Starling (Starling Saga Series #1)

by Lesley Livingston

Overview

Mason Starling is a champion fencer on the Gosforth Academy team, but she's never had to fight for her life. Not until the night a ferocious, otherworldly storm rips through Manhattan, trapping Mason and her teammates inside the school. Mason is besieged by nightmarish creatures more terrifying than the thunder and lightning as the raging tempest also brings a dangerous stranger into her life: a young man who remembers nothing but his name—the Fennrys Wolf. His arrival tears Mason's world apart, even as she feels an undeniable connection to him. Together, they seek to unravel the secrets of Fenn's identity as strange and supernatural forces gather around them. When they discover Mason's family—with its dark allegiance to ancient Norse gods—is at the heart of the mystery, Fennrys and Mason are suddenly faced with a terrifying future.

Set against the gritty, shadowed back-drop of New York City, this first novel in award-winning author Lesley Livingston's epic Starling Saga is an intoxicating blend of sweeping romance and pulse-pounding action.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062063090
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/28/2012
Series:	Starling Saga Series , #1
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	714,635
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Lesley Livingston is an award-winning author of teen fiction best known for her Wondrous Strange trilogy. Captivated at a young age by stories of the distant past and legendary heroes and warriors, Lesley developed into a full-fledged history buff and mythology geek. Her fascination with ancient Celtic and classical civilizations—spurred on by recently discovered archaeological evidence supporting the existence of female gladiators—inspired Fallon’s story in The Valiant. Lesley holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Toronto and was a principal performer in a Shakespearean theatre company, specializing in performances for teen audiences, for more than a decade. www.lesleylivingston.com. Twitter: @LesLivingston

What People are Saying About This

Julie Kagawa

“Thrilling and intense; pulls you along like the inevitable rush toward Ragnarok.”

Claudia Gray

“I’d recommend anything by Lesley Livingston.”

Editorial Reviews

Gr 8 Up—Star athlete Mason Starling is practicing with her fencing team at an exclusive high school in Manhattan when a freak storm topples a tree right into the athletic center. The team is startled when unearthly creatures begin to attack them. Just in time, a naked stranger arrives, wielding a sword and saving them all. His name is the Fennrys Wolf and he has no idea where he came from or who he is aside from his unusual name, but bit by bit his memories come back to him. Despite the objections of her teammates, Mason is drawn into a relationship with Fenn. Through their romance, she discovers her connection to ancient mythology (most specifically her family's allegiance to Norse gods of which she was unaware) and Fenn's ties to the Otherworld and his ability to travel between death and life. Mason feels herself becoming more and more attached to the mysterious guy. As an ancient prophecy begins to come true, she is alienated from her friends and former crush, Cal, but finds an unexpected ally in Cal's ex-girlfriend. Fast paced and full of action, this series opener will appeal to teens who are fascinated with mythology and need a story with a lot of action to hold their attention.—Kathy Kirchoefer, Henderson County Public Library, NC

School Library Journal

The Fennrys Wolf (last seen in Livingston’s Tempestuous) is bigger and badder than Red Riding Hood ever imagined, and he’s just landed in Manhattan—tumbling naked through a stained-glass skylight, sword in hand. Few recognize him as the harbinger of Ragnarok, the end of the world, but many of those in the know are connected with Gosforth Academy, where the privileged, beautiful scions of the super-rich are expensively educated. Fennrys saves the fencing team from an inhuman onslaught with the timely assistance of Mason Starling, the team’s Olympic hopeful. Each goes away from the encounter feeling a strange connection with the other, but Fennrys doesn’t know who or what he is, and Mason discovers that she doesn’t know herself much better. Livingston chooses action over introspection in this series launch, and lays out the plot in short scenes from various points of view that are kaleidoscopic without drawing readers too far into any one character. Like a stylish TV pilot, there are special effects and eye candy galore, making for a quick, pulse-pounding read. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jessica Regal, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Thrilling and intense; pulls you along like the inevitable rush toward Ragnarok.” — Julie Kagawa, New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Fey series

“I’d recommend anything by Lesley Livingston.” — Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author, in USA Today article

“Livingston’s intense novel will satisfy eager readers.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“There are special effects and eye candy galore, making for a quick, pulse-pounding read.” — Publishers Weekly

Praise for Wondrous Strange: “Enchanting ... Readers will revel in the hints of Shakespeare within the text as they are introduced to faerie creatures both familiar and ‘wondrous strange.’” — School Library Journal

Praise for Wondrous Strange: “Will capture readers eager for romance, magic, and suspense.” — ALA Booklist

Praise for Darklight: “Will enthrall fans, and its cliffhanger ending will leave them screaming for more.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Praise for Darklight: “Readers will delight in the ongoing romance, the glimpses into the Otherworld, and meetings with all four Kings and Queens of Faerie... in the world of Twilight read-alikes, Livingston’s novels stand out.” — School Library Journal

Praise for Tempestuous: “The third and final entry in the series that began with Wondrous Strange, this ends the story just right. … The romance! And the battles! And all the Shakespeare! It’s enjoyable [and] well-plotted.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Tempestuous: “Livingston brings this trilogy to a strong and satisfying conclusion, and readers will enjoy every minute, while wishing it did not have to end.” — School Library Journal

Praise for Tempestuous: “Livingston’s artistry at creating imaginary worlds that exist side by side with contemporary New York remains strong...fans of the first two entries will gulp this one down with gusto.” — ALA Booklist

From the Publisher

Praise for Wondrous Strange: “Will capture readers eager for romance, magic, and suspense.

ALA Booklist

I’d recommend anything by Lesley Livingston.

Claudia Gray

Thrilling and intense; pulls you along like the inevitable rush toward Ragnarok.

Julie Kagawa

Livingston’s intense novel will satisfy eager readers.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Praise for Tempestuous: “The third and final entry in the series that began with Wondrous Strange, this ends the story just right. … The romance! And the battles! And all the Shakespeare! It’s enjoyable [and] well-plotted.

Stephanie Garber

A less-than-impressive addition to the plethora of mythology-based YA romances. On a dark and stormy night, Mason Starling and her posh, Gosforth Academy fencing mates are saved from an attack of malicious mythological creatures by a handsome, disoriented stranger who only remembers his name: the Fennrys Wolf. Predictably, Fenn and Mason's instant chemistry leads to a romance, which is lackluster at best. Their travels around New York City are recorded in meticulous detail that makes the novel feel more like a map than a story, as they attempt to solve the mystery behind the attack and unravel Fenn's past. Meanwhile, Mason's father and brothers are dedicated to the service of the Norse gods and hellbent on bringing about Ragnarok (the Norse destruction and rebirth of the world), and they plot to place Mason in harm's way in hopes of goading Fenn into fulfilling a prophecy. Though Mason, unlike many of her counterparts, does get to fight, she is, disappointingly, still very much a damsel in distress. And while Livingston's melding of mythologies and the faerie world with ours is interesting, characters with little dimensionality and questionable motives, along with a frustratingly choppy pace and dull romance, leave much to be desired. The cliffhanger ending may convince insatiable paranormal-romance readers to give the next book in this series a try. (Paranormal romance. 13 & up)

Kirkus Reviews