Fiendish is a chilling, magical book which captured me from the very first page. It follows the story of a girl, Clementine, who is woken up after ten years spent locked away in a cellar. She is awakened to a terrible world in which her family are being oppressed for their fiendish roots. Further strange is her saviour, a boy called Fisher who seems to have some secrets of his own... Clementine's curious nature leads her into all sorts of situations as she questions who put her in the cellar? And why, ever since she was released has wild, unruly magic unfurled in the town?
The plot of Fiendish was irresistibly unique and balanced with the perfect amount of adventure, magic, friendship and romance. I was delighted to find that the storyline wasn't drowned in a terrible love affair, nor was it lost in chapters of constant fighting. Brenna Yovanoff expertly succeeded in injecting just the right amount of all of these elements to appeal to a teenage booklover. The trait I enjoyed most, was the magic weaving through this book and my love of the dark and mysterious was proven when I was intrigued instantly by the idea of a girl hidden away for ten years returning to an unfamiliar world.
I also loved the characters in this story. Each one was individual and vivid with different, fiery personalities. And miraculously, the author managed to allow the reader to still relate and engage with certain characters, whilst still keeping an element of mystery and secrets in their lives. I feel that this is a difficult thing to achieve, however Yovanoff administered it cleverly and wonderfully. I especially liked the protagonist, Clementine. Her feisty, determined confidence made her immediately likeable and despite her tendency to end up in certain sticky situations, it was never out of stupidity and never annoyed me, as many main characters in books do these days! Additionally, despite the magic in her blood seemingly making it impossible to empathise with her, she managed to stay relatable and I didn't feel that the fantasy aspect was a barrier in any part of the story.
Overall, Fiendish was a relaxing, enchanting and wonderful read, which I thoroughly enjoyed during the whole two days- I whizzed through it! I would recommend it to anyone who loves a dark, mysterious and magical read to transport you to worlds of witches and fiends.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
Want to tell the world about a book you've read? Join the site and send us your review!
