Showing posts with label dragonwitch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dragonwitch. Show all posts

Monday, 29 July 2013

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer Blog Tour: "Dragonwitch" by Anne Elisabeth Stengl Review



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.
-image and summary from Goodreads.com

About the Author


Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. She is the author of HEARTLESS, VEILED ROSE, MOONBLOOD, STARFLOWER and DRAGONWITCH. HEARTLESS and VEILED ROSE have each been honored with a Christy Award. 



Book Review

 Dragonwitch is the fifth book in "The Tales of Goldstone Wood", a Christian fantasy series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. The events take place some centuries after those of Starflower, and chronicle the rest of Hri Sora's tale.

 Buckle your seat belts.

 This book is one of my favourites in this series. All of Stengl's books are full of loveable characters, twisting plots, and lovely, lyrical sentences. But Dragonwitch took all the wonderful qualities of the previous books and amped them up a few notches. Stengl has outdone herself with this book.

 First of all, the characters. When I first heard of this story and understood a bit of Leta's character, I did not expect to like her that much. Yet she ended up surprising me and by the end of the story, she had made a lasting impact. Her struggle to find her voice while maintaining certain ideals is a struggle I find realistic and with which I empathize. It's so easy to feel that as girls, our voices should remain unheard--we should always be quiet and never speak up. This is exactly what I've been fighting with for the past couple of years, and Leta's fight to find her voice and strength in weakness was beautiful.

 Eanrin, the cat-man, and Imraldera, a scribe and librarian, flipped my heart a couple of times through the story--as always.

 When I first started reading the novel, I did not like Alistair that much. He seemed whiny and annoying. And then I reach around the middle of the story, and things start happening--and Alistair showed how awesome he was. By the end, I was as in love with him as (-----) one of the other characters. What, thought I was going to let a spoiler slip by? ;)

 But what really caught me was Hri Sora and her story. By the end, my emotions had gone through several highs and lows. Hri Sora is one of the best villains I've ever read, because I could empathize with her. I was actually hoping beyond hope that she might reform and be saved. Does she? I won't tell. :) 

 Secondly, the writing. Some of the scenes--especially the one with Leta and the star--left me breathless with the sheer beauty of it. I think I was even in tears at one point! And the intensity had me gritting my teeth and gripping the computer screen, unable to tear myself away. One scene--involving goblins--was so well-written I felt as though I were creeping through the castle with the characters, trying to escape the onslaught.  I couldn't stop reading; I had to see what came next. I could see it all in my head like a movie; could hear the epic, eerie music. I think of all the books, I would love to see Dragonwitch as a movie the most. It just struck me as an epic movie in the making.

 Thirdly, the locations. This book revisits locations seen in previous books--and how different they are from when we first see them! One thing I love about this series is that it's like learning the history of another world; you get to see the places and people in different forms, just as our world's history would have been. Nothing is as it is without having been different before--people shape their enivronment quite a bit. And you see the consequences of this on one location in particular, the South Lands, where a horde of fire priestesses have taken hold....

 Lastly, the feel of this book is very different from the others in the series. Its scope is wide, with daring escapes, journeys, and lasting consequences for the characters and their world. Even at the end, some strings are resolved but the very last page makes it clear that the story is not completely over. And that is completely fine with me, because that means there are many more Goldstone Wood books to come!

 Five GREAT BIG HUGE GINORMOUS STARS!


I received a review copy from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for that opportunity!
Tour Giveaway!!!

Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash


Tour Schedule

July 29th
Making the Grade – Review & Interview
Tribute Books – Excerpt
The Other World – Review

July 30th
Sassy Book Lover – Review

July 31st
Books Beside My Bed – Review & Guest Post

August 1st
A Book Lover’s Library – Review & Guest Post
MK McClintock Blog - Guest Post
LDS & Lovin’ It – Review

August 2nd

August 3rd
Cuzinlogic – Guest Post
The Secret Writer – Review & Interview
Fire & Ice – Review
Characterized – Review

August 5th
Good Choice Reading – Interview
Peace From Pieces – Interview

August 6th
Hott Books – Interview
Backing Books – Review
Gwynneth White – Review
Taking Time for Mommy – Interview

August 7th
Bunny’s Review – Guest Post
Colorimetry – Tens List
Aimee Lane – Interview

August 8th
Recent Reads – Review
Mythical Books – Interview
All Fantasy Worlds – Review

August 9th
Spellbindings – Review
Literary Sweet – Review
Fall Into Books – Guest Post
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Monday, 15 July 2013

Dragonwitch Release Day Blog Tour: Character Interview: Lady Leta of Aiven


dragonwitchreleasedaybanner.png


 An Ancient Evil 

Long ago, Etanun buried his sword in the depths of the Netherworld then vanished from all known history. One day, it is said, his heir will find the sword, and the Dragonwitch, firstborn of the Dragon King, will be finally slain.

