Fairy Keeper

A charming fantasy with real depth, engaging characters, and a touching sister bond at it's heart, "Fairy Keeper" is perfect for young teens. Sierra is a believable yet strong heroine, and her love for her little sister is the driving force behind the story. A hint of romance, sensitively and maturely handled by Bearce, never drags down this magical quest/coming of age fantasy that fans of both "Fablehaven" and Disney's "Frozen" will appreciate.

At first I wasn't sure if I would really like this book. There are so many fairy-tale-creature-themed young adult novels that I was worried it would be mediocre. However, I was pleasantly surprised. After the first few chapters, I was definitely caught in the stingers of the fairies. Although, I'm still not sure how much I actually like the main character, Sierra. I find her to be a moody, bratty teenager--but then, weren't most of us at one point?

In addition to the love triangle--there were underlying themes of friendship, self-acceptance, as well as responsibility. Additionally, there were very serious ecological themes throughout the novel--most prevalent out of all was the the warning to not overuse the natural worlds resources--fairy nectar in the case of this story.

I would love to read another book by Amy Bearce and it would be even more awesome if it was a sequel to this one! I'd love to see what other mythical creatures reside in the land of Aluvia, as well as to get to know the ones we already met better.

Note: I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5, but opting up to 4 (instead of down to 3) because it is a well-executed story! (As an aside, I tend to rate with the notion that a 3 is still a "good" read. 4 I find even better, and 5 are books I particularly loved.)

This was a refreshing and quick read (as appropriate to its status as a "young adult" novel). Without giving away any spoilers, I particularly liked the ways that this story veered away from some of the more typical tropes - for not only 'fairy' stories, but for the YA label.

In short: I enjoyed the read and look forward to future work from Amy Bearce - there's a good deal of potential here.

I'd recommend this title to many people. It was a wonderful read with a great mix of fairies, dragons, assorted mixed "characters" and of course tons of adventure.

Your local library may want to look into this title for a mid-reader read-along.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fairy keeper is a book viewed by a 14 year old girl named Sierra. It is really told in 3rd person, but Sierra is the main protagonist. Fairy Keeper is supposed to be a book for upper middle level readers, but to me it didn't feel like it was.

I kept on picturing Sierra as an older girl, maybe 16 or 17, but certainly not 14. I cannot imagine a 14 year old girl working for a brutal father, who uses her gift to create Flight, an illegal elixir that produces dreaminess, apathy and hallucinations, and is also the key ingredient in help running her fathers business. In modern day time, a 14 year old girls responsibility is to go to school and do their chores, but that is certainly not Sierra's life in this novel.

Everyone pictures fairies as Tinker bell, or Fae, which are the mind tricking mythical creatures, but in this book, the author creates her own fairy, one that may have the appearance of Tinker bell, but have short tempers, and can certainly hurt you when they have the chance and want attention.

In Fairy Keeper, the setting is Aluvia; it is considered a gift or "special" to be born with the fairy keeper mark, but of course Sierra hates having it, considering the conditions she is living in. It shows everyone she was born with the natural ability to communicate, attract, and even control the tiny fairies whose nectar is amazingly powerful. Fairy nectar can heal people, but it can also be deadly to humans, if used incorrectly.

Then one day, Sierra discovers the fairies of her hatch are mysteriously dead, and that her fairy queen is missing. Her father’s Flight operation is halted because of this drastic situation and he plans to make up for the lost income by trading her little sister (Pheobe) to be an elixir runner for another dark alchemist, a dangerous thug,

Desperate and motivated to protect her sister, Sierra convinces her father she can retrieve the lost queen and get his operation up and running, but she is forced to go with her enemy since elementary school Nell.

When Sierra goes to talk to her scholarly best friend Corbin, she discovers that her queen wasn’t the only queen to disappear; They’re all gone, every single one, and getting them back will be deadly dangerous. She would have to journey through the fairy woods, climb up the tallest mountain in Aluvia, deal with earth shattering earthquakes, and on top of that, the mystical creatures in Aluvia are back (goblins, fauns, seawee's, you name them, they're in here!)

