Rowan of the Wood

Rowan of the Wood

Rowan of the Wood is a terrific book which rivals the Harry Potter series! Its magical quality is reminiscent of classic fairy tales. Did you know that Albert Einstein said, "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be even more intelligent, read them more fairy tales!" I almost read it straight through but had to stop to get some much needed sleep. At the end of the book, the next day I wished to read more. I am looking forward with great anticipation to the other books in the series which are sure to become family favorites. I beg to differ in the recommended age categories suggested by other readers. The youngest age of nine or ten may be correct but I am in my sixties and thoroughly enjoyed it! My two-year-old grandson, Rowan, is sure to delight in the story when he gets to be old enough.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A fun, light read.

Great book for kids ages 13+

An interesting blend of druidic legends, vampirism, and modern times. Plus, the protagonist was easy to love and relate with.

I¿d recommend it. :)

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com

I really enjoyed reading ROWAN OF THE WOOD. It is the first in a series and I can't wait for the next one to come out.

It starts with two Celtic wizards, Rowan and Fiana, on their wedding day. They have been waiting for this day for many years. Once they are married their power will double. Just as they have been declared married, a band of Christian invaders attacks the ceremony. Fiana manages to escape to the otherworld but Rowan, through magic, seals himself in his wand.

Now we go to modern day. Cullen is a foster child living in Northern California among the Redwood trees. He has survived losing his family and is now living in an abusive foster home. What he loves most are the Redwoods which are behind his house and his fantasy books, especially The Hobbit, which had belonged to his father.

In one horrific scene his foster father makes him burn all of his fantasy novels. That one scene was very hard to read.

Well, Cullen then finds a strange sort of wooden wand and out comes Rowan. He had been trapped there for over a thousand years. But he and Cullen are one person. Rowan can only come out when Cullen is scared or threatened.

Fiana has also returned, but she came back a hundred years after the incident. She has been looking for Rowan for thousands of years. In order to stay young and beautiful she has made a deal with dark magic - and she has turned evil!

All of this makes a fantastic and believable read. The love that doesn't really die between Rowan and Fiana is powerful. The loneliness of Cullen and his love of doing what is right is wondrous. I loved this book and anyone who loves fantasy will love it, too.

The authors have gotten this one right and I highly recommend it.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Couldn't put this book down!

I was sucked into Cullen, Rowan, and Fiana's varying worlds and couldn't stop reading until they all collided! This is an exciting novel by debut authors Christine & Ethan Rose...they've created characters that are strikingly vivid and a plot that draws the reader into a world much like our own, yet not our own. I can actually see Cullen walking through the majestic Redwood forest...Rowan and Fiana hand-in-hand among the standing stones in Caledonia...the many amusing cats scattered about Raimund's woodland cottage. Lovers of fantasy must give this a read because they will truly enjoy it!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Enchanting

Pulls you in to a story of magic and enchantments. Makes you follow the maze of twists and turns expertly placed through out the story.

by Steven Maus, author of Branchwater

Cullen, Rowan, Max, and all the other main characters were well done, though Rex seemed to be a direct Dudley Dursley knock-off, only meaner. Ganging up with his football friends to pick on a blind girl? That's pretty bad. Rowan's plight is a unique one, but a boring one. Being stuck in the situation that's he in, there is nothing he can do. So he does nothing. Realistic, but boring. In the end Rowan makes up for it all, but it's a plodding journey. In much the same way, there's not much that Cullen can do. He's a foster child, loathed and mistreated at home, picked on at school, completely unable to deal with the stress of sharing his body with a wizard. He's shocked, frightened, and perhaps even traumatized, and since he doesn't know what to do, he does nothing. Cullen's teacher is one of those rare ones that has chosen to teach out of a love for children, and her feelings toward her beloved student are an example of the honest feelings that come across very well in this book. The most interesting parts of the story are those about Fiana. Her transformation over the long years as she traveled the world in search of Rowan is what kept me interested throughout the middle of the book, when Cullen and Rowan are doing little more than trying to figure out just what the heck is going on. When she obtains the power to continue her search forever, the lust for more power steadily grows until her quest has fallen by the wayside, her once-passionate love all but forgotten. The overall story is very good, the characters are believable, and the situation is bleak. Lovers of magic and fantasy set in the real world would do well to check this book out. A solid tale of magic, love, betrayal, and loss, Rowan of the Wood is well-inspired and lovingly written.

A great new series for fans of J.K. Rawling, Michael Scott, Garth Nix

This book was suprisingly fantastic. It was very hard to put down. I was thrilled when it didn't come to an end with this book. Four more books to come. I highly reccomend to Teens and Adults alike.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fairy Tales in real life

I agree with the person here who spoke of fairy tales.. we all need those! Although I didn't think of it as a fairy tale when I read Rowan; more of a story of the woods and nature and how we all should relate to it.
The scariness is not in the wizards, vampires, or celts, but in the humans around Cullen. As a friend of mine wisely said, It is not always the 'monster under the bed' that poses the threat. See RowanoftheWood.com

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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