A Desperate Hope

These stories are no more than nursery rhymes. In a world of cold reality, what room is left for fairy tales? Lady Leta of Aiven is pledged to marry a man she does not love . . . sleepless Lord Alistair struggles to unite the stubborn earls of the North Country . . . Mouse is lost, far from home, slaving as a kitchen drudge . . .


. . . and the reclusive Chronicler, keeping the records of Gaheris Castle, bears a secret so dangerous it could cost him his life and plunge the North Country into civil war.

An Impossible Journey

But when nursery rhymes begin to come horribly true, will these unlikely heroes find the strength they need to fulfill a prophecy of fire? For the Dragonwitch lives. And she has vowed vengeance on all who have wronged her.


description from dragonwitchnovel.blogspot.com


Anne Elisabeth Stengl is the author of the award-winning Tales of Goldstone Wood series, adventure fantasies told in the classic Fairy Tale style. She makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University.

Character Spotlight:

Lady Leta of Aiven


"Practical" Leta

                                                                                 



Leta is the eldest daughter of Earl Lebuin of Aiven, one of the most powerful earls in the North Country. She is a quiet girl who has been brought up according to the ladylike standards of the day: She does not speak unless spoken to and ventures no opinions save those given her by her elders.







"Rebellious" Leta
               




But secretly, she is at war with herself. While practical Leta tells her to bow her head and marry Lord Alistair as she is told, rebellious Leta wonders if her life might not be meant for more than a loveless marriage . . . .


And now, the interview!


Me: Welcome to The Other World, Leta! I hope you enjoy your visit. We're all quite curious to learn more about you--you seem so quiet and mysterious. Why don't you give us a few introductory tidbits about yourself--your age, your favourite colour, the names of your parents, things like that. Don't be nervous--I won't bite! :)

Leta: Indeed, my lady, I am gratified to be invited to your other world. You must excuse my hesitant speech. I am not over-accustomed to talking about myself. But you put me well at ease.

I am eighteen years of age, old enough to contract a marriage. My favorite colour is blue, and I prefer to wear blue when given the choice. My mother tells me I should wear red because warm colours will warm the blood, and warm blood is much to be desired here in the cold North Country. But I think red makes me appear wan and listless.

My father is Earl Lebuin of Aiven, and my mother is Lady Acca of the House of Sondmanus, second cousin to the earl. Her alliance to Aiven was coveted by Sondmanus himself; yet Mother claims that were it not for her great beauty, her second cousin should never have succeeded, for he offered far too little in dowry. But my father, Earl Lebuin, insisted upon the match.

I wonder if Lord Alistair would have insisted for me? Somehow, I think not.

How interesting! How did you feel when your father told you he'd be marrying you to Lord Alistair? You can be honest here, we won't tell Earl Lebuin.... 

I was . . . not so pleased as my mother thought I should be. I might have liked to be consulted regarding my own wishes in the matter. After all, I had never so much as set eyes upon Lord Alistair! No one could say whether we would have any liking for each other. But Mother insists that liking has very little to do with a good match. As far as liking went, I doubt very much that she cared a great deal for my father. But she has borne him strong sons and secured prestige for her house. I should be grateful for such an opportunity. After all, it was said that Lord Alistair would be king one day.

But still . . . I would have liked to be asked.

Oh, poor dear! At least you have the Chronicler, right? You two seem to be really close friends. Is it true he's teaching you to write? What was it like, growing up without being able to read or write? It's something so many of us take for granted nowadays.

Yes, indeed, my acquaintance with the Chronicler of Gaheris has proven a surprising pleasure! He is very patient with me, for I am slow to learn my letters. I think I might have been faster had I started learning younger, as he did. But I am determined to learn, if ever I can! As I read and write, I see whole new worlds opening up before me, worlds I never knew existed back when I was simply the shadow-daughter sitting in the quiet rooms of my father’s house. I could not give up this opportunity now if my life depended upon it!

Is it true a lot of the history of the North Country is told through oral tradition? What's your favourite nursery rhyme or fairy tale?

