Lament: The Fairy Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie Book 1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Lament is the first of Maggie Stiefvater's Books of Faerie and it's been on my To Read list for about a year.  I finally got my hands on a copy when the library recently bought one.  This book was a fast paced read that I just could not put down.  I started and finished it in one night because it just sucked me in.

Deirdre Monaghan is a brilliant harp player whose stage fright is so bad that she routinely gets sick before a performance.  Then, she is approached by Luke who is handsome and talented with the flute.  When they play together, she is not as nervous and actually enjoys playing for the crowd.  It's as if the crowd has melted away and all there is is Luke.  But Luke is no ordinary boy and Deirdre is no ordinary girl.  She learns that Luke is the fairy queen's gallowglass or soulless, former human assassin.  Deirdre also learns that she is a cloverhand, someone who can see fairies.  He grandmother, mother and aunt have all had issues with fairies in the past.  Now Deirdre must face her growing feelings for Luke and the fact that her best friend, James, has feelings for her too.  The fairy queen herself is after Deirdre and she won't stop until Deirdre is no longer a threat.  What will they all do and how will they all survive the ordeal?

I loved this one.  I love fairy lore as it is but Maggie's interpretation was a little different from a lot of the fey stories out there and it was refreshing.  My favorite characters were Luke and James.  James is a piper, as in he plays the bagpipes and wears a kilt.  Yum!  He's also fiercely loyal and protective of Deirdre as well as being funny and charming.  Luke is mysterious and kinda like that kitten that wanders up to your porch and you feel the need to cuddle it even though you know you shouldn't.  He's not inherently evil but no matter how much he fights the Queen's orders, he is stuck.  When he meets Deirdre, she intrigues him and he falls for her. She gives him the strength to fight harder and to stand up to the Queen.  Deirdre is pretty cool too.  I love that she starts out very meek and constantly being pushed around by her mother and treated poorly by her aunt but by the end of the book she stands on her own against the Queen to save the two people who mean the most to her.  Deirdre is a positive female lead and I love how she grows over the course of the book.

This book is a great read for all teens.  There is some violence and some sensuality but nothing half as bad as prime time TV.  I highly recommend this one and can not wait to get my hands on Ballad, the next book in this series.  You can learn more about Maggie Stiefvater and her books by visiting her website, Twitter or her Facebook Page.

Lament earns 4 Fairies for a great modern fairy tale and for James the hot piper!