Review: A dark fairy tale
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 1, 2014
I have read several of Ms. Jeppsen’s other books, but this is the first YA fantasy, so it’s definitely different.  Sara Giddings is motherless and moves with her father to a new town, where she stumbles into the land of the fae.  The faerie world quickly recognizes she is a witch with psychic healing powers, and recruits her and two friends to help heal Timaron, the king of the fantasy world, who has declared war upon humans.  The journey to the king’s court is fraught with dangers – powerful dark magic, and a host of evil demons and monsters lying in wait to prevent her passage.This story reminds me of some of the Hans Christian Andersen tales – very dark and with lots of death, despair, tragedy, and sadness.  I thought it moved a little too quickly at times, and some scenes were not given enough weight to allow the horror to register sufficiently.  And perhaps this is needed to keep the younger readers from becoming overwhelmed.Overall, another fine foray into fiction for Ms. Jeppsen.  Not my favorite, but still a wonderful read, and well worth your time, especially if you like fairy tale fantasies.