Review of In the Heart of the Linden Wood
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Rajnee Varma
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Review of In the Heart of the Linden Wood
[Following is a volunteer review of "In the Heart of the Linden Wood" by Ekta R. Garg.]
In the Heart of the Linden Wood by Ekta R. Garg is the story of a kingdom with a gift of magical wood and its new king, Christopher. Christopher grew into a man lacking in strength of character due to his father’s negligence and intimidating attitude. When he came to the throne, he wanted to rule his people with compassion and kindness, and his new wife, Lily, helped him overcome his lack of confidence. He was determined to right all the wrongdoings of his father, King Vincent, who was a cruel, selfish, and inconsiderate ruler who made his people poorer and unhappy. But when the queen and her baby died in childbirth, Christopher was inconsolable and blamed the healer, Geraldine, for the death and punished her. The economy of the kingdom depended on the lumber from the enchanted trees, but as the whole kingdom was in mourning, the trees started to die, and the furniture and wooden structures collapsed into dust. At the same time, a few dissatisfied people, under the leadership of Lemuel, challenged the ability of the king as a ruler. The grief-stricken king took the challenge to prove himself by finding a cure for his trees and embarked on a journey with the master of the royal Linden guard and childhood friend, Martin, leaving behind Queen Lily’s parents captive in the castle.
Tales of magic and the conflict between good and evil have always been a popular genre, and people never tire of them. It depends on the author to present the story engagingly to keep the readers fascinated, and author Ekta has excelled at it. I liked the fact that the characters are quite realistic, possessing weaknesses as well as strengths in character. They are victims of circumstances, and it is remarkable how they contemplate and justify their course of action. None of the characters, except King Vincent, are evil, not even Lemuel, who is driven by poverty and injustice and ultimately finds himself in a situation he had not anticipated. The author has shown through the story of Geraldine being punished how an error in judgment, such as overlooking the facts, can be a source of pain and suffering for another person. King Christopher, in his grief, failed to realize that death is beyond the power of a healer and took away her license, depriving her of her livelihood, but still, her faith and loyalty never wavered.
The events have been portrayed in detail and appear convincing. Even the magic in the story has its limitations, and it depends on the goodness and faith of people. Although the origin of the ancient magic bestowed upon the trees is not revealed, it has quite an amazing feature that the wood could not be used for weaponry or destructive purposes. I liked the character-building skills of the author. Lemuel and Christopher both resent living in the shadow of someone dead. The character of Geraldine is one of the most prominent, and she is an inspiring woman. Martin’s personal story, Alistair’s compassion for the trees, his attachment to the forest, the existence of a keeper of the woods, and a wishing well in the kingdom of Linden are all fascinating to read about. There is nothing negative about the book to prevent a full rating. I fully enjoyed the book, and I gladly rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
Although it is the story of a magical kingdom, the story is insightful and provides life lessons too. Death is inevitable, but life does not stop for those left behind. Love does not cease with death; it can inspire a better understanding of life. The story does not have any mature content or acts of violence, so it is suitable for young readers too. It will especially appeal to lovers of magic who like stories of kings and queens.
******
In the Heart of the Linden Wood
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In the Heart of the Linden Wood by Ekta R. Garg is the story of a kingdom with a gift of magical wood and its new king, Christopher. Christopher grew into a man lacking in strength of character due to his father’s negligence and intimidating attitude. When he came to the throne, he wanted to rule his people with compassion and kindness, and his new wife, Lily, helped him overcome his lack of confidence. He was determined to right all the wrongdoings of his father, King Vincent, who was a cruel, selfish, and inconsiderate ruler who made his people poorer and unhappy. But when the queen and her baby died in childbirth, Christopher was inconsolable and blamed the healer, Geraldine, for the death and punished her. The economy of the kingdom depended on the lumber from the enchanted trees, but as the whole kingdom was in mourning, the trees started to die, and the furniture and wooden structures collapsed into dust. At the same time, a few dissatisfied people, under the leadership of Lemuel, challenged the ability of the king as a ruler. The grief-stricken king took the challenge to prove himself by finding a cure for his trees and embarked on a journey with the master of the royal Linden guard and childhood friend, Martin, leaving behind Queen Lily’s parents captive in the castle.
Tales of magic and the conflict between good and evil have always been a popular genre, and people never tire of them. It depends on the author to present the story engagingly to keep the readers fascinated, and author Ekta has excelled at it. I liked the fact that the characters are quite realistic, possessing weaknesses as well as strengths in character. They are victims of circumstances, and it is remarkable how they contemplate and justify their course of action. None of the characters, except King Vincent, are evil, not even Lemuel, who is driven by poverty and injustice and ultimately finds himself in a situation he had not anticipated. The author has shown through the story of Geraldine being punished how an error in judgment, such as overlooking the facts, can be a source of pain and suffering for another person. King Christopher, in his grief, failed to realize that death is beyond the power of a healer and took away her license, depriving her of her livelihood, but still, her faith and loyalty never wavered.
The events have been portrayed in detail and appear convincing. Even the magic in the story has its limitations, and it depends on the goodness and faith of people. Although the origin of the ancient magic bestowed upon the trees is not revealed, it has quite an amazing feature that the wood could not be used for weaponry or destructive purposes. I liked the character-building skills of the author. Lemuel and Christopher both resent living in the shadow of someone dead. The character of Geraldine is one of the most prominent, and she is an inspiring woman. Martin’s personal story, Alistair’s compassion for the trees, his attachment to the forest, the existence of a keeper of the woods, and a wishing well in the kingdom of Linden are all fascinating to read about. There is nothing negative about the book to prevent a full rating. I fully enjoyed the book, and I gladly rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
Although it is the story of a magical kingdom, the story is insightful and provides life lessons too. Death is inevitable, but life does not stop for those left behind. Love does not cease with death; it can inspire a better understanding of life. The story does not have any mature content or acts of violence, so it is suitable for young readers too. It will especially appeal to lovers of magic who like stories of kings and queens.
******
In the Heart of the Linden Wood
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Inside Passage: by Burt Weissbourd
