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Summary: Yesterdays Dreams
Review: Ms McPhail has written a fascinating and magical story. I enjoyed every moment of it, and it was very hard to put down. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel to this story. I am sure everyone who reads this book will feel the same.
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Summary: delightful fantasy
Review: She would do anything for her beloved ailing father so Kara O'Keefe knows she must sacrifice the only asset she owns her beloved violin given to her by her grandfather years ago, but medical bills for cancer treatment must be paid. Knowing and doing are not the same as Kara delays the inevitable wandering the city until she finds YESTERDAY'S DREAMS and meets Maggie McCormick, a Sidhe who realizes what Quicksilver the violin truly is: a magical piece of the owner's soul.Lucien the collector sees an opportunity to add Quicksilver and Kara to his booty. He will do whatever it takes to possess both. As Kara struggles with the existence of the Sidhe and magical objects, she joins forces with Maggie, her first mentor since her grandfather died, to battle the evil Lucien. YESTERDAY'S DREAMS takes the typical fantasy theme of good vs. evil, but places it in modern times with modern day dilemmas as opposed to the usual medieval fare. The setting and Kara's disbelief make for a fabulously fresh tale that hooks the audience from the moment Lucien sees his prey. The prime characters appear real enabling the audience to believe that the magic is real in the music. Though changing narration perspective can become jolting at times, readers will appreciate Danielle Ackley-McPhail's wonderful novel. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: Thank you for going back to the real celtic legends!
Review: This book provides the reader with a much more traditional feel to a celtic story. If you are looking for something different in your celtic reading, I recommend this read. I enjoyed the character development and plot line.
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Summary: Thank you for going back to the real celtic legends!
Review: This book provides the reader with a much more traditional feel to a celtic story. If you are looking for something different in your celtic reading, I recommend this read. I enjoyed the character development and plot line.
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Summary: YESTERDAY'S DREAMS - an overdue review
Review: Though I have never been much of a fan of fantasy books, I found this book engaging, imaginative, and well-written. Ackley-McPhail's narrative skills display a good imagination that is most apparent in its descriptiveness and in the mystery-like plot carefully developed by the author.
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Summary: YESTERDAY'S DREAMS - an overdue review
Review: Though I have never been much of a fan of fantasy books, I found this book engaging, imaginative, and well-written. Ackley-McPhail's narrative skills display a good imagination that is most apparent in its descriptiveness and in the mystery-like plot carefully developed by the author.
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Summary: Classic Fantasy with a few Twists
Review: Though this story has all of the stock characters we are used to seeing in a good fantasy book--Good elves, evil sorcerers, bad pawns, good-but-unsuspecting heros--there are some really neat twists to the standard conceptions. The author takes what everyone "knows" about elves and magic and puts a slant on it that really caught me by surprise and made me think. (I won't give specifics because I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't read it.) The imagery throughout the book is absolutely fantastic, involving all of the senses. The story itself is a well-rounded combination of inner-though, entertaining dialogue, and action. The use of memories to add dimension to the characters and to move the plot along works very well. And I have to say that the character Beag Scath, a sprite, was just too much. I loved every scene he was a part of and I think he added a lot, even though he was more a side character. The same goes for Pixie, the main character's cat, I actually laughed out loud at some parts. I recommend this book to everyone I know and meet. It is hard to find a fresh approach to the same old fantasy figures, but I think Yesterday's Dreams does an excellent job of it. I really hope there is a sequel because the story just cries out for it.
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Summary: Enjoyable-- Irish legend in Ney York
Review: With her father dying of cancer and her family's finances stretched past breaking, music teacher Kara O'Keefe decides to make the ultimate sacrifice--she'll sell Quicksilver, the fiddle that her family brought from Ireland and that is the most precious thing she owns. The power of the instrument, however, attracts a dark force that has long warred with the Sidhe of Irish legend. If it can claim the fiddle--and Kara's untrained but powerful magic--there are no limits to what it might accomplish. Fortunately, Kara takes her fiddle to Maggie McCormick's pawnshop, Yesterday's Dreams. And Maggie is a Sidhe with a special bond to the O'Keefe family and the power to train Kara to protect herself. With the fiddle hidden in Maggie's shop, and Kara protected by a pin from Maggie, it seems that evil may yet be defeated. Neither Maggie nor Kara count on the raw power that their enemy can bring against them. After distracting most of the Sidhe population of New York, the evil one attacks, bringing a street gang to provide the physical muscle. Maggie's magics are sophisticated, but no match for the pure power that is thrown against her. And Kara has still not had a chance to learn to control her own powers. Author Danielle Ackley-McPhail shows a real love for the mythology and legends of Ireland and the Celts. From Sidhe elves to fairies, to the dark gods of ancient Athens, the legends come to life in this novel. As a character, Kara develops from a weak and indecisive woman to a person who can wield power in her own right, and who can make decisions that go against the advice even of her closest friends. I would have liked to see more evidence of the power of the evil to add to the sense of danger, and some aspects of the magic are still unclear to me, but overall, YESTERDAY'S DREAMS is an enjoyable and satisfying read.
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Summary: The Violin and the Sidhe - part I
Review: Yesterday's Dreams - 5 paws Kara O'Keefe's heart is breaking, but love and duty are more important than possessions, and so she takes her beloved violin to pawn to help pay her father's medical bills. When she arrives at "Yesterday's Dreams", Kara becomes the recipient of several severe shocks - one of which is that the fairy tales told by her beloved grandfather were true - the Sidhe really DO exist - and Kara and her violin are more important than any of them could have foreseen. So begins this fantasy story by first-time author Danielle Ackley-McPhail, and it is a delightful, mesmerizing entry. I was enthralled by the characters and swept into the story. This coming-of-age tale is a wonderful foray into the world of elves and magic that you really don't want to miss!
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Summary: A modern-day novel spiced with Celtic ancestry and lore
Review: Yesterday's Dreams is a modern-day novel spiced with Celtic ancestry and lore, as a young woman with a gift for the violin and an inherited, pivotal power must confront the legacy of her family's ancient past, in order to renew hope for the future. A powerful, poignant tale of discovering the truth within and reaching out to embrace one's identity, Yesterday's Dreams is author Danielle Ackley-McPhail's debut novel and documents her as a writer of talent, imagination, and superb storytelling ability.
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