Faerie Tribes the Crystal Mirror - Review

Adult Review

Paula Harrison writes strong female protagonists, she knows how to make her characters so they’re tough and to be reckoned with yet skill keep their femininity. In her series for younger writers the Rescue Princesses the young royal girls learn to be ninjas to save animals from dangers, but they still like the pretty girly things girls like. Faerie Tribes brings yet another feisty female heroin to Paula’s bow. Laney, who on her twelfth birthday gets a bigger present than she ever wished for, as her faerie powers awakens, and she discovers she part of a magical hidden world.

Laney soon discovers than the magic faerie world, visible only to faeries can be dangerous place, with quarrelling tribes, whose superstitions lead them to fear her; the girl who awoke on the night of the Wolf Moon.  When a much feared Shadow Faerie appears in Laney dreams and in reality, it’s up to Laney and her friends to stop him finding the Crystal Mirror the source of the mist tribe’s power.

The Crystal Mirror, is a hidden fantasy world masterpiece set in the modest setting of rural English village, In the same way that Harry Potter and Percy Jackson have worlds that populate the same world as our own but are hidden from human view. Paula’s village of Skellmore is much more than hairdressers, a pet shop and a mini-mart.  When Laney awakens she sees the true Skellmore, where buildings are alive, and dangerous faerie rings threaten to pull those that get to close through to another dimension.  All these elements are expertly crafted, and evoke a real sense of the surreal.

 “She darted a look at the pet shop and nearly fell over. She was expecting a red brick building with rainbow letters over the door that spelled “Lionheart Pet Shop” but instead there was a furry-looking dark brown wall. The shop name was the same, but set in the wall just above it was a gigantic pair of cat’s eyes staring out at everyone.”

Lionheart petshop - by me couldn't help but try and sketch it!

Paula’s introduces many mature themes in Crystal Mirror, like prejudice and intolerance with the quarrelling tribes which are so suspicious of one another, that they cannot see imminent danger. Paula brings these topics down to a level that children can understand, with Laney who belongs to the Mist tribe, becoming friends with Claudia a Graytail  (whose magic is over animals), and Fetcher a Thron (whose magic is sourced from plants) causing much controversy amongst the villagers.  

The Crystal Mirror has dark elements, and mature themes, but is carefully woven with the beauty and wonder, the scene where Laney first gets her wings, is my daughter’s favourite. It is action packed with a satisfying end, but with enough hook that make you want to read book two, The Wildwood Arrow as soon as it hits the shelves. Despite its content, I strongly believe that any open-minded boys that give it a try will enjoy this too.

Child's Review by Beatriz (age 9)

Laney by Beatriz

Laney’s fearie powers awaken on the night of the red moon. But being a new faerie they aren't showing for the test. Laney needs use her powers to find the crystal mirror and stop the sinister shadow fearie before it’s too late.

Faerie Tribes, The Crystal Mirror is a GREAT story with loads of exciting bits. My favourite part is where the shadow faeries plans are working and Laney finds a way to spoil them.

You should read this book because it is such a GREAT book, that you will probably read it in a week, it’s so good.

We've got a copy of Fearie Tribes The Crystal Mirror, signed by Paula Harrison to give away.  To be in with a chance of winning it, e-mail us at SpaceOnTheBookshelf@yahoo.com your name and address and 'Faerie Tribes' in the header.

Good Luck

Faerie Tribes The Crystal Mirror - Paula Harrison – Spotlight on Writing

Paula’s writing always brings me an element of awe, as she manages to evoke both strong atmosphere and almost tangible settings with very few words. Faerie Tribes is packed full of examples of Paula’s beautiful and powerful writing, as I have highlighted in the review, however in this feature I’m turning the spotlight on to her bold and unique look at Faeries.

From Artemis Fowl and Spiderwick to Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely world; fairies, fae, and faeries have been depicted in countless ways, and various guises, but they are almost always OTHER beings. Most literature turn to the older fairy-lore by depicting fairies as dangerous creatures or at the very least mischievous, that share our world or part of it, who may hide or live in full view with the protection of magic, but they also hold to the ancient beliefs that fairies are others beings. In most books, for a human to become a fairy, they have to change by trickery or magic, (there are a few exceptions like Wings by Aprilynne Pyke) and of course Faerie Tribes.

