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brandypainter's review against another edition
5.0
Originally posted here.
R.J. Anderson's Swift was one of my most anticipated reads of 2012.
Anderson is an auto-buy author for me, so much so that if her books (like this one) aren't going to be foreseeably available in the US I order them from the UK. Swift did not disappoint, it exceeded my expectations for it. Anderson brought the story that began in to a brilliant conclusion with Arrow. Swift takes place in Cornwall and deals with an entirely different group of magical beings, Piskies. While there is a definite overlap between the first trilogy and this book you can read Swift without reading the others. (Though why would you want to? And if you don't read them first you will definitely want to once you have finished this.)
Ivy is a Cornish piskey living with her family and people in an old mine. Ivy is different from the other female piskies. She is smaller and more fail and, most devastating to her, born without wings. Being different hasn't been easy on Ivy nor has the disappearance of her mother, presumably snatched by spriggans, her people's fearsome enemy. When a strange creature, presumably a spriggan, is taken captive by her people and Ivy stumbles upon his cell she makes a dangerous bargain with him. If she helps free him he can take her to her mother and teach her how to fly. This sets Ivy off on an adventure that will forever alter the way she sees herself and the world she grew up in.
What I consistently impresses me about these books is that each heroine is very different from the ones who have come before her. They all share a similar spirit, but their personalities and how they go about achieving their goals is quite different. Ivy is, to me, the most interesting one yet. She has a confidence in herself that is mixed with fears of inferiority. She is stubborn and strong willed, but also willing to explore new ideas and entertain the notion that she may be wrong about things and need to rethink them. Having been sheltered all her life, completely shut off from the outside world, she has much to learn and yet she has a real sense of adventure and is not afraid of the unknown.
The mysterious captive who offers Ivy the bargain for her heart's desire is as fascinating as they come too. Ivy calls him Richard, but that is not his name. When she discovers him for the first time he is alone in the dark and is despondent. What is he doing in his despondency? Quoting Shakespeare. You should have seen the smile on my face when I reached that page. I admit I was excited and extremely happy to find they had captured a Shakespeare quoting magical being. I was kind of hoping we would get more of a certain character who fit that description.
The story itself is an interesting one full of intrigue and a lot of action. As always, the themes Anderson explores through the plot are just as engaging as the plot itself. There is a blood feud that shows what a cruel face justice can have when it is used as a mask for revenge. There is the danger of what happens when we allow the stories we tell about our pasts to become the truth we believe about ourselves and our history. There is the fine line that exists between protecting those we love for their good and enslaving them for our own. Good food for thought and excellent execution all around.
While the book has a definite end it leaves the door open for more which I am anticipating. There is still a lot left to explore both individually for Ivy and "Richard" and with their connection to each other. (Whether it turns out to be a romantic one or not. There was no romance in this story though there was definitely potential for that to develop. Yet there is also potential for things to develop in a completely different fashion. I'm interested to see where Anderson might go with all that.)
R.J. Anderson's Swift was one of my most anticipated reads of 2012.
Anderson is an auto-buy author for me, so much so that if her books (like this one) aren't going to be foreseeably available in the US I order them from the UK. Swift did not disappoint, it exceeded my expectations for it. Anderson brought the story that began in to a brilliant conclusion with Arrow. Swift takes place in Cornwall and deals with an entirely different group of magical beings, Piskies. While there is a definite overlap between the first trilogy and this book you can read Swift without reading the others. (Though why would you want to? And if you don't read them first you will definitely want to once you have finished this.)
Ivy is a Cornish piskey living with her family and people in an old mine. Ivy is different from the other female piskies. She is smaller and more fail and, most devastating to her, born without wings. Being different hasn't been easy on Ivy nor has the disappearance of her mother, presumably snatched by spriggans, her people's fearsome enemy. When a strange creature, presumably a spriggan, is taken captive by her people and Ivy stumbles upon his cell she makes a dangerous bargain with him. If she helps free him he can take her to her mother and teach her how to fly. This sets Ivy off on an adventure that will forever alter the way she sees herself and the world she grew up in.
