Memory's Wake

Memory's Wake

By Selina Fenech

Published by Fairies and Fantasy Pty Ltd

Published on July 2011

Summary:

In a culture of cravats and corsets, a troubled sixteen-year-old stands out in her t-shirt and torn
jeans. She takes the name “Memory” because hers are stolen, and she’ll do anything to get them back.  Lost in a world not her own, where magic and monstrous fairies are real, Memory has enough to handle just trying to stay alive. Chased by wizard hunters and their dragon, stalked by a strange, handsome savage, and wanted by the king himself – everyone is after Memory, and she suspects it’s not just for her eye-catching outfit.  Her forgotten past holds dangerous secrets that will change everything.  Memory will fight to get back to a family and home she can’t remember but desperately desires, even at the cost of new friendships and romances. On the run with no name and no memories, she thinks she has nothing left to lose. She couldn’t be more mistaken.

This was an excellent debut novel!  The premise of this book is similar to series like Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr or even The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa.  The main character, Memory, finds herself without any knowledge of her life.  She is being guided through a new land by a young lady in hiding, a handsome prince, and a savage man who is being controlled by some not so pleasant fae.  Trying to put the pieces together of who she is, Memory finds more than she ever expected and gains an adventure of a lifetime.

The book started a little slow, and the author was unmerciful about the mystery surrounding the characters- only dropping the slightest of hints about Memory's past.  By the fifth chapter, the author had caught her groove and took off with a suspenseful adventure that had many unexpected surprises. I love the way that the characters developed and interacted with each other.  I love that they were not flawless- the characters were whole and delved farther past the superficial.

My only complaint is that I want to know more!  I hope that there is a companion book to this one in the future- I would love to know more about what happens to the characters, especially Memory and Will.  I can't be left not knowing!

If you are a fan of urban fantasy with a touch of fey- you will enjoy this book.  It is available on Amazon (both paper and ebook versions).

One of the best parts of this book were the illustrations- they were enough to make me want this book on its own!  Here are a few peeks into the illustrations in Memory's Wake:

About the Author:

It’s an undeniable truth that Selina Fenech has been lost to the realms of fantasy since she first laid hands on books. Faced with overwhelming heartache that our own world wasn’t so full of magic and adventure, Selina did the only thing she could. She began creating her own worlds of magic by painting and writing. Then one day, the other children told her that books weren’t cool. Selina turned away from books and writing and submerged herself in her visual art. She became a successful fantasy illustrator, supporting herself with sales of her art that now have a worldwide following. Australian readers will recognize Selina’s fairy and fantasy artwork from bookmarks available in most major Australian bookstores. But the desire to tell stories remained. Because books are cool. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

Born in 1981 to Australian and Maltese parents, Selina lives in Australia with her husband, an
unnamed cat, and a lorikeet who’s far too clever. During her life Selina has found ancient Roman
treasure, survived cancer, had knights joust at her wedding, been mugged for doughnuts and eaten every bizarre and wonderful food put in front of her. And now, she’s also written and published a novel.

Want to get a signed copy of this book?  Check out my post HERE for the book trailer, author Q&A, and a giveaway!