What Paula does in Faerie Tribes is more akin to Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, giving the reader the opportunity to believe that they could be like the protagonist, that although they don’t know it yet they really are special, supernatural, and in Faerie Tribes case a Faerie. In Paula’s Faerie world, all faeries are born human, and their powers awaken during childhood, revealing a layered world, the Faerie world that lies beneath the human world.  This allows the reader to have the fantasy that they are yet to be awoken.

Paula also creates a unique view of Faeries, living a life which is more human, adopting human ways, living alongside humans, holding human jobs, and attending human schools. This makes again a different approach to most Fairy books, where the faeries have their own ways of life yet still being set apart being others, but in Paula Skellmore the faeries do human jobs, living essentially more human lives than magical ones. Paula’s Faeries work in industries that are very normal but utilising their faerie powers to assist them, if there power is a spiritual connection to animals they run the pet shop or if there power is over water then they are plumbers.  Their lives unseen by human lives and to the extent that un-awoken faeries who live in the bosom of the village are blissfully unaware, take the protagonist Laney, who aptly puts it …

“I thought this [Skellsmore] was the most boring place on the planet” 

Finally, one of the other great strengths of Faerie tribes, is it Britishness. In recent years there have been many fairy books, but most are set in the America, Wicked Lovey – New York, Wings –California, Spiderwick- Maine. Fearie Tribes-Skellmore, which could be any village throughout the UK.

“…Skellmore High Street with its three shops and two park benches.”

From the park, the village pub, to the church Skellsmore is quintessentially British, looking like the rural backdrop where nothing exciting would ever happen. It’s so refreshing to have a fairy fantasy set in Britain, and its setting is a perfect contrast to the magical world.

In short Paula’s Faerie tribes is truly special as it's engrossing and allows the reader to do what all fantasy adventures should, fantasize and dream that they are part of the story. Paula's Faerie Tribes does just this by allowing the reader to believe that they are too a faerie yet to awaken.

We've got a copy of Faerie Tribes The Crystal Mirror, signed by Paula Harrison to give away.  To be in with a chance of winning it, e-mail us at SpaceOnTheBookshelf@yahoo.com with your name and address and 'Faerie Tribes' in the header

Good Luck!

Faerie Tribes The Crystal Mirror - Editor Interview - Kirsty Stansfield

Continuing our celebration of  Paula Harrison new middle-grade fantasy series, Faerie Tribes The Crystal Mirror, we have an  interview with her editor from Nosy Crow Kirsty Stansfield.

What was your favourite children’s book as a child?

I loved all the books by Antonia Forest about the Marlow twins and their family – they’re such good stories and so well written. And there are many great touches – Nicola Marlow is obsessed with Horatio Nelson and has a picture of him on her bedside table at boarding school, alongside another of her brother’s war ship. You wouldn't get that in a book for girls today, I suspect!

What is your favourite children’s book as an adult?

I still like the above series, but I’m hugely fond of anything by Hilary McKay and am very much looking forward to my children being old enough for her Casson family stories. They love her Charlie books, though, and it’s certainly no great hardship to have to read those over and over again. And Philip Reeve’s MORTAL ENGINES sequence is brilliant – PREDATOR’S GOLD being the one I like best, I think, though it changes each time I read them. But I suppose my current favourite, simply for all the pleasure it’s brought my children and the peaceful car journeys it’s brought me, is YOU CHOOSE by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt. Total genius!

What do you think makes children’s books so inspirational?

The fact that they can turn small blobs of jelly into the readers of the future. And conversely, stop them ever picking up a book again. It’s a big responsibility, and no one should publish a book for children lightly. Or think that it’s in any way easy. (Mentioning no names, Martin Amis…) 

Is it easier to edit a debut author’s book or an established author?

I think it entirely depends on the book and the author. Some debut writers manage to produce extremely polished books that only need a tweak or two; some don’t. And the same goes for established authors. Either way, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable process, and I’m very grateful that I’m allowed to meddle in the way I am!

What do you love about, ‘Faerie Tribes – The Crystal Mirror,’ and what makes it stand out?

It’s got great atmosphere and pace, and I really like the relationship between the characters. They’re very well drawn. But what I like best about it is that it raises the possibility of transformation – one day, you’re on the school bus, thinking about what to have for tea; the next, you’ve got wings and you’re about to fly out the window! I like that.

