"Everyone is in the middle of this war, Nikki. Humans, Halflings, and angels--both fallen and heavenly. You've ignored the battle for seventeen years, but something on the inside of you knows my words are true. You're in a war and it's time to choose a side. If you don't, a side is chosen for you."
Nikki Youngblood has become a prime target in a supernatural war. She's strong and feisty, but those character traits won't save her from the mysterious evil that's bent on hunting her down for some unknown purpose. However, she's not in this fight alone. Nikki has three Halfling--half-human/half-angel--young men sent to protect her. There's innocent, adorable Vine; brooding, complex Raven; and good, protective Mace. As events begin to rapidly unfold, not only the lives, but the hearts and souls, of Nikki and the three Halfling brothers, also known as "The Lost Boys," are at stake.
I'm a huge sucker for anything Peter Pan, and Halflings by Heather Burch has a sort of darker Peter Pan feel with a "Wendy" character and the "Lost Boys" who live in their own type of "Never Neverland." To be honest, I was a bit wary about the whole "half-angel/half-human" plot, but I believe the author handled it really well. It could almost be viewed in a allegorical sense with the whole sin nature vs. heavenly nature choice.
I was also a bit nervous about the love triangle. I'm not a huge fan of those, but I thought the Mace/Nikki/Raven love triangle was handled pretty well. It was frustrating and addicting at the same time. One moment I would be "Oh, it's sooo obvious she's going to be with him" then "Oh, well, no, maybe it's this guy..." I could totally relate to Nikki's love and confusion over both guys, because even I would really love Mace one moment then all of the sudden be highly irritated with him, or would want to punch Raven one minute and then hug him the next. I have no idea who Nikki is going to choose, which I believe shows some pretty dang good writing on the author's part.
One part of the writing did bother me though. Often when the story switched scenes, it was kind of choppy or abrupt. At one point, I had to pause and turn back a few pages to figure out how one character came to a certain conclusion. Halflings also raised many unanswered questions that left me a bit unsatisfied, like I was reading only half a novel, but the questions also made me even more eager to read the next books. Since this is Heather's first book, the first book in a series, and the story is just plain intriguing and fun, these things are easily forgiven, and the second book is already on my to-be-read list.
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary Fantasy/Romance
Ages: 15 and up
Pages: 286
Publication Date: January 2012
*I would like to thank the publisher and author for sending me an Advanced Reading Copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
There are alot of fun goodies that go along with Halflings! Check out:
- The FREE ebook prequel, 11:15: The Making of a Halfling. Here's the info:
"In this illustrated prequel to the Halflings trilogy, written by Heather Burch, Mace and Raven are given a mission to stop a catastrophic event. With his halfling abilities still untapped, Vine is allowed to join the mission, but only as a spectator. The clock is ticking and the tragedy is proving difficult to stop. Will Vine be able to sit back and watch, or will the power of heaven unleash just in time?"
- Become a member of The Halflings Network. This is a fun website where anyone can get connected with the world of Halflings.
- The second novel in the "Halflings" series is called Guardian and will be released in October 2012. (Isn't the cover simply gorgeous?!)
- Finally, check out the Halflings book trailer:
Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Halflings by Heather Burch by clicking on the links below, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.
Wow! Thanks for the great review! Halflings have more surprises. A brand new Halflings Game App has just released! Here's a link to download FREE!!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://halflings.ning.com/page/game-app
I was super hyped up at the end and silly me didn't know for sure there were other books! Thankfully Jill set my mind at ease. I can't wait for the next book. There was such a mystery behind the whole thing and can't wait to get more of it in book two. The whole deal with the lab has me curious! I agree that it left you ready for the next two books.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do see the whole Neverland/Peter Pan vibe now that you've mentioned it. I did find it super intriguing to learn more and more about the band of "lost boys" and see their perspectives on things throughout the story alongside Nikki. I love it when there is a main character, but all of the other characters are as equally important.
ReplyDeleteAnywho... I love the book and your review and now I'm a follower of your blog! =)
Heather: Thanks! And thanks for posting the link to the App! :D
ReplyDeleteTerri: Yes, I'm so excited to see the story unfold further! There's so much to uncover and I feel like we've barely scratched the surface. So many questions...
Sarah Elizabeth: Yay! Thanks for following my blog! :-) I agree, about other characters besides the main character having equal importance. In fact, the Halflings are my favorite characters in the book. Don't get me wrong, I like Nikki too, but I don't know...maybe it's the "Wendy" in me wanting to take care of all those orphan "Lost Boys" or something. lol
I cannot wait for the next book! I def. saw the Peter Pan analogy to the lost boys. Peter Pan is also one of my favorite Disney movies. :) I loved the book, but I wish that the characters hadn't been so perfect. :D
ReplyDeleteYeah, I kinda agree. I mean, I believed the guys were gorgeous, but when they kept going on and on about it, I was like, "Okay, I get it already! You're totally good-looking!" haha!
ReplyDeleteTalking about flaws, I guess that's why I liked Raven so much. He has plenty of room for growth and improvement. I liked the idea of Mace, but he does seem a little TOO perfect... And Vine is simply wonderful. He's still trying to find his way, but he's not hardened like Raven.
That's funny that you drew that comparison between Heather's book and Peter Pan, as I kinda did myself at one point while reading! But I thought that was just because I basically grew up in Neverland. :)
ReplyDeleteReally? Me too! Except, you know, I didn't actually "grow up" there, because as everyone knows, no one grows up in Neverland. But I hung out there quite a bit! ;-)
ReplyDeleteGood review. I never thought of the alagorical idea or the Peter Pan thing. Very interesting. There were times I also found it changed abruptly. I can't wait either for the next book and the dates I heard are just too far away. I personally think I know who she will end up with but something is going to have to happen so the boy can still make it to Heaven... But I also have a feeling about that too. Perhaps I should take your idea and start an email for what we think will happen in the future. keep up the good reviews.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I know, I'm excited for the next book as well! I also found that The Halflings Network has a forum, so maybe a speculation discussion could be started there.
ReplyDeleteOh, that quote at the beginning was simply one of my favorites of the book. Totally added to the "epic war" feeling throughout. And about that, Peter Pan? Yes! Why didn't I see that before! You summed it up perfectly...:) Great review!
ReplyDeleteYes! That quote definitely had an "epic" feel that I think the whole trilogy will have. And thank you!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great quote and so many people do ignore that battle going on around us. It is something we need to remember and fight so I like how this book reminds us of that.
ReplyDelete