How appropriate that the two pictures I have to prove I left my house this weekend are of a church, when for the last few days all I have done is worship commercial fiction. Even more amusing: I took these pictures on a walk to the library to pick up more of the same.
I decided to treat myself to something tawdry the day after my birthday. Or, something entertaining. Or, something outside my normal reading comfort zone. Whatever, so long as it was fun and inexpensive. I went to Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, my favorite source, and saw this post. I skimmed the titles and noticed the warning about Darkfever and its addictive qualities. I went to Amazon and was surprised to see such a high rating after so many reviews.
Then I read what it was about. Faeries? Mythical creatures? Potential dogs-and-cats-living-together dystopian hysteria? Eh. If it wasn’t for the $1.99 price tag I would have moved on, despite my puffing that I was looking to try something new. But it was there, and it was on sale, so I tried it.
The first few chapters weren’t good, but I knew from the reviews to expect the story to speed up after chapter 5 or so. I plowed on.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, it was OMG!!! <3 <3 <3 You give me fever, Darkfever!!1!
Damn. They were right.
I don’t like paranormal or scary or action but there I was, all weekend long, loving every minute of it like a naked innocent girl roaming the countryside. I’m on book three, a birthday dinner in my honor the only reason I’m not on book four. Book five is the last in the New York Times best selling series, and I feel a little silly even talking about them, like I’m the girl at the party sidling up to people and asking if they’ve ever heard of a book called Twilight. Dreamworks optioned the rights to the movie over the summer so, yeah. I’m a little late to the station on this one.
I’m happy. I love getting lost in books, even if that means freaking myself out thinking about faeries. Did you know faeries are cruel and sadistic and the opposite of Tinkerbell? I didn’t until last summer when I was reading all the Charlaine Harris books in my unread library. The faeries in that book were vicious, too, and I was so surprised to read that characterization that I researched faery folklore and mythology. (Of course I did.) All folklore and mythology describe the Fae as violent, evil creatures bent on toying with humans.
I shared all this with the Mister this weekend in between book two and three, and asked him if he thought it was at all strange that mythology and folklore, in general, is the same from country to country. Every ancient society has stories of vampires, lycanthropes, and other creatures of the night. Where did it all begin, and why? Where does the line of truth blur into the line of fiction? And I just looked at him, eyes big, talking fast, my fingers punctuating the air when a word or two didn’t seem quite right.
“Because, I mean, really,” I went on. “It’s kind of a coincidence, don’t you think? And doesn’t the idea of a faery world freak you out?”
To his credit, he sat there watching me the entire time I rambled. Nodding his head and blinking in all the right spots. When he realized I was going to stop talking long enough for him to answer he looked at me not unkindly and said, “Oh yeah, sure. The idea of a faery world totally freaks me out. But, since it does not exist, I’m not going to worry about it tonight.”
Right.
This is why I stick with contemporary romances.
Ok say what now?? HOW has this book passed me by?? I’m late to the party as well!! I AM SO ALL OVER THIS!!!! Crazed fairies? AW YEAH. And my husband would have said the exact same thing to me ….. of course I’m the one who thought it was a good idea to install a fairy door in our home…and now when the fairies don’t come often enough to leave notes for my daughter, she’s like ‘where are the fairies Mom? it’s been awhile since they have come!’ And my husband looks at me like, See what you started?
:) Melissa
Haha. :) You’re a better mom than me!
AAhh was happy to hear I have a friend in the world of Charlaine Harris, so I will be checking out this book asap. Thanks for sharing your fiction ( or is it, hehe) with us. I really don’t have time to be reading but I am going to find it ;)
Exactly: or is it? ;)
My aunt was telling me about those books. I’ll have to check them out.
And, in step with your church photos, the bible does mention something about our struggle not being against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, powers, and forces of this darkness . . . who’s to say faeries aren’t included in that. Eek!
Speaking of which, earlier this fall I heard a presentation on a similar topic. How in the middle ages to the church, biblical truths and what to us would be a fantasy world, co-existed.
And now I’m just getting way beyond nerdly, so . . .
My daughter has been after me for some time to read these books. Each time she asks, it’s like “oh mom, you haven’t read them YET???”. I Resisted the Twilight series, my Daughter in law was pushing those a few years ago. Over Thanksgiving week a few years back, I picked up the first novel, couldn’t put it down and Kate and I bought and read all that were available. I really loved that first book (and that first movie). So, it must be time for the Fever series.
I don’t think that is nerdy at all. In fact, party of my long, rambling speech into nowhere was about religion and fantasy. I would love to read more about it.
I’ve managed to avoid Twilight, but these sound really interesting.
I caught the end of a programme on Gods and Monsters by Tony Robinson (Baldrick, if you do Blackadder in the States?) and he said that a woman was killed in Ireland because her husband was sure she was a faery changeling. Her family also thought she was consorting with (the evil) faeries, and she was suspected of visiting the local Faery Fort instead of selling eggs.
A Faery Fort was actually a medieval hill fort, but everything was bound up with superstition alongside Catholicism, as Amy said.
What is amazing is that this murder happened not in the 16th or 17th centuries, but in the 1890’s. It’s incredible that these beliefs were held so recently, although I imagine superstition hung on in remote and rural areas, long after the sophisticates in the city had moved on.
Irish girl wading in!
I’m not familiar with that story about the lady who was killed by her husband( I suspect it may be another sad case of man kills wife then makes up feeble excuse) but the fairies were certainly taken very seriously here in the past.
It is still considered back luck to disturb a fairy fort, there are still plenty of fields where farmers plough around a fort, there is one near my husband’s home in Cork and I can think of a few in Wexford also.
We were always told in school that forts were old Pre-Christian burial mounds, rather than medieval hill forts, thought perhaps they are a combination of both?
