2 out of 4 stars
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Rowan Wood Legends by Olivia Wildenstein
The second in a series of five, Olivia Wildenstein’s book is a gripping fantasy tale in which our main character narrates the events of her life after being dragged into the war between two mystical races, both of which she is part.
After the shattering losses encountered by our protagonist in the preceding book, Rowan Wood Legends shows us how she grapples with new knowledge, new characters, as well as new sides to individuals she thought she already knew.
Caught between the rivals; faeries and hunters; Catori is adamant in her decision to remain neutral, despite pressure applied to her from all directions, both fantastical and otherwise. She is strong in her resolve to stay human and through this book, we see the difficulty she endures in the effort to shield her loved ones from her chaotic world, and in her refusal to put herself in the mercy of either of the feuding groups.
Catori finds herself tangled up with Kajika; a hunter incorrigible in his hatred toward the faeries, who have cost him all that he loved, including his mate; and Ace; faerie royalty who always swoops in to rescue Catori when necessary, yet his motives for doing so are unknown. Catori finds herself growing attached to these distinctly different men while still being frustrated by their bold assertions to shun her if she chooses a side not theirs.
As the Hunters seek vengeance for a betrayal that cost them their entire clan, their actions to increase their numbers are met with violence by the faeries. The war between the two parties is a vicious cycle as neither party is willing to turn the other cheek so as to pave way for lasting peace.
This second book in The Lost Clan Series is rife with drama, fantasy, family and friendship, not to mention a dash of romance. Because of this, I think it is perfect teenage and young adult readers with an appreciation for tales like The Vampire Diaries.
On the other hand, this book may not thrill mythology or anthropology enthusiasts; or any pedantic readers; as it is only loosely based on Fey mythology and Native American culture.
I would rate this book 2 out of 4. I loved the glossaries provided at the beginning of the book as they made it easy to follow the story without reading the first book; Rose Petal Graves; prior. Inasmuch as I enjoyed the descriptive style of writing (featuring regular use of similes), the characters and setting of the story, I also have to admit that there is nothing unique about it. There are tons of young adult fiction following this very vein. Like very many other books, Rowan Wood Legends generally entails a teenage girl thrust into an unfamiliar magical world in which she is superlatively powerful, of a rare kind and crucial for the salvation of the day. This main character also invariably attracts the affections of two or more infinitely worthy suitors, to her great surprise as she is always apparently oblivious of her own charms.
According to me, another failing of this novel is the author’s tendency to vilify the rejected suitors so as to validate the protagonist’s choice lover. The implication that the protagonist has to be beautiful, intelligent and inexplicably unique in her powers for her to be special is another issue here that resonates with the aforementioned abundant similar books.
All in all, Rowan Wood Legends is a highly entertaining read, the book difficult to put down and the tale enjoyable to very many readers.
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Rowan Wood Legends
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