heart, but Magpie does it with a great deal of charm, fun and chutzpah! This feisty girl will take you on a whirlwind trip across a world unknown to humans before now. Thankfully Laini Taylor provides wonderful descriptions of this tiny universe and gets you to imagine the most amazing things as you follow Magpie, her band of "feathers" and other friends on a treacherous journey through Dreamdark. This story will leave you wanting more. Please read this book!

Faeries of Dreamdark was a great read, I would definitely recommend it to all fantasy lovers. I read it with my book club and I quite enjoyed it, it was exciting but not overly gory, and kept me engaged the whole time. I look forward to reading the sequels. If you are a boy, don't worry, you needn't be afraid because it's about faeries, these are not sissy faeries, you'll like them, trust me! In fact it was a boy who suggested reading Blackbringer at my book club in the first place.

This book is listed as YA but I LOVED it. As the mama to 3 girls between the ages of 20 and 5 yrs old and a huge fan of magickal stories and books myself, we have pretty much covered the faery genre.
Until Blackbringer. The hutzpah and charm of this story captured us all from word one. THIS is the kind of heroine I hope for my girls to learn from, not that she is a goody two shoes by any means.....the fact that she isn't is why! Adventure with some interesting ethical dilemmas and dreamy descriptions....a smart thinking girls adventure book, not too scary but enough tension to bring shivers of excitement and the little ones to scooting closer, all while exhorting you to keep going!!

December 26th 2007, just finished the book and I have to say it's probably the best book I've read all year! And since it was a library book, I think I'll go pick up a copy for myself! Adults (like me) and kids alike will enjoy this one.

This is one of my favorite books-- it is exciting and really well written and full of awesome. Laini Taylor is so good at making her characters, who are FAERIES, seem human and real. In fact, by the end of the book you'll wish they were real so that you could be friends with them. Magpie, the protagonist, has a Destiny (with a capital D), but it doesn't feel canned like so many adventure-quest books are, and her friend Talon is a warrior prince-- who knits!
Despite this being a book about Faeries (albeit ones who fight with knives and capture devils), I can easily see boys reading this book and enjoying it as well as girls. It is action packed and the end is far from predictable. And the best part is, it's only the first book in a series!

This is the best book of its kind on the market right now - at least the best I've found. Laini Taylor has created a world which manages at once to draw on the very best traditions of fantasy while creating something new, unique and totally absorbing. The story is gripping and - like other reviewers - I read it in almost one sitting. I was unable to tear myself away from the adventures of fiesty Magpie and the rest of the cast of characters who are all convincing and compelling enough to make me laugh out loud as well as to make me genuinely care about their fate. Taylor employs the classic "old evil returns to wreck new havoc" formula with originality and exertise and her villians are seriously scary. In a now crowded market, this book is a stand out.

A wonderful story, full of action and well rounded characters. While it would have been easy to fall into stereotypes, if only to move the story along, the author gives the reader lots of surprises--you feel like you are learning something new and exciting throughout the book.

The story can be a little hard to follow at first--the faerie language and its nuances took a little getting used to.

I have been recommending this book to young and old alike.

One of the reviewers below says "If you read only one fantasy book this year, read this one". She's right. It's a rare treat - a thoroughly captivating, emotive, beautifully-written, character-rich story that just draws you in and keeps you there right until the very last word. And then leaves you wishing for more. So few books satisfy in this way.

I have since bought it for my sister, my niece, and a friend, all of whom have loved it too and we range in ages from 14 -57 so don't be put off by the 9-12 age group that it's recommended for - it's a book for all age groups, from 9 to 99.

I have Silksinger on pre-order and have done since the moment it was available. Can't wait!

I found out about this book via the author's blog which I stumbled on when researching the word for caterpillar poop ("frass" which is also a fairy swear word, if you didn't know). I loved the artwork of the book cover, loved the style of the blog, and knew I had to read the book. It did not disappoint at all. It was a fun rollicking read which I couldn't put down, nigh neglecting my children and work. The heroine of the tale, Magpie, would have been a great inspiration if I had read it when I was a young girl. I enthusiastically encouraged my town's librarian to get the book so many others could have the same pleasure reading it as I had.

This book was like a dream spun by a master writer. A wonderful story with such love and dedication at its core. I will shrivel up with anticipation before I can get my hands on the second one, since it's not yet available on Kindle ebooks. A pure joy of a read.

I am so glad I read this book. It was one of my favorite books published in 2008 (and I read more than 50 of those). It combines rich language with spunky characters and awesome plot and intricate mythology.

Whether or not you love fantasy books, you'll like Blackbringer! It's just plain quality literature.

The first 50 pages, I was visiting a place I had never heard of. By the end of the book I believed in faeries and wanted to BE Magpie. (and I wanted to kiss Talon, too!)

The characters were interesting and well developed, the villains were dispicable and the magic was abounding.

This was such a fun read and my mind was soaring that this book came from someone's imagination--what a miracle Laini Taylor is!

When I first got Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer, I never imagined it could be so wonderful. After reading the book once, I had to read it again. Filled with adventures and mysteries, magic and faeries, crows and imps, Faeries of Dreamdark is the perfect book for young and old alike. Laini Taylor is a very talented author and anyone who has read her book can tell you how fantastic it is.
- Miriam S., age 9 (typed by her dad)

Excellent high fantasy. If you like Tolkien or Redwall, you will like this series. The characters and world are instantly intriguing and likable. Magpie Windwitch, outside of being an awesome name, is an amazing and complex character that readers will instantly connect with. Her adventures are completely intriguing and satisfying. I look forward to the rest of this series.

I've never written a review on a book before...but I just had to with this one. It was amazing...I just couldn't put it down! The book totally pulls you in with it's vivid descriptions of places and the characters...well...they are so easy to like and I hope to see much more of them! I can only hope that there will be many more books in the future from this fabulous author!

I loved this book, even though it is written for children, I would recommend it to all Faerie loving adults as well ;-) It was gripping and I had a hard time putting it down. I cannot wait for the next adventure and will throroughly enjoy re-reading this with my own, nine-year old, Faerie !!

I absolultey loved Laini Taylors, Faeries of Dreamdark; Blackbringer. The book was action from the very begining and Magpie and the crows are so easy to love. I loved that Magpie was not the typical fairy. The book was great and I can't wait to read Silksinger, I am just sad that I have to wait till September.