The Thirteen Curses by Michelle Harrison
Apr. 12th, 2010 12:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
When fairies stole her brother, Red vowed to get him back.
Trapped in the fairy realm, Red must beg an audience with the fairy court. There, she strikes a bargain. Her brother will be returned – but only if she can find the charms of Tanya’s bracelet, scattered in the human world.
Returning to Elvesden Manor, Red is assisted by Tanya and Fabian, and a desperate hunt begins. Soon they make a shocking discovery. The charms are now cursed with the twisted qualities of the thirteen treasures they represent ... and the longer they are missing, the worse the consequences will be.
Can Red, Tanya and Fabian find all the charms? And even if they do, will the fairies keep their promise?
13 CURSES picks up immediately after THE THIRTEEN TREASURES and focuses on Red who offered to stay in the fairy realm to let Tanya go free. However Red’s motives weren’t completely altruistic – she’s sacrificed herself for the chance to get back her brother, James, who was kidnapped by fairies when he was a baby.
Red’s journey involves an encounter the evil Hedgewitch and sees her join forces with a fellow mortal who calls himself Stitch. Together they find the court of the Seelie Queen and the Unseelie King where Red strikes a bargain. She must retrieve the 13 charms from Tanya’s bracelet, which the Unseelie King has scattered around the mortal realm. If she fails to do so, then not only will she lose the chance to reclaim her brother, but the fairies will also keep Stitch, whose true identity forces Red to seek the help of Tanya and Fabian once again. However, as they try to fulfil the quest, they discover that the Unseelie King has added a vicious twist to the terms – each of the charms is cursed and innocent people will be hurt unless they are found in time.
I wasn’t a fan of THE THIRTEEN TREASURES, but this sequel is a vastly better read. Red is a fascinating and flawed heroine – determined, resourceful and utterly ruthless, driven by her hatred for the fairies because of what they did to her and her brother. The story alternates between her quest and the flashbacks to how she became the character she now is, including her fascination with the fairies that she’s always been able to see. Although one twist was a little obvious, the story is riveting and has a surprisingly dark undercurrent.
Tanya and Fabian are consigned to the background, which is fine as they’re less interesting. The supposed comic relief in their storyline - a new housekeeper, Nell, whose presence disrupts the orderly working of the manor – is irritating rather than funny.
Harrison makes good use of folklore and methods of keeping fairies at bay is an intrinsic part of the plot. The story is slow to get going and the pacing feels off in the final third as the children rush to find the charms. However there are some really chilling scenes – notably one in a graveyard - and Red’s character is strong enough to keep you reading.
The Verdict:
I didn’t really enjoy THE THIRTEEN TREASURES, but this sequel is a much more satisfying read. Red is a really good character – strong, determined and ruthless – it’s very easy to root for her in her quest while disliking her methods. It’s not a perfect story but it does have some really chilling scenes.
Trapped in the fairy realm, Red must beg an audience with the fairy court. There, she strikes a bargain. Her brother will be returned – but only if she can find the charms of Tanya’s bracelet, scattered in the human world.
Returning to Elvesden Manor, Red is assisted by Tanya and Fabian, and a desperate hunt begins. Soon they make a shocking discovery. The charms are now cursed with the twisted qualities of the thirteen treasures they represent ... and the longer they are missing, the worse the consequences will be.
Can Red, Tanya and Fabian find all the charms? And even if they do, will the fairies keep their promise?
13 CURSES picks up immediately after THE THIRTEEN TREASURES and focuses on Red who offered to stay in the fairy realm to let Tanya go free. However Red’s motives weren’t completely altruistic – she’s sacrificed herself for the chance to get back her brother, James, who was kidnapped by fairies when he was a baby.
Red’s journey involves an encounter the evil Hedgewitch and sees her join forces with a fellow mortal who calls himself Stitch. Together they find the court of the Seelie Queen and the Unseelie King where Red strikes a bargain. She must retrieve the 13 charms from Tanya’s bracelet, which the Unseelie King has scattered around the mortal realm. If she fails to do so, then not only will she lose the chance to reclaim her brother, but the fairies will also keep Stitch, whose true identity forces Red to seek the help of Tanya and Fabian once again. However, as they try to fulfil the quest, they discover that the Unseelie King has added a vicious twist to the terms – each of the charms is cursed and innocent people will be hurt unless they are found in time.
I wasn’t a fan of THE THIRTEEN TREASURES, but this sequel is a vastly better read. Red is a fascinating and flawed heroine – determined, resourceful and utterly ruthless, driven by her hatred for the fairies because of what they did to her and her brother. The story alternates between her quest and the flashbacks to how she became the character she now is, including her fascination with the fairies that she’s always been able to see. Although one twist was a little obvious, the story is riveting and has a surprisingly dark undercurrent.
Tanya and Fabian are consigned to the background, which is fine as they’re less interesting. The supposed comic relief in their storyline - a new housekeeper, Nell, whose presence disrupts the orderly working of the manor – is irritating rather than funny.
Harrison makes good use of folklore and methods of keeping fairies at bay is an intrinsic part of the plot. The story is slow to get going and the pacing feels off in the final third as the children rush to find the charms. However there are some really chilling scenes – notably one in a graveyard - and Red’s character is strong enough to keep you reading.
The Verdict:
I didn’t really enjoy THE THIRTEEN TREASURES, but this sequel is a much more satisfying read. Red is a really good character – strong, determined and ruthless – it’s very easy to root for her in her quest while disliking her methods. It’s not a perfect story but it does have some really chilling scenes.