There are many I enjoyed on a winter’s night when my father permitted a wandering minstrel to take his ease by our fire in exchange for a song or a tale. There is a story about the building of the final House of Lights, the one that, it is said, was not destroyed by the Flame at Night. The tale is called “The Coward and the Pit,” and it is a terrible, dark, wonderful story, one my mother deemed inappropriate for a young lady’s ears. So she would send me from the room if that tale was to be told . . . yet I, not always as obedient as my mother believed, would creep to the door and listen in. It mattered little how many times I heard the tale, or the variations expressed by the different tellers. I thrilled to the story more each time I heard it.

Sadly, it is too long a tale to share just now. But one day, perhaps. One day . . .

Any favourite memories of growing up in Aiven?

When I was quite small, my nurse would sometimes take me walking down the banks of River Hanna.  We would walk all the way to the pastures where some of my father’s finest livestock were kept. I enjoyed visiting the goat-herder especially, for the young kids were so lively, so wild as to seem lunatic! How I laughed at their antics! I don’t suppose I miss my own brothers or mother half as much as I miss those foolish goats . . . though it is perhaps wicked of me to say.

I heard from a little bird--perhaps a wood thrush--that you had a rather interesting experience with a star. In your own words, what was it like? 

Can one describe an experience such as that? It was like . . . but you’ll think this strange. It was like becoming part of a melody. Not hearing it—becoming it. A single thread of music wound together in a vast chorus, not important alone, never important . . . vital to the whole. It was . . .

No. No, I’ll not speak more of it now. You will forgive me.

Finally, is there anything you can tell us about your story, Dragonwitch? What should we expect?

Expect the unexpected, good lady! Every moment of that story was yet another unexpected twist or turn for me. Even now, I am breathless when I consider all that transpired, all that I have seen, all that I have become. There will be blood. What story does not, indeed, find its spirit in blood? But there will be love as well, for if blood is the spirit, than love is the heart.

Oh, sounds breath-taking indeed! Thank you so much for being here, Leta! 

 Indeed, it was my pleasure, Lady Beka.
***

And there's also a Rafflecopter giveaway.... Scroll down to enter!



So, are you excited, or are you EXCITED!?!? Next on the tour is a Sneak Peek at The Sassy Sister. Make sure to check it out, and all the other fun stops on this blog tour!


 Tour Schedule
July 14 - Day 1

July 15 - Day 2

July 16 - Day 3

July 17
Blog Tour Finale and Prize Awarded back at the Tales of Goldstone Wood!


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Wednesday, 3 July 2013

Prism Book Tours: "Dragonwitch" Interview With Anne Elisabeth Stengl!


On Tour with Prism Book Tours...

 As part of this exciting tour, I am hosting a section of a huge interview with Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Thanks for dropping by, and I hope you enjoy the rest of this amazing book tour! :D
Questions and Answers With Anne Elisabeth Stengl

1. If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only bring three items, what would they be?
My husband. (He’s an item, right?) He’s FAR more resourceful than I am, so if I had him along, I think we might stand a chance at survival.
A lifetime’s supply of Ceylon tea. I’m going to assume that we’ll find a source of fresh water somewhere on this island. And maybe I’ll find some wild goats, and I’ll milk them so I can have cream in my tea . . .
My husband, Rohan, suggests that I bring a knife. I was going to say a notebook and pen. Do you see how much more resourceful he is?

2. Were there any characters that surprised you with how much love--or ire--they received from readers?
I won’t say I’ve been surprised by the passion Eanrin seems to inspire in readerly hearts. I’ve always been more than a little in love with him myself, and I suspected readers would respond the same. I’ve maybe been surprised by the extent of that passion, however, resulting in so many wonderful pieces of fan art, fan fiction, and fan mail directed at him. And he, of course, totally eats it up.
I was maybe a little more surprised at the ire my poor Princess Una inspired. While she is quite a silly little thing, I assumed most readers would recognize that, well, most teenage girls are silly little things (I know I was!) and usually take a few hard knocks to grow them up. But Una doesn’t get much sympathy from the readers, who often take a serious dislike to her. (Oddly enough, most readers don’t have a problem with the far more weak-willed and cowardly Prince Lionheart. Maybe we’re naturally more forgiving of men? An interesting—and slightly disturbing—line of thought, but I’ll not pursue that now . . . )

3. Any funny cat stories?
Lots! Here’s a good one: http://minervawritesherthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/02/in-end-its-all-about-standards.html

