Book Overview and Review:
The Enchantress of Lynniah is a fantasy novel set in times of horse drawn carriages. The book follows three sisters who have recently lost their mother and move in with their aunt. While living with her, they find that the flowers, plants, animals and pretty much everything around them has magic properties.
Their aunt suddenly leaves for an unexpected trip and they are left with a family friend, her two sons, and very little answers as to what kind of world they have entered. When one of the girls is kidnapped, the other two embark on an adventure to bring her back. During this adventure they meet up with unlikely allies, and begin to discover that they have magic powers of their own.
I like reading books that have a solid ending. This book had a good ending. It gave some teasers of things to come, and had some unanswered questions, but it can be read as a stand alone and you feel satisfied. There is definitely some finality to the ending.
*****
I want to start my review by saying how much I love the cover art! It makes you wonder what on earth is inside this book. It is definitely eye catching, and I needed to mention it.
The Enchantress of Lynniah begins with an action packed prologue that captured me. I wanted to know more about the characters, the magic, and the world that they lived in.
After the prologue, the book seemed to move pretty slowly and took a while to really hook me. Looking back on the book I think this was probably intentional. There were three sisters, a servant, an aunt, a friend with two sons, and a world filled with different creatures. Bawden slowed the plot down to make time for character development. In the end I was glad that I understood the characters, and had some kind of connection to them because when the plot does pick up, even more characters come into play. If we started full pace into the adventure I think I would have felt a little lost, like in the Hobbit when you're trying to keep all the dwarfs straight.
I liked the different creatures that were part of the story. It seems like Bawden has an unending source for fun fantasy creatures in her mind. The one downside to this is that I think the girls would have questioned their surroundings more and not been so surprised to find that their aunt was an enchantress after having spent time in Lynniah.
One theme that could probably have been played down a bit was the damsel in distress cliche. I know the girls are in a new world, and just discovering their magic, but I would have liked to see them do a little more with their powers, and rely a little less on the men to defend them. I'm hoping that I will see this more in The Journey Into Shadows. On the upside I really did like Danu, probably my favorite character in the book. She did some serious butt kicking!
I'm not a fan of love triangles. In most cases you know who the girl is going to end up picking, so it seems like it would be more romantic, or at least more loyal, if she just picked him right off the bat. Having said that, I know it is a popular theme in YA books so I need to get over it. This particular love triangle is actually pretty interesting. In the end of the book I'm not completely sure who Corrah will end up with, and she hasn't been stringing either one along with false expectations. So in that way it is actually a nice twist.
Overall this was a good clean fantasy story. It had well developed characters, fun new creatures/plants/foods and a dangerous adventure.
Note: I was given a pre-release copy to review and asked to focus on the story. I haven't taken editing, or word choice into consideration with my review of this book.
The Enchantress of Lynniah is a fantasy novel set in times of horse drawn carriages. The book follows three sisters who have recently lost their mother and move in with their aunt. While living with her, they find that the flowers, plants, animals and pretty much everything around them has magic properties.
Their aunt suddenly leaves for an unexpected trip and they are left with a family friend, her two sons, and very little answers as to what kind of world they have entered. When one of the girls is kidnapped, the other two embark on an adventure to bring her back. During this adventure they meet up with unlikely allies, and begin to discover that they have magic powers of their own.
I like reading books that have a solid ending. This book had a good ending. It gave some teasers of things to come, and had some unanswered questions, but it can be read as a stand alone and you feel satisfied. There is definitely some finality to the ending.
*****
I want to start my review by saying how much I love the cover art! It makes you wonder what on earth is inside this book. It is definitely eye catching, and I needed to mention it.
The Enchantress of Lynniah begins with an action packed prologue that captured me. I wanted to know more about the characters, the magic, and the world that they lived in.
After the prologue, the book seemed to move pretty slowly and took a while to really hook me. Looking back on the book I think this was probably intentional. There were three sisters, a servant, an aunt, a friend with two sons, and a world filled with different creatures. Bawden slowed the plot down to make time for character development. In the end I was glad that I understood the characters, and had some kind of connection to them because when the plot does pick up, even more characters come into play. If we started full pace into the adventure I think I would have felt a little lost, like in the Hobbit when you're trying to keep all the dwarfs straight.
