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Thomas's Reviews > Tithe
Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales, #1)
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"Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale" is about sixteen year old Kaye Fierch, a girl who has been moving around with her single mother for her entire life. At a young age she has been able to see and interact with these things called faeries, although no one believed her. Then one day, she enchants a boy into falling in love with her and makes a broken, splintered horse move. Soon after that event she meets a young faerie night named Roiben, and that is just the start of her faerie adventure.
Hm... okay, the reason I picked up this book was because I heard that it had a gay side character. On that note, this character, Corny, was absolutely underdeveloped. In fact, almost all of the side characters were underdeveloped, I felt like I didn't know a single thing about any of them. This book also feels like it moves from event to event, but not with the grace or ability that a good author has to string her storyline together.
There were some scenes that were just plain difficult to read. Some examples are when Kaye told Robien to "kiss her ass", and Robien actually did because he was "bound" to her. If Robien was bound to do what Kaye demanded of him, then I think Robien would've understood that what Kaye demanded of him wasn't the literal sense of what she said, but the emotional sense. Also, there was a scene where Corny is in the underground faerie hill with this strange prince character, and then Corny is tortured. Like, he is completely helpless and starts eating everything he can get his hands on. A rotten apple. The dirt on the ground. And some ants. For Pete's sake, when I read that, I thought I was going to be sick. And what's even weirder is that NO ONE even CARED about what happened to him. In fact, the only thing in the book that acknowledges that the event occurred is when Corny starts blindly stabbing his tormentor to death. Which was a total "huh?" moment to me.
This is the first book I have deemed worthy of one star. Totally disappointing.
Hm... okay, the reason I picked up this book was because I heard that it had a gay side character. On that note, this character, Corny, was absolutely underdeveloped. In fact, almost all of the side characters were underdeveloped, I felt like I didn't know a single thing about any of them. This book also feels like it moves from event to event, but not with the grace or ability that a good author has to string her storyline together.
There were some scenes that were just plain difficult to read. Some examples are when Kaye told Robien to "kiss her ass", and Robien actually did because he was "bound" to her. If Robien was bound to do what Kaye demanded of him, then I think Robien would've understood that what Kaye demanded of him wasn't the literal sense of what she said, but the emotional sense. Also, there was a scene where Corny is in the underground faerie hill with this strange prince character, and then Corny is tortured. Like, he is completely helpless and starts eating everything he can get his hands on. A rotten apple. The dirt on the ground. And some ants. For Pete's sake, when I read that, I thought I was going to be sick. And what's even weirder is that NO ONE even CARED about what happened to him. In fact, the only thing in the book that acknowledges that the event occurred is when Corny starts blindly stabbing his tormentor to death. Which was a total "huh?" moment to me.
This is the first book I have deemed worthy of one star. Totally disappointing.
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August 23, 2009
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August 25, 2009
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Brigid �
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Sep 27, 2009 09:48AM
Good review, I agree entirely. :]
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Another one against the faeries *shakes head*
Yeah, Corny in particular was disappointing. I mean, after we found out that he was gay, his sexuality wasn't mentioned again. Ever. It literally played no role in the story. It had a ton of potential in its first few pages, but it all went out the window after the first 100 pages or so.
Agreed, agreed. I don't think authors always should make sexuality a huge part of their stories, but Corny's development overall was not impressive.
Thomas wrote: "Agreed, agreed. I don't think authors always should make sexuality a huge part of their stories, but Corny's development overall was not impressive."You're exactly right. While a character's sexuality does't have to be the focus of a story, I would like that it's at least brought up. Otherwise, we get into "Token Minority" territory, where authors have minorities in their stories simply for the sake of having a minority in their stories, rather than it being useful to the plot or development or anything.
the series goes more in depth with valiant and ironside
I'm glad to hear that, Ashley!
You have, indeed, reviewed this book with the utmost honesty. Shine on, Thomas, shine the fuck on.
Thanks Ebony, I'll try my best. :)
No!!!!!!!NOBODY GETS THE RULE! Maybe this should have been stated too clearly, but the kiss my ass part comes from old celtic mythology. Faeries can't lie, and when someone calls their full name they have to follow the orders. In following orders, there is no emotional sense. SHe said kiss my ass, he had to obey, so he kissed her ass. Notice how he never wanted to do it. He slammed her onto the floor, and then glared at her. He was not doing it of his own free will. That's the whole point of Roiben. He's trapped inside fairy law and has restricted freedoms.
and actually, corny's sexuality was mentioned. First time there's a paragraph whree corny tells his mom using a star trek kurt and spock referance. Second time, kaye sees all the "boy love" mangas that he reads.Third and most important time, when he goes to faerie court he meets Nephamael. Kaye catches him eyeing Nephamael. THen when she finds him he says "you know that knight with the thorn on his cloak? I got inside it, it was wonderfull."
Glad someone else gets the rules. I guess this book worked a lot better for me because I knew a lot of the rules already. Maybe the authors biggest problem was not explaining a lot of them. He wasn't bound to her. He has to do exactly what anyone says if they use his full name. Literally.
So my big question is, does Kaye end up with Roiben in the end?
I love actual fairy tales, like Cinderella or what have you, but I particularly enjoy the non-Disney versions. The old original versions are much better, if often more gory. I’m always up for a new modern fairy tale, either a retelling or a brand new one (I adore Robin McKinley. Please write more books!). I’m not a big fan of fairy tales like this, they are not so much fairy tales as books with fairies in them, which is quite a different animal altogether. This, unfortunately, doesn’t sound like the good type of either. I really enjoy Welsh fairy tales, you could try those? Or a Robin McKinley. The library in the book Beauty is something to dream about.
PS Comment directed mostly towards Thomas. Seriously though, Robin McKinley rocks my socks.
