Review: Feyland: The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp

Title: Feyland by Anthea Sharp
Publlished:  December 16th 2011
Source: ARC provided by the author
Grade rate: B+

WHEN A GAME… Feyland is the most immersive computer game ever designed, and Jennet Carter is the first to play the prototype. But she doesn’t suspect the virtual world is close enough to touch — or that she’ll be battling for her life against the Dark Queen of the faeries.
TURNS REAL…

Tam Linn is the perfect hero — in-game. Too bad the rest of his life is seriously flawed. The last thing he needs is rich-girl Jennet prying into his secrets, insisting he’s the only one who can help her.

 WINNING IS EVERYTHING…

Together, Jennet and Tam enter the Dark Realm of Feyland, only to discover that the entire human world is in danger. Pushed to the limit of their abilities, they must defeat the Dark Queen… before it’s too late.

My Review

I received an ARC of Feyland last month for review and I have to say I am impressed with this book.  It’s not what I expected, but it was a pleasant surprise.

Jennet is a strong female lead.  She is resourceful and tries her best to be brave, even in the face of danger.  She “lost” the game of Feyland and now is need of not only a strong player, but a knight to champion her.  She finds both in Tam.  Tam is brave, stubborn, and a bit impulsive, and just what Jennet needs.  Tam’s family life is so difficult that my heart was breaking for him.  I really liked Peter (the Bug) Tam’s brother and his friend Marny.  Jennet’s father was kind of absent, but he did care for her and tried to be involved in her life.

Fayland is a fantasy placed in an unexplained future in which technology is more advanced, but economic and social differenced seemed not to have changed much.  I don’t understand why the “big bad company” would spend millions developing a “game”, but there were people in such dire circumstances, but then again, that is a reality of life.  I hope there are some changes about Tam’s family situation in the future. 

The plot was very original (although is loosely based on the Ballad of Tam Lin, which I’ve never read before).  The main idea is that the game acts as a “in between” for the Fey realm and the real world. Ms. Sharp’s writing is really good, fluid, and easy to read and full of descriptions.  Even this being an imaginary world it was easy to relate and understand the story, as well as the technology behind it.   I am looking forward to the sequel

About the cover: The cover portraits the general idea of the book, that the “game” comes to life.