Review: Of Stardust

 

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

“Dreams are sacred…”

At the age of twenty-six single, geeky bookseller Till Nesbitt inherits the shock of a lifetime: a huge Victorian farmhouse filled with unique tenants, and the knowledge that there is a reason she’s always been different. She’s destined to become a Fairy Godmother, because the skills are written into her DNA.

Till embarks on her fairy education at Dreams Come True University with much trepidation, guided on her journey by a unique mentor: a Celtic hybrid with a secret by the name of Gus.

When Till falls head over heels for Gus, will she break the most serious law in the Fairy Code, or will the truth of what really happened to Gus’s parents keep them from repeating history?

REVIEW:

     I have always and will forever love books about Fairies living among us. Though many such books have disappointed me in the past Of Stardust did not let me down.

     February Grace's protagonist, Till, is a girl after my own heart. 26 years old and still living with her parents and working in their bookshop she feels that her life has stagnated. She has no clue as to what her purpose is or what she has to offer the world. Until she is summoned to the home of her Great Aunt Tilda (her namesake) that is. That's when the bombshell is dropped, she is a Fairy Godmother.

     I loved that Till was a skeptic about the whole "Fairy Godmother" destiny. With no proof and living in a world where magic is constantly heralded as an impossibility who wouldn't be skeptical when they were told that not only did magic exist but they themselves were magical. (Well I wouldn't be, but I'm one of the few!)

    As Till's tale moves forward Grace does a phenomenal job of fitting the fairy world into our own. How do fairies do their job and maintain a job that helps them blend in to the world? Well they don't sleep of course! And while that sounds awesome (think how much you could get done with 24 hrs a day available to you) Grace also is sure to point out the disadvantages of such a situation. Without sleep there is no chance to dream. One of the biggest disadvantages of being a Fairy Godmother, though not the biggest disadvantage. The biggest disadvantage is that Fairies Godparents must remain celibate forever and with a life span of 300 years or more that can make a Fairies lifetime one that is very sad and lonely. 

     I loved the fact that Till continually voiced her disagreement with such a rule. With the fairy line dying out she points out that the only way to create more fairies is to procreate with other fairies. How can you not fall in love with a character that voices her opinion repeatedly consequences be damned? And how could Till not voice her opinions when she finds herself falling in love?

   The romance that blossoms between Till and her tenant Gus is wonderful. Forever denying themselves that which they want the most to fulfill their destinies is heart-achingly beautiful. At times their heartache brought tears to my eyes.  You want to root for them. You want them to find some loophole that will allow them to be together for good, not live and work together side by side without ever obtaining the one thing their hearts cry for loudest and most persistently.

   Of Stardust is a wonderful book for all ages. Lovers of magic and romance will find themselves swept away in this delightful novel. 

RATING:

4/5 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

February Grace is a writer, artist and poet who lives somewhere that is much colder than she would like most of the time.

She sings on key, plays by ear, and is more than mildly obsessed with music, clocks, colors, and meteor showers.

Her poetry, prose, and/or flash fiction have appeared in The Rusty Nail Literary Magazine, Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and Rose and Thorn Journal. Her work can also be found in the following anthologies: Poetry Pact Volume One, Anything Prose...And Poetry, Too! and Orange Karen, Tribute To A Warrior.

GODSPEED, her debut novel, is a labor of love she refers to as "Literary romance with steampunk embellishments."

Her second novel, OF STARDUST, is a modern, romantic fantasy tale.