Title: Of Stardust
Author: February Grace
Series: N/A, Standalone
Genre: Fantasy, Fairytales
Publication Date: October 28th, 2013
My Rating: 4 Stars
“Dreams are sacred…”
At the age of twenty-six single, geeky bookseller Till Nesbitt inherits the shock of a lifetime: a huge Victorian farmhouse filled with unique tenants, and the knowledge that there is a reason she’s always been different. She’s destined to become a Fairy Godmother, because the skills are written into her DNA.
Till embarks on her fairy education at Dreams Come True University with much trepidation, guided on her journey by a unique mentor: a Celtic hybrid with a secret by the name of Gus.
When Till falls head over heels for Gus, will she break the most serious law in the Fairy Code, or will the truth of what really happened to Gus’s parents keep them from repeating history?
I admit I was kind of skeptic about signing up for the tour when I first saw this. I have loved stories like this when I was younger, but I now prefer fairytale retellings of the more known fairytales like Rapunzel, Cinderella, and the likes. Also, I now prefer reading contemporary romance over fantasy. But then I thought, what do I have to lose if I didn't like this? So then I signed up, and boy was I glad I did!
Of Stardust is a unique tale of Till Nesbit, a twenty-six-year-old girl who was born to become a fairy godmother. At first, Till was confused and chose to deny the sign, even though she knew deep in her heart that what Aunt Tilda was telling her was true. But then after Aunt Tilda's death, she learned to accept who she is because she didn't want to disappoint her aunt. The tenants of the house are all relying on her as well.
After the acceptance, Till attended Dreams Come True University(DCTU), and there she slowly learned the things about becoming a fairy godmother. The number one most important rule? No fraternizing with other fairies. But as she spends time with the Celtic hybrid Gus with secrets to keep, she finds it hard not to break this rule.
Till entering DCTU was like a teenager attending college for the first time. She felt lost and confused the first few days, and that made me realize that even adults get lost sometimes. There were a lot of things that Till didn't know about the fairy world, and had to rely on someone to help her understand.
Being a fairy, Till has to sacrifice a lot of things. She can't dream, she can get drunk on hot chocolate, she can't fraternize with other fairies, and so on. At first she questions being a fairy, but in the end she accepted all her responsibilities and decided that it was all worth it, if she could help someone.
"She didn't know exactly what that would entail yet. But there was a reason that this particular child needed her to be its guardian angel. Till knew that she was sworn in her heart to fulfill that role." -Till
"They're the reason we are who we are and the reason to accept what we can never be" -Gus
This book was big on self-sacrifice, and for that I liked the book even more. I believe that self-sacrifice in this manner is lacking in most of the books that I read nowadays, and I would definitely want to see more of it. As much as I didn't really like the ending, I knew that that's how things were supposed to be, and in turn I learned to accept the things as they are in my life now. Maybe like in the situation of Gus and Till, this has a purpose behind, and I just don't know it yet, just as Till didn't understand when Aunt Tilda told her about it.
Original and different, I would certainly recommend for anyone who is interested to give it a shot! Not only is it a story about love, but also about sacrifices and understanding.
"Others simply learn to overcome sorrow, pick themselves up, and carry themselves onward without extra help. Till admired those people most of all, and knew that there was something that she could learn as she tried to carry on, working side by side with Gus."
"That we're all made of stardust, and we're meant to live up to that, instead of livin' down to being made of dirt."
2 print books of Of Stardust (US)
7 ebooks of Of Stardust (INT)
Labels: 4 Stars, Blog Tour, Fantasy, Review
