Reviews

The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley

linneahedvig's review against another edition

4.0

I did it! I made it to 95 books for the year! This was a quick read but a delightfully unexpected story. I found it because it kept coming up on lists with The Perilous Gard and other fairy tale retellings. It definitely fits in with those. It actually reminds me a lot of A Curse as Dark as Gold, which I read earlier this year. It has the same somewhat historical feeling, although I’m not sure if it references any specific places. One thing I especially enjoyed were the constant references to holy days and a church calendar that is only vaguely identified.

scribe391's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Narrated by Corin, as a Folk Keeper, they help keep the mischievous spirits calm.
When Lord Merton takes Corin to Cliffsend, strange things begin to occur.
The story incorporates the legend of the Sealkie.

saguaros's review against another edition

5.0

It should maybe be 4 stars, but Oh how I needed a selkie story, and how this story filled my need so well! Beautiful.

ashleylm's review against another edition

2.0

This feels like a gentle, sweet book, with a capable writing style, but for whatever reason it ultimately isn't interesting me. And as I age, that's fatal: every time spent with a book that's okay, is time spent away from a book that might be absolutely wonderful.

(I suspect, as others have said, that the fast pace is preventing me from enjoying a full immersion. Who are these characters? Where are they? What's going on? If I knew, maybe I'd care more.)

So Adieu, I'm afraid.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s)

frogy927's review against another edition

3.0

Funny story about this book: I was in a storyreading group that read a little of this book at each of our bi-weekly and then monthly meetings. But I joined the group after they already started and the group dissolved before we got to the end. So over the course of almost a year I very slowly read the whole middle part. I don't think I was ever going to love this book. But I was shocked at how short, quick, and well written it was when it's not dragged out five pages at a time.

ehparrish's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

bethadele's review against another edition

3.0

I wish GR had half stars, I‘d have given this one three and a half. I loved the story, but there were things. I need to read it again in order to be more clear.

spectacular_k's review against another edition

5.0

I really, really, really love the language in this book, even though half the time I didn't really know what was happening. Great story, unusual mythical creatures.

raygina's review against another edition

3.0

The ending wasn't close to where I thought the story would go, but it's a good story.

conspystery's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75