Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1) in Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library

Jul 08, 2009 Kimberly rated it liked it

Shelves: ya

Maggie Stiefvater has a new book, Shiver, coming out this August which sounds really terrific, so I thought I'd finally track down a copy of her first novel Lament to see if it was any good. And it was! Lament is exactly the kind of novel I enjoy---a love story between a modern day teenager and a prisoner of the faerie world---and that was really part of my problem. I have an obsession with the ballad of Tam Lin, the story of a faerie captive being rescued by a mortal girl, and have read nearly Maggie Stiefvater has a new book, Shiver, coming out this August which sounds really terrific, so I thought I'd finally track down a copy of her first novel Lament to see if it was any good. And it was! Lament is exactly the kind of novel I enjoy---a love story between a modern day teenager and a prisoner of the faerie world---and that was really part of my problem. I have an obsession with the ballad of Tam Lin, the story of a faerie captive being rescued by a mortal girl, and have read nearly anything I could get my hands on on the subject. Lament isn't exactly a Tam Lin story but it was similar enough to feel a bit predictable to me. I did not necessarily know how the story would turn out, but I have read enough fairy folklore to identify certain characters and themes before the protagonists did. If Lament were the first novel I read to deal with faerie themes, I may very well have enjoyed it more than I did, instead of comparing it to Pamela Dean's Tam Lin, Holly Black's Tithe, or my favorite, Diana Wynne Jones' Fire and Hemlock, to its detriment.

There are also a few criticisms I have that are completely unrelated to my overexposure to the subject, although they still might not bother others as much. The first one is a silly one, I'll admit. The heroine, Deirdre, is a harp virtuoso, but she has a bit of a problem with stage fright. I think most of us can relate to that, however, Deirdre's stage fright makes her sick, and I really didn't want to read about that. In fact, the first time she meets Luke, the hero, in person is when he is holding back her hair as she vomits---romantic picture, huh?

As I read on, it really seemed to me that Deirdre's stage fright might have been inserted into the story as an attempt to save her from Mary Sue-dom, but it really didn't work. That's my second main complaint about the book; Deirdre was already a gifted musician, so when she turns out to have telekinesis as well it felt like too much. She isn't described as beautiful, but Luke's attraction to her is immediate, whereas her friend James has apparently been pining over her for years. However, although the story is told in first person, she didn't have an especially charming or distinctive voice; she isn't really easy for us to relate to, although with a few changes she could be. If Stiefvater played up the overprotectiveness of Deirdre's mother, for instance, or addressed the psychological as well as (or preferably instead of) physical symptoms of Deirdre's stage fright, she might come closer to being a three dimensional character.

On the other hand, I really do see a great deal of potential for the sequel to this novel, Ballad, and that's because of all the things Stiefvater does right. There are passages of beautiful and moving prose here, and the connection between music and magic is especially well drawn. I love the way Stiefvater describes Faerie, and while the faerie characters are enigmatic, I wanted to find out more. Luke himself comes across as a less stalker-y Edward Cullen, but the glimpses of his past intrigued me. And the fact that Deirdre's family has long-standing ties to Faerie also piqued my interest, making me think a prequel would do quite well. So I think if Stiefvater can improve her character development, her future novels will really shine. ...more

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Dec 30, 2009 Tani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: female-author, fantasy, youngadult, 2010

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This one started really strong for me, but fizzled toward the middle. I think there are two reasons for this:

1) I didn't entirely buy Deirdre as an introvert. Her complete lack of hesitance when with Luke, while fun, was also just a little too much for me.

2) Likewise, I didn't buy Deirdre's quick acceptance of what Luke had done as the Faerie Queen's assassin. Sure, you love the guy, but he killed a lot of people. Her initial freak out, that was good. I bought it. She just got over it too easi ...more

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Apr 17, 2014 Jen rated it really liked it

Shelves: booksfornephewsandnieces

Lament sets itself apart from other YA fantasy not only by involving Celtic faeries/mythology, but because our heroine Dierdre meets her love interest Luke over music - they're both talented, and connect during a duet at a recital. The power of music is almost as powerful as actual faerie magic in this book, which made me a fan.

"Around us, the air glowed and moved, changing and swirling, touching us with invisible cold hands, hanging in the trees like gauze, glimmering on the leaves like preciou ...more

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Jun 26, 2009 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-sci-fi

There is something to be said about expectation. I just reviewed a book that is 'considered' as good as Tolkien. I didn't think so. This book I did not expect much and to be honest there are holes you could drive mac truck through but I enjoyed it. I liked Deirdre, just enough teen angst to be real without becoming annoying. I like her best friend, James; I think he may have been my favorite character. And I liked Luke the hunky, yet dangerous, fellow that appears out of thin air to help her win ...more

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