Along the way, they learn that more than just her sister’s life is at stake if they fail, it is actually the entire world, because fairies are losing their hold on magic. If humans keep on using their nectar for dark purposes, (plus Aluvia is held with magic), and if the magic is gone, Aluvia ceases to exist.

During Sierra, Corbin, and Nells journey, they find Micah, he is human, faun, and deer. Sierra finds him in the woods and by mistake she shoots him down, tends to him and he helps them journey to the Skyclad Mountains, where the last wild fairies were seen, and where are the queens are.

After finding the queens, she has to take down the dangerous thug holding her sister captive, unleash the magic from under Aluvia, and embrace herself being a powerful Fairy Keeper, considering her ties with both parts of her family.

In the end, Sierra ends up with Micah, Corbin and Nell are together, her father and the dangerous thug die from an earthquake, Pheobe is rescued, and Sierra embraces her fairy keeper self. A remarkable story that blew me away, and is very original.

The way the book ended, I would assume there was a sequel, but I'm not so sure, because I checked the authors profile, and she doesn't have any future books planned. I'm kind of disappointed and relieved about the news at the same time.

I recommend this to upper teens, fantasy and adventure lovers.

Amazing debut novel!! Loved it!! I loved the characters, and how they interacted! And the ending was so good! An interesting magical world with beautifully developed characters that have these complex relationships!

A very good book. One of the early things that drew me in was 14 year old Sierra's love and desire to protect her sister.

This book was amazing. I loved it. The story is well paced and excellently written and the world building was phenomenal. It would be great for any fan of fantasy, fairies, magic, or anything similar.

The Fairy Keeper 4 stars

I received an e-ARC copy of The Fairy keeper from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The fairy keeper mark signals that a person has the gift of caring for a fairy queen and her subjects. However 14 year old Sierra sees it as a resentful duty. Her father Jack is powerful dark alchemist who uses fairy nectar to create a hallucinogenic drug called flight. It’s extremely profitable and very addictive. He is also abusive. Sierra wants to leave but Jack uses her sister as leverage. Phoebe is 10 and Sierra will do anything to keep her safe. So she continues to harvest the nectar for her father until suddenly all the fairies die and the queens disappear. In order to save her sister, Sierra sets out to find her queen and bring her back. Her best friend Corbin, a healer and her father’s enforcer Nell accompany her. Sierra discovers that the missing queens are only the beginning of her troubles.

First off, gorgeous cover. It is phenomenal and what made me want to read the book in the first place.

I felt a little deceived by the age of the main protagonist. She is only 14 and I was expecting her to be older. I did like the overall story though. I liked the magic and the mystical animals. That fauns have three forms, which was cool. The dragon and mermaids were neat too.

The ending felt a bit rushed to me. I felt that there were little loose ends that should have been tied up or a larger solution hinted at to be finished in the next book. Like the part where they talked about helping the mermaids but then didn’t. So why would the mermaid help them. It just didn’t make sense.

So good book. Cohesive plot, understandable characters. Hopefully there is another book.

YA fantasy is not really my cup of tea but my tween insisted and I was happy she did. The characters are drawn so realistically that you are there with them, experiencing the fear, the anxiety, the desire to protect, survive and be good. Great strong female characters and a complex supporting cast. A recommend for teens, tweens and adults alike.

A story really exciting. It's been a wonderful and magic adventure with little nuances of romance and suspense. I had drawn the plot and to read the book, I confirmed my first impression: very nice! Not the first time I read a protagonist who does not accept his "nature" but Sierra is a character that I loved for his loyalty and courage, and that moved me to his bond with his sister. She risks everything to save her, and this reminded me two sisters very united in another young adult we know many. I'm talking about Katniss and Prim of Hunger Games. Sierra and Katniss give their lives for their younger sisters, to protect them and love them unconditionally.

The life of Sierra and his sister Phoebe is not easy. I would say a real hell with the bad father who takes advantage of the ability of the eldest daughter to pick up fairy nectar for his dark machinations.

