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Monday, December 19, 2011

Author Interview & Book Review: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Title: The Faerie Ring

Author: Kiki Hamilton

Publisher: Macmillan

Publication Date: September 2011

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Historical Fiction

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One



Synopsis can be found here.

Review:

In 1871 London, our world and the Otherworld blur. Queen Victoria's ring is lost, setting off a chain of events that may lead to an all out war with the Fey. The thief is a young girl named Tiki, an orphan who lives on the streets of London. Little did she know what she was going to start!
Trying to care for her family of orphans, Tiki is now being watched, and followed by humans and Fey alike. One of them is a fellow thief Rieker, but can he be trusted? And which side is he on, anyway?

The Faerie Ring blew me away. We start in the dirty, grimy streets of London where our heroine and her family are scraping by with what they can. Life is hard and while Tiki has a good heart, sometimes we all do things we can regret. (Like stealing Queen Victoria's ring for instance!)

The darkness of London is the perfect setting for the Fey, who hover in shadows, preying on innocent people. The two worlds blend so well, it was easy to be completely lost in the story. The twists and turns in the book are unexpected, reminding me of running through the narrow streets of London. In fact, one particular twist at the end is so surprising, I had to read the passage twice!

Tiki is a very likeable character, sometimes making wrong decisions but always with good intentions. Rieker, another thief, is mysterious, handsome and a little bit dangerous. The attraction between these two is obvious as the banter goes back and forth easily. Do we trust Rieker? Should we? 

Overall, The Faerie Ring is a wonderful mix of fantasy, rebellion and mystery. I loved reading every moment of this book! 
Rating: 10, One of the Best



Author Interview with Kiki Hamilton!



Kimberly- Thank you so much for stopping by Kiki!
Kiki- Thanks so much for inviting me over to your blog!

What inspired you to become a writer? 
I’ve always loved to write but I was so busy with work and my family and life that I didn’t make the time to write. Then I read Harry Potter. (I didn’t actually start Harry Potter until the Goblet of Fire came out… I read books 1-4 in a week.) I’d forgotten the magic of a well-told story. The magic of becoming the characters in a book and experiencing their adventures. I loved Harry Potter so much that I decided I’d write a little story for my daughter and that’s when the madness all started…

What was the last book you read?  
I read REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly recently and enjoyed that.

What sparked the idea of your book? 
I’ve always loved the idea of things not being what they seem. That other dimensions or worlds exist side by side with our own, just beyond our ken; that the scope of our world is more than just the three dimensions that we are able to easily comprehend.
At the same time, I'm intrigued by the past, by our history, by what may have occurred that might not have been formally documented for future generations. The untold story, if you will. And I am particularly fascinated with those untold stories that have a thread of documented fact woven through them, hich makes the reader question whether they are reading fiction or nonfiction. A story that makes the reader say... "What if..."

How did you choose the setting and time for your novel, which takes place in London 1871? (Do you have a time machine?) 
Victorian London is a mysterious and magical time in history.  It is an era of great change, great technological advances, yet at the same time, beliefs in the occult remained strong.  Additionally, the era offers a startling dichotomy between the classes and the way people lived, providing a great gap of motivations. 


What are your favorite things about Tiki? 
I like how loyal Tiki is – that she will stand up for and take care of people even when it’s frightening or difficult.

I’m a little in love with Rieker. Is he real?  
LOL, don’t we wish? That’s the fun of being a writer – you can create exactly what you want. But no, Rieker is not based on a real person.

Are you sure? 
LOL – You never know. I’ll let you know if I run into him in crowded railway station one day. J

What was the biggest challenge writing your novel? 
Actually, there wasn’t any great challenge. I wrote the story I wanted to read and it just fell out of my head onto the page.  I wrote THE FAERIE RING in 30 days.  Editorial revisions, however, took a bit longer. ;-}

How do you like your potato? 
Boiled, mushed with lots of butter


If you weren’t a writer, what would you be? 
I’ve been in business for many years.  Right now, I also work at a financial advisory firm.

Do you have a favorite literary character? 
I LOVED Eugenides in Megan Whalen Turner’s THE THIEF series. And of course, I love Harry Potter and the Weasley twins…

What do you do when you’re not writing? 
Clean the house, mow, walk the dog, grocery shop, cook dinner, laundry, haul the kid around….you know – the usual. But I also like to play the guitar, ski, play tennis, I paint occasionally and stuff like that.

What is one thing you would tell aspiring writers? 
Never, EVER give up.

What is your next book about and when is it coming out? 
Stay tuned!


Thank you again Kiki for stopping by! 
You can visit Kiki Hamilton here and follow her on twitter @kikihamilton

19 comments:

  1. great interview. this one is going home with me on christmas break to read.

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  2. Thanks so much for featuring me on your blog today!

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  3. Lovely interview and review. Makes me want to read it. Love the historical context and reasons for choosing that period. Great potato question too. Definitely one to suggest for the school library and some of the students.:-)

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  4. I am really interested in reading this book now! Thank you for posting the great review and interview! I believe that this will be a perfect holiday book to read and also to give as a gift.

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  5. yay!!! good job on your first interview!!! i have not heard of this book but i will definitely add it to the the list of must-reads!good job!

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  6. Thank you for the great interview, I've added this to my TBR list.

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  7. Nice interview. I must read this now. It seems very interesting...

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  8. This sounds great and I also like using London as the setting.It kind of makes it more mysterious imaging the life and times there.

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  9. This sounds like a very good book. I have been seeing it around the blogs. You gave a great review will have to put this on my TBR list.

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  10. OMG, I loved your review! I've been dying to read this book and now I'm dying a little bit more! LOL Thanks so much for your review and interview:)

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  11. I am just dying to read this book!!!

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  12. Great interview! :) I really want to read this book, everywhere I look there's only positive reviews. :D

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  13. wow i like t his one i do not have it but sound great and hope you many more

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  14. I've had this one on my wishlist since I first saw the cover and read the blurb. Thanks for the review and interview!
    (\___/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")
    alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
    http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

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  15. Great review! I was curious about this book and after reading your review, I am definitely adding it to my TBR list! I liked your comments and agree that London is a great setting for a fae book!

    klaxon63350 (at) mypacks (dot) net

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  16. Your advice to writers could go for bloggers also.

    Thanks for the great interview!

    Mary
    mary_reiss @ hotmail.com

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  17. Thanks for the awesome interview and I can't wait to read this book.
    April
    aprildan01@aol.com

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  18. I loved the review of this book and also the author's interview for what she really likes about her own plot, setting and characteristics about the main character. I added this to my TBR list for my YA!

    Ann
    Kyreadingggirl@yahoo.com

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  19. Thanks for the review! I've been been meaning to get my hands on a copy of this book for awhile. I love the idea of Old London and the fairy world mixing and, of course, absolutely love when I can root for a thief ;)

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