Nightingale Hardcover – March 14, 2012

I can already tell this is the start of something great. Based on what he has written on the last page it appears he has three more books in mind for this series. I can't wait for more!In this book we get to meet the hero, Bron Smith. David Farland fulfills this beautifully as I think this is one of the best introductions I've read to a character in a long time. Bron Smith is a troubled child due to his unfortunate luck in foster care, which makes him a hard and sometimes unloving character. Yet, we see many scenes of Bron acting unselfishly towards others and caring for those around him; you just can't help but care and root for him.At the beginning Bron is sent to a new foster home in a new town, St. George, UT. Olivia, his new foster mom, seems to know more about who Bron really is more than he can imagine. Throughout the book is a discovery to find out who exactly Bron is and what he is capable of, as he appears to be far from ordinary and possessed of a rare power of possible good or destruction. Will he be able to control himself? Can he come to grips with who he really is?The majority of this book takes place in the City I live in (something I didn't know when I picked this book up). This really fascinated me because David Farland nails the geography perfect, such as the driving directions from nearby cities to the Tuacahn High School and Amphitheater and how our Best Buy lies in proportion to the freeway. It was exciting to see everything be spot on. The only thing that drove me nuts was his description of the St. George Police Department primarily because I work there. I'll have to give him a pass for not knowing the layout of the inside or some of the procedures that occur there. I'm sure I'll be one of the few bothered by this.This book is filled with action, conflict, and tension. If it isn't one thing, it is another. There were several times where I thought, "How on earth is Bron going to get out of this mess?" Yet David Farland does a masterful job of resolving the problems in a believable way. Not only that, but he gives us even more insight on the character of Bron Smith, making us cheer for him even more. The action is well-paced as Farland does allow a little bit of a breather now and then. And just as you start to get comfortable, BAM, he throws in another scene of action.There are even romantic elements throughout the book and I think he does a convincing job of writing how teenagers interact with each other and members of the opposite sex. Bron is not the only point of view character as you will see him through the eyes of three women, two of them being teenage girls. If you like romance in books, this has it but doesn't take things so far that I'd feel uncomfortable having my teenager read it. Except for the violence, this book keeps things in a solid PG rating.I've heard this described as "Twilight for boys." I think that is a pretty apt description. If contemporary fantasy is your thing, I would highly suggest giving this a shot. However, this is not just for boys. Girls will also enjoy it and might even like it more than Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Series.That said, two others popular books came to mind as I read Nightingale: the Lorien Legacies/I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore and the Michael Vey Series by Richard Paul Evans. I've read them both and the plot elements share a lot of similarity. I think this is much better than I Am Number Four and I'd put it right on par with Michael Vey. So if you enjoyed either of these books, I can guarantee you'll enjoy this one just as well, if not more.So, if you haven't figured it out yet, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the sequel. Again, if you like contemporary fantasy then this should be right up your ally. This isn't the epic fantasy that David Farland is usually known for (see his Runelord Series) but I completely enjoyed this just as much.

The writing for this was phenomenal, with beautiful prose and just enough description. The characters were well-developed and believable and interesting. I enjoyed the premise of an alternate race of non-humans who look almost human, though I have trouble envisioning how the fantastical attributes might have evolved naturally.The only reason I didn't give this five stars is that I was mildly disappointed with one part of the ending. Mostly, it's as well done as the rest of the book, and gives an intriguing segue towards the sequel, but I got to one point and just thought, "Oh. It's one of _those_ kinds of stories," and rolled my eyes. Now, the writing and characters and plot are otherwise strong enough that I will almost certainly look for the sequel, particularly in the hopes that Farland can make something more interesting from the story type than most authors manage.The detail that turned me off was that the alternate race is credited with a lot of past historical accomplishments, and there is a "secret history" known only to a select few that reveals the truth. This is not a major plot point in this book, but could be in a later one ... and it's the sort of plot that I just find annoying. It's a credit to how well written the book is that I'm still giving it 4 stars and planning to read the sequel.