What I consistently impresses me about these books is that each heroine is very different from the ones who have come before her. They all share a similar spirit, but their personalities and how they go about achieving their goals is quite different. Ivy is, to me, the most interesting one yet. She has a confidence in herself that is mixed with fears of inferiority. She is stubborn and strong willed, but also willing to explore new ideas and entertain the notion that she may be wrong about things and need to rethink them. Having been sheltered all her life, completely shut off from the outside world, she has much to learn and yet she has a real sense of adventure and is not afraid of the unknown.
The mysterious captive who offers Ivy the bargain for her heart's desire is as fascinating as they come too. Ivy calls him Richard, but that is not his name. When she discovers him for the first time he is alone in the dark and is despondent. What is he doing in his despondency? Quoting Shakespeare. You should have seen the smile on my face when I reached that page. I admit I was excited and extremely happy to find they had captured a Shakespeare quoting magical being. I was kind of hoping we would get more of a certain character who fit that description.
The story itself is an interesting one full of intrigue and a lot of action. As always, the themes Anderson explores through the plot are just as engaging as the plot itself. There is a blood feud that shows what a cruel face justice can have when it is used as a mask for revenge. There is the danger of what happens when we allow the stories we tell about our pasts to become the truth we believe about ourselves and our history. There is the fine line that exists between protecting those we love for their good and enslaving them for our own. Good food for thought and excellent execution all around.
While the book has a definite end it leaves the door open for more which I am anticipating. There is still a lot left to explore both individually for Ivy and "Richard" and with their connection to each other. (Whether it turns out to be a romantic one or not. There was no romance in this story though there was definitely potential for that to develop. Yet there is also potential for things to develop in a completely different fashion. I'm interested to see where Anderson might go with all that.)
moonwisdom's review
4.0
Towards the beginning I thought I'd be giving this two stars, mainly because I thought the pacing was rather off. But as I read more the story totally hooked me. And, it explored questions of identity and what it means to be family or kin, questions of (dis)ability, and questions of authority and when it's okay to discard it. I thought it was a really well-done and nuanced exploration of these questions in a middle-grade novel. Now I can't wait to get the second book. Though this is quite different than the Ultraviolet duology (still my favorite books I've ever read), R.J. Anderson never disappoints!
mayawo's review
5.0
I first listened to this book in 2017 and it immediately became my favourite book I loved how the characters grew so much in just one book and the magic of the whole book even now when I’m a lot older It’s still one of my favourite books and I’m still rooting for the characters I’m so excited for the third book to come out!!!!
clairetrellahill's review
5.0
THIS BOOK WAS SO DING DANG GOOD AHHHHHHHHHH
My measured and thoughtful review: This book expands RJ Anderson’s faery universe in the most clever and original ways, introducing Cornish Piskeys, Knockers, and Spriggans to the world while expanding the lore. Ivy is an amazing heroine and RICHARD!!! We love a bad guy redeemed.
My measured and thoughtful review: This book expands RJ Anderson’s faery universe in the most clever and original ways, introducing Cornish Piskeys, Knockers, and Spriggans to the world while expanding the lore. Ivy is an amazing heroine and RICHARD!!! We love a bad guy redeemed.
travelerswife4life's review
5.0
Travelers Wife 4 Life
Have you ever read a book that made you feel lost in another world? Well, if not, Swift by R.J. Anderson will change that. It is the first book in the series and is a great introduction to the world of fairies for someone not used to it.
I really enjoyed the character development in this story Ivy grows so much as the story progresses, always learning and willing to look at things from a different perspective. Ivy was a very well-done character, and with the addition of the secondary characters Richard and Molly, it left me very invested in their outcomes and the continuation of the story! (and no, this one does not leave off with a cliff hanger, just the idea of adventures yet to come).
