The Faerie Wars Chronicles Series by Herbie Brennan
The Faerie Wars Chronicles #1
Faerie Wars
Herbie Brennan
From School Library JournalGrade 5-8-Henry Atherton's family is in some disarray when his mother has an affair with his father's female secretary. Henry's escape is helping elderly Mr. Fogarty with chores. Meanwhile, in a parallel world, Pyrgus Malvae, son of the Purple Emperor, is being chased and climbs the fence outside a glue factory where he discovers an evil secret and also comes close to losing his life. His father decides to send his son through a portal to the "Analogue World" for safety, which results in him mistakenly showing up under the lawn mower at Fogarty's where he meets Henry. Pyrgus arrives the size of a fairy, but overnight he grows and his wings disappear. Fogarty, a former bank robber and mechanical genius, sets out to build an artificial portal to send Pyrgus back home. Eventually, Henry and Fogarty cross over into the Purple Kingdom, where they help defeat the forces of evil. This book has a complex plot with plenty of drama and action, but at times the story seems to sink under its own weight. Early on, the transition from contemporary England to the Purple Kingdom is sudden, and the two settings do not intersect until well into the book, which may confuse some readers, and it's difficult to keep straight the many characters in the Purple Kingdom. In the end, Henry's experiences give him the wisdom to craft his own family solution.Jane G. Connor, South Carolina State Library, ColumbiaCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. From BooklistGr. 6-8. When Henry Atherton arrives at the house of eccentric old Mr. Fogarty, he comes upon crown prince Pyrgus Malvae, who has escaped the Faerie realm, where the Faeries of the Night want to kill him. Mr. Fogarty and Henry decide to help the prince return home. It's a complex situation, involving an evil demon, two avaricious glue factory owners, and Lord Hairstreak, leader of the Faeries of the Night, each with a personal agenda that will lead to taking over the realm. A subplot (Henry realizes that his mother, not his father, is having an affair with his father's secretary) is totally unnecessary, and there are discrepancies in the story and some awkwardness to slow things down. Still, there's enough solid adventure in the Faerie realm to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Sally EstesCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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The Faerie Wars Chronicles #2
The Purple Emperor
Herbie Brennan
When Henry Atherton returned to his own life in the suburbs of London, he thought all was well in the Faerie Ream. His new friend Pyrgus, the crown prince of Faerie, was about to be coronated as Purple Emperor. But then Princess Holly Blue arrived on Earth, seeking Henry’s help once more. A plot to assassinate Pyrgus is afoot, but that’s not the worst of their problems. Pyrgus’s father, the murdered Purple Emperor, has been raised from the dead by means of foul necromantic sorcery. Now Lord Hairstreak and the sinister Faeries of the Night have seized control of the Realm . . . and driven Pyrgus and his allies into hiding. Henry has no choice to return to the world of Faerie to aid his friends. But that proves easier said than done when the mystical portal linking their realms goes awry. Now Henry will have to scramble just to stay alive in a fantastic world that’s constantly full of surprises . . . and danger.
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