I bought this book as part of a fund raising effort for Mr Farland's son who was injured in a skateboarding accident and I'm glad I did. My husband is a big fan of Farland's Runelords series which I've yet to read. I felt this was a good place to start with this author. I love the world building. The book is set around Salt Lake City but he's given such a beautiful and peaceful area of the country (I have been there) and made it also feel dangerous to the characters. However, you still get a sense of the author's love of the region's beauty and the sense of awe it gives. The characters are, I feel, well rounded and believable with the exception of Galadriel whose parents named her after the character in Tolkein. She never comes off as more than a pliable Barbie doll to me. If that's what he was shooting for then mission accomplished. I also found some of the pacing to be a bit laborious but I'm *way* past the young adult age. The phone, car and guitar talk might very enjoyable for the target audience but it bored me to distraction. Thankfully, that part doesn't last too long. Other than that one part it's very fast paced. You think you might get a chance to catch your wind but you're whisked off again before you've drawn a decent second breath! All in all I will recommend it right away to the son of a friend who relies on me for good SFF reads for him without her having to read them ;) And I will read the subsequent books in the series even if he doesn't. In the meantime I think I'll go read the Runelords.

Nightingale is the first in a series of urban fantasy books by David Farland, bestselling author of the Runelord fantasy series and mentor to a whole new generation of bestselling genre writers. Nightingale is about a changeling boy named Bron Jones who has been raised through the social welfare system, bouncing from one family to another, rarely finding a place where he fits or is welcome. But then he meets Olivia Hernandez, a teacher in a performing arts school who is hiding a secret that will prove to be the key to Bron's own past. Suddenly, Bron learns that the world is a lot bigger than he could ever have imagined and that he is the heir to the most powerful and evil being in the world; a fact that threatens his hope of ever having a normal life.Its hard to critique the work of a man who has taught some of the biggest names in genre fiction how to write and can count thousands of writers as his students. I read an early draft of this book and found myself blown away by how gripping and near perfection it already was. When I picked up the finished version during the book-bomb effort to raise money for the Wolverton's son, I had no idea that I would find this book as compelling the second time around too. The plot is as perfectly balanced as a samurai sword, arranged with the control of a great composer and realised like a fine painting.The characterization is handled so well that I would have happily have continued reading this book, even if nothing fantastical happened, and even if the plot didn't take a turn down a darker road. If anything, its because this book is almost too perfect, too well-crafted, like a finely engineered sports car that seems to have lost the spark of fun and passion that gives it character. Perhaps its because as a writer myself and a student of David Farland, I can see the various influences (Twilight, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Immortal Instruments), brought together and woven into a single tapestry, or perhaps I miss the clean and simplicity of the early draft I read, or more likely, my expectations of this book were much higher than is fair.One thing is for certain, this series is definitely one of the best YA series out there, and will no doubt be made into a blockbuster series of films. Buy it, read it and despair of ever matching it.

I really enjoyed this book. Didn't think I would at first (it sounded a bit "Twilight meets Glee") but on starting it I was, thankfully proved wrong.The action starts from the get-go and never really lets up till the very last word.The "Nightingale" of the title is Bron, a 16 year old in care after being abandoned as a baby. He is moved from home to home never really settling. On being moved on from his latest home, he is passed into the care of Olivia who finds that, like herself, Bron is a member of a race of people with special powers who are the next step up the genetic ladder from humans (Super-humans if you like).There are two types of these "super-humans", one good, one bad and the bad guys want Bron on their side and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.The ideas Mr Farland has here are very clever and the story-telling is top notch. I believe there are 3 more books after this in he series and I for one will be waiting eagerly for the next one.Highly recommended

I really enjoyed this book it pulled me in I had a very good couple of late nights reading this.... When is the next book out??? I have searched and can not find it...

this is a book I heartily recommend to all lovers of YA Fantasy. There were conflicts at every turn, character growth and lovable sidekicks, interesting settings and really twisty twists. Go and get it. You won't regret it. (Ooops that rhymed ;-) )