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Knife
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Readers will fall in love with Anderson's debut."
(The Times )"Compelling and mature...maintains its suspense to the final page"
(Books Quarterly (Waterstone's) )"Perfect for the kind of girl who enjoys fantasy with a dash of romance"
(The Times )"Pure pleasure...highly recommended"
"A compelling adventure/love story"
"Love, fear, compassion and courage are woven into a magical story"
"This is the best kind of fantasy: a book that makes fairies wonderfully real"
Romance, intrigue, mystery, adventure. I didn't want to put it down!
(Cork Evening Echo )Product Description
Once upon a time, a fairy is born. She lives in an old oak tree at the bottom of a garden with the rest of the fairy folk. Never has she known a time when life hasn't been hard, with many dangers and much adversity. But when she becomes the Hunter of the group and learns to do battle in the outside world, her adventures really take off...
Don't read this book if you're expecting fairy dust - the last thing Knife is likely to wield is a magic wand...
Don't read this book if you're expecting fairy dust - the last thing Knife is likely to wield is a magic wand...
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
An accomplished and charming debut novel, there is much to enjoy in this story. The faery community is well realised, with relationships and characters clearly depicted. Bryony is a determined and resourceful heroine who doesn't take no for an answer and a scene where she steals a knife from the humans (from which she takes a new name of Knife) is tautly written. Supporting characters, such as the crotchety Thorn and kindly Wink, help to give depth to the story and Queen Amaryllis is nicely ambiguous for the reader to wonder what is going on.
Anderson never descends into sentimentality, giving a matter-of-fact account of the hardships faced by the faeries to ensure their daily survival by gathering berries and hunting small animals. Particularly good is the threat from Old Wormwood, a crow who has eaten several of the faeries and developed a taste for them.
It's refreshing to read a novel with a central character who is in a wheelchair and Paul is an interesting character who I'd have liked to have seen more of on the page. It was a surprise to discover that Paul is of driving age because the portrayal of both him and Bryony had made them seem younger but also because this book is marketed for 9 - 12 year olds, and it's not often you see protagonists in their late teens in such books. This didn't make the story any less entertaining, but it was a jolt when it came.
The main criticism to make about the book is that the backstory is spread a little unevenly throughout the plot, with a large amount of exposition coming in the final quarter. I also found myself a little confused by the proliferation of character names at a couple of spots and found myself having to turn back a few pages to work out who was who. However, neither of these things would stop me from looking forward to the sequel to this story, which is nicely set up at the end.
The fact that the book is about faeries and the main characters are girls is likely to put off boy readers, which is a shame. However, girls should enjoy the adventure, romance and history that Anderson weaves into her tale and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Anderson never descends into sentimentality, giving a matter-of-fact account of the hardships faced by the faeries to ensure their daily survival by gathering berries and hunting small animals. Particularly good is the threat from Old Wormwood, a crow who has eaten several of the faeries and developed a taste for them.
It's refreshing to read a novel with a central character who is in a wheelchair and Paul is an interesting character who I'd have liked to have seen more of on the page. It was a surprise to discover that Paul is of driving age because the portrayal of both him and Bryony had made them seem younger but also because this book is marketed for 9 - 12 year olds, and it's not often you see protagonists in their late teens in such books. This didn't make the story any less entertaining, but it was a jolt when it came.
The main criticism to make about the book is that the backstory is spread a little unevenly throughout the plot, with a large amount of exposition coming in the final quarter. I also found myself a little confused by the proliferation of character names at a couple of spots and found myself having to turn back a few pages to work out who was who. However, neither of these things would stop me from looking forward to the sequel to this story, which is nicely set up at the end.
The fact that the book is about faeries and the main characters are girls is likely to put off boy readers, which is a shame. However, girls should enjoy the adventure, romance and history that Anderson weaves into her tale and I look forward to reading more from this author.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I thought this was a very good book. It's all about a faery who wants to discover more about her peoples past, and the human world. Her life is complicated looking after a little faery, whilst playing the part of the Queens hunter. And as she tries to find out more about the Sundering, she realizes that she's not the only one who wants the truth. The discovery of faery Heather's diary reveals the past of the oakenwyld and more strange mysteries are solved...
