A trilogy that redefines what you think about Faerie and the Apocalypse!

Here is Janni discussing how she "talks" to her character Matthew @ My Shelf Confessions

The long wait for Faerie After, the last in the Bones of Faerie trilogy, was completely worth it! Simner has a way of connecting you to her characters on an intimate level. Their struggles with each other could very well mirror your own struggles with loved ones. OK, maybe not with all the faerie, post apocalyptic business but you get what I mean.

In my opinion, it is essential that we see all sides of a character in order to bond with them. Of course there are going to be traits you love and hate, but these things all serve to make the characters more real. Simner has a deft skill at writing characters I can directly relate to. They didn’t read like cookie cutter characters like I’ve read a zillion times before. Liza can be a selfish nit when it comes to certain things, thinking she knows best but she is also self sacrificing and tries to be honest and do what’s right – but even that doesn’t skim the surface of who she is.

In Faerie After, Liza is thrust into yet more tragedy and harsh realities, about life and death and the gravity of one’s choices. She’s been through so much and it doesn’t seem like she can ever catch a break. I was saddened that Matthew was again absent for a big portion of the book but I was delighted that Allie played a large role. She is a wonderful character and we’ll deserving of her own story. Overall this trilogy has tackled some hefty issues like child abuse, neglect, discrimination and hate crimes.

The only complaint I have is when I reviewed Faerie Winter (book 2 in the trilogy) I oozed over how I thought the “rehash” of the previous book was done so well – how you weren’t hit over the head with it. I have to say I was extremely disappointed in the beginning of Faerie After because you weren’t just hit on the head with the recap information – you were freaking face punched with it. I know what Simner was trying to do with using the “Before” reference as the characters call the time preceding the War “Before.” But she reiterated every major event as “Before this happened, Before that happened” and it was in a constant stream of this for at least an entire page.

We are taken on a journey into Faerie as well as the place beyond where all go when they die. A battle is fought and the very fabric of reality re-woven. What I especially enjoyed was that the book didn’t end immediately after the climax. I was eased into letting the story go, which I’m thankful for as I will definitely miss this world.

*An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review. All opinions are completely my own.* ( )

A beautiful and thoughtful end to one of my favorite series. I was saddened and hopeful with the resolution of the trilogy. Simner is an amazing writer. ( )