Book review: Knife by R. J. Andersson

Bryony lives in the big Oak together with all the other fairies, but no one except for the Hunter and the Gatherers are allowed to go outside. When Bryony is assigned to become the Queen's Hunter, she changes her name to Knife, and one day when she is hurt fighting a crow, she flies right into the lap of a human boy - Paul. Paul takes care of Knife until she gets better, and they form a bond, but no one can know that Knife is friends with a human for interacting with humans is forbidden.
Knife starts to doubt everything she's learned growing up; humans aren't dangerous, and are they really what's behind the terrible illness that takes the fairies one by one? With the Queen keeping secrets, and Paul for help, Knife tries to find out what really happened back when the fairies lost their magic and the illness broke out.

Knife is the first book in the Faery Rebels series by R. J. Andersson. It can also be found under the name "Spell Hunter" in Canada and the US.
When I started reading this book, I was really confused, because the main character was called Bryony, but everywhere where I'd read about the book she was called Knife. I got to know why, though, after a few chapters when she changed her name. The plot was different, which was a nice change from the "life size fairies with weird appearances", and fairy courts and politics and stuff - but maybe I just think so because the only other real "faery-books" I've read is the Wicked Lovely series. But, anyway, these are the kind of fairies that I've always imagined living out in the woods. Small, with wings and pointy ears.
I loved how the faery world in the Oak was built, with the Queen, and everyone being assigned jobs as they grew up. The fact that there were no males surprised me, but I also kind of like the idea of the faeries leaving an egg behind as they die. It's sad - that they have to die for their daughter to be born - but an interesting idea.

The characters were great. I loved Knife, she was special, and I loved her reactions to the human things in Paul's house. How she thought Paul's wheelchair was a throne, and all the furniture was so beautiful compared to her own. The secondary characters were also lovely. Wink and Thorn, especially.
Overall I loved this book, I've wanted to read it for quite a while, so when I got it for my birthday a month ago I was really happy. I would strongly recommend it to everyone. And you can't say that looking at the book makes you not want to read it. The cover is beautiful, I really prefer the "Knife" cover over the "Spell Hunter" cover.