Book Review: Starflower {Bethany House}

Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl, a Goldstone Woods book
Format: paperback, 352 pages (for Kindle here)
ISBN: 9780764210266
Publisher: Bethany House
Retail: $14.99

From the back cover:

The black dogs are on the hunt, but who is their prey?

When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps fairest Lady Gleamdren, the Bard Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission…and a race against his rival for Gleamdren’s favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal.

But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of the young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to Lady Gleamdren’s rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer?

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If you have read the other books in the Goldstone Woods saga, you will not be disappointed. I particularly enjoyed this book because it gives a glimpse into what we see somewhat in the other books; why does one character act a certain way? What is the connection between this event and another; how are the characters all connected?

I’ll let you in on a little secret: this book is 1600 years before Heartless. Since this is the fourth book that I’ve read (and mostly ‘in order’), I can relate to who’s who in the book. However, you can pick this book up and be just fine without reading the others first. As a matter of fact, if you want some ‘inside information’ for when you read the others, this will give a bit.

Two characters that are in this book –the main characters? –that are also in the other books are Imraldera and Eanrin. Also King Iubdan and Queen Bebo of Rudiobus and a handful of other immortal characters that honestly I didn’t pay enough attention to in the other books to recognize in this one. Others are Captain Glomar from Rudiobus; Flame at Night – the dragon-witch, also called Hri Sora; and the Black Dogs, who have a sad connection to Hri Sora.

The entire time the book is going along, it’s really difficult to figure out just what might come next. There is something rather important that I did suspect fairly early on but it isn’t blatantly obvious; Stengl does a good job of weaving the story through twists and turns. She definitely keeps it interesting.

That said –I found it to be slow going at the first. It wasn’t a gripper to start with. It eased me comfortably into the story before it grabbed me and made me read until it was finished.

You can read my other reviews of this series: Moonblood, Veiled Rose. (I guess I didn’t write a review for Heartless!) The setting is fairly the same as those books- human’s world, the in between places, and the fairies’ place. The creatures Stengl imagines are still quite fantastical. While there isn’t a goat in this book- she does still have the dragons that are like none other I’ve ever read about, and she’s included the Black Dogs (which, because they are truly fairy people –I think –can look almost human). 

Overall, I liked the book. I still have an issue with labeling this Christian but that’s because I think more in concrete terms –and often have troubles reading the Bible’s prophecy books. I am interested to see what her next book, Dragonwitch, will be like.

And here’s a bit 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, and Starflower. Heartless and Veiled Rose have each been honored with a Christy Award.

 

***Disclaimer: I received this book from Bethany House for free in exchange of an honest review. See Disclosure/Policies.***