Feathered

Being a fairy tale

Fiction - Fantasy - General
326 Pages
Reviewed on 12/14/2012
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Originally from England, Writer and Film-Maker, Tom resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
His novel, First Night, set in Boston during the New Year’s Eve festival, introduced the unlikely heroines, Alex and Jackie, and the ghost of a 17th century Puritan named Sarah Pemberton. First Night won an Honorable Mention in the Middle-Grade/Young Adult category, in the Writers Digest 17th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards.
The sequel to First Night, called the Elf of Luxembourg, was published in January, 2010. As with First Night, The Elf of Luxembourg is also a supernatural mystery, with a blend of humor and history that has become Tom’s trademark.
Following the publication of the Elf of Luxembourg, Tom turned to the medium of film to produce and direct the animated short, There be Monsters!, based on his short story of the same name.
Tom has also written the critically acclaimed and award winning Historical Fiction novel, Fission, based on his screenplay of the true story of scientist, Lisa Meitner, and the race for the atomic bomb. Fission the screenplay was named a finalist at the London Independent Film Festival. Prior to its publication in August, 2011, the novel was serialized for Tom’s Facebook fans.
Tom returned with Book 3 of the Alex and Jackie Adventures, Feathered: being a fairy tale. This fantasy story of Fairies and Vikings, which is set in Ireland, was published in December, 2012.
Tom is now working on a new animated short called Dancing Daisy Day.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite

"The book Feathered: being a fairy tale" by Tom Weston is a fun adventure into the world of fantasy. Who has not laid back and dreamed of some handsome Prince coming and sweeping them away to marriage. I know I have but perhaps Alexandra did not picture it happening to her quite the way it did. Thanks to her younger trouble making sister Jackie, Alexandra is stuck in the 11th century and being forced to marry a Viking Prince. Jackie would likely be willing to help her older sister except for the small fact that she is still in modern times and dealing with a slew of her own issues.

Tom Weston has truly created a fun and intriguing world full of Vikings, Fairies and strange sounding songs that could almost be a Sirens song of sorts. To use an old term the yarn that Tom Weston spins within Feathered is something that grips you and makes you want more. The scenes in Ireland to me were painted so vividly I could almost smell the peet and see the green rolling hills.

This was the first Tom Weston book I have read and I did not know initially that the Alex & Jackie adventures are a series. I did feel when reading just at the very beginning that perhaps I was missing a little bit of information, and after finding out it was a series I now know why. That said however this book could easily be a standalone. Tom Weston introduces you to the characters with great detail and information so you feel like you know them, even with that small niggle I might have missed something early on it did not take away from my true enjoyment of this book.

I would recommend "The book Feathered: being a fairy tale" to any reader of the fantasy and mythology genre. It is so fresh and inviting with a plot that to me was very unique. I plan on going back and reading more about Alex & Jackie and I very much look forward to seeing what else Tom Weston has planned for adventures.

Maria Beltran

Tom Wetson's book, Feathered, is indeed a modern day fairy tale. When Alex and Jackie O’Rourke went to Ireland to visit relatives in Fetland, they were in for an adventure that would include Banshees, Vikings and the Tutaha de Dannan. The sisters met their relatives in Ireland and not long after, Jackie entered a mystical world after kissing the Blarney stone. Their cousins Mattie and Jeff introduced them to their mystical past and Jackie started hearing the songs of the faeries. She also met the fairy horse, Lammy, during a night time escapade, while Alex was on her mobile phone trying to keep in touch with friends in San Diego, California. Disappointed that there were no malls in the place, the sisters were forced to explore the historical sites of Fetland with their cousins, who updated them on family lore. Guided by Lammy and songs that only she can hear, Alex followed a passage that led to thousands of faeries. She has remained oblivious to her sister's adventures until she found herself in a pig sty where she learned about the miraculous Book of St. Columkille.

The book is both imaginative and riveting. Tom Wetson knows his mythology and is a gifted writer who can make his characters larger than life. He could persuade the strongest of faerie skeptics to actually believe in the existence of the Thua de Danann and the Banshees. And like a true fairy tale, Feathered has its healthy dose of adventures and a moral lesson for its readers. Using a language that is relatively easy to understand, Feathered can be enjoyed by people of all ages. The adventures in the story unfolds effortlessly and so it makes for an easy and enjoyable read. At the same time, it is also informative because Tom Wetson obviously did his research on Ireland's myths and other faerie stories. This is the reason why the novel becomes believable and real. In fact, it is one book that I can read in one sitting because the development of the plot is so exciting.

Alice DiNizo

When sixteen year old Alex and her fourteen year old sister Jackie fly from Luxembourg to Dublin, Ireland, they were met by their Aunt Roisin. Their aunt and her family live in a pub attached to an old, boarded –up castle in Fethard. Alex and Jackie find the local lore fascinating: such as when the local mountain, Slievenamo can be seen, it will rain; if it cannot be seen, that means it’s raining already. Their Uncle Bo tells them about the Blarney Stone and how it was brought to Ireland b y the prophet Jeremiah. Alex and Jackie know that Ireland’s ancient history has a mix of mythology, including the invasion by the Vikings, so Alex and Jackie are curious and explore the old castle with their cousins.

Alex was transported back in time to the series. Suddenly, Alex finds herself thrown back centuries to 1014 where she is the Viking princess Estrid who married Prince Oleif only to lose him in battle two days later. Local Celts at that time include the Ua Ruaric, the O'Rourke ancestors of Alex, Jackie, and their cousins.

"Feathered: Being a Fairy Tale" brings the reader more of the adventures of teenage protagonists Alex and Jackie as they visit their ancient family home in Ireland. As Alex and Jackie learn of Irish history and mythology, so will the reader. Colorful Celtic symbols accompany the Irish songs and poems that grace each chapter's beginning. The dialogue among the story's characters is easy to read and absorb, the characters are believable, the plotline flows smoothly to story's conclusion, and readers will eagerly await the next Alex and Jackie selection.