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Dwellers Of Ahwahnee (The Beyond Collection) (2000)

by Sheryl Seal(Favorite Author)

4.95 of 5 Votes: 3

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review 1: What I love about Sheryl Seal’s books is her ability to seamlessly interweave the modern and the traditional. Like a traditional folktale, her books deal with the battle of good and evil, provide a lot of wisdom, and paint beautiful pictures of the unique settings and characters. But her stories feels very modern, with the wisdom of the past updated for today’s readers – and that combination makes her books unique and unforgettable.Set in Yosemite Park, among enchanted nature and the world of Native American legends, this story is mystical, mythical, and magical. At the beginning of the first book, Oria, the young protagonist, turns eighteen. And that's when she learns of all the latent powers she is now gaining and is expected to master: her ability to shape-shift, ... morethe power of love, and the force of her own changing identity.The idea of constantly changing one's identity resonates with most people, as we are always trying to redefine ourselves and find our place in the world. But this idea is especially relevant for teenagers, the intended audience of this novel. In real life, a teenager doesn't have to be a shape-shifter to feel what Oria feels. Teenagers' lives are always in flux, always adjusting to change, physical, mental, and emotional - and these are all the changes Oria is experiencing as well.Through the Bridalveil Fall, Oria enters the magical world of the Ahwahneechee tribe, a world filled with magic and ancient legends. To survive and thrive in that world, she needs to use her grandparents' wisdom (a great message for today's kids, by the way!), their experience, and her own judgment. Oria becomes the Golden Queen Fairy of the Bridalveil Fall, and that honor comes with a lot of responsibilities and inherent dangers. Oria's character is interesting and well-developed, and so is the setting of this story. The setting of Yosemite Park is described so vividly and in such a realistic way, that I felt like I was experiencing its magic with the characters.Even if you don't normally read fantasy, you will enjoy this trilogy, if only for its tremendous wealth of Native American legends and beautiful descriptions of an enchanted setting. And if you plan to visit Yosemite, reading this book before the trip will create a magical vacation experience for you. Very well-done!! I was completely mesmerized by the beautiful writing and an enthralling story in the first book, but I liked the second book even more, as I was drawn into the story right away with Oria’s search for her soulmate Grey Wolf who disappeared with no explanation. Oria’s search for Grey Wolf leads her to seek advice and help from the Great Spirit who can help her in this emotional quest. e read the previous books in this series and loved them, and this one is even better. The story continues in the third book with Oria and the Grey Wolf -- the characters I love! I loved the shape-shifting, the magic, the Native American stories (so exotic and amazing to me!) and the beautiful descriptions of nature. I absolutely loved the poems interspersed through the third book. A wonderful YA fantasy series. Highly recommended.
review 2: A Beautiful Coming of Age StoryDwellers of Ahwahnee Book One Beyond Bridalveil FallSheryl SealOria believes she just going on a family trip to Yosemite with her grandmother, but is surprised to learn her grandmother has bigger plans for the trip than eating, campfires and storytelling. Once they arrive, Oria learns some unexpected things about herself, and this new knowledge will change her life and future completely. The readers have the pleasure of joining Oria on her journey into this special world of shape shifters and fairies. I loved Ms. Seal’s characters. They felt so real to me. It takes talent to create a fantasy world and make it feel like it could be an actual place.Ms. Seal creates a really beautiful coming of age story with the Dwellers of Ahwahnee. There’s nothing like a great combination of good vs evil and a tantalizing, sweet romance to make you wish for your very own grey wolf. So far I have only read book one but I’ll be back to review books two and three. I can’t wait to read them. less

Download links for: Dwellers of Ahwahnee (The Beyond Collection)

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