Sierra is a Fairy Keeper, and his task is to safeguard them. For everyone, to be a guardian is an honor but she did not. You do not feel worthy of the title as it is his best friend - who was also the keeper - Corbin, who loves and respects him fairy creatures.

And it will be him to accompany her on a long journey in search of herself and fairy queens disappeared. But unfortunately Corbin will not be the only companion of adventure. There will also be Nell, a girl who will be the watchdog to the orders of the father of Sierra.

It's a very rich of emotions history that will appeal to fans of the genre fantasy and stories about fairies. You read the growth of Sierra and her acceptance as keeper, what it is based on the novel. The romantic part is very small to allow more space for adventure but that small portion I liked and not liked. In the sense that I would have preferred more feeling or involvement in the protagonist. I was still satisfied with this reading, no doubt, but it missed very little to achieve perfection.

I loved the fairy world. Fairy Keeper is an amazing book.

For a moment I thought we were going to have a love triangle but fortunately that didn’t happen. I liked the different magical creatures, and there was plenty of action and adventure.

I liked how the characters interact with each other. And I absolutely love how strong the female characters were.

The author is a very talented story teller and I look forward to reading her work in the future.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.

Great book. Love the characters and the world that has been created. Great twists and turns. Readers will be drawn into the story from the first page.

Verdict: Young girls will love this one!

If you love magical folk, you’ll love this book. Fairies, merefolk, unicorns... Bearce has created a beautiful world with a beautiful name: Aluvia. I absolutely love how the fairies are like pesky bees, producing nectar that can be turned into a drug. It’s brilliant set up which I tip my writing hat to.

The idea that really sold the book to me was Flight: the illegal hallucinogenic that can be produced from fairy nectar. It makes a few appearances throughout the story, but it’s not really what the book is about. In a way, Fairy Keeper is really about how human greed can destroy beautiful creations.

Sierra is strong and likeable character. Because of her abusive father, Sierra has a darker side, but she realises what she could become and tries to act better. I enjoyed how she grew as a character, especially when contrasted against her best friend, Corbin, who has lived a sheltered life in comparison. The third main adventurer is Nell, Sierra's nemesis who has also had a rough lot in life. Again, fantastic set up. Nell definitely spiced up the story in more ways than one.

As much as I loved the set up, I have to be honest. Bits of it dragged. It felt overwritten in places, and the camping was a tad repetitive. I know its middle grade, but the main 'issues' wouldn’t progress and yet they would be discussed again and again through the third person, over the shoulder narrative. It grinded the pace to almost a halt at once point, but it did pass.

The love aspect was a bit tricky. At first I liked how the romance blossomed, and how things just weren’t going to be easy for Sierra. Ultimately, she has to understand another point of view, and I like how it didn’t turn into a love triangle in the traditional sense. Then again, something happens later which I can’t help feel the book would have been better if it didn’t go down that particular route. To avoid spoilers, I’ll just say it felt a bit forced.

This is still a fantastic read with a really exciting ending. There are lots of great action scenes, twists, well-built characters, and a great round up in one book. It won’t leave you hanging in uncertainty, and it definitely made me want to read on.

Fairy Keeper by Amy Bearce is a paranormal novel for young adults. Sierra Quinn is a 14 year old Fairy Keeper. She was born with the mark of the keeper on her neck (fairy wings). Sierra can communicate and attract fairies. Sierra does not like being a keeper because she dislikes being told what to do. One day she is checking on her fairies in their hatch and discovers all the worker fairies are dead and the queen is missing. Her father, Jack will not be pleased. Jack is a nasty man. He makes Sierra collect fairy nectar which he uses in poisons and drugs (especially a drug called Flight). Sierra only stays around because of her sister, Phoebe (who was not born a keeper).

Jack is upset when he finds out about the nectar. He then states that Phoebe (who is only 10) will have to go work for Elder Graham Bentwood. Bentwood is a big man, has a nasty temper, and sells drugs. Sierra makes a deal with Jack. She will bring back the queen and Phoebe will not have to go work for Bentwood (at least not for another year). Jack agrees with the bargain on the condition that his enforcer, Nell goes with Sierra. Sierra cannot stand Nell, but she will tolerate her on the trip for the sake of her sister.

