To save her people, a wingless girl must learn to fly.
As a piskey girl born without wings and raised underground, Ivy yearns for flight almost as much as she misses her long-lost mother. But the world outside the Delve is full of danger, and her dreams seem hopeless until she meets a mysterious fairy who makes her an enticing offer: If Ivy helps him escape the Delve’s dungeon, he’ll teach her how to fly.
Freeing Richard could cost Ivy her reputation, perhaps even her life. But when her fellow piskeys start to disappear and her beloved little sister goes missing, Ivy has no choice but to take the risk.
Deadly threats and shocking revelations await Ivy as she ventures into a strange new world, uncovers long-buried secrets about her family’s past, and finds that no one—not even herself—is entirely what they seem.
The publisher’s back cover excerpt and the cover art of Swift. All credit goes to the author, R.J. Anderson.
Intrigued? Read on:
Hidden away from human eyes, the piskeys lived in relative peace—until one of their number disappeared, shattering her family. Now, six years later, the missing piskey’s daughter is determined to find out what happened to her mother. Along the way, she’ll discover who she is and just how strong she can be.
This story—by a Christian author!—takes place in the UK, among fae hidden in plain sight from humankind. Though they live among and near humans, their society is exponentially different, yet all too similar in its deadly flaws. And no one is what they seem…
What I love:
R.J. Anderson has a special talent for creating societies. Each one is real and complex, with problems that seem to be only a small shoot, yrt underneath, their roots are deep and deadly. It shows how governments and societies, no matter how “perfect” they appear, can never be truly pure. Sin nature prevents perfection, and governments are laden with sinful, greedy men.
The plot twists, though they had lead-up and many hints, caught me by surprise every time. I was on the edge of my seat by the time I reached the last few chapters. It seems R.J. Anderson’s goal was to turn her story into a corkscrew, and she certainly achieved that! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many plot twists so close to one another—aside from in books by Brandon Sanderson. But really, Brandon Sanderson is on a whole other level. All in all, her writing captured my attention and held it fast. I only set the book down when absolutely necessary, like for the eating of cookies.
What I don’t love:
One mother is gone. One father is useless. One aunt is stern and unhelpful. Another mother is corrupt. Why are all fictional parents—ot even just adults in general—either evil or useless or just not even present? The answer eludes me. Ah, well.
Content warnings:
Violence, death, mentions of slavery, drinking, hints of feminism.
A person is beaten, and a few other injuries occur. Two people die, though the deaths themselves aren’t described.
Characters speak of being enslaved in the past, or ancestors that were kidnapped and enslaved.
The piskeys drink piskey wine and the occasional small cup of beer. It’s mentioned that a few male piskeys get drunk on piskey wine at celebrations, but most piskeys, including the main character, moderate and only really drink a sip for a special ceremony.
And finally, the content that concerned me most in the beginning and least in the end—there seemed to be hints of feminism. Women werr exasperated at men for being selfish, or men in the past were the ones at fault. But this resolved itself, and both men and women were the heroes and villains of this story. The only woman who truly supported feminism was the villain.
Ratings:
Appropriate content: 3.5/5
Story construction: 4/5
Writing skill: 3.8/5
Ethics: 4/5
Other information:
Christian: Yes
Point of view: Third person limited
Tense: Past tense
Romance: Yes
Series: Yes
Conclusion:
All in all, Swift is a sweet, complex, beautiful book with all the depth and truth that any Christian author’s story should have. The characters are lovable and true, with struggles and flaws and mistakes that make them all the more real.
I fell in love with the world of Swift, and cannot wait to return to it in the second book, Nomad. I highly recommend this book to both young adult and older middle grade readers, and reward it with 4 out of 5 Cornish pasties. Whatever those are.
Psst! Sorry for the delay! My family is camping this weekend and I had no Internet to release the book review on Friday. My apologies! Please comment below and let me know what you thought of this post, or recommend the next book for my reviews! And remember to subscribe and receive your free short story, The Shadow Queen!
If you liked the first book, check out the second, Nomad, here!
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