And they were interesting well-rounded characters too, not stock villains: though Kate returns to her own people's ways in the end, she tells the Lady that there were certain things she preferred about their world. The Fairy Folk themselves were handled in a very interesting manner, and I was never certain whether they were another race of creatures, or druid-like humans who had been in Britain for centuries. The characters are excellent, Kate in particular, and the ballad of Tam Lin is interwoven very effectively.The protagonist's imprisonment under the Hill reminded me a little of Kezi's term in the underworld from Gail Carson Levine's novel Ever, except that in this case there is more of a point to her suffering. Is it a historical mystery with traces of the occult (practiced only by the 'baddies,' of course) or a mythic fantasy set in Elizabethan England? I do not know, but I love it either way. This Young Adult novel, which was a Newberry Honor book but should have one the medal, is a tour de force that defies description. It hadn't occurred to me that it could be so effective and interesting.

My Narnia novels small ones - they don't have the same detail to them, and one of my copies of Jane Eyre has poorly placed (and not particularly attractive) coloured illustrations. On top of which, this detail is surprisingly faithful to the story.I'm not used to there being illustrations in novels, not YA. However, they are well placed (so they neither appear too early and are a spoiler, or appear to late, after the event they depict), and incredibly interesting - their detail and emotion. All in all, it is a fantastic story.But it was the illustrations which I keep coming back to (rather than bits I want to reread bits, although I have to admit I've done that too.) They are pen and ink drawings, and initially I dismissed them because they didn't appear to me to be particularly attractive. Kate is sent to the remote, cold Elvenwood Hall (known as the Perilous Gard) and becomes caught up in the secrets of Elvenwood and the disappearance of a small girl.It is very well written (I particularly noticed the way she used language - the vivid descriptions and the witty dialogue) it is a strong retelling of the ballad - notable for being the least confusing retelling I have read yet Kate is a clever, determined and compassionate heroine and the era is interesting because I have read remarkably few books set then. The Perilogus Gard is a retelling of Tam Lin set in Tudor England.

The perilous gard