Product Description

Henry thinks he is simply saving a butterfly from being eaten by Mr Fogerty's cat - but he is in fact saving the life of a mis-directed exiled fairy prince. A prince who has to get back to his own land in order to thwart a threatened attack by Fairies of the Night. But time is against Pyrgus Mulvae and soon he is relying on Henry and Mr Fogarty not just to get him home but also to solve the puzzle that surrounds his exile. This is a wonderful, gripping page-turning read full of the kind of detail that will ensure that this fabulous fantastic novel will have readers young and old holding their breath as the story unfolds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #496019 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Faerie Wars, by Herbie Brennan follows in the footsteps of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl with its tale of fairy-folk and derring-do. But whereas Colfer's little people have a thoroughly modern edge throughout, Brennan comes at them from a slightly different angle in a highly original novel that weaves modern science with a good, old-fashioned fantasy story.

Henry, an ordinary boy, is thrown into turmoil when his mother apparently has an affair with his father's secretary and it looks as if his hitherto safe, if a little dull, world is about to fall to pieces. To avoid the arguments and the tense silences he heads for the haven of Mr Fogarty's house to spend time with the old man whose passion lies in scientific experiments and the accompanying paraphernalia.

Meanwhile, on an altogether different plane, Pyrgus Malvae, son of an emperor, has fallen out with his father and sets about making mischief. What he doesn't realise is that there are greater forces at work than his teenage tantrums, and not only his life, but that of his family's, is under serious threat. To save his life he transports, accidentally ending up in Mr Fogarty's back garden (where he appears as a tiny fairy--bizarre but true!). Before long, Pyrgus Malvae, Henry and Mr Fogarty are trapped in battle between distant worlds and dark forces, the result of which will change all their lives forever.

The aforementioned Eoin Colfer reckons that Herbie Brennan is a master of mythology, science and fantasy. Indeed he is, and despite a few hiccups in the handling of Henry's situation which seem somehow ill at ease with the rest of the book, he pulls off his first major work of fiction with admirable poise in a pleasingly challenging fantasy for older readers. (Includes some strong language and subject matter). Recommend for ages 11 and over. --Susan Harrison

Review
Henry and Pyrgus are literally worlds apart and they are both having a really bad day. Henry finds his cosy 2.4 family life a myth, and Pyrgus realizes someone wants him dead. Could it be a demon, or someone who uses kittens to make Miracle Glue? Pyrgus is sent through a sabotaged portal in his father's palace and winds up being rescued from a cat by Henry. Confused? Not as much as the boys are: they come from parallel worlds, where, unknown to humans, the use of portals has introduced to their world what they call fairies and led to the conflict in Pyrgus's world between the Faeries of the Light and the Faeries of the Night, whose secret plans involve an awful lot of conquest, loot and pillage. Pyrgus will have to use all his wits and the help of Henry and old Mr Fogarty, 'batty but not stupid', to work out a way to get home and discover exactly what is going on. The Faerie world has its own different believable logic; there are magic weapons, spells, a golden phoenix and the conjuring of demons, and the contract with one particularly huge, ugly, loud, smelly, malevolent - and smiling - one will cause problems for everyone. The Faerie baddies are splendidly bad and dangerous, and the good Faeries of Light include Pyrgus's formidable younger sister, who runs a brilliant network of spies and who has a surprising effect on Henry. Mr Fogarty has his own secrets, too, and Henry still has his own personal problems to sort out. In his hugely enjoyable and imaginative novel, Herbie Brennan has created characters and adventures that will satisfy readers of all ages. Ages 9+ (Kirkus UK)

The Independent 13th February
"At 368 pages, his novel is still not long enough: read it, and enjoy."

Customer Reviews

Fills the void left by Harry Potter!
For someone looking for another read that fills the void that was left after the end of Harry Potter, this is the book! Even more brilliant, unlike alot of sequels, the three after Faerie Wars get better and better! Once started, you will not be able to put the book down. It's utterly engaging and has chapters that get the adrenaline pumping and bits that make you laugh out loud. This book will make you wish you found a faerie at the bottom of your garden. Don't let the title put you off, this book is totally modern and full of action and the characters are exceptionally real feeling. The main character Henry is really believeable and easy to relate to. I recommend that you buy the whole set because when you finish this one, you won't be able to wait for the other ones to arrive.

Average fiction
Enjoyable as any other book in the same genre, I think the plot is quite conventional, the characters nothing more than average, and the whole story falls short of consistency and credibility, even for a fantasy. The adventures grow larger and larger till the end of the book, but it seems like the author had no ideas left for the last part, which i find extremely disappointing and abrupt. Not necessarily a waste of money (it doesn't lack of amusing chapters), but a book which takes the same time to be read and to be forgotten.

Amazing, brilliant and un-put-downable!
This is an amazing book! Lots of people told me so and they were right. I started reading it and just couldn't put it down so I stayed awake all night to finish it! The mixture of reality and fantasy is brilliant and I totally believed in the Faerie Realm. The main characters are really sympathetic and the plot is full of supense, twists and real surprises. Like real life, and the best books, Faerie Wars is funny, surprising, tragic and courageous by turns and it had me enthralled to the last page. I've now read The Purple Emperor too (more wonderful adventures) and I can't wait for number three! Keep writing Herbie!