Two fairies find out that the Queen has had an affair with a mortal. They are banished to live mortal lives in modern times. Or is it a punishment at all? The two sisters are first only charming in their love and loyalty for one another. But by living in the mortal world they learn love, friendship, manners and other delights. At times funny, at times frightening, this is a good read. I don't like the threat of rape, but other than that it is very good. The Queen has had a child with the mortal. Will good or evil find her first? She doesn't even know who she is. Tattoos and meat-eating are seen as bad. I started this book when it first came out when I was still working at a bookstore. I stopped about halfway through, I thought, because I needed to return it to the store. When the book came out in mass market, I decided to buy it. Maybe not so surprisingly, I almost stopped reading right at the same part. I enjoyed the story, but there were a few times when it had a hard time keeping my attention. The first and last thirds of the book sort of make up for this by being something that is hard to put down.I really enjoyed how the sisters of the story began to understand the magic of the human world. It made me feel as if there were magic in the things I do. The characters were relatively engaging, and I found myself liking each one in part. Both Yolen and Snyder do a great job making me feel just as guarded as her characters do about each other. Perhaps this is why it was so hard to watch Sparrow not trust the main characters (the sisters), because we were privy to their intentions. I also really enjoyed how there were rules that the sisters followed, and how these rules played out in the human world.However, I had quite a few qualms with the book. Part of these were the writers' attempts to modernize the novel. There was some slang spoken, I think to make the characters look like they belonged in the human world, that really wasn't necessary. However, the scene where Baba Yaga explains to Meteora about the use of curse words in our society was very amusing. And though this next part may be nit-picky, the use of the term "making love" always makes me feel a bit sick to my stomach. Especially when the character who uses the word is usually so gritty, and the state that she is in is far from love making.I think the ending was a bit abrupt, ending where there could have been a bit more story. The first part of this story takes a good deal of time to tell, building the characters and their motivations and desires. Where a simple explanation might do, there tends to be an entire chapter (though not a long one) on how a character explores their surroundings and comes to a conclusion. However, the end of the book was much more neat, and the big reveal at the end was a little too short. Or how this reveal might effect the worlds in this novel. It made the reveal feel a bit hollow because of how little it was written about in comparison to everything else. Instead, the book ends in what I feel is a more sappy tone than it started out with. Like I said, the book feels as if it is supposed to be gritty, and the end is too far from that to feel natural.Overall, I'm glad I read the book, I would never turn anyone away from it, though I might not suggest it unless asked specifically.
What do You think about Il Diario Delle Fate (2000)?
Found the story easy to follow. Was well written ,enjoyed the plot and characters.
—rashi
This one was totally me: I just wasn't in the mood for this book right now.
—frisjo
