Ruler of the Realm (The Faerie Wars Chronicles, Book 3)

Title: Ruler of the Realm by Herbie BrennanPages: 423Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 2 or 3 years.Days spent reading it: 4 days.Why I read it: I first purchased Faerie Wars for my wife as a Christmas present. I was experimenting with a book I thought she might like. Turns out it was a phenomenal book. This is the third book in that series.Brief review:I loved Faerie Wars and its sequel The Purple Emperor. So I was expecting good things from Ruler of the Realm. I was not disappointed. The target audience for these books is definitely teenage readers, however it is also being marketed to adults (I've seen mass paperbacks in the Fantasy/Science Fiction areas that are aimed at adults, not teens). These books are definitely worth being read by any fantasy reader.Herbie Brennan has great characters. However, the real selling point for me from that book on is Herbie Brennan's mastery of plot. I will not reveal much about the plot, because it is so great and fluid that even talking about basics gives away the plot from previous books. His books take 2 or 3 complete story shifts through the book. NOTHING is ever as it appears, and great revelations are made throughout the series. Ruler of the Realm has some great seismic shifts.My biggest complaint about this book is that Henry (who I would consider the main character from the first two books), is sidelined during most of this book. His character just is not doing much. A little disappointing, because Henry is such a likable character.My only caution to readers: This series does have demon characters and sometimes odd (or scary) rituals that reflect a pagan worldview. I was put-off by some of the events, but not so much that I would not recommend this book to teenagers whose parents would talk about the content.Favorite quote: He was reaching for another crystal bloom when the guards fell on him like a tree.Stars: 4.5 out of 5.Final Word: Surprise!

I choose this rating because I love the grammar and plots twists that keep appearing in the story. The plot twists keep my mind's attention on the story. I would recommend this amazing boo to everybody who loves excitement and crazy plot twists. Keep up the good work! 👍

Loved the series and the sensible way in which modern day themes were addressed. It is darker in some ways than Harry Potter but not as gut wrenching. If buying the series for a young person, it would be good to read it in advance so that it can be used as a tool for discussing personal values around themes like adultery, petty crime and nonviolent offenses, the relative differences in which good and evil are portrayed, what is means to sacrifice for the good of all, etc.

The whole series is pretty good in my opinion. Written for kids, for sure. It's not overly impressive like say, Harry Potter, but it's very readable. I like the characters, and would gladly continue on with the series. I have also read better.

I’ve read this series since highschool and it’s still amazing. It brings back some good ole memories of my teenage years.

this was a fascinating read. i really enjoyed it. i read all 4 books in this series and loved everyone. it takes you away from the day to day ordinary time.

Some twists and turns get a little daunting and frustrating at times but still a great read and always ties together at the end. Hard to put down.

This series has really got me involved in it. The world and the characters are fantastic!

Ich habe die komplette Reihe zu Ende gelesen und schreibe zusätzlich zu meiner 1. Rezension noch 2 Rezensionen zum 2. und 3. Teil. Ich glaube, dass man den 4. und 5. Teil ohnehin liest (und vielleicht auch lesen sollte), wenn man schon so weit gekommen ist.Der Autor begeht leider in eigentlich jedem Buch den gleichen Fehler (meiner Meinung nach). Er baut Spannung in einer schönen Szene(n) auf. Statt dem zu erwartenden Knall eines Böllers folgt jedoch ein Verpuffen der Luft wie bei einem vollen Luftballon ohne Knoten. Sicherlich ist dieser Vergleich leicht übertrieben, trifft aber den Kern. Konkret äußert sich das meistens daran, dass der Autor die wichtigen kulminierenden Situationen nicht mehr ausführlich, ausgeschmückt beschreibt. Im Gegenteil ich habe sogar manchmal das Gefühl gehabt er würde dort weniger beschreibend als sonst schreiben. Bei einem Band war die Aufregung "was jetzt passieren wird" sehr groß und gut. Und was macht der Autor? Er schreibt als nächstes Kapitel wo schon alles gelöst ist und erzählt dort über die Charaktere was rückblickend ganz grob geschehen ist (auch bei der Lösung hat es sich der Autor meiner Meinung nach zu einfach gemacht).Das Buch Reihe ist jedoch nett zu lesen gewesen und kann ich ansonsten auch empfehlen. Ich habe jetzt angefangen Codex Alera (abgeschlossene Reihe; finde ich ganz wichtig) und das gefällt mir bisher sehr gut. Schon im (glaube) 3. Kapitel standen mir die Haare mehr zu Berge als hier teilweise in einem ganzen Band (wobei man das im Nachhinein vermutlich eher vergisst). Wenn jemand andere gute Reihen in dem Bereich der Fantasiewelten kennt, gerne als Kommentar unter meine Rezension :) (sollte aber Englisch sein)

This is a charming story that appeals to the child in me. Great narrative, I am never sure where the story will lead to next. This series is well worth reading.

awesome

great series, read 3 now, hope there's more!!