Title: Dragonswood
Series: Wilde Island Chronicles #2
Author: Janet Lee Carey | Website
Available: 1/5/2012
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: YA
Synopsis via Goodreads:
Wilde Island is in an uproar after the recent death of its king. The uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is fraying, and a bloodthirsty witch hunter with a hidden agenda whips villages into frenzies with wild accusations. Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, finds herself caught in the crosshairs of fate when she is accused of witchery and has to flee for her life along with her two best friends.
Not even Tess’s power to see the future can help the girls as they set off on their desperate journey, but she keeps having visions of a man wielding a sword. And when she finally meets him, Tess has no idea how to handle the magnetic attraction she feels for him, or the elusive call she hears from the heart of the Dragonswood.
In this epic romance, an ancient prophecy comes true in a way neither dragon, fairy, nor human would have predicted.
My thoughts:
Dragonswood satisfied a craving I wasn't even aware I had. Obviously my book diet has been seriously lacking fantasy lately. I just didn't realize how bad until I started reading this enchanting novel. Tess takes readers on an incredible journey. I found myself staying up late at night because I just couldn't bring myself to put her captivating tale down. The magical combination of a historical setting, dragons, fairies and romance had me falling in love at first page.
I absolutely loved Tess. She craved an independence that women during her time didn't typically have. Instead she was forced to live in fear with her mother and abusive father. Who would of thought being accused of witchcraft and forced to flee could be so liberating? Tess is a strong and admirable character. She stayed true to herself throughout the book and as a reader I appreciated this. The secondary characters were also a pleasure. I wish the dragons would have had a little more time in the spotlight. The few scenes where they spoke or interacted with the characters were without a doubt my favorites. I just have so much love for those scaled beasts ♥
I found the pacing of Dragonswood to be wonderful until the end. The ending just seemed a little rushed and the writing didn't flow as nicely as it did throughout the majority of the novel. I also had difficulty with the epilogue. Tess seemed to have a different "voice". I'm not sure if this was to help reflect the time that had passed and how she had changed. It just didn't feel like I was reading from the POV of the same girl I'd just spent almost 400 pages with.
While the ending could have been smoother it didn't in any way squash the massive amount of love I have for this wonderful book. I still found Dragonswood an absolute delight to read! I highly recommend it and hope to read more by Janet Lee Carey very soon.
While visiting Janet Lee Carey's website I discovered Dragonswood is technically the second book in the Wilde Island Chronicles. I wasn't aware of this little bit of info when I first started reading. I haven't had the pleasure of reading the first novel, Dragon's Keep. I don't feel reading out of order made Dragonswood any less enjoyable and never really felt like I was missing anything.
My Rating:
I'm really glad you ended up loving this one as much as you did and that you mention it's the second in a series. Like you, I have no idea there was something before it. It looks like a really amazing read and I'm even more excited now!
ReplyDeleteAhhh you're so lucky to read DRAGONSWOOD! I can't wait to get my hands on this one and it's such a relief that you liked it! Excellent review.
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