Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Bethany House, 2013. 425p. (9780764210273) Series: The Tales of Goldstone Wood, #5

I read this on the airplane coming back to Africa and it was almost exciting enough to keep me reading straight through despite not having slept more than a few short hours on the transatlantic flight, meaning I’d been basically up for over 24 hours. Twice I had to put the book down and let my eyelids fall closed for a bit but the story kept pulling me back. All that to say, we’ve got another great tale of Goldstone Wood to enjoy!

Goodreads Summary:

Author's sketch of Lady Leta
More character sketches
are on Ms Stengl's blog

Submissive to her father’s will, Lady Leta of Aiven travels far to meet a prospective husband she neither knows nor loves–Lord Alistair, future king of the North Country.

But within the walls of Gaheris Castle, all is not right. Vicious night terrors plague Lord Alistair to the brink of insanity. Whispers rise from the family crypt. The reclusive castle Chronicler, Leta’s tutor and friend, possesses a secret so dangerous it could cost his life and topple the North Country into civil war.

And far away in a hidden kingdom, a fire burns atop the Temple of the Sacred Flame. Acolytes and priestesses serve their goddess to the limits of their lives and deaths. No one is safe while the Dragonwitch searches for the sword that slew her twice…and for the one person who can wield it.

My Review:

As I’ve said time and again, the degree to which all the stories in this series are woven together is astounding. I’ve read the books as they come out and have only reread Heartless so I know I haven’t caught all the references but they’re there folks, they’re there.

In Dragonwitch we finally get to hear the full story of the brothers Akilun and Etanun. We find out what happened to Starflower’s land after she left it. We also learn more about the goblin kingdom. And it’s the very fascinating tale of a scribe, a scrubber, a betrothed girl and the heir-apparent. But there’s more to them than meets the eye.

The ageless themes of beauty, loneliness, love, family-ties, loyalty and forgiveness are all expertly woven into this tale. 

If you love adventure, fantasy, clean fiction, an epic fight that stretches over centuries, a dash of romance and everyone’s favorite cat Eanrin, then this is a book for you.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com; Buy it from Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher on behalf of the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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