The storyline and plot were like getting immersed in a totally new land filled with Pixi dust, fairies, and spriggans. It kept my imagination working to dream of all the different characters and what they might look like; everything was described in vivid detail, so it helped me imagine things as R.J. Anderson envisioned them. I loved the almost coming of age theme to this book and I am really looking forward to where R. J. Anderson will take this adventure next as so much already happened in this book.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the creative characters, the amazing storyline, and for the great themes that were presented.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Have you ever read a book that made you feel lost in another world? Well, if not, Swift by R.J. Anderson will change that. It is the first book in the series and is a great introduction to the world of fairies for someone not used to it.
I really enjoyed the character development in this story Ivy grows so much as the story progresses, always learning and willing to look at things from a different perspective. Ivy was a very well-done character, and with the addition of the secondary characters Richard and Molly, it left me very invested in their outcomes and the continuation of the story! (and no, this one does not leave off with a cliff hanger, just the idea of adventures yet to come).
The storyline and plot were like getting immersed in a totally new land filled with Pixi dust, fairies, and spriggans. It kept my imagination working to dream of all the different characters and what they might look like; everything was described in vivid detail, so it helped me imagine things as R.J. Anderson envisioned them. I loved the almost coming of age theme to this book and I am really looking forward to where R. J. Anderson will take this adventure next as so much already happened in this book.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the creative characters, the amazing storyline, and for the great themes that were presented.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
erinphillipsauthor's review
3.0
This book was an easy, light read. There were some things I did enjoy, like the worldbuilding with the Delve, the piskeys, faeries, and spriggans, and I really liked Richard. He was my favorite character by far. I would read Nomad as it looks like it will focus on the characters I enjoyed the most.
schez's review against another edition
5.0
My mum-in-law passed a copy this way and I am sooooo glad she did. I was a bit doubtful to begin with but I read this very quickly and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The book first introduces us to Ivy, a young Piskey born without wings who is about to participate in her first, annual Lighting celebration. It will be the first time when she will leave the Delve, her home deep in an abandoned mine; but things don't end well when their mother vanishes. It is beleived that she has been taken by thin, wispy creatures known as spriggans.
Five years on and their father has become silent, and spends all of his time working deep in the tunnels. Ivy runs the home and looks after them all, including her brother and sister.
But when another Piskey goes missing; it is assumed Spriggans are behind it...
When they catch what they suspect is a Spriggan, stories and mysteries begin to unravel and Ivy has to learn who she can trust and fast!
There were so many things that I loved about this book. I loved the way that the author has developed the scenes and characters. It flowed easily and captured the imagination.
I really liked Ivy's character and you find out a lot of her background as she does. It is written from her perspective so you learn along with her; who to trust and what piece of the puzzle goes where.
This wasn't a predictable, pink and fluffy fairy story. The characters in the book were more solid then other pieces I have come across; and therefore making them more believable.
There was plenty of adventure and plot twist to keep reader guessing...
Overall, a very entertaining and well written/thought out book.
The book first introduces us to Ivy, a young Piskey born without wings who is about to participate in her first, annual Lighting celebration. It will be the first time when she will leave the Delve, her home deep in an abandoned mine; but things don't end well when their mother vanishes. It is beleived that she has been taken by thin, wispy creatures known as spriggans.
Five years on and their father has become silent, and spends all of his time working deep in the tunnels. Ivy runs the home and looks after them all, including her brother and sister.
But when another Piskey goes missing; it is assumed Spriggans are behind it...
When they catch what they suspect is a Spriggan, stories and mysteries begin to unravel and Ivy has to learn who she can trust and fast!
There were so many things that I loved about this book. I loved the way that the author has developed the scenes and characters. It flowed easily and captured the imagination.
I really liked Ivy's character and you find out a lot of her background as she does. It is written from her perspective so you learn along with her; who to trust and what piece of the puzzle goes where.
This wasn't a predictable, pink and fluffy fairy story. The characters in the book were more solid then other pieces I have come across; and therefore making them more believable.
There was plenty of adventure and plot twist to keep reader guessing...
Overall, a very entertaining and well written/thought out book.