Review: Dragonswood

Dragonswood
by Janet Lee Carey
Hardcover

407 pages
Published January 5th 2012

by Dial Books

Summary from Goodreads:

Wilde Island is not at peace. The kingdom mourns the dead Pendragon king and awaits the return of his heir; the uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is strained; and the regent is funding a bloodthirsty witch hunt, hoping to rid the island of half-fey maidens.

Tess, daughter of a blacksmith, has visions of the future, but she still doesn't expect to be accused of witchcraft, forced to flee with her two best friends, or offered shelter by the handsome and enigmatic Garth Huntsman, a warden for Dragonswood. But Garth is the younger prince in disguise and Tess soon learns that her true father was fey, making them the center of an exciting, romantic adventure, and an ancient prophecy that will bring about peace between all three races - dragon, human, and fairy.

Thoughts:

Honestly, I was expecting much much more from this and that's why I pre-ordered it online. There was not enough magic mayhem for me. Instead most of the book is set against the backdrop of the dark mysterious wood where Tess and her friends hides when they are forced to flee after being accused as witches. Hence the name Dragonswood. The woods are inhabited by feys, dragons, hounds and huntsmen but we only get to meet them halfway through the book.

Fortunately, Tess is a strong solid character whom I grew to like. She was abused by her father so she found refuge in the woods not knowing that her destiny lies there. Her guilt after naming her friends during her torture under the hands of the witch hunter affected her so much that she is willing to do almost anything to redeem herself in her friends' eyes. And her uneasy truce with Garth who offered them a shelter in the woods turns into a budding romance that I really enjoyed. Yes, none of that instant love for me. I love it when characters gradually fell in love in their own pace.

The ending is really just so sweet and reminds me so much of Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series. Tess might not be a witch but she has the power of pulling everyone together and in the end she is surrounded by the family that she has always yearned for which consists of dragons, feys and humans alike.

Recommended for: fans of epic & medieval fantasy
Verdict: 4 stars.

In my Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Available on: Amazon