I remember reading that the idea of changelings (a baby or young child whose behavior changes dramatically, often becoming withdrawn) may have come from the changes which sometimes happen with autistic children.
Irish folklore is really fascinating, if you are ever in Dublin you should check out the leprechaun museum. Despite the TERRIBLE name it’s actually fascinating and beautifully designed.
Jules, these books sound great but how cringy is the representation of Ireland? Should I give them a try?
So far, I haven’t seen Ireland badly represented. The country is more of an backdrop, a location for all the action happening. Reading the Gaelic is impossible. Thank goodness there is a glossary in the back!
I haven’t heard of Darkfever either, but naturally I am intrigued. You had me at “addictive qualities” (words that truly frighten me). These kind of books usually turn me into a different person, one that doesn’t have a family or house to take care of.
I know. Smart Bitches had me at those words, too.
Just had to tell you you’re ahead of me with Darkfever. I’ve been getting into The Hunger Games (also way late to this) and Game of Thrones (also late) so Darkfever would just be one more. Honestly, I kind of like others identifying the books/series with “addictive qualities” for me. But it’s kind of lame because you somewhat miss out on talking with others about new releases, etc.
I haven’t read Hunger Games (yet) and I asked for Game of Thrones for my birthday (I got the first one). I’m woefully behind on this sort of reading, too. :)
I am the curmudgeon of the crowd. I will pass on evil fairies and anything “dystopian,” which seems to be the word of the decade. For some reason, my mind equates “dystopian” with Nicki Minaj–not because I know anything of either, but because they strike me as this decade’s “Less Than Zero” (yes, only an 80’s person will “get me.”). I’m sticking, curmudgeon-like, to my tried and true murder mysteries, all of which I’ve read before, and match my greying hair… Evil fairies just, well, give me the skivvies.
Years back, I read the entire vampire series by Ann Rice, and I loved every minute of it (until the vampires became sexual creatures, then, I just got freaked and stopped reading). So, I tried the series on the Mayfair Witches, and within the first half hour of reading, I was begging Father for forgiveness and putting the book in another room of the house. I took it back immediately the next morning and never looked back. In my aging wisdom, for me, there are some itches that I’m going to just leave unscratched!
I remember Less Than Zero! :) I know what you mean…when I heard it was addictive I was excited. Then I read faeries and thought UGH. No more paranormal! But, like I said, I couldn’t resist the siren call of a book on sale. I really didn’t think I would read past the first one, but here I am! I’ve never read Ann Rice.
No, no, no….I can’t get sucked into another detaied series…I’m almost done with the hunger games series, and I need to find some silly fluff to read before I get into another series. The Charlaine Harris books are definitely on my list. I love true blood, and I’ve heard other good things about her books.
You’ll like Harris. I think Harris is better than this series in terms of addictive fluff. FLUFF, mind you. Keep your expectations in check.
Also beware that the books bear little resemblence to the show. But are equally wonderful.
Oh wow. There I was on Monday morning, innocently wishing for a trivial and addicting read to whisk me away in between loads of laundry, Christmas shopping and toddler tantrum taming….and then you had to go and write the perfect post. Never heard of Darkfever, but now my Kindle is eagerly anticipating its arrival! Thanks!!
Let me know how it goes! Remember–the first part isn’t all that great. Book two was really good.
I’m a long time lurker of your blog, but I had to post today to say I looooved the Darkfever series! Such fun reading! The Hunger Games series is even better and Eden (Keary Taylor) is great for a one-off non-series book. For my fluffy/trashy fiction I insist on awesome, smart female characters and all of these books meet that as do the Sookie Stackhouse books.
Yes! I agree. I will have to read Hunger Games and Eden. :)
Why are you doing this to me? I don’t have time to get obsessed with anything right now other than maybe priming walls (or having imaginary arguments in my head with people who have pissed me off as of late). I haven’t read Game of Thrones, but did watch the first season on HBO…and LOVED it. Nerd.
Oooh, if you loved it then I will too!
I’m deep into the Iron Fey series. You recommended it a few months ago and I’m just now getting around to it. (I guess you haven’t read it or you would know all about faery nature. Apparently they are not very nice, unlike Sookie’s fairy-godmother Claudine.) It’s a teen series and makes for good light reading. Why so many popular teen books these days? Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight, etc.?
Does it make me old if I still use Seinfeld catch phrases in everyday conversation? Loved your reference.
I read those over the summer and loved them! They are one of the series–also Sookie/Harris–that inspired me to research the lore. But trust me…Iron Fey faeries look like Tinkerbell next to these fae!
So, Jules, have you read Twilight?
Yes, but not until all four books were out! In paperback! I’m telling you, I’m slow.
Do you recommend them? I trust your opinion. Speaking of “addicting qualities”… I am now apparently checking your blog at school during my prep time. Uh-oh… this could become an issue :)
Oh, gosh. I have such mixed feelings about those books! I loved reading them and couldn’t put them down…but at the same time they weren’t very good! Does that make sense? The best way I can describe them is to take the words a film critique used to describe them: awful but gripping. I own all four, and thought they were worth buying. At the time, though, I tried to get them from the library and there was a 4 month waiting list! Maybe try the library first. That way, if you don’t like them, you can always return them.
They are part of a cultural phenomenon, so, now that I think about it, you should read them if only to be a part of a specific time and place. That’s why I’m going to read Hunger Games. It’s not a genre I prefer (neither was Twilight) but they are SO popular that I want to know what has struck a cord with so many people.
I know what you mean. I thought the Hunger Games were great, I read them last year and have since gotten most of my family to read them too. Being a teacher I do read a lot of young adult/youth fiction, so I couldn’t help think of the great discussions students could have about these books. But they’re thought-provoking for adults too. Thanks for the response!