The Phantom of Faerie Mountain
by E.M. McIntyre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Phantom of Faerie Mountain
Description
Abby basically grew up without a mother, and her dad just moved her back to Scotland, a land she doesn’t really remember. Good thing her big sister’s there to help.
But being so close to where her mother died, Abby decides to do a little digging, and the big green dog demanding that the Red King free him certainly sparks a helping dose of curiosity.
When she goes to Faerie Mountain to look for clues, she encounters the green dog again, but this time he sends her back in time. She’s dropped on top of Rory, a young man who has lost everything, and together they must figure out why she’s here by digging into their own pasts.
Review
This was a fun story. I love the elements — the evil faeries, the big green dog, and there’s plenty of that lovely brogue to immerse you in the Scottish setting. The characters are endearing, and the story is fast-paced and full of mystery.
So why four stars?
- First, I kinda hate the cover. The drawing is beautifully done, but the upward shadow on the face is kinda creepy, and the overall coloring of the cover doesn’t read YA Scottish fantasy to me.
- The writing was fairly solid, a few typos and such, but not so much as to overly distract from the story. But the characters at times acted a bit odd, even for 14-year-olds (although I don’t think Abby or Rory’s ages are ever mentioned in the book…) — at one point, Rory stomps around, pulling his braids, yelling how it can’t be true. It was a tad over the top.
But all that aside, I enjoyed the story, the riddle, and the mystery, and there’s even a little bit of adorable romance in there. An enjoyable debut novel and start of a series, I wholeheartedly recommend The Phantom of Faerie Mountain
**This book is clean!
