Tour: Rowan Wood Legends
Publication Date: August 14, 2017 | Source: YA Bound Book Tours
| Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars |
★★★☆
SOME LEGENDS ARE BETTER LEFT UNTOLD.
I wasn’t the sort of girl who believed in fairytales, let alone tales about faeries. But that changed the day Faeries came to my small town and Hunters rose from their graves.
On that fateful day, I received a book, a peculiar collection of myths and legends. Turns out it was so much more than stories. And just as I was on the verge of unlocking its secrets, it was stolen from me by someone I called a friend.
Now, I don’t know whom I can turn to, whom I can trust. All I know is that there are two sides, and I am straddling the great divide because I am both Faerie and Hunter. And although I swore I would never choose, I am slowly falling for one of those sides…
I wasn’t the sort of girl who believed in fairytales, let alone tales about faeries. But that changed the day Faeries came to my small town and Hunters rose from their graves.
On that fateful day, I received a book, a peculiar collection of myths and legends. Turns out it was so much more than stories. And just as I was on the verge of unlocking its secrets, it was stolen from me by someone I called a friend.
Now, I don’t know whom I can turn to, whom I can trust. All I know is that there are two sides, and I am straddling the great divide because I am both Faerie and Hunter. And although I swore I would never choose, I am slowly falling for one of those sides…
Before we talk about anything else, can we please take a minute to appreciate how gorgeous this cover is? I'll be completely honest and admit that the cover drew me in first, but then we have that synopsis which is just as compelling.
Rowan Wood Legends is actually the second book in the Lost Clan series but you don't have to read the first book, however I do wish I did because I thoroughly enjoyed the story and wouldn't mind spending some more time with the characters. If you do not pick up the first novel, everything gets explained so there aren't any big loopholes that could be confusing.
The world building within this book is absolutely magical. I've read reviews on Goodreads from people who've read the first book and many have stated that they adore how Olivia Wildenstein continues to build her world which is exciting as that can lead to even more amazing world building in the later books. I really enjoyed the different bits of Fae history that was inserted throughout the novel along with the revelations about the relationships between faerie and hunters.
Catori - our fearless heroine - is half hunter and half fae which puts her in the middle of a century long battle. I really liked how her character reflected her morals and fire. As she continues to explore this new heritage of hers, she doesn't forget the people who have helped her and she treats both sides equally without swaying between the two every time a secret is revealed or something is betrayed.
Since I didn't read the first book, I had to draw my own conclusion about the little love triangle between Catori, Kajika (hunter), and Ace (faerie prince). I don't know what Kajika was like in the first book, but I kind of despised him from the beginning. He was very shady about his motives and there wasn't enough proof that he wasn't infatutaed with Catori just because of her resemblance to his dead wife. Ace on the other hand is kind of a typical YA love interest - he's duty bound and fighting his desire towards Catori which he turns into playful banter/insults and acts like an arrogant bastard sometimes. However, between the two - I would choose Ace over Kajika any day.
In terms of the plot - rather than having a general bell curve of events, there are a bunch of mini climaxes throughout. There were a couple of times when something seemingly big happened and I thought that after the resolution the book would end, but then find that I had another 100 pages. In some ways, it keeps the story going so I can't say that it was a bad element.
I'm pretty sold on this series right now - kind of wavering between a 3.5 and a 4 (hence my 3.75 rating) but I really did enjoy it. The goal is to pick up the first book next just so I can get caught up and then patiently wait for the next book to come out so we can continue this adventure.
(Click to see the full tour schedule)
Connect with the Author!
Olivia Wildenstein grew up in New York City, the daughter of a French father with a great sense of humor, and a Swedish mother whom she speaks to at least three times a day. She chose Brown University to complete her undergraduate studies and earned a bachelor’s in comparative literature. After designing jewelry for a few years, Wildenstein traded in her tools for a laptop computer and a very comfortable chair. This line of work made more sense, considering her college degree.
When she’s not writing, she’s psychoanalyzing everyone she meets (Yes. Everyone), eavesdropping on conversations to gather material for her next book, baking up a storm (that she actually eats), going to the gym (because she eats), and attempting not to be late at her children’s school (like she is 4 out of 5 mornings, on good weeks).
Wildenstein lives with her husband and three children in Geneva, Switzerland, where she’s an active member of the writing community.
0 Comments