Review: Feyland: The Bright Court

Feyland: The Bright Court
Book 2 in the Feyland Trilogy

By Anthea Sharp
Published: May 21, 2012
Formats Available: Kindle, Nook(EPub), Paperback: 340 pages


Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

INSIDE THE GAME...
Jennet Carter escaped the dark faeries of Feyland once. Now, fey magic is seeping out of the prototype game, beguiling the unwary and threatening everyone she cares about.
MAGIC…
Tam Linn may be a hero in-game, but his real life is severely complicated. Still, he’ll do whatever it takes to stop the creatures of Feyland, even if it means pushing Jennet toward the new guy in school—the one with an inside connection to sim-gaming…
and the uncanny ability to charm everyone he meets.
ALWAYS WINS…
Despite the danger, Jennet and Tam must return to Feyland to face the magic of the Bright Court—and a powerful new enemy who won’t stop until the human world is at the mercy of the Realm of Faery.                                                   
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The Cover: Another beautiful cover for the second book of Feyland. It is similar to the first cover, but is now reflecting a blond girl in gold hues – representing the change of courts from the Dark to the Bright Court. I think the girl on the cover represents Jennet, but I could be wrong. I am curious, though, to see what the third book’s cover will show for the Twilight Kingdom. I wonder if it will sparkle…sorry I couldn’t help myself.


My Thoughts: The Bright Court starts out right where the first book ended. Tam is now out of the hospital, but still not in the best shape and Jennet’s hands bear the scars of her last Feyland encounter. Their friendship is still strong, but the romance between the two wavers – mostly because of Tam’s insecurities. Jennet on the other hand, knows she wants Tam and tells him just that. I love a strong female character that doesn’t need to wait for the guy to make the first move.

Just as in the first book, the POVs switch between Tam and Jennet. In The Dark Realm we saw inside Jennet’s head for the majority of the book, but in The Bright Court we get to see more of Tam’s insights. He lacks self-confidence and is uncomfortable in his own skin. Not to mention that his home life is always on the verge of imploding. Not many YA books delve into the male’s insecurities so it is a nice change to see that not only the female characters have warring emotions and self-esteem problems.

A new character, Roy Lassiter, the son of VirtuMax’s CEO, is introduced into the equation. He has also played Feyland, but has had very different experiences then Tam and Jennet. I immediately disliked him and continued to dislike him throughout the entire book. He is the quintessential pretty-boy who gets off on the admiration of others. And everyone is charmed by him, except for Tam and Jennet. What I really hated was that he caught the eye of Tam’s friend Marny, the big girl who always tells it like it is, suddenly turns into a Roy lemming - I wanted to scream. Although, she does appear to know, at certain moments, that he is not what he seems; that what glitters is not always gold.

The idea of fate was used heavily in The Bright Court; that each character – even some of the minor ones, have a part to play. That one could try to fight fate, but it will always find you – even in your dreams.

There are great battle scenes, romance, friendship, and loyalty – what more could you ask for? The only thing I didn’t like was the actions of Jennet’s father. I am not quite sure what he is thinking or  what his intentions are, especially at the end of the book, but I have a feeling he will be finding himself in a dangerous place if he doesn’t start listening to his daughter.

There are a lot of questions left unanswered, but I am hoping the answers are revealed in the third book, Feyland: The Twilight Kingdom, which will be available fall 2012.

Favorite Quote: “We must go where fate sends us, and do our best. Even if we do not understand the purpose, or feel strong or wise enough to play our part.”

 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Awesome Sci-Fi/Fantasy book! Recommend to anyone who likes faeries, gaming, and a little romance.

*I was given an eARC copy of this book from the author for an honest review. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.


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