How many people have worked on ‘Faerie Tribes – The Crystal Mirror,’ and for how long?

Well, there’s Paula, obviously, and me, then there’s the excellent designer, the two cover artists and a number of freelance copy-editors and proofreaders. And the typesetter. So loads! I made Paula a six-book offer in April 2012 (from a service station on the M5) and we’ve just sent off the final files to the printer for publication in May. Then there’s all the people who’ve been busily selling the series in to retailers, presenting it at book fairs, ordering paper and negotiating with printers, arranging shipping and delivery details, producing sales material and just talking to all and sundry about what a great book it is. Quite an operation!

What made you want to work in children’s publishing?

Well, I didn’t, really. I sort of fell into it, after doing an English degree and working for a literary agent for a while. But I’m very glad I did! 

What are the things that changed most from first draft to final draft and is there anything you wish you had done differently?

Paula has been writing some excellent books for younger readers, (THE RESCUE PRINCESSES – check them out!) and I think the thing we had to work on most with THE CRYSTAL MIRROR was keeping it consistently appropriate for an older age group. I think it must be very hard for writers to work on books for different age groups at the same time, and in order to keep publishing momentum going, Paula had to go back and forth between the series, so sometimes THE CRYSTAL MIRROR tone felt younger, or one of the Rescue Princesses said something that made her sound older than she was.

We've got a copy of Faerie Tribes The Crystal Mirror, signed by Paula Harrison to give away.  To be in with a chance of winning it, e-mail us at SpaceOnTheBookshelf@yahoo.com with your name and address and 'Faerie Tribes' in the header

Good Luck!

Faerie Tribes The Crystal Mirror - Author Interview - Paula Harrison

This month our celebrated book is Faerie Tribes, The Crystal Mirror, by Paula Harrison author of the fabulous Rescue Princesses Series. Faerie Tribes is the first of her new series of books for middle-grade readers. Over the next few days we will be posting, reviews by adults and a child alike, an editor interview plus a Spotlight on Writing article. If that wasn't enough we're also giving away a copy of the book signed by Paula!

Paula Harrison is the author of Faerie Tribes (for older readers) and The Rescue Princesses (a younger series). She wanted to be a writer from a young age but spent many happy years being a primary school teacher first. She finds inspiration in lots of things from cloud shapes to snippets of conversation. She loves sandy beaches and eating popcorn. She lives with her husband and children in Buckinghamshire, which is nowhere near the sea. Whenever possible, she packs her family into the car and journeys far and wide to find a sandy beach where she can paddle in the waves.

What was your favourite children’s book as a child?

That’s a really tricky question. There were just so many! Most of my favourites were from the fantasy genre, so I’ll pick The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.

What is your favourite children’s book as an adult?

Well, it’s still The Dark is Rising and other book from that genre that I enjoyed. Except now I’d have to add some more recently written books such as The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

What do you think makes children’s books so inspirational?

They touch your mind while it’s still growing and changing. They help you find out who you are and who you want to be.

Why did you start writing for children?

I never really outgrew books for children. I did an English degree but then returned to the books I loved as a child and young adult.

What made you want to write this book?

The idea of a reality hidden beneath our normal everyday world fascinates me. I think it plugs into that feeling children have that adults aren’t telling them everything. Imagine if there was a secret so huge that it changed your perspective on the world and everyone you knew. That’s what happens to Laney Rivers.

What is your favourite aspect of writing for children?

Putting myself in their shoes.

Do you think of your books as books for girls, or books with girl protagonists?

Both and neither! I think there’s a certain point where you let the story fly and let the readers get what they want from it. Lots of boys would love Faerie Tribes in the way they love other series with fantasy and a character searching for identity. Conventional publishing wisdom says boys won’t read about girl protagonists though, and there’s nothing I can do about that.

This book and your series for younger readers, ‘The Rescue Princesses’ feature feisty heroines, is this a matter close to you heart?

It isn't something that I deliberately chose to write about. These girls just bound on to my page. I’m very interested in characters like Laney, who have to dig deep to find their courage but do manage to find it all the same.

To win a signed copy of Faerie Tribes The Crystal Mirror, Just email us at SpaceOnTheBookshelf@yahoo.com with your name and address and 'Faerie Tribes' in the header. 

Good luck!