Monday, October 7, 2013

Ennara and the Fallen Druid Review Tour!

Title: Ennara and the Fallen Druid
Author: Angela Myron
Series: Ennara #1
Pages: 174
Publisher: Stardance Publishing
Date Published: June 12th, 2013
Format:eBook
Genre: Fantasy (YA)
Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours

Synopsis:
Eleven year-old Ennara Gaern has a serious grudge against the dragon on her right hand.

Born with a caul—a mask that foretold magical powers—she was immediately inked with the fiendish, fire-breathing tattoo that forces her to study boring texts, cover her hand continuously, and worst of all, keeps her from visiting the beautiful capital city, Dordonne. But her quiet life changes when one night she is attacked by a shadowy demon.

Tork, an old friend and wizard, is enlisted to help. But when he arrives, he informs Ennara’s parents that she is her world’s only hope of finding the legendary Sword of Gisilfrid, which is needed to destroy the curse that is creating the demons. Ennara doesn’t want to leave on the dangerous quest, but when she learns the curse threatens her world, she reluctantly agrees.

Ennara and the wizard begin a perilous journey to the Sunken City, pitting them against dangerous oceans and pirates intent on claiming Ennara’s magic as their own. With only her friends at her side, including the intelligent, aquatic cat Smoos, Ennara must defeat monsters guarding the sword and servants of the Fallen Druid. When her world is covered in darkness, will she know how to dispel the curse?


My Thoughts:
Ennara is your typical 11 year old. If, that is, your typical eleven year old has just discovered that shadowspawn are lurking in the woods and it's up to her to foil their plot to destroy everything that is light and good in the world and replace it with darkness and death! So...maybe not so normal. Ennara  goes on a journey to save her world and battles all kinds of demons, pirates, etc along the way! Ennara is a strong and interesting character and I really enjoyed the story.

I was a definite fan of the world building. For me personally, a story is nothing without being wow'ed by the world that the characters live in, and I definitely found that in Enarra. Be warned, that this is a YOUNG young adult book. I would say preteen to even as young as 8 or 9. That being said, I had a bit of difficulty slipping into the minds of the characters because of how young they all seemed to me. Still, had I been a preteen, I would have DEVOURED Ennarra in days. It's definitely a fun story that has some interesting and dark moments for those kids who are ready for a book that isn't all flowers and sunshine. I'd give it to a kid looking to get into Sci-Fi or something like that.

Overall, there was a lot going on in this little 174 page book. You got some adventure, lots of character building and friendship, as well as some interesting dark and twisty moments where you really get a feel for the author's writing style. I was definitely a fan! I may have liked a little more development all around... it's hard to get a great plot, developed characters, AND descriptive dialogue etc in such a short book, but I definitely had a good time reading!

Try an Excerpt! 
“Misty?”

A twig snapped. A damp chill surrounded Ennara, picking up goose bumps on her arms. The girl hugged herself and stomped her feet to fend off the cold. Why couldn’t the cow make things easy for her tonight?

She took a tentative step between two wild rosebushes. The sun slowly sank toward the distant hills across Lake Coeur. If she hadn’t stayed so late fishing at the docks with Kithe, she’d be home by now, cow tucked safely in the well-lit barn.

Ennara glanced around the gloomy forest. Long shadows stretched across the pasture between her and the farmhouse. She shivered. Her father, Lir, had warned her to bring Misty back before sunset. She wasn’t afraid of the dark, but she didn’t want to meet one of the monsters stalking around at night that Kithe told her about.

She heard the familiar clang of the cow’s bell and called again, stepping near the sound. Trees blocked her view. She peered between them, trying to catch a glimpse of the exasperating bovine.

The life-filled woods departed as the last rays of light slipped behind the hills, leaving a hollow version of its higher self. The girl shivered a second time and rubbed her arms.

The bell sounded once more. Ennara jumped and spun around. She ran a few steps in the direction of the sound, further into the trees.

Through the approaching dusk, she caught a glimpse of metal. There it was—the cow’s bell and collar hung on the limb of a young cottonwood. How had Misty managed to get it off? Confused, the girl stepped toward the bell.

Behind her, a twig snapped. She froze. She turned to see a tall shadow flitting among the trees. Her heart fluttered as she backed away.


“M … misty?” she whispered.
Meet Angela! 

Like many writers, I have a full life in which I juggle many duties and joys. I love to cook, garden, and play with my twins. As a mother to toddlers, I write whenever I am not helping them navigate their day--which typically means in the early mornings and early afternoons when they sleep, and sometimes when Grandma comes to visit. I was twenty-two when writing became a passion of mine. I've been doing it in one form or another ever since. But it took me a very long time to follow my heart's desire to tell stories.
 For years, I simply journaled. I delved into writing articles for newsletters and grant proposals. I settled into technical writing, often finding myself a one-person writing, editing, design, app development, and publication team. I learned the basics of journalism, and finally, when on maternity leave with my twins, I turned to writing fiction. I am grateful for every reader I have. Writing can be a solitary pursuit, but it can also be a dialog, a meeting of the minds. I invite you to connect with me: Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AngelaMyron Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/myron.angela?fref=ts Website:  http://www.angelamyron.com/

Angela will award an “Ennara and the Fallen Druid” coffee mug to one randomly drawn commenter (US only). 

9 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for your incredible review, Andra. I'm so happy you enjoyed the story. I'm plotting book two as we speak--Ennara has gotten a little older but still has a lot of fun in store for her. I'm grateful that you expressed a desire for more development--I hope to do this in Ennara and the Writ of Shadows, as it will be written for a slightly older reader. I hope you'll enjoy it too!
    Thanks again for your detailed, honest and generous review. And don't forget to tell your friends, the book is FREE today on Amazon! Download and have a happy Monday!

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  2. Awesome story. Even though it is YA, it's hard not to get sucked into the adventure! Well done :)

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    1. Thank you, Matthew's Mom! I hope you'll enjoy the next story too :)

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  3. Good review. This is new to me but it sounds interesting :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Shane, and remember the book is free on Amazon today if you'd like to download it and have a boo. :)

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  4. Sounds fascinating! A dragon on her right hand? Talk about being at war with yourself. I can see where this could create some interesting scenarios.

    falcondraco at Hotmail dot com

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    1. Thanks Merciful Maiden! Ennara is definitely a fun character to write about and has many "opportunities", shall we say ;)

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    2. Congrats, Merciful Maiden, you won the mug giveaway contest! Please check your email for a message from me.

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  5. Thanks for the excerpt and the chance to win!
    Sounds like an awesome read!!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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