Silksinger -Dreamdark #2
by Laini Taylor

In 2007 I discovered The Faeries of Dreamdark in a bookshop while visiting my cousin in Fredericton, New Brunswick. I had never seen nor heard of that book before and I was instantly drawn to it. When I discovered there would be a sequel I had to pick it up. Sadly it took me way too long to pick it up and read it after I bought it. I finally finished Silksinger this weekend I was left with wanting – no, needing more as I finished the last page.

Silksinger introduces readers to two new and wonderful characters, Whisper (the last of the Silksinger clan) and Hirik (a faerie with a secret). Although Magpie Windwitch is still on her quest to find and restore all the Djinn she and her wonderful group of crows are not the main focus of the story and they appear in every few chapters until the end when everyone comes together.

Laini Taylor is a master at writing fantasy in my opinion. She has a wonderful way with words that draws you into the story and the faerie world so completely that you forget that these are merely tiny fictional creatures. How I long to fly with the crows as Magpie does or be able to sing magic as Whisper does. The faeries of Dreamdark have their own language and manner of speaking that takes me a little while to get used to but once I am immersed into the book I don’t even notice the different way they speak as opposed to us humans.

I’m not even doing this story justice by this review. This is one of those books that my synesthesia just gobbles up and I experience in colours and whirls of patter and texture. I can’t find the words to express how magical and completely enthralling this book is. Every character from faerie, to crow to imp is so rich and colourful and complex. It’s as those these creatures are real and living their lives right along side us. The writing, dialogue and story are captivating and exciting.

I do not see any information about a third book in the series on Laini Taylor’s website. I do hope there will be another book because this one ends on a rather cliff-hangerly note and I would like to read more about the adventure of trying to restore the world’s Djinn.

Dreamdark series

1. Dreamdark: Blackbringer
2. Dreamdark: Silksinger

Faeries of Dreamdark Blackbringer
by Laini Taylor

I bought this while I was away, it was one of those happy surprises I found in the bookstore I was in. I had never seen nor heard of this book before and of course I had to pick it up and check it out, right? It was about faeries (and spelled the right way, too!).

The exciting thing about this book? It takes place in an entirely made up world, though it’s  on the outskirts of our world. The author really doesn’t make much reference to the human world (or, “mannies” as they are called in the book) so you don’t really feel like it’s invading the fantasy of it all.

Magpie Windwitch flies around with her group of crows hunting down devils (demons) and recapturing them after the stupid “mannies” let them out of their bottles in hopes of having three wishes granted (just because once, a long time ago, one devil let the human have wishes when he was let out, then promptly killed him). One of the devils is the worst of them all, the Blackbringer. Once swallowed by him you don’t even enter the afterlife, you’re just unmade and drowned in blackness.

All in all it was an entertaining tale and though it started off a little slow, I quickly began to like the characters, especially the crows, and the story kept me turning the pages. It was a pretty hefty book, too. Well written and fun. I don’t know if there are plans for another book or a series, but if there is, I’ll be reading it!

Dreamdark series

1. Dreamdark: Blackbringer
2. Dreamdark: Silksinger