Sierra and Nell embark on an adventure to find the missing fairy queen. As they start their trip, Sierra stops at her friend, Corbin’s house to check on his fairies. Corbin is also a fairy keeper and has read everything he can find on fairies. Corbin’s queen is missing as well and his worker fairies are dead. Corbin joins Sierra and Nell on their quest. It is a long journey and will be full of adventure.

The Fairy Keeper is a cute story and is aimed at young adults. There is violence in the book and concepts are for an older young adult. The book does place an emphasis on not over using natural resources which is a good thing for young adults to learn. I give Fairy Keeper 4 out of 5 stars. I liked the story but did not fall in love with it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley/Curiosity Quills for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I liked:

-the relationships!! All of them!! The fact that Sierra’s willing to go on this arduous journey to save her little sister. The way Sierra and Corbin really are “just friends” with no romantic tension (even an almost pseudo-kiss didn’t cause them to fall madly in love with each other). I don’t know if it’s spoiler-y to tell you about Nell and Corbin or Micah’s appearance, but it was super cute.

-the characters. Sierra was tough and strong but could still admit when she needed help instead of blustering her way through. I think Nell was my favourite, especially the way she developed over the course of the story. I also really liked Micah, though I was a little suspicious of him for a while (I briefly wondered if he had ulterior motives, but that just shows how well Sierra’s thoughts were presented, since she wondered the same thing).

-the idea of fairy keepers. I mean, for one, they have this great fairy-wing shaped marks on their neck, which is very cool, but it’s also interesting that not everyone had control over magical creatures – just a select few.

-other magical creatures introduced in a logical way. If there are fairies, there should also be merpeople and fauns and dragons, right? Right! It makes sense and they’re integrated almost seamlessly so that you’re not wondering where these magical creatures came from (*cough the Fallen series cough*).

-the writing itself was lovely and descriptive without being over-the-top about it.

-also, the rather violent ending, which was shocking, but in a good way. Sierra took ownership of her powers and it was excellent to see.

What I didn’t like:

-we spend a lot of time in Sierra’s head and, while that’s often a good thing (see how I felt about Micah), it did get a little repetitive sometimes (especially when it came to her brotherly feelings for Corbin).

-since I wasn’t sure about time period, occasionally I felt like there were some anachronistic sayings (i.e. “give me a break”), which felt odd when it was followed a little bit later by phrases like “the hourglass sands never stopped flowing”. It didn’t detract from the reading experience, it was just a little jarring.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I’m tempted to consider it “middle grade” rather than “young adult”, but it makes sense as being on the younger end of the YA spectrum.

Very likeable and interesting, and I enjoyed the theme of conservation in a magical setting. When I started reading for some reason I was imagining the fairies to be like bees - fairy keeper, bee keeper, fairy nectar, honey!

I really liked Sierra. She was willing to throw anyone and everyone under the bus to save her sister Phoebe, and at times she was downright bitchy to Nell without cause! I liked that she wasn't "perfect", but nor was she overly flawed - she was just realistic.

For some reason I enjoyed the first half of this more than the second - I was loving the quest the three were on, and then it felt like something changed a bit once they joined with Micah, the faun. Not sure what though! They were still in a hurry of course, but it felt as though the pace slowed down almost.

This is a good book. Did you know about keeping fairies in your backyard? This is a great idea. The author made me feel like I could own and help protect fairies through out this book. I enjoyed the characters very much. I feel for Sierra and her sister and how they are forced to live this life with their mean dad. I enjoyed this book very much and I will recommend this book to me niece. * I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Initial warning about this book. The characters are so well written, that the fear the main character feels about her father is palpable. It could be a trigger for someone who had a bad childhood with a father-figure. The father Jack was introduced first just from the thoughts of his daughter, the MC Sierra and that was enough for me. I didn't want to meet him at all. When he made an actual appearance, he was as bad as Sierra thought and then some. Very well written.

