Author: Rowan Speedwell
Book: Bitterwood
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Publication date: September 19, 2016
Length: 167 pages
Reviewed by Morningstar
Synopsis
Outrunning a winter storm in the north,
Captain Faran of the King's Guard leads his men and a young mage named Meric to
shelter at Bitterwood Manor, the ancestral home of the Daenes. Faran and his
troops have been searching for weeks for a mysterious, lion-like beast that
reportedly haunts the uncharted northern woods. For Meric, finding that
prophesied cat is a matter of life and death.
Though Faran is deeply focused on their
mission, the enigmatic Joss Daene, Lord of Bitterwood, fascinates him. Strong
and proud, Joss is everything Faran wants in a lover. More, if he were honest.
But Joss belongs to Bitterwood, and Faran to his duty.
Together they will need to brave the
oldest, darkest part of the Bitterwood in the coldest, deepest snows of winter
to find the legendary cat. But time is running out—for Meric, for the kingdom,
and for Faran and Joss’s fledgling love.
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Review
Bitterwood is a high fantasy set in a
world that has magic and castles, and lords and ladies. And because it is high
fantasy and modern world problems are not included; same sex relationships are
not forbidden although families would still like to carry on their line it is
also something that isn’t exactly wanted either. It is a medieval historical
timed story that includes magic which are two of my favorite things in this
story.
One of my favorite parts was the quest;
the author's descriptions and world building were detailed enough to suck you
in but not overwhelm you. Magic in stories is always one of my favorite and
this one did not disappoint. This is a new to me author but they handled the
illustration of the adventure of finding the elusive lion like beast, the cold
and the woods fantastically. It was vibrant and intense! The author gave just
enough information about the history of the manor and its lands to keep the
reader intrigued but not over run with too much detail.
The story is told from two different
third person POVs of Farran and Meric. Farran is the captain in the King’s
guard who gets all hot and steamy with Joss, the Lord of Bitterwood Manor. It’s
an inst-lust for these two men and oh boy does it burn hot! Meric, the young
mage who is ill and needs the beat to cure him falls instantly in-love with
Joss’s young son Eissa, who is 16 years old to Meric’s 17 years. There is a
love story between these two with a few stolen kisses but not much else. Meric
loves that although Eissa takes care of him he doesn’t treat him as though he
is crippled. And although there was an insta-love between these two young men
it was something of an innocent young love that makes sense for the characters.
This story is definitely more suspense
and action based but with romance thrown in there and although not a long book
each couple gets their HEA. One couple has to work more than the other to
achieve it. All the characters are well written and developed even for a short
story. Rowan Speedwell is a great writer and this story proves that statement!
I will be definitely looking up more of their work.
About the Author
An unrepentant biblioholic, Rowan
Speedwell spends half her time pretending to be a law librarian, half her time
pretending to be a database manager, half her time pretending to be a
fifteenth-century Aragonese noblewoman, half her time . . . wait a minute . . .
Hmm. Well, one thing she doesn’t pretend to be is good at
math. She is good at pretending, though.
In her copious spare time (hah) she does
needlework, calligraphy and illumination, and makes jewelry. She has a
master’s degree in history from the University of Chicago, is a member of the
Society for Creative Anachronism, and lives in a Chicago suburb with the
obligatory Writer’s Cat and way too many books.
Connect with Rowan:
- Website: rowanspeedwell.com
- Twitter: @RowanSpeedwell
- Goodreads: goodreads.com/Rowan_Speedwell
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Bitterwood, one lucky
winner will receive a $15 Amazon Gift
Card! Leave a comment
with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern
time, on September 24, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks
for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!
Thanks for the post! I read Bitterwood in its original incarnation and really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeletejen(dot)f(at)mac(dot)com
Thanks for the review
ReplyDeletelegacylandlisa(at)gmail(dot)com
I enjoyed this book. Never read the first edition but I thought the cover was definitely better haha
ReplyDeleteamie_07(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thank you for the review!
ReplyDeletehumhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
Thank you for the review. Bitterwood is already in my TBR list, since the first time I saw that cover.
ReplyDeletesusanaperez7140(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeletevitajex(At)aol(Dot)com
Thank you so much for the review. It definitely encourages me to read it soon.
ReplyDeleteree.dee.2014 (at) gmail (dot) com