This book is full of emotion, happiness, and curiosity. It's one of my all time favourite books and I would deeply recommend it for girls that love reading. But remember, this isn't just any old fairytale...this is Knife
This book is full of emotion, happiness, and curiosity. It's one of my all time favourite books and I would deeply recommend it for girls that love reading. But remember, this isn't just any old fairytale...this is Knife
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I picked up Knife on impulse in the city of Bath last week - I wish I lived in Bath so I could go back and kiss the bookseller. It is one of the best modern children's books I have read in a long time.
The protagonist Knife (Bryony) is an immediately attractive character, whose individuality and personal strength have the reader rooting for her from the very beginning. The other characters in the Faery Oak tree are well drawn and believable, and the reader really gets a sense of the small community with all its various personalities and prejudices. The story combines traditional ideas of Faery with a modern twist - through the interaction of the rebel, Knife, with the human boy Paul it offers a unique view of humanity seen through the eyes of a race which live apart from humans and yet on their doorstep, and shows the damage that fear and misinformation can cause. The culture clash between Knife and Paul despite their obvious affinity for each other is intriguing, and leads well into the mystery created around the 'sundering' of the Oak tree where the faeries live from the rest of the world. The story also offers an imaginative view of the human creative process, containing as it does both inset stories and artworks. Above all, this book is well written, enthralling and incredibly imaginative and I couldn't put it down. Fantastic - more please!
The protagonist Knife (Bryony) is an immediately attractive character, whose individuality and personal strength have the reader rooting for her from the very beginning. The other characters in the Faery Oak tree are well drawn and believable, and the reader really gets a sense of the small community with all its various personalities and prejudices. The story combines traditional ideas of Faery with a modern twist - through the interaction of the rebel, Knife, with the human boy Paul it offers a unique view of humanity seen through the eyes of a race which live apart from humans and yet on their doorstep, and shows the damage that fear and misinformation can cause. The culture clash between Knife and Paul despite their obvious affinity for each other is intriguing, and leads well into the mystery created around the 'sundering' of the Oak tree where the faeries live from the rest of the world. The story also offers an imaginative view of the human creative process, containing as it does both inset stories and artworks. Above all, this book is well written, enthralling and incredibly imaginative and I couldn't put it down. Fantastic - more please!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
knife-no pink, no rainbows, no sparkles this is no ordinary fairy...
I got this book for Easter in a pack with is sequel. After growing out of your ordinary pink and sparkles fairy books I found this book amazing, full of mysterious characters and a... Read more
Published 1 month ago by h
Brilliant
I have to say that I though a book about fairies would be full of glitter, fairy dust and pink sparkly wings. Read more
Published 3 months ago by helen
BEST BOOK I EVER READ!
When I was little my friend Sophie had Knife, I never thought of actually buying it but a year or so later I found it in the shop Easons. Read more
Published 4 months ago by jen mcfen
Knife
The cover attracted me to this book, although I love Fairy books anyway.
Excellent read, feisty little fairy called Knife, very enjoyable. Read more
Excellent read, feisty little fairy called Knife, very enjoyable. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Tigger Fairy
different
A gentle take to the life of a fairy all to curious about a boy named paul. As a hunter knife must protect the oak but sneaks to see her human friend. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Enchantika
Fantastic!
Another fantastic debut novel! This book was just full of awesomeness. I absolutely loved reading it! The plot was something totally different, which was beyond refreshing! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mary-The Sweet Bookshelf
superb
i loved this book. the complexity in knifes outwards problems aswell as her thoughts and feelings for paul mixed in with heathers diary makes this a perfect story for anyone,... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Chris
Knife by R J Anderson
I have just finished reading Knife and all I can say is Wow!
When I first began this book I didn't really think it was for me, but I kept reading and boy am I glad I did. Read more
When I first began this book I didn't really think it was for me, but I kept reading and boy am I glad I did. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Y. S. Emery
Takes me right back
I know its the wrong reason to buy a book but it was the cover that attracted me. When I saw it it just jumped out at me and I had to buy it!! Read more
Published 13 months ago by Ms. J. Clarke
Knife
Knife is a wonderful book that keeps you wanting to find out what is on the next page as knife finds herself as a hunter an apprentice to fierce Thorn she wants to learn more about... Read more
Published 15 months ago
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