Knife by R. J. Anderson

Bryony, aka Knife, is a curious young faery. She yearns for the world outside the oak tree in which all the faeries dwell.  On her first mis-adventure outside, she comes face to face with a boy.

This is the beginning of her fascination with the outside world.  Her quest for knowledge about humans leads her to question life in the tree and what happened to change it so drastically.

I was totally captivated by this story and wonder why I hadn't read it earlier.  It is full of strong female characters that I couldn't help but love.  I particularly like Thorn, the Queen's Hunter, who teaches Bryony how to survive out of doors.

This is a good example of history being written by the victor.  Without being taught faery history, the new generations have forgotten their rich past and are struggling to hold on to a future.

And that human boy Paul, he was also changed by that chance encounter with Bryony.  He is a flawed young man, but a good person which makes him  a wonderful addition to the otherwise female fast.  

This book should have wide appeal to young readers and is suitable for parents and kids to read together. 

I listened to the unabridged audio book as read by Emma parish. 7 hours 16 minutes.  She did a terrific job of voice characterization and showed excitement and enthusiasm as she read.  

This book was published in the United States under the title Spell Hunter.

My daughter Shannon introduced  R. J. Anderson at a book festival several years ago.  She dressed as Thorn, also her favourite character.

Cover image courtesy Oakhill Publishing

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