The characters were all alive for me. They were tropes, but more than that. The strong female MC who was trying to keep her sister safe, the platonic male best friend, the untrustworthy secondary female character, but that was just their starting off point. They started off as tropes, but they grew. They lived and breathed and developed and evolved.

Sierra was "special", but she grew into it. She wasn't a Mary Sue with all of the answers. She didn't save the day each and every time. She had friends who helped her on her journey. Her love for her sister and her fear of her father gave her dimension.

The world was well built, I could see where the characters were in my mind and it was lovely. I enjoyed the ecological theme, as it didn't bludgeon the reader over the head, but again, was an idea that developed gradually.

The ending wrapped up the main quest of the book, but could easily lead into a series. I would definitely enjoy reading more about the world the author created and hope there is a series if they are all as well written and thought-out as this book is.

I would recommend this book, with the one trigger warning of the abusive father-figure. Solid four stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

(Excerpt(s): "Sierra hated that her fate had been decided the moment she was born with a keeper mark on the back of her neck.Her path was fixed, mot matter how much she wished otherwise. The fairies would never leave her alone. The mark was only the out ward evidence of some inner trait or ability the fairies were drawn to. If she knew what it was, she'd change herself and be free.”
“She didn’t have the words to express why it infuriated her to have no choice about her life’s calling. Yes, she took care of the fairies. If she didn’t, she’d never have a moment’s peace. The little worker fairies needed someone to protect them, as they weren’t very clever. Sierra built a special hatch for them, and found the exact mushrooms the queen needed to thrive. The fairies lived on the far edge of the Quinns’ land, as close to the forest as Sierra could get them while still keeping them safe. She made sure no wild creature encroached on their territory and that other people left them alone. But in return, she took their nectar for Jack, even though she didn’t want to.
“She was trapped, by her mark, her father and her love for Phoebe.”)

REVIEW: Aluvia is a land filled with magic and magical creatures, while they are all important fairies have a special role. Sierra Quinn, a fairy keeper from a long line of fairy keepers, keeps collecting the nectar in order to keep her precious baby sister safe from their father Jack. As if being heartless tyrant is not bad enough he is also an assassin and dark alchemist, who forces Sierra to take too much of the fairies nectar so that he can make an illegal mind-altering elixir that he invented and calls Flight. The elixir is his most lucrative potion. It makes users so tranquil that sometimes they starve to death and the will trade/sell everything they own to get more. Sometimes it produces hallucinations. The authorities overlook the illegal trade and sell of Flight because it makes users too dazed and complacent to make trouble. Many of the elders also use the potion and they want to make sure that there is an ample supply available.

After an earthquake, Sierra drops the vials of nectar she had collected that morning. She knows nothing will protect them from Jacks wrath is she does not have the nectar he needs to make Flight. Collecting nectar is always dangerous; the fairies bite, pinch and sting you trying to get you to leave their nectar alone She know that trying to collect more at dusk will have them more agitated that usual. As she nears the meadow where the fairies live in a hatch that she built for them, she knows something is very wrong, it’s too quiet. When she reaches their hatch she discovers all the fairies are dead. She searches through the tiny creatures, looking for the queen who is larger, but discovers that she is missing. Even thought she hated her calling she had never wished that they’d die. What would the world be without their magic? What would Jack do, how was she to going to tell him that fifty fairies were dead and the queen was gone?

To save Phoebe from being given to Elder Graham Bentwood, a dark alchemist, the most monstrous ruffian in Aluvia, Sierra goes in search of her queen. Jack insists that Nell, one of his employee goers with her as to protect, guard and ensure that she returns. She goes to her best friend, Corbin, another keeper hoping that he knows why this happened and where her queen might have gone. When they reach his home they discover more dead fairies and another missing queen and he joins them

