Saturday, August 18, 2018

Book Review: Fairest Son by H.S.J. Williams

Hi ho, my friends! I've got a book review for you today! Recently, I had the honor of reading Fairest Son, a novella by H.S.J. Williams, and loved it so much that I have to shout it to the world.


Fairest Son is a gender-bent retelling of Snow White. I don't know about you, but I was instantly intrigued by that twist alone. But it gets even better! This little tale draws from Irish mythology, including Seelie and Unseelie courts, the sidh, and a lot more that would be too spoilery to mention.


Here's another thing you should know: I read Fairest Son in one sitting. The plan was to read three or four chapters and then move on to writing a blog post. But I kept scrolling . . . and scrolling . . . until I lost track of time and read the story right to the end!*


*I stopped once for a cookie break. Those are important.



The Fair and Foul courts of the fey folk have long yearned for one to bring them together in peace, but hopes are dashed when the fairest prince and the prophecy concerning him are laid to ruin. Burdened with shame and sorrow, the prince flees to the cold mountains far above the forests and lochs with nothing but animals and goblins for company.

When a human huntress stumbles upon him in her search for a legendary predator, their fates are intertwined. But she hides deadly secrets, and if he dares to trust her, he may risk the doom of both courts to an ancient evil...






Wonderful Things



1. Unexpected twists

No spoilers here, but this story deftly twists and weaves the Snow White we all know into a fresh new tale--a tale that stands strongly on its own, yet sends little winks and nods to its source materials at all the right moments. Every "aha" was a delight!


2. Wild fey

Disney's Tinkerbell is nice and all, but the kind of fairies that really enchant me are those that tend toward the wilder side. A little darker, a little more capricious and untamed, a little truer to the fairy tales of old. The Seelie and Unseelie courts here were populated by just that sort of fairy (a.k.a. sidh), which made me happy.


3. Perfect pacing

Novellas are tricky when it comes to pacing. Longer than short stories, they must have a strong enough plot to merit about 20,000-30,000 words; but shorter than novels, they don't have the space to delve into the characters or the world quite as deeply as a 400-page tome. Yet Williams crafted a story that sucked me in quickly, settled me into the world comfortably, and made me fall in love with the characters in very short order. I didn't feel that anything was lacking or terribly rushed. But now the problem is I want more!


4. Lovable characters

Like I said, I fell in love . . . most strongly with Prince Idris! He is a gentle soul, yet strong. Deeply hurt and disfigured, yet trusting. His mirthful disposition was a ray of sunlight in a snowy landscape. Calling him a "precious bean" or "soft cinnamon roll," as is the practice of many fangirls when talking about this type of character, just isn't good enough for dear Idris!


Our main character, the reserved and secretive huntress Keeva, formed the perfect complement to him. Capable and cunning, she held her own without being an emotionless "strong heroine." And guys, I ship these two so hard!


The band of seven goblins, cleverly named by personality, were a lot of fun too! They paralleled Disney's dwarves somewhat and were surprisingly easy to keep track of--which is no small feat when there are seven of them running around.


5. Pretty prose

I'm a sucker for lovely narrative. It's no substitute for a good story, of course, but it's the delicious icing on the cake. And Williams achieved a style of prose that harkens back to the time of fairy tales, with an omniscient style and a whimsical voice that reminded me at times of Anne Elisabeth Stengl.


6. Stirring themes

THIS IS THE REASON I'M GIVING IT FIVE STARS. I can't tell you how or why or what happened without giving away the ending, but Fairest Son had me grinning, widening my eyes, clutching my heart, and then at last smiling softly with satisfaction, all because of its beautiful themes. Though unexpected, they arose naturally from the story and put a twist on love and redemption that I didn't see coming.


Not-So-Wonderful Things



1. A few typos

Just a small handful, really, and perhaps a phrase or two that could have been smoothed out. Very, very minor details. I loved the story too much to care.


2. It wasn't long enough!

Okay . . . so that's not really a negative, because it is a novella and Williams did do a fantastic job of fleshing everything out within her space limits. But I enjoyed my time in these pages and want more!


