Greenteeth is a warm, engaging fantasy that makes a reader want to curl up and enjoy the journey. Jenny Greenteeth is thoughtfully and vividly personiGreenteeth is a warm, engaging fantasy that makes a reader want to curl up and enjoy the journey. Jenny Greenteeth is thoughtfully and vividly personified from the British legends and in such an appealing way. The water hag faerie being who is often depicted as malevolent or at least predatory is brought to life as a character whose point of view is insightful, earthy and humorous at times, and melancholic in others. This book says a lot in a naturalistic manner, igniting joy in the reader along the way. Greenteeth is so enjoyable, with all the elements that fantasy readers would enjoy, great world building, a clash between evil and good, awe-inspiring magic and creatures of lore and legend, and eerie beings and places in faery lands. There is a bittersweet element in that this story recognizes that things always change with time, but there is also joy in looking forward. I recommend this for fans of faerie lore, legends and the creatures that inhabit those legends, and cozy fantasy lovers.
Overall rating: 4.5 stars/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. .
Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley, courtesy of Orbit Books....more
I absolutely loved this book! I am such a nerd, that I am a sucker for books that adopt the format of journal entries, or an existing written book. ThI absolutely loved this book! I am such a nerd, that I am a sucker for books that adopt the format of journal entries, or an existing written book. This reminded me a bit of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and I loved that aspect so much.
I can acknowledge that this book is not for everyone. Honestly, Emily is not the easiest person to warm up to. However, she didn't bother me. I actually really appreciated how her brain worked. I love how she uses facts that she learns, applying them in practical ways. I am such a nerd, so I appreciate characters who accumulate facts in their brain and use them, like Anthony Hopkins in The Edge. She had an egghead vibe, but she wasn't toxic about it, in my opinion. I think she just was used to being an outsider and at some point gave up on trying to be part of the group. Also, it was easier to hang onto her scientific objectivity instead of acknowledging her loneliness. Additionally, as I mentioned, the format would probably come off as dry for some readers. I loved how the story progresses through her journal entries, and the unique twists that go along with that format. Another thing that some folks may not like is the relatively slow pacing. Again, I was along for the ride, but I do admit, at one point, I thought the book was coming to an end, but I still had three hours left. It wasn't a bad thing, but it just threw me. If you want to spend time with a book and its characters, this one is for you.
I absolutely adored her relationship with Bambleby. And Bambleby is such a fun character. He's the polar opposite of Emily and it made their interactions so interesting and enjoyable. He's actually a very complex character, although he might be taken as a shallow person. He's not like Dean on Supernatural but I think they are both seen as really basic (or shallow, if you will), but they aren't basic at all. I loved how while Emily complained about Bambleby, they accept each other for who they are and I think they understand each other very well. I love how Bambleby helps Emily relate to others and he helps her come out of her shell. And Emily also grounds Bambleby.
I liked the secondary characters and how there aren't throwaway characters. They contribute to the story. I loved the faerie and how complex and developed the world-building was. I'm a sucker for anything Faerie, so I was all over that. I liked how they show the dark aspect of the Fae, but also there is a bit of humor as well, at times nearly laugh out loud funny. It was just very well done.
The female narrator was a bit nasally, but I grew quite fond of her. Wow, I loved Bambleby's narrator with his gorgeous Irish accent! It was like butter! I do recommend the audiobook, but I want to get a paper copy, so I can enjoy the annotations. I think this one definitely needs to be in my collection.
I enjoyed the heck out of this and I can't wait to read more books in this series! Highly recommend with the above caveats!
**Note: I started this a while ago, but it had to go back to the library. I ended up downloading it, and I just didn't get a chance to go back to it because of a busy schedule. I had to make time for it this late spring, and I'm glad I did!...more
Danielle The Book Huntress
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cozy-fantasy
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