Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater Review

Title: Ballad
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Series: A Gathering of Faerie, book two
Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The bottom line: Even better than the previous novel, Ballad completely swept me away--it was wonderful and I can't wait for more!

James Morgan is a piper--a kid with extraordinary musical talent--has transferred to Thornking-Ash music school, hoping to hone his musical talent before college, along with his best friend and childhood crush, Dee. His musical talent is so rare that it attracts Nuala, a fae that feeds off of the lives of those she inspires. Trying to deal with his attraction to her, his crush on Dee, and the fact that other fae are dropping mysterious dead, he finds that all kinds of love exist--some you even sacrifice yourself for.

What I enjoyed:
-The hypnotic, mysterious writing style, just like in Lament, that grabbed me by the throat and didn't let go
-James's hilarious narration, funny and flawed and jaded, giving new depth to the series as a whole
-Nuala, the inspiration muse stuck somewhere between fae and human, wanting desperately to belong and find love, even as she deals with her monstrous urges
-Dee's text messages, vague but still adding spice and mystery to the novel--I had fun deciphering them
-Sullivan--one of my favorite characters!
-Paul and the rest of the ragtag team
-The deeper exploration of Dee and James's relationship, tender and sad and heartbreaking
-The villain
-Eleanor
-The ending
-The promise of a sequel

What I didn't enjoy:
-There was nothing I didn't love about this beautiful novel! I can't wait for the final installment!

I loved Ballad--it was wonderful! Next on deck: Betrayed by P.C. and Kristin Cast!

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