In Conclusion



Fairest Son is a beautiful, moving tale of a disfigured fairy prince and the huntress who finds him in the woods. It is a story of recognizing the foul among the fair and uncovering the fair among the foul. It balanced elements of Snow White within a rich world drawn from Irish myth, written with both humor and heart. It's definitely worth a buy, and I hope to get it in paperback as soon as I can! (Partly because there are two gorgeous illustrations inside that need to be petted admired on the page!)


I hope Williams goes on to write full-length novels too, because I would gladly spend more time under her enchanting spell. Five stars from me!




From the beginning, H. S. J. Williams has loved stories and all the forms they take. Whether with word, art, or costume, she has always been fascinated with the magic of imagination. She lives in a real fantastical kingdom, the beautiful Pacific Northwest, with her very own array of animal friends and royally loving family. Williams taught Fantasy Illustration at MSOA. She may also be a part-time elf.






Website // Amazon // Goodreads // Instagram // Hannah's art page


[I received a free ebook copy of Fairest Son in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.]

27 comments :

  1. Okay, I 100% NEED this book now ;D. *scrambles off to ask my library to get it for me*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, as of right now libraries would not be able to order it (because of distribution channels) BUT I will very soon have it up on a new distribution channel your library can purchase from. Hopefully in a few weeks. :D

      Delete
    2. @Savannah: YES YOU DOOOOO. <3

      @Hannah: That's wonderful to hear! :D

      Delete
  2. Thank you for the review, Tracey! Makes my heart happy! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so welcome! "Fairest Son" made MY heart happy! <333

      Delete
  3. ACK NOW I NEED THIS BOOK *requests it ASAP*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was so goooood! :D (If you mean you requested it at your library, according to Hannah, that option will hopefully be available in a few weeks!)

      Delete
  4. I loved it! Great review, I need to get to work on mine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's right, I noticed you'd read it recently too! Can't wait to read your review! ^_^

      Delete
  5. If you’d like to read more books featuring elements from Irish mythology, the Iron Druid Chronicles is a great series. There is some swearing and mature content that I’ll warn you about though. I think it all works within the context and isn’t gratuitous, but that’s a personal call.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AAAAHHHHH!!! I NEED DISSSS. Ever since I've seen it sweep across the blogosphere I've just been like YES PLEEEASE. I adore Irish mythology and wild fey and basically EVERYTHING this book offers so, so much. It sounds so completely up my alley.

    NEED NEED NEEEED!!!! Thanks for the awesome review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you'd LOVE this one! It's definitely up your alley! The mythology and fey are so fun, but it's the characters who are going to grab your heart. ;) (WE NEED TO FANGIRL OVER IDRIS SOMEDAY.)

      You're so welcome! Glad you enjoyed! <3

      Delete
  7. Ooh, gender-bent Snow White? I am intrigued!! And unexpected twists? THOSE ARE MY FAVORITE. :D *adds to the Great Mount TBR*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This one is definitely worthy to be added to the Great Mount TBR! Hope you enjoy it! :D

      Delete
  8. Sounds a really good book! I'll have to look for it at my library..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The author says it will probably be available for libraries to order in the next few weeks! :D

      Delete
  9. do you know when the next rogglewood contest is? and what the theme is? I think a beauty and the beast theme would be cool

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately, Rooglewood Press isn't holding any more contests at this point! :(

      But they do have three fairy tale anthologies published (including a Beauty and the Beast one, yay!) with a fourth on the way this winter, I believe! Feel free to copy/paste these links into your browser to look them up. :D

      Five Glass Slippers: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20686206-five-glass-slippers?from_search=true

      Five Enchanted Roses: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24662406-five-enchanted-roses

      Five Magic Spindles: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29410991-five-magic-spindles?from_search=true

      Five Poisoned Apples: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39697144-five-poisoned-apples?ac=1&from_search=true

      Delete
  10. I want to read this so baaaaaaaaaaad!

    ReplyDelete