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Rowan Of The Wood (2009)

by Christine Rose(Favorite Author)
3.9 of 5 Votes: 5
ISBN
0981994903 (ISBN13: 9780981994901)
languge
English
genre
publisher
Blue Moose Press
series
Rowan of the Wood
review 1: Read on, no plot spoilers here. . . Three UP for originality, great characters, and inventive use of myths & history.1. This book is incredibly original, if not a bit odd at times. I found the plot to be intriguing, and enjoyed the mix of character point of views (changing up the POV is tricky, and this is one of the few books I’ve read that did it right!) moving past and present through history, the story is as beautifully woven as a celtic knot.2. The main character is very likable, despite his weaknesses. I would have preferred to see a little more character growth and bravery, but perhaps that is in the books to come...3. The mix of celtic legends and myths with the history of Ireland is brilliantly done. Three DOWN... (but just a little) 1. The introduction to the ... morecharacter and setting felt a bit like a Harry Potter knock off: lives with uncaring family, who overworks him and hates books and loves television, with a son who is a bully and dullard... 2. I found the writing style to be a bit elaborate, sometimes weighing down the plot, I love beautiful descriptions, but caught myself skipping ahead to the action and skimming to find the “meat” of the story. The dialogue is also a problem, often sounding stilted and unnatural. It is beautifully edited however, and the overall layout and design is probably the best I’ve seen for an Indie book.3. There is a strange anti-christian undertow, and although many of the ideas pointed out are true, especially in regards to the history of christianity and the hypocritical “christian family” Cullen lives with (which I found to be a very realistic and a true critique on America), some of it does seem a bit out of place in a children’s book. Bonus: Love, love, love the cover art!Overall: Great characters with an original plot, creative use of history and mythology, too bad it drags a bit.
review 2: Just finished this book and can't wait to read the next in the series. The story seems to be a mix of Harry Potter, Celtic Lore, Romeo & Juliet, Time Travel and a dash of paranormal. And for me, it works!We follow the story of Cullen, a young boy living with his cruel foster family in present day California. Like in the Harry Potter books, he is unloved and suffers much grief from the family he lives with. Unfortunately there is no Hagrid to spirit him off to a wonderful school where he can be a wizard. Instead, Cullen finds his escape through reading books and his 2 best friends. Magic enters his life when he finds a magic wand with a power trapped wizard within. Freeing Rowan of the Wood changes his life forever.The story is told in 2 streams. Present day and the past where we learn the legend and story behind Rowan and his true love, Fiana. Through these flashbacks, we gain insight of what Fiana went through which molded her into the being she is upon reuniting with Rowan.I thought I'd give this book a try since I am a fan of fantasy and the description of the book was pretty interesting. I'm glad I did. While it is of the YA genre, like the Harry Potter series, any age group will enjoy this. It starts off a bit slow as the author sets the tone of the book and lays down the foundation of the story, and picks up by the middle of the book. A bit too fast though. Once the action starts, it doesn't stop and then your at the end of the book. I hope the next book in the series does a better job at pacing the story, and I can't wait to see how the author resolves the "cliff hanger" in the end. less
Reviews (see all)
Kodi
An enjoyable book. It has some POV issues and I would have preferred an ending that resolved more.
gulraiz_taurus
Awesome read. My wife & I both loved the series (3 out of 5 are published).
grayson
A very quick read, but fun!
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