"Ysolde strained to listen to the forest, but it was as though it was holding its breath, even the wind stilling a moment. A chill spread through her, but she knew not to rue her luck."
I was very kindly sent an ARC of this book by Hatchett/Orion Children's Books, which is one of the perks of being a book blogger and reviewer - free books! It is by an author whose work I have read before and enjoyed, so I was eager to give this one a go.
In The Shadow of the Wolf Queen is the first installment of a new fantasy trilogy and it follows the fortunes of Ysolde, as she tries to find her sister, Hari, who was abducted by riders. Set in a beautiful world of forests and magic, where the trees speak their own language to those who have the gift of Listening, this book is a wonderful introduction to a new fantasy realm.
In some ways it reminded me of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, in others it was reminiscent of the Robin Hood fable. It is nicely paced, with an ending that leaves you eager for the next book in the series, however, I'm not sure I'll remember the story that well by the time book two is published. It is a well drawn fantasy novel and is perfect for the YA audience it is aimed at, but it didn't feel particularly memorable to me. Maybe I'll feel differently once I've read the whole series. I am looking forward to book two coming out in due course.
As with all of this author's work, the writing style is beautifully lyrical, almost poetic and she paints a vivid world with her carefully chosen words.The cover art is stunning and would look great face-out on a bookshelf. It is a fairly short book, one that I read over a couple of afternoons, sitting in the garden. As this novel is filled with earth magic, I felt it was fitting to read it in the garden, surrounded by trees, with the birds chirping and the bees humming alongside me. All in all, it is a very pleasant read and a lovely book to take on holiday with you, or to sprawl in a park or garden with. Happy summer reading! In the Shadow of the Wolf Queen is published at the end of August.
BB Marie x
AD; This book was sent to me by the publisher for the purposes of review. It is released on August 31st in digital, audio and hardcover formats and is available for Pre-Order now.
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