From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10–In the sequel to Faerie Wars (Bloomsbury, 2003), trouble stirs again in the Faerie Realm. The Emperor is dead, and Prince Pyrgus has doubts about whether he is ready to rule. Machinations by evil Lord Hairstreak threaten to take that decision away; the Emperor's body disappears while lying in state and reappears as an animated zombie who disinherits Pyrgus in favor of his half brother, Comma. Pyrgus, his sister Princess Blue, Henry (a human teenager who has access to the Faerie Realm), and Mr. Fogarty (another human and Pyrgus's advisor) team up with the feral Forest Faerie, who are led by Nymph, another strong princess who comes across remarkably like Blue. As in the first volume, pacing and inventiveness offer a rollercoaster ride; unfortunately, characterization and plot are often thin. The subplot concerning Henry and his family problems in his (our) world is dropped completely, and he does little but feel useless and pine after Princess Blue. Blue is still a strong female character, but events are rarely shown through her eyes, making it difficult for readers to identify with her. Subplots that involve a wangaramas wyrm (a telekinetic parasite intent upon revolution) and Brimstone (a demonologist) and his continued dealings with Hael (Hell) are by far the most entertaining portions of the novel, but don't stand alone. Overall, this story will please fans of the first volume but is not likely to win new readers.–Karyn N. Silverman, LREI–Elizabeth Irwin High School, New York City Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
Gr. 6-8. With the loathsome villains introduced in Faerie Wars (2003) still advancing toward crown prince Pyrgus Malvae, this sequel is off to a galloping start, and the fast-paced action continues throughout the story. Now that his father, the Purple Emperor, is dead, reluctant Pyrgus is expected to become emperor. Unfortunately, Lord Hairstreak, leader of the Faeries of the Night, has resurrected the Purple Emperor to denounce Pyrgus. Hairstreak, who seeks to control the Faerie realm, wants his malleable brother, Comma, on the throne instead. Once again, Henry Atherton finds himself transported back to the Faerie realm, where he helps Pyrgus and his sister, Holly Blue, defeat Hairstreak and his minions. There's plenty of humor as well as dangerous adventure--and the conclusion promises more to come. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Henry Atherton, his faerie prince friend Pyrgus, and Pyrgus's fearless sister, Holly Blue, return in this fantastic adventure to save the Faerie Realm from the evil Hairstreak and his henchmen, Chalkhill and Brimstone. With the help of forest faeries, some silk mistresses, a sewer-dwelling creature of unknown dimensions, and additional creatures magical and otherwise, the three intrepid young friends find their way from exile back to the home they all would die to preserve and protect.



About the Author
Herbie Brennan is the author of many books for adults and children including Fairy Nuff, Nuff Said, and Faerie Wars. He lives in County Carlow, Ireland.

ANNOTATION

Henry and his friend Mr. Fogarty return to the Faerie Realm to help their friends, the royal siblings Pyrgus and Holly Blue, in their continued fight against the treacherous Lord Hairstreak and the evil forces of the Faeries of the Night.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Henry Atherton, his faerie prince friend Pyrgus, and Pyrgus's fearless sister, Holly Blue, return in this fantastic adventure to save the Faerie Realm from the evil Hairstreak and his henchmen, Chalkhill and Brimstone. With the help of forest faeries, some silk mistresses, a sewer-dwelling creature of unknown dimensions, and additional creatures magical and otherwise, the three intrepid young friends find their way from exile back to the home they all would die to preserve and protect.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The sequel to Faerie Wars, which, according to PW, "will bring much pleasure to fans of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series, and to fantasy readers in general," takes readers back to the realm of Pyrgus Malvae and his royal family in The Purple Emperor by Herbie Brennan. Though the first book's battle saw the defeat of Lord Hairstreak and the Faeries of the Night, you can't keep a bad faerie down. Hairstreak and his minions are back with a sinister plan to take over the Faerie Realm: using dark magic, Hairstreak resurrects the recently assassinated Purple Emperor-Pyrgus's father-and turns him into a zombie servant. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Amie Rose Rotruck

Henry thought that he, Pyrgus, and Holly Blue were done battling evil in the Faerie Realm. However, after transporting back to the Realm, Henry finds that things are in worse shape than ever. Pyrgus and Holly Blue's dead father has been resurrected by the evil Hairstreak and is now under his control. Rather than being crowned Purple Emperor, Pyrgus, along with Holly Blue, are exiled. Once Henry finds his friends, they have to figure out a way to set things right, despite certain surprising revelations and a very near brush with death. Brennan makes this return to the Faerie Realm even more enjoyable than the first. His attention to detail, from the land itself to Henry's experiences as a human in a Faerie world, allows the Realm to be a truly fantastic yet believable place. The revelation at the end will surprise everyone and adds further dimension to an already engaging tale. Fans of "Faerie Wars" will not be disappointed by this sequel, while people unfamiliar with the first book will have little trouble following the characters and action. A must-have for fans of fantasy and faeries. 2004, Bloomsbury, Ages 12 up.

Alan Review - Nicole Schrecke

After jumping into Brennan's series without his first installment entitled Faerie Wars, I was pleasantly surprised at this piece of young adult fiction. The story is fast paced yet still offers a mature and scientific view of Brennan's created fairy world. I would recommend reading the first book before diving into this one, because Brennan does not spend a lot of time filling his readers in on what happened in the last novel. Brennan's readers are brought back to the Realm of the Faerie right before Prince Pygrus is to take the place as Emperor. (Pyrgus' father had been murdered at the end of the previous novel.) The evil faerie of the night, Lord Hairstreak, returns to cause trouble by resurrecting the old emperor's body from the dead. The Emperor returns to the palace with a document demanding his other son, Comma, to be crowned the new king and for Pygrus and his sister, Blue, to be banished from the palace and surrounding kingdom. The novel has a nice rhythm of switching between the many characters, from Henry, the young earth boy who has fallen in love with Blue, to Brimstone, an old associate of Hairstreak and faerie of the night. The many diverse characters take the reader on a fabulous journey where greed seems to be the downfall of the evil characters. Readers should be mature enough to handle issues such as death and gruesome violence. 2004, Bloomsbury Children's Books, 429 pp., Ages young adult.

School Library Journal

Gr 7-10-In the sequel to Faerie Wars (Bloomsbury, 2003), trouble stirs again in the Faerie Realm. The Emperor is dead, and Prince Pyrgus has doubts about whether he is ready to rule. Machinations by evil Lord Hairstreak threaten to take that decision away; the Emperor's body disappears while lying in state and reappears as an animated zombie who disinherits Pyrgus in favor of his half brother, Comma. Pyrgus, his sister Princess Blue, Henry (a human teenager who has access to the Faerie Realm), and Mr. Fogarty (another human and Pyrgus's advisor) team up with the feral Forest Faerie, who are led by Nymph, another strong princess who comes across remarkably like Blue. As in the first volume, pacing and inventiveness offer a rollercoaster ride; unfortunately, characterization and plot are often thin. The subplot concerning Henry and his family problems in his (our) world is dropped completely, and he does little but feel useless and pine after Princess Blue. Blue is still a strong female character, but events are rarely shown through her eyes, making it difficult for readers to identify with her. Subplots that involve a wangaramas wyrm (a telekinetic parasite intent upon revolution) and Brimstone (a demonologist) and his continued dealings with Hael (Hell) are by far the most entertaining portions of the novel, but don't stand alone. Overall, this story will please fans of the first volume but is not likely to win new readers.-Karyn N. Silverman, LREI-Elizabeth Irwin High School, New York City Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews