Rebel by R.J Anderson

Quite some time ago, I actually think it was more than two years ago now (seriously where does the time go? I need a Tardis) I read a fluffy little YA thing called Knife. I liked it and had always intended to read the sequel, I only now got to it in the TBR pile.

Rebel and Knife are two fairly different books, despite being part of the same series. I would have hesitated to call Knife YA urban fantasy, but that's exactly what Rebel is. Knife was gentler and more about the relationship between Knife; a faery and Paul; a crippled human. Knife and Paul are both in Rebel, although Knife now calls herself Peri, and they're both grown up.  There's a relationship in Rebel, but I found it more incidental than it was in Knife.

Rebel is the story of Linden, a young faery a generation on from Knife. The Queen is dying and Linden is tasked with going out into the world and enlisting other fae kind to help the Oakenfolk and continue their way of life.

It's also the story of Timothy, a troubled fifteen year old, who is Paul's cousin and has been suspended from his boarding school for fighting.

Linden stows away in Timothy's rucksack, and the two of them wind up in London, meeting some very different and dangerous fae. Both their lives have been turned upside down and their actions will determine the roads that the Oakenfolk and faery kind in general will take.

I quite liked Linden and her pluck, although she seemed to go from being fairly helpless to being quite powerful very quickly, and it was all a little too easy for her. Timothy was frustrating, but then again he's a teenage boy and they often are annoying. I liked Rob, or Robin, readers were kept guessing about his intentions and whose side he was on right to the end. I'm still not entirely sure myself.

To be totally honest Rebel is probably a little young for me, I think it's out of place in the YA section and maybe should be dropped down in the age expected to read it, but it's still quite enjoyable, and has hooked me enough to get to give the third book in the series; Arrow, a go.