There are so many things I love about this book:
The love and protectiveness that Sierra feels toward Phoebe;
The anger and resentment that turn to love between Sierra and Queenie as she begins to realize her role in protecting the magic that the fairies create, Her comprehension that true love isn’t the liability she once dreaded, and how this gives her strength to overcome the many challenges she faces on her journey;
The magical creatures; the magic and amazing world they reside in;
The character development of and interactions between Sierra and Phoebe; then between Sierra, Nell, Corbin, the fairy Queens and all the magical creatures;
The need to protect the world’s natural resources from exploitation and abuse; The stunning cover, which shows Sierra's mark that, signifies she is a keeper. I’ve never commented on a cover in a review, but this one is just amazing and I want to thank Amalia Chitulescu, the artist who created this work of art. While I wish that her hair had been longer and braided as the book describes I love the detailed keeper’s mark. I thought at first it was a butterfly until I started reading; (I can visualize fairies and butterflies chasing each other as the play; flying among the flowers.)

I look forward to reading more from this author.

4.75 STARS **Receiving a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley did not influence my rating or review of this book; all opinions are my own.**

An intriguing and magical story. I enjoyed it immensely. Good and well-written.

A great little book about fairies, growing up, the importance of family and friends, and the importance of doing what's right and good. Really liked it!

I enjoyed this enchanting , magical book . Fairies, unicorns , mermen and other creatures are vital to this story. Sierra a fairy keeper must go a quest to find a new fairy queen to save her sister. her travels and companions Nell and Corbin are interesting characters wirg stories if their own. This is a charming fairy tale read for young adults and adults! Escape for a while with this lovely story.

Sierra is a begrudging fairy keeper, her lifetime career determined from the moment her mark appeared on her back. Jack, her father forces her to take nectar from the fairies so her can draft his illicit drug, Flight. Sierra cares little for the fairies and even less for her abusive father, focusing instead on Phoebe, her little sister. Her life, which for so long has seemed laid out before her, is suddenly changed when Sierra finds all of her fairies, dead. She must go on a quest to find her fairy Queen and keep her father from selling her sister into slavery. Along the way she discovers that magic isn't what she thought and learns a lot about herself as well.

This is a well-crafted fairy tale, imbued with romance, magic, heroes, and villains. I highly recommend it for YA readers that love fantasy and adventure.

In the land of Aluvia, fairy nectar is harvested by fairy keepers and used to make healing elixirs and a powerful drug called Flight. Sierra Quinn is a keeper who doesn't like her job or the fairies who are in her charge, but her father Jack, is a powerful and brutal man who deals Flight for a living. Sierra knows that she must do all she can to make her father happy and to keep her and her sister Phoebe safe from his wrath.

One day, Sierra finds that her fairy queen is missing and all of the other fairies in her hatch dead. She soon discovers that all of the fairy queens in Aluvia have mysteriously disappeared without a trace and all nectar production has come to a screeching halt. To save Phoebe from being traded to a tyrant to pay off Jack's debts, Sierra decides to go on a quest with her best friend, Corbin and her arch rival, Nell to find her queen.

Along the journey, Sierra and her companions find out that there is more at stake then Phoebe's life, and the survival of the world as they know it is laying on their shoulders.

This book started off really slow but it does pick up about halfway through it and ends witha a lot of surprise twists and turns. Also, Ms. Bearce's vivid descriptions of Aluvia and other settings throughout the book really draw you into the story.

In a world of Fairies Sierra carries the mark of a Fairy Keeper and can control fairies. To save her sister, Sierra will embark on an adventure that could be more that just saving her sister but also her world. Fairy Keeper by Amy Bearce is the beginning of a great YA series.

Well that was a surprise!!

Sierra is a begrudging fairy keeper, her lifetime career determined from the moment her mark appeared on her back. Jack, her father forces her to take nectar from the fairies so her can draft his illicit drug, Flight. Sierra cares little for the fairies and even less for her abusive father, focusing instead on Phoebe, her little sister. Her life, which for so long has seemed laid out before her, is suddenly changed when Sierra finds all of her fairies, dead. She must go on a quest to find her fairy Queen and keep her father from selling her sister into slavery. Along the way she discovers that magic isn't what she thought and learns a lot about herself as well.

This is a well-crafted fairy tale, imbued with romance, magic, heroes, and villains. I highly recommend it for YA readers that love fantasy and adventure