Mysterious. Hidden. Sacred. Erabel is the beating heart of Dorcha Wood. And its heir has come home.
Fleeing the man who betrayed her, Fiadh returns to her beloved forest, into its heart, to discover her people. And herself. With the aid of Caelan, an Aos Sí warrior, she explores her birthright, a world safeguarded from the corruption of mankind. There, she learns the history of a mighty race and the vastness of the power coursing through her blood.
But beyond Erabel’s boundaries, men are flocking, rallying to an evil lord who covets the strength flowing in Fiadh’s veins. They have their eyes fixed on the lost kingdom of the Aos Sí, and it’s only a matter of time before they breach those borders and come for Fiadh and all who protect her.
All around her, the world is closing in, as some plot in shadows, and others in the stark light of day.
Book source ~ Tour
YA | Fantasy | Historical
3 August 2021
286 Pages
My Rating ~ 3 bites and a nibble
Fiadh flees from the man who behaved like a dick to her. Good riddance, I say. Anyway, she rides off on her protector Krulan, a giant wolf-like being, a Cu-Sith, who takes her back to where she should have never left, Dorcha Wood, and thus to the very heart of it, Erabel. Her birthright. Though she doesn’t know it. Yet. Fiadh is about to have her mind blown. Almost quite literally.
Oh boy, oh boy. There are two evil douchebags heavily plotting in this second book and another couple evillettes plotting in the shadows. And they aren’t just plotting against each other, they are plotting against Fiadh. They all covet her power and in a bad way. That’s a lot of evil plotting against a very small force of good. Poor Fiadh has no idea what is going on. Her whole world has just been turned upside down and now she has to get up to speed fast or lose what she’s only just found. But it’s a fine line she walks. She has to defend all she now holds dear without stooping to the Big Bads’ level. Me? I’d burn them all down and to hell with the consequences. Which probably explains why I’ve never been a Chosen One. Ah, well.
I have a couple of issues with this otherwise fascinating story. The evil is trying too hard to be evil. I mean, it’s so over the top I’m picturing them twirling their dastardly mustaches like in the old silent films. I find Lord Darragh to be pathetic and I’m not sure he’s meant to be. Rygeil is scary though. He is absolutely loony tunes and powerful, too. Yikes. My other problem is POV changes that jump in abruptly during someone else’s POV then leaps back out again. It pulls me out of the story and that’s disorienting. And annoying. Not a fan. However, the plot is advancing at a nice even clip, the past is being revealed, and the time of major conflict is fast approaching. I’m looking forward to finding out how this saga is going to play out. If you love your books filled with Celtic mythology, danger, and power struggles then be sure to pick up this series.
Kristin Ward is an award-winning young adult author living in Connecticut. A science and math teacher for over twenty years, she infuses her geeky passions into stories that meld realism and fantasy. Kristin embraces her inner nerd regularly, often quoting 80s movies while expecting those around her to chime in with appropriate rejoinders. As a nature freak, she can be found wandering the woods - she may be lost, so please stop and ask if you see her - or chilling in her yard with all manner of furry and feathered friends. Often referred to as a unicorn by colleagues who remain in awe of her ability to create or find various and sundry things in mere moments. In reality, the horn was removed years ago, leaving only a mild imprint that can be seen if she tilts her head just right. A lifelong lover of books and writing, she dreamed of becoming an author for thirty years before publishing her award-winning debut in 2018. Her first novel, After the Green Withered, is one of many things you should probably read.
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