A. E. Mayer

Brilliant Imagination

Mythology, fairy tales, and human nature collide into an impossible story of revenge and revelations.

Decades after a disgruntled god forces all inhabitants of his home planet to Earth, humans and creatures have come to an understanding. Dragons can be leased, but not bought. Magic spells can be purchased for use, but not to be understood. Creatures can coexist with humans if they follow the laws agreed upon by all parties.

One of the most convenient services provided through magic is a mere shadow of what was behind the Collision to begin with. Human nature quickly dismissed dangers and encouraged Pay-Per Doors to flourish.

I found myself unable to put down this book of greed, mystery, and self-discovery. The author painted the scenes with bright imagery and fascinating characters. I eagerly look forward to continuing this adventure with Bee, Angus, Saul, and the rest.… (mehr)

I really enjoyed Temp: An Accidental Fairytale. It is a fun book with interesting characters. Although her world is vastly different than ours, Bee is like so many of us feeling stuck in the ordinary and not knowing how to go after her dreams. I could relate to Bee instantly with her lack of self-confidence and her willingness to do her job to the best of her abilities despite the difficult circumstances in which she worked. This made the story all the more interesting as we see her transform from an extremely cautions person to one who finally begins to trust herself and make decisions based more on instinct. Each of Bee's companions also has an interesting story from Angus, the man trapped in animal form until he finds what he seeks, to Saul, a member of a nearly extinct race called the Brock, to Ninwicket the gnome.

While the events that take place in Temp: An Accidental Fairytale are certainly not ordinary events, especially for Bee, she handles everything very calmly and goes on her adventure as if it is just another day. While she does puzzle and question and wonder at everything that is happening, she also accepts it in a way that shows that this is exactly what she is meant to be doing. The writing emphasizes this state of mind as it is straightforward and factual while at the same time conveying extraordinary events with wonderful descriptions.

I wish I had been able to read the book in longer stretches to get a better feel for the overall flow. Instead, with two young children to take care of, I had to snatch a few minutes of reading time whenever I could get it. This often meant I was unable to even complete a chapter at a time and that it would be half a day or more before I could get back to reading. So while it is difficult for me to comment on the book as a whole, I did notice that the sections of Bee's journal that were inserted between chapters did take me out of the flow of the main narrative when I was able to spend more time with the book. I enjoyed how the journal entries provided more historical background on the Collision and also into the framework for Bee's understanding of her world but I think, at half a page or less, they were more of a distraction for me.

Overall, Temp: An Accidental Fairytale is a enjoyable and different story. I'm curious to know if we will hear more about Bee and Angus in the future as the ending leaves open the possibility that they will have more adventures.… (mehr)