"This beautiful and out-of-the ordinary debut novel, with its authentic depiction of Celtic Faerie lore and dangerous forbidden love in a contemporary American setting, will appeal to readers of Nancy Werlin's Impossible and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series." —Booklist, starred review
Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. When a mysterious boy enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of nowhere, Deirdre finds herself infatuated. Trouble is, the enigmatic and conflicted Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin—and Deirdre is meant to be his next mark. Deirdre has to decide if Luke's feelings towards her are real, or only a way to lure her deeper into the world of Faerie.
US edition: Flux paperback, October 2008, ISBN: 978-0738713700
Foreign editions: The French edition of LAMENT, LA COMPLAINTE, is available here.
The German edition of Lament, Lamento, is now available on Amazon.de! There will also be a French edition of Lament coming out from ADA Editor's.
Music written for and inspired by Lament
You can listen to the music below three ways! For immediate listening, use the little play graphic. To listen in a new window in Quicktime, click the blue link. Or to download the file to your computer, PC users right mouse click and select the "Save As..." option. Mac users, hold down the Control key and click on the image to see menu options, and choose "Save Link As..." Note that Maggie's music is made available as a free download for your non-commercial listening usage and for nonprofit fan-videos. When used for any fan material, please credit Maggie with the title of the song, her full name and a link back to this page.
LAMENT was picked as an ALA 2010 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
LAMENT was picked as an ALA 2010 Best Books for Young Adults
LAMENT was nominated for the SIBA Book Award
"Stiefvater brings to her story several layers of romance, a knowledge of Irish music and a talent for plot twist. She is also unafraid of taking plot developments to their logical outcomes, even when they mar the characters' happiness. Vibrant and potent." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Part adventure, part fantasy, and wholly riveting love story, Lament will delight nearly all audiences with its skillful blend of magic and ordinary life." —KLIATT, starred review
"With her lyrical writing, Maggie Stiefvater reimagines myth and legends to bring the world of faerie to our own." —Richelle Mead, New York Times bestselling author of Vampire Academy
"Chock-full of the fierce and the fey, Maggie Stiefvater's Lament is musical, magical, and practically radiating romance. A blood-fresh reinvention of old traditions, perfect for engaging sharp minds and poetic hearts." —Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of Tantalize & Eternal
"Eerie fae, humans who have been trapped for centuries, and a modern singer/ harpist pulled between friendship, the lover of her dreams, and family. This book is haunting and irresistible." —Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author of Terrier & Trickster's Queen
"Stiefvater is a gifted author who weaves a dangerous world and sensual characters with ease, and balances the entire package with a wonderfully wry sense of humor." —Saundra Mitchell, author of Shadowed Summer
"Teens will love this thrilling modern twist on fairy folklore. The main characters are real and compelling folks you wish you could meet." —Tiffany Trent, author of the Hallowmere series
"Lament is a gorgeous, gripping tale highly reminiscent of Emma Bull, Holly Black, or Charles de Lint, full of magic, music, mystery and romance. With richly developed characters and an excellent take on the Fae, it makes for great reading. I absolutely loved this book." —Realms of Fantasy
"Teens with find [Stiefvater's] mix of the mundane and the exotic compelling as is the dizzying romance between Deirdre and Luke. The first-person voice opens up Deirdre's experience with an unknown magical world that is intimate and immediate." —VOYA
"Maggie Stiefvater, with her ability to create not only a gripping romance, but also a shadowy & puzzling mystery at the same time, is most definitely an author to watch." —The Compulsive Reader
"Deirdre's relationship with Luke is intense & powerful . . . A must read for any fan of faerie tales. I can't wait for the sequel Ballad, which will come out in Fall 2009." —Enchanting Reviews
"The heroine, Deirdre, is one of Lament's treasures... Her romance with Luke, a boy with faerie connections and a dark past, is pitch-perfect, combining the highs and lows of ordinary teenage relationship with the perils specific to Deirdre & Luke's situation." —Fantasy Literature.net
"I absolutely LOVED this novel!" —Flamingnet Reviews
"Reading Dee's journey was more like watching a movie and Stiefvater masterfully navigates the English language, bringing her characters to life with colour and a three-dimensional aspect that is so often missing from young adult novels." —YA Reads
"Lament has a little bit of everything: suspense, romance, intrigue, and action... Watch out Melissa Marr and Holly Black, there is a new Faerie Queen in town!" —The Story Siren
"[Deirdre's] love for Luke, strange and beautiful (and dangerous?), her growing awareness of her own fey powers, and her realization that she has become involved in a life or death struggle against inhuman beings make for a gripping read." —Charlotte's Library
"Lament is dark but witty, with flashes of both poetry and humor . . . Lament offers a compelling and beautifully written glimpse at a hidden world, nearby but usually unseen." —Jen Robinson's Book Page
"Lament's true strength lies in Stiefvater's characterisations. Deirdre has a wonderfully authentic teen voice, Luke... is tortured by not whiny, and James... is wise-cracking and kind-hearted." —Les Bonnes Fees
"Brimming with doomed love, oh-so dangerous faeries, and music oozing out of every pore, [Lament] is simply wonderful." —The Book Bind
"Maggie Stiefvater has hit a home run with her first novel... I highly recommend this book to those who like a bit of magic, a bit of romance, a bit of creepiness, and those who love good writing. It's one of my favorite reads of the year." —The Well-Read Child
"Stiefvater plays the classic set-up of a talented human who catches the attention of Faerie masterfully. Without ever losing that mood she still delivers an utterly teenage romance." —In Bed With Books
"Maggie Stiefvater's first young adult novel, Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, is a great read. Stiefvater's characters are complex and intriguing." —Library Girl Reads
"In Lament, Maggie Stiefvater artfully weaves together a heady mix of music, humor, exhilaration, and desperate longing." —Angieville
"Lament pulled me along smoothly from performance to danger to romance to resolution, and made short, enjoyable work of a five hour train ride." —Cabinet des Fees
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