Roberta Writes – Book review: Mystical Greenwood by Andrew McDowell

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What Amazon says

Dermot is a fifteen-year-old boy living in a remote village in the land of Denú. He has always longed for something more in his life. Now, everything changes after he sees a renowned creature–a gryphon–in the sky, and then crosses paths with a reclusive healer who harbors a secret.

Soon, he and his brother have no choice but to leave the only home they’ve ever known. They travel with new friends across the land through several great forests, along the way meeting an old man, a family of unicorns, and witnessing an important birth. They must evade fire-breathing dragons and dark-armored soldiers hunting them down, all serving an evil sorcerer determined to subjugate the kingdom, and who will stop at nothing to destroy them.

Denú’s only hope is if a renowned coven returns to face the enemy after years in hiding. Dermot, however, suspects their own role may be more significant than he thought, as he slowly discovers a power which exists amongst the trees and creatures of every greenwood. Can they save those they hold dear? Will Dermot find what he has sought? Or will all that’s free and good be consumed by darkness?

My review

Andrew McDowell has written an extraordinary fantasy tale which centres around the guardians of nature and the Greenwood, called driadors. The plot follows a typical good versus evil path, but the overlay of the protection versus the destruction of the natural environment was unusual, topical, and really fantastic.

Dermot and his brother, Brian, do not get on. Brian is the son who always does as he is asked by his parents and fits the mould of a pleaser, while Dermot is a dreamer and has always felt he was intended for more than his life as an apprentice blacksmith to his father. The rivalry between the two boys comes to a head when Dermot is carried away by a hunting gryphon. Dermot persuades the gryphon to drop him but he is injured during his fall. He wakes up in the care of a healer called Saershe, and her grandson, Ruairi. Dermot realises that they are not ordinary forest dwellers and, following his return home, he becomes obsessed with finding them again.

Brian becomes aware that Dermot has had some sort of unusual experience during his absence and uses this knowledge to stir up trouble for Dermot with their parents. Meanwhile, an evil force in the shape of a fallen driador called Taranis, is lurking just beyond the village, waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc and destruction and restart an old battle against the driadors. Dermot and Brian will have to learn to trust and rely on each other, and harness the power of nature if they want to save the Greenwood, their friends, family, and themselves.

This is an unusual and well paced story with interesting characters, and these elements more than makes up for the odd moments in the book when Dermot and Brian’s emotional reactions to situations seem slightly lacking in depth or incongruent to the circumstances.

The author has great potential as a writer and I would love to read the next book in this series and find out what happens next in the battle for control between Taranis and the driadors. 

Purchase Mystical Greenwood

Amazon US

Amazon US author page

Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

Published

46 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Book review: Mystical Greenwood by Andrew McDowell”

    1. Hi Dave, I am the oldest of four and have experienced the unfolding of all of our sibling relationships. There are two distinct personality types among us four and almost two sub-groups although we largely all get on. I see the rivalry with my sons too. Males react differently to females. It is very interesting. Andrew did a good job with this book and he was young when he wrote it, I think in his late teens.

      Liked by 2 people

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  11. Thanks for the review of Andrew’s book, Robbie. The blurb captured my attention and your review took it even deeper. I enjoy tales about siblings and the theme of the destruction of nature has a strong place in the world today. Thanks for sharing your review, and congrats to Andrew!

    Liked by 3 people

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  13. Thanks to everyone for the kind comments on my novel. If anyone here decides to read it, I hope you enjoy it too.

    Just want to mention that the original edition is no longer in print, but a new edition is available now from a new publisher in print and digitally!

    Liked by 2 people

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