Fairy Metal Thunder by J.L. Bryan

Fairy Metal Thunder (Songs of Magic #1) by J.L. Bryan

Publisher:  CreateSpace

Publication Date:  September 16th 2011

ISBN:  146635190X

Genre:  YA fantasy

Book Synopsis:  A rock & roll fairy tale.


Jason plays guitar in a teenage garage band called the Assorted Zebras, but they have no fans, no gigs, and they're going nowhere. Even worse, Jason has a crush on their lead singer, but she doesn't seem interested in him at all.


Then Jason steals instruments from the fairy world. Soon the band is enchanting crowds, and Jason is a step closer to the girl of his dreams, but the new gear is brimming with dangerous and destructive magic they can't control.


Their shortcut to success has cost a troupe of innocent fairies their livelihood and turned Jason and his band into enemies of the powerful Queen Mab, who sends supernatural bounty hunters to track them down, including one of the most dangerous horned creatures in Faerie...a small unicorn named Buttercake.

My Thoughts:  Fairy Metal Thunder is a very original story – unlike anything I have ever read.  I read it in one sitting, and had a blast reading it.  I found it to be very creative and a different spin on a Faerie tale.


Jason is a not so popular junior in high school who has started playing in a garage band as a guitarist.  This band gets more time playing in the garage than any paying gigs.  And to top it all off, his parents do not want him to hang out with or be part of the band. So, what does Jason really gain from being part of the band? He gets to spend time with the lead singer Erin.  But, Erin has a boyfriend – how does he compete with that?


One evening while watching his little sister, something really strange happens. He is introduced to the Faerie realm, and in the end, he has the answer to the band’s problems.  He finds some amazing instruments that turn their world around.  The problem is, he did not come across these instruments honestly, and they have their own set of issues.  Will it be worth it in the end?


This was a very quick read, and very enjoyable.  It was anything but predictable. You have a high school mish-mash band trying to catch a break, a burger joint where the high school kids hang out, over-protective parents, and then throw the Faerie world into the mix.  I just found it fun, fun, fun!!!

About the Author:  J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, dogs Violet and Tiger Lily, and cats Shadow and Sue.                                                                                                                                                                    Twitter        Goodreads            Website