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Book Summary

Reviewed by Matt Berman

Half-blood Tristran grew up on the human side of the wall between England and Faerie. One day, while trying to convince a local beauty to marry him -- or at least kiss him -- he promises to get her a fallen star (that happens to be a beautiful woman) that they saw shooting through the sky. Unfortunately, it (she) fell far on the other side of the wall.

So Tristran sets off through Faerie to try to find the star. But he's got some competition, as a witch-queen and her sisters want to catch the fallen star and cut out her heart while she's still alive in order to renew their youth. And, at the same time, three murderous princes set out to find the jewel that will give one of them the power to ascend their dead father's throne.

Is It Any Good?

3

Though this book might look like any other fantasy aimed at older elementary- and middle-school readers, the graphic sex scene near the beginning makes it clear that this book was never meant for children. Had that completely superfluous full-page description been left out, this book's audience would have been greatly expanded (despite some rather grisly violence toward animals).

This book didn't make much of a splash when it was first published, but it was reissued to coincide with the release of the movie version. The story is pleasant enough. Written in the style of a novel-length fairytale, it has both the advantages and disadvantages of that genre: the vivid magical setting and sense of surprise and wonder, but also the lack of any character development that might cause the reader to feel some emotional attachment. It's a lovely soap bubble, bright and glittering and entertaining, but without much heart.

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