Guest Review: Draven's Light by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Hey everyone!I am handing the reins over to my sister, Cortney, for her review of Draven's Light by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.

Here she is!

Thanks for having me, Heather!  And congratulations on your new book, Carried Home!

This review is of one of my new favorite books: Draven’s Light by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.  It is a fantasy book (but with a strong historical feel) from the Tales of Goldstone Wood series.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s books are always amazing, so I had high expectations for this book, and Draven’s Light certainly did not disappoint.  The characters and their relationships with each other are deeply developed, the setting is darkly and brilliantly drawn to life, and the story itself reveals the bright beauty and power of love in a seemingly bleak world.

As the newest addition to Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s Tales of Goldstone Wood, Draven’s Light can easily stand alone as an outstanding story, but it also casts new light on the history of the Goldstone Wood world.

The story contains both familiar characters from the series as well as various new and unique characters.  The Brothers Ashiun will be the most familiar for readers of the series.  One of the brothers, Akilun, tells the story to a young girl.  His story is about a young man named Draven.

Growing up in a dark and barbaric world, the young man knows that he will have to kill an enemy in order to earn his name and the respect of his tribe.  However, when the time comes, he cannot kill, so his father, the chief, renames him Draven, or coward.

Only Draven’s club-footed sister, Ita, does not despise him even though the village sees them as complete opposites: Draven as a large and powerful coward and Ita as a weak but incredibly brave young woman.  She earns a place of honor among her people for her bravery, but she still values her brother’s “cowardice” for what it truly is: the bravery and compassion to stand up against the brutal and bloody rituals and conventions of their people and their father.

Unlike Draven, the fierce Ita does not have the courage to oppose their father’s will, so she blames herself along with her people when they invite a curse down upon their heads.  Soon, the lives of the people who despised and shunned Draven are at stake.  Is the coward they rejected brave enough to save them and his sister in time?  Not only their lives but the future is very much at stake, and the actions Draven takes will affect the entire area and its people for generations to come.

His story is a beautiful example of love and the true meaning of bravery, and I would highly recommend this book to any fans of fantasy and great stories.

Thanks, Cortney! Sounds like an interesting book!