I liked the different creatures that were part of the story. It seems like Bawden has an unending source for fun fantasy creatures in her mind. The one downside to this is that I think the girls would have questioned their surroundings more and not been so surprised to find that their aunt was an enchantress after having spent time in Lynniah.
One theme that could probably have been played down a bit was the damsel in distress cliche. I know the girls are in a new world, and just discovering their magic, but I would have liked to see them do a little more with their powers, and rely a little less on the men to defend them. I'm hoping that I will see this more in The Journey Into Shadows. On the upside I really did like Danu, probably my favorite character in the book. She did some serious butt kicking!
I'm not a fan of love triangles. In most cases you know who the girl is going to end up picking, so it seems like it would be more romantic, or at least more loyal, if she just picked him right off the bat. Having said that, I know it is a popular theme in YA books so I need to get over it. This particular love triangle is actually pretty interesting. In the end of the book I'm not completely sure who Corrah will end up with, and she hasn't been stringing either one along with false expectations. So in that way it is actually a nice twist.
Overall this was a good clean fantasy story. It had well developed characters, fun new creatures/plants/foods and a dangerous adventure.
Note: I was given a pre-release copy to review and asked to focus on the story. I haven't taken editing, or word choice into consideration with my review of this book.
The Enchantress of Lynniah Have you ever come across a vain, impetuous little creature called a Mandie, and had to quickly dodge one of her poisonous darts? Or, have you ever imagined having to sing to a fruit to get it to peel open? Perhaps you've bumped into freakishly large, blue men, called Dreads? Well, with all of that, along with evil Nymphs and blood thirsty Banelorgs - these are things you've only likely experienced if you've had a nice long visit to Lynniah. Corrah's life suddenly and drastically changes with the unexpected and inexplicable death of her loving mother, Lillian. She and her two sisters, Gaela and Stormy, are suddenly thrust into the unknown and sent to live with their mysterious Aunt Rainee, who lives in the seemingly bewitched village, called Lynniah. Living in a house that their mother's family had occupied for hundreds of years, they find clues that begin to unlock the startling reality that they are all part of an important magical heritage. A heritage that has been kept secret to save them from a dark and powerful enemy. Corrah has to find a way to battle and balance the onslaughts of loss, young love, and learn to uncover the personal power she has hidden inside her to overcome overwhelming adversity. Praise for The Enchantress of Lynniah "I loved this book! It had a bit of everything...fantasy, adventure, romance, intrigue, and really unique characters! I was immediately drawn in and it held my attention throughout the story. It's the type of book I could read over and over again. I highly recommend it if your looking for a fun read." ~Shelly on Goodreads "This book was awesome! It stayed with me for days, I kept thinking about all the characters. I can't wait for the sequel!" ~Emma on Goodreads 
Author A.L. Bawden A.L. Bawden was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, into a large family of artists. Her father is a renowned sculptor -(Dee Jay Bawden), and her mother was an ingenious crafter, interior decorator, and seamstress. She has siblings that are sculptors, photographers, painters, cake decorators, tattoo artists, film makers, and crafters. She and a couple of her sisters have also had a successful mural painting business in Utah, called Artistic Murals. Her other hobbies include, reading, sewing & designing costumes, making jewelry, crafting, wake-boarding, snow-boarding, camping, fishing, boating, hiking, and running. She is a lover of fantasy fiction books and has enjoyed writing ever since she was a kid. She is the mother of three and is currently managing a couple of small online businesses
Author A.L. Bawden A.L. Bawden was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, into a large family of artists. Her father is a renowned sculptor -(Dee Jay Bawden), and her mother was an ingenious crafter, interior decorator, and seamstress. She has siblings that are sculptors, photographers, painters, cake decorators, tattoo artists, film makers, and crafters. She and a couple of her sisters have also had a successful mural painting business in Utah, called Artistic Murals. Her other hobbies include, reading, sewing & designing costumes, making jewelry, crafting, wake-boarding, snow-boarding, camping, fishing, boating, hiking, and running. She is a lover of fantasy fiction books and has enjoyed writing ever since she was a kid. She is the mother of three and is currently managing a couple of small online businesses Google + * Blog * Twitter * Goodreads
Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 2/26/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway
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