Review of Pixylations
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[Following is a volunteer review of "Pixylations" by Joe Laudati.]
Pixylations: A Fairy’s Tale by Joe Laudati is a fantasy novel about nature spirits capable of harnessing the magical elements of nature—earth, air, water, or fire. Faela was a reckless and flighty blue pixie, ridiculed for her blue skin by other pixies of lighter skin. She enjoyed playing pranks and breaking rules, and her only friend was Scuff, a gnome. He warned her that if she continued breaking rules, she would be banished and would have to marry the evil goblin, Pooka, whose all previous pixie wives had mysteriously disappeared. But Faela ignored his advice, continued interacting with humans, and made herself visible to people against the rules. Seven-year-old Ellie McBride had a gifted sight—the ability to see sprites, like her mother. She was unhappy and afraid of the large oak tree where her mother had died suddenly, and Ellie witnessed it. The worst of Faela’s ideas of fun was pixylation—taking over a human body. Faela’s adventures landed her in the court of the high king, Auberon, of the faerie people, where everyone except Scuff wanted her to be banished and stripped of her wings and her magic.
The story is based on Celtic folklore, according to which the pixies are the guardians of the natural world. The author describes them as ethereal beings who get their energy from the elements in nature, work in the human world, and are responsible for the sustenance and welfare of plants, trees, crops, and flowers. It is fascinating to read about the realm of faeries, the faerie king, the laws, and punishments. The diverse population of the kingdom included pixies, gnomes, trolls, elves, and leprechauns, all having their own assigned work. Goblins were dangerous beings expelled from the faerie realm for breaking rules, and Pooka was their king who lived in the haunted hills. The book is decorated with numerous beautiful illustrations depicting the scenes.
The author has developed the characters quite remarkably, as distinguished by their features and traits. Pooka is a shape-shifting evil goblin who marries banished pixies for their magic energy and not for any romantic reasons. Scuff is a hard-working good gnome who always offers his support and advice to his friend Faela. Although good-hearted, Faela is an irresponsible delinquent. She feels lonely and ashamed of her blue skin, unaware of the fact that her blue skin gives her more energy and magical power. Ellie’s elder sister Katie and her love story are important in the story, and Katie’s character shows her love for her father and Ellie, her sense of duty, and her jealousy in love for Devon.
The most striking feature of this beautiful story is Faela’s envy towards humans, as she longs for parental love and a family of her own. The author has indirectly compared humans and sprites. Humans may not have magical powers, but they are capable of experiencing diverse emotions, having a family, and having the ability to procreate in the flesh. And above all, with the power of faith in God, humans have the ability to fight and destroy evil magic. I found the book a captivating read and did not find any negative aspects. I gladly give it a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
The story portrays the coexistence of two worlds: the humans on Earth and the sprites in a separate realm. But the moral values—hard work, being responsible, not making fun of others, not playing pranks to hurt or humiliate, adhering to the strict rules of society, and abiding by the law—are common to both. The story implores young readers to follow rules and respect moral values. The book will fascinate lovers of fantasy of all age groups, but especially teenagers and young readers.
******
Pixylations
View: on Bookshelves |
Pixylations: A Fairy’s Tale by Joe Laudati is a fantasy novel about nature spirits capable of harnessing the magical elements of nature—earth, air, water, or fire. Faela was a reckless and flighty blue pixie, ridiculed for her blue skin by other pixies of lighter skin. She enjoyed playing pranks and breaking rules, and her only friend was Scuff, a gnome. He warned her that if she continued breaking rules, she would be banished and would have to marry the evil goblin, Pooka, whose all previous pixie wives had mysteriously disappeared. But Faela ignored his advice, continued interacting with humans, and made herself visible to people against the rules. Seven-year-old Ellie McBride had a gifted sight—the ability to see sprites, like her mother. She was unhappy and afraid of the large oak tree where her mother had died suddenly, and Ellie witnessed it. The worst of Faela’s ideas of fun was pixylation—taking over a human body. Faela’s adventures landed her in the court of the high king, Auberon, of the faerie people, where everyone except Scuff wanted her to be banished and stripped of her wings and her magic.
The story is based on Celtic folklore, according to which the pixies are the guardians of the natural world. The author describes them as ethereal beings who get their energy from the elements in nature, work in the human world, and are responsible for the sustenance and welfare of plants, trees, crops, and flowers. It is fascinating to read about the realm of faeries, the faerie king, the laws, and punishments. The diverse population of the kingdom included pixies, gnomes, trolls, elves, and leprechauns, all having their own assigned work. Goblins were dangerous beings expelled from the faerie realm for breaking rules, and Pooka was their king who lived in the haunted hills. The book is decorated with numerous beautiful illustrations depicting the scenes.
The author has developed the characters quite remarkably, as distinguished by their features and traits. Pooka is a shape-shifting evil goblin who marries banished pixies for their magic energy and not for any romantic reasons. Scuff is a hard-working good gnome who always offers his support and advice to his friend Faela. Although good-hearted, Faela is an irresponsible delinquent. She feels lonely and ashamed of her blue skin, unaware of the fact that her blue skin gives her more energy and magical power. Ellie’s elder sister Katie and her love story are important in the story, and Katie’s character shows her love for her father and Ellie, her sense of duty, and her jealousy in love for Devon.
The most striking feature of this beautiful story is Faela’s envy towards humans, as she longs for parental love and a family of her own. The author has indirectly compared humans and sprites. Humans may not have magical powers, but they are capable of experiencing diverse emotions, having a family, and having the ability to procreate in the flesh. And above all, with the power of faith in God, humans have the ability to fight and destroy evil magic. I found the book a captivating read and did not find any negative aspects. I gladly give it a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
The story portrays the coexistence of two worlds: the humans on Earth and the sprites in a separate realm. But the moral values—hard work, being responsible, not making fun of others, not playing pranks to hurt or humiliate, adhering to the strict rules of society, and abiding by the law—are common to both. The story implores young readers to follow rules and respect moral values. The book will fascinate lovers of fantasy of all age groups, but especially teenagers and young readers.
******
Pixylations
View: on Bookshelves |
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