Audiobook Review: Faery Born by Donna Joy Usher

Series:	War Faery #1
Pub. Date:	June 12, 2018
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrator:	Rachael Beresford
Length:	7 hrs 39 min
Source:	Publisher

Faery Born was a somewhat surprising read. I didn't realize it was young adult when I started it, and while I do read some young adult, it's not something that I pick up often. This story did seem somewhat juvenile, but I think that was partially because the narrator sounded so young. So I wasn't sure that I was going to finish the story at first, but something about it kept my attention and kept me listening until the end. So I think the story was good, I just had to get over the age and maturity level of the characters.

The heroine of this urban fantasy series is Isadora Scrumpleton, a young witch who is finishing up school and coming into her powers. She was insecure that she was a late bloomer, and seemed to be bullied a bit in school. So she is very close with her family, and her best friend Sabina. I thought Izzy's emerging powers were interesting, and the source of those powers was a nice detail in the story. I really liked her familiar, and I would like to see him played up a bit more and given more personality in future books. So for the most part, I liked Izzy as a heroine. My only hang ups with her involved her poor choices and immaturity, where she sometimes ran off half-cocked and mucked things up. But I do have to give her credit for being willing to join the Border Guard and defend her community, friends and family.

The secondary characters and Border Guards added a nice touch. They all had great personalities, particularly Wilfred. Ethan, second in line to the fae throne, was a good hero. But I think he could've played a bigger role. I would have loved to see his point of view thrown in now and again. Without it, the courtship between the two of them seemed one-sided.

I think it was the world building and action that kept me interested. I really like fae books, and I love the magic and unique facets of these types of stories. The dreamwalking was an interesting aspect of the story that you don't often see, and I liked how that dimension worked. I did predict the villain before all was revealed, but it didn't that didn't take away from my interest as the story continued. I will continue on with the other books to see how the goblin war plays out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Tantor Audio.

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