Review by M Zee -- Rowan Wood Legends by Olivia Wildenstein

[M Zee]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Rowan Wood Legends" by Olivia Wildenstein.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Rowan Wood Legends is the second book in The Lost Clan Series by Olivia Wildenstein. This young adult urban fantasy series focuses on the growing conflict between the human and fae worlds. Rowan Wood Legends picks up almost immediately after the end of the first book, Rose Petal Graves, and throws the reader into the action. After the sudden death of her mother, Catori Price discovers that she is half-fae. She’s also the descendant of a long line of hunters (humans who hunt the fae). As it turns out, some of those ancestors may not be as long dead as she thought.

As Rowan Wood Legends begins, Cat is struggling with the events of the first book. Unfortunately, she doesn't have time to process any of it. The mysterious death of a fae neighbor may catapult their small town into chaos. Betrayed by those closest to her, Cat only wants to make sense of her new world. However, she doesn’t know who to trust or how to find the truth. Swept up in this new mystery, she’s still being pressured to choose between her fae and hunter heritage. The consequences of either option bring their own issues. Neither of the paths will be easy. Unfortunately, she isn’t sure how much longer she can avoid the decision. What Cat does know is that she has to figure out the truth behind her heritage before open hostilities break out between the two species.

It’s often difficult to start a series in the middle. While Rowan Wood Legends doesn’t revisit the entire plot of the first book, it gives the reader enough gentle reminders to make it following the second book easy. Wildenstein moves the action along swiftly, never allowing the story to meander without reason. It’s paced perfectly for the central conflict and well-balanced with character development. It also makes the book an engrossing read. As the story unfolds, it’s clear the situation is more complicated than our heroes thought. With the uncertainty of her situation and grief from earlier losses, it’s easy to empathize with Cat. It makes her choices understandable and relatable even in a fantasy setting.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

The story moves quickly and smoothly; it plunges the reader into the conflict within the first chapter. That’s a great hook for new and returning readers. The book is well written; it’s obvious Wildenstein has plotted her series with care. I really enjoyed the main character’s lack of romantic drama in the middle of the plot. Instead of being the main conflict, the possible love triangle is pushed to the secondary plot in favor of the larger, more engaging storyline. It was a nice change of pace from other books in this genre. The romantic tension is still present; it’s just very well-placed in the story. The book doesn’t shy away from letting characters deal with their grief after losing a loved one, either. The characters experience a lot of grief and anger in the book. It often clouds their judgement in realistic ways. My only major criticism is the use of a fictional Indigenous group for the plot. For me, it was somewhat flat and felt inauthentic. I think the series would benefit from a sensitivity reader to help with the portrayal of tribal groups and language choices.

Rowan Wood Legends will absolutely appeal to fans of young adult fantasy. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy authors like Melissa Marr, Holly Black, or Julie Kagawa. I recommend reading the first book before this one to familiarize yourself with the world and the characters. Some specific terminology and language will be easier with the background provided in the first book. Knowing that the third book in the series, Rising Silver Mist, is already available, I’ll definitely be picking it up to see where the story goes.

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Rowan Wood Legends
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Like M Zee's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Jacci]

Such a wonderful story. I will try reading this. Thanks for giving such note to read the first book.

[M Zee]

Such a wonderful story. I will try reading this. Thanks for giving such note to read the first book.

I would definitely read the first book before this one! I think the series is a lot of fun and I have the third book on my queued list so I can catch up on it!

[debbielouise]

I agree with your review. This is a well written, enjoyable book, but I struggled to follow the story line as I have not read the first book in the series.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

I loved reading and reviewing this book. Consequently, our ratings match.

Thank you for the great review.

[sarahmarlowe randomeducator]

Thank you for your thorough review! I love reading series, especially those that are well-crafted and planned as this one seems to be. I may have to check these out.

[Connie Otwani]

Wildenstein moves the action along swiftly, never allowing the story to meander without reason. It’s paced perfectly for the central conflict and well-balanced with character development. It also makes the book an engrossing read. As the story unfolds, it’s clear the situation is more complicated than our heroes thought. With the uncertainty of her situation and grief from earlier losses, it’s easy to empathize with Cat. It makes her choices understandable and relatable even in a fantasy setting.

What an enchanting book. I hope to read it too. Thanks for the awesome review!

[M Zee]

I loved reading and reviewing this book. Consequently, our ratings match.

Thank you for the great review.

This book was refreshingly new in terms of the story. It has a lot of the staples of generic YA - love triangles and family drama, etc - but it was enjoyable to read. Which is, I think, the most important part.

Thanks for your comment!