4. Have you ever struggled with the question of whether or not you should be writing? If so, how did you deal with it?
Every time I write a novel, I struggle with that same question. The pressures of this business can be overwhelming. Even a single negative review can crush the spirit for days and days, leaving any writer wondering why they even bother.
But the love of these stories is so deep in my heart, they are as much a part of me as my own four limbs. I couldn’t not write them. And, having written, I would be selfish not to share for fear of rejection. For although not everyone will enjoy my stories, some people will be blessed by them. There are those who need these stories as much as I do.
I think of George MacDonald’s wonderful line from Phantastes: ““It is by loving, and not by being loved, that one can come nearest the soul of another.”  I write as an offering of love, and in giving that love, I am brought closer to those around me. I become more complete, more whole, the more I give of myself and my work. It’s not about receiving love in return. If it were, I wouldn’t be able to continue.
***
Thanks so much, Anne Elisabeth, for these fantastic, inspiring answers, especially to the last few questions!

Now, inspired by Hannah at The Writer's Window, I am going to include some special content. In keeping with the theme of cats (as I am a cat person as well), I decided to add some fluffiness to this post!


Cats (and a Dog): What They Can Teach Us
by Rebeka B.

My baby, Gingersnap (the rogue), and my sister's cat, Sara (the queen).

Cats are like books. For me, anyways. Sometimes they annoy you, sometimes they break your heart with their sweetness, and sometimes you just want to tear your hair out over them.

But always, always, they inspire love. And, like so many other things, they have a lot to teach us.

I can't tell you how many times I've been in a sour mood, only to go down to the cat room in our house and immediately feel refreshed as the kitties twined themselves around my legs or meowed for food. Cats, dogs--any pets, really--remind us that we're not the center of the universe. They remind us of our duty to steward the earth, to care for God's creatures.

And my dog, Oz (the klutz).
I loved learning that Anne Elisabeth was a pet person, and reading about her cats and dog on Minerva Louise's blog (www.minervawritesherthoughts.blogspot.com) always brings a smile to my face. Animals have this way of bringing out the best and worst in us as human beings, forcing us to face our faults as well as encouraging us to bring the best we can to the table to take care of them.

They test our patience, they make us laugh, they bring us joy when the world seems too dark to bear. As I write this, I'm finally beginning to understand. Animals, in their innocence, reveal to us, on a certain level, our relationship with God.

How many times must we, in our ignorance and foolishness, have tested God? Yet, how many times must we have made Him laugh with our antics? Animals need us, as we need God. (Now, I'm not putting us on a level with God by any certain means; it's an analogy only). My cats (and dog) need me for food and water and love, just as I turn to my Heavenly Father for my daily bread and search His Word to better understand how He loves me. My pets would die without me. I would die without God.

Like in many other things that seem so simple at first, God reveals himself through the most basic of relationships: the ones in which one party relies so much on the other. Pets force us to realize there is an hierarchy, that we cannot get by on our own strength. Pets have much to offer us, as we have much to offer God by our obedience. But never is there a doubt who the master is. We are the 'masters' of our pets, which gives us a responsibility to listen to God as our Master.

We are God's sheep. He is our Shepherd.

But thankfully, the analogy of comparing our relationship with our pets to that of God and ourselves is flawed. Because here is perhaps one of the most wonderful lessons to take away from being a pet owner. The realization that pets are not on the same level as children, no matter how much we love them--and that we, as broken and sinful and repentant as we are, are graced to be called Children of God!


Now, there's also a giveaway, everyone! Scroll to the bottom to enter--and make sure to visit every stop on the tour for more fun!


Dragonwitch (Tales of Goldstone Wood #5)
Paperback, 432 pages
Published July 1, 2013 by Bethany House Publishers

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.



Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. She is the author of HEARTLESS, VEILED ROSE, MOONBLOOD, and STARFLOWER, with DRAGONWITCH due to release in 2013. HEARTLESS and VEILED ROSE have each been honored with a Christy Award.




Tour-wide Giveaway - 

July 1 - 26
USA, Canada & UK - Print Copy of the entire series to date!
See Rafflecopter for giveaway details.





Pull up a chair and a cup of tea... we've invited Anne Elisabeth to every blog on the tour!

July 

1 – Book Release!
5 – JL Mbewe
14 – Mommasez…
15 – Dee’s Reads
19 – Grand Finale Blast!


 

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