The Dark Realm

I've always had a kind of obsessed fascination with virtual reality games. Maybe because I know it's the only way I could ever experience going on quests and defeating the evil. And, after all, who doesn't want that? So, when I first heard about this book, last year, I was interested.

A tale of a young lady, nearly sucked into a game world where wounds become frightfully real? Sign me up. But then, finding out that it's also about the fae, I almost gave it a pass. I've read quite a few books that deal with fae and fairies and the like, and, almost universally, I've been disappointed.

However, this book balances things perfectly. At it's core, it is a tale of two unsuspecting mortals doing battle against the Unseelie Court, but it's dressed up so wonderfully in VR science fiction trappings, that it's fun and unique and so very inventive.

Jennet is a lot of fun. She's a gamer girl through and through. She's independent and don't much care what other people think of her, but she's not off putting. She's just herself and is now saddled with the biggest discovery since...since...yeah, got nothing, because this world that she stumbles upon is huge and could have some dreadful repercussions for humanity.

He hoped, rather desperately, that this wasn't one of those girly games. But if Jennet needed his help, he'd do his best - even if it meant defeating sparkly pink dragons.

Tam (as in Tam Linn) is the epitome of ‘boy from the wrong side of the tracks.' But he - thankfully enough - is not a ‘bad boy.' He's got a pretty awful family life, but he's mature and grounded. He's also a genuinely good guy - even has more than a little of the hero running through him.

Even though these two people have noting except gaming in common, they form a slow but very strong friendship. Sure, there's romantic leanings, but it's certainly not immediate. Except for maybe Tam falling in insta-love with Jennet's game system. ;)

And special mention has to be made of Marny. Pretty much the only friend that the two have, and she's such a prize. She's level-headed and just as quick with smiles to her friends as she is to defend them. What's even better, is she's described as a rather large girl and goes out of her way to Mod out the perfect ‘leggy and busty' avatars from games to make them look more like her.

While the first part of the story is very, very loose in its retelling of The Ballad of Tam Lin, (and, in truth, it was during this part that I was thinking the story deserved five stars) later on in the story it became very ‘paint-by-numbers' in it's following of the story. While it was still good, I wish there'd been a few more twists.

“The designers decided you should always see through your character's eyes, hear through their ears - and feel what your character feels.”

(Originally posted on my blog: pagesofstarlight.blogspot.com)

Jennet was a character that I fell in love with instantly. She is a girl who loves video games, has a great sense of competition, and is just tough enough without being overbearing. Strong in the face of danger, Jennet is my kind of girl. I'll admit that I absolutely loved both Jennet and Tam in this story. They meshed perfectly as a duo, playing off strengths and weaknesses. Their stories were both built up beautifully alone, but it was when they came together that Feyland shined.

I had never heard the story of Tam Lin before reading Feyland, but of course I had to research it once I was finished. Sharp has taken an age old fairy story and turned it into something that pulses with new life. Ready for a confession? I'm a gamer. A total nerd who loves MMO immersion and the story lines that come along with it. However I can honestly say that even if you aren't into the video game scene, the world that Anthea Sharp builds for her characters will easily come to life for you anyway. Her writing is fluid, easy to read, and definitely something that you'll be able to get lost in.

Feyland definitely isn't hurting in the action department either. I personally think that this is one of the more perfectly paced stories that I've read lately. In fact I actually read this book straight through from beginning to end, simply because there just wasn't a good place to stop. I needed to know what happened to Jennet and Tam. That's how invested I was in their fight to save themselves, and ultimately all of humanity.

If you enjoy fantasy stories, with a bit of science fiction thrown in, this is a read to pick up! I adored it and recommend Feyland wholeheartedly. I desperately hope that there is more in store for Jennet and Tam. I can't wait!