The Crow King (Wintervale Book 1)

Oh, wow. Where to begin? Let's start with the imagery... blades forged from fire and water; the sorrowful Swan Castle; the True Wood; those annoying, calculating, spying crows; the stunning Vale; the Crystal Way; the starstones... this book is so rich in detail, every scene draws you in. The depth of Ms. Woodscourt's characters is even more impressive. Prepare to have your heart stolen. Gwyn and Lawen... their selflessness, integrity, courage, compassion, and their unwavering devotion to one another will have you falling in love with both brothers. And don't even get me started on Kive... sadly damaged, heartbreakingly beautiful Kive. The Crow King is a formidable and complicated foe. Nathaera was arguably the most relatable character. She shares many of the same strengths as Gwyn and Lawen while offering just the right amount of comic relief. The story line... the twists and turns, the pacing, the intrigue, and complications keep you turning page after page, even when you're trying to resist because you've read 80% of the story, and you don't want it to end. Now, for the grammar... It doesn't matter how many editing runs you make, a few grammatical errors are bound to slip by. Trust me. I'm a writer, so those grammatical errors jump out and slap me in the face. Except they didn't. Not in this book. I didn't notice a single grammatical error, not a single one. So, Ms. Woodscourt gets five stars and her editor gets five more. Ten stars AND a box of cookies. This is a fantastic read. I am certain I will be reading this novel several times while anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. This is one of those rare gems, a book you will want to read again and again. I highly recommend!

Sometimes it is the long books that are the most worth it. Inside myself, I usually give myself 3 chapters to determine if the book is worth reading. The first three chapters were great. This book has a great moral story. There are so many twists and turns that sometimes it felt like I wasn't going to be able to keep up. There were parts of the story that seemed to drag on a bit, however never long enough for me to put the book down. This book has left a huge gap as to what will happen next. It isn't really a cliff hanger because the book came to a clear end, however, I can't wait for the next book to come out.There is a young boy, Gwyn, and his brother Lawen. That shows how strong the bond between families can be. There is a girl in the book that is saved by Gwyn, Nathaera, they become good friends. They also encounter Aleum, a unicorn, that helps along the travels to the Snow Castle and the through all the other trials ahead.You really need to read it yourself there is so much that I could tell you. However, you won't regret the read.

Generally, I'm not a fan of war books, but I loved this story.Magic, treachery, secrets, and sin abound in this coming of age tale. Gwynter takes on a deadly quest to save his older half brother's life. Little does he know, it is only the beginning.The Crow King is a magnificent piece of fantasy that takes the reader on a journey to a medieval world of kings, mages, and power struggles. It causes one to consider the potential for good and evil in everyone, as well as the potential for rebirth of moral character that cannot be forced, but must be chosen.I highly recommend this book to all lovers of fantasy.

This is an exceptionally written fantasy book. The prose is amazingly creative, the characters well thought out and engaging, the dialogue believable...it hits all the marks. I sincerely appreciated the author's ability to bring the story to life. Each scene was developed just enough to draw the reader in. Example: "Unless his power stirred on its own, he would soon be a dead man. The blade swung again, singing across the open air. A wisp of Gwyn's hair floated to the floor as he scrambled from death. But the lord mage was faster still. Gwyn heard the blade whistle toward him; he winced. No escape. "(BRILLIANT). If it isn't apparent, I was impressed with everything about this book. If you enjoy reading fantasy, this will quickly become your favorite book. I'm looking forward to more by this author.

Fantastic. Intriguing. I could throw around a thousand adjectives that all add up to the fact this was an amazing book, and I feel like I might be doing it justice.On a slightly more useful note, I can tell you this is a classic high fantasy with a world shaking plot that deals with huge themes. That's an intimidating task for any author to handle, but Woodscourt does it beautifully. It's filled with great characters. Each one is interesting, evocative, and well portrayed. You care about them. You want to know what happens. This is the book that you hand to—well, EVERYONE—but if you have to be picky, you hand this book to anyone who likes classic kingdom-stirring fantasy such as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, or The Sword of Truth series. Then hand it to everyone else, just to be on the safe side.

Oh. My. Word. This book is devastatingly good. Impeccably written, with a cast of characters that you fall deeply in love with. I found it sharply reminiscent of Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain, with a pure-hearted young protagonist under a hidden destiny, a childlike fallen soul, and a girl with enough spunk and determination to power an army. The author weaves in a beautiful understanding of our responsibilities to defend the innocent in a corrupt and broken world—and the knowledge that God may call us to destinies we previously thought beyond us. So well done.I devoured this book from cover to cover, and will rapidly be purchasing the second installment!

What a wonderful story. Woodscourt has created a rich and magical world, full of well developed characters and quirky magical creatures. She had me at Unicorn, especially a shiny one. Anything that glitters and I'm there! Maybe I was a magpie in another life.The first book of the Wintervale trilogy, The Crow King draws you in and immerses you in a magical world where the Crow King rules, and only he is allowed magic. Gwyn is brave and a little reckless but he is true of heart and determined to save his brother. Through his eyes we discover the beauty of a world hidden and reviled and the reader quickly realises that all is not well and evil cruelty lies beneath the Crow King's iron control. You begin to question, as Gwyn does, whether what he has been told about his