5. Summer's Crossing

Book #5: Summer's Crossing

Author: Julie Kagawa

Published: June 1, 2011

Format: ebook, 72 pages

5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.

Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.

I love side books in series. I love the short, mini stories that tie with the main series but give you a whole new look on the series as a whole. They are usually narrated by a character that you want to know more about and it's exciting to enter the world through their eyes. Take this one, Puck narrates this novella, and we get a whole new perceptive of Meaghan's story. I enjoy Puck, he's the comic relief in the series and he has a good heart. We know that he loves Meaghan, but we also know that he's not going to get her in the end. It will always be Ash who gets her heart. So this novella gives us a look into Puck's head. Ash and him go on a small journey to claim something for someone and it reminds them both of their old days together. The friendship between Puck and Ash is too beleiveable. They will defy odds and rules to be friends, but as soon as a girl gets involved, all of that no longer matters. The two fey have the exact same taste in women, but Ash always wins.

It would be hard to be Puck, seeing Ash with the girl he loves all the time, but somehow he does it. It takes a strong man to back down for love, and even help with the journey to get Ash back to the girl. Their friendship is tested countless times, and it will be tested even more before this journey is over. After reading this short chapter of the series, I can't to start reading the final chapter, The Iron Knight. For me, I'm glad it's written in Ash's voice, just as I'm glad this was written through Puck's. It has given me a new love for this series, a love that Meaghan just couldn't give me.

"I would be more than her guardian and her champion and the jester who made her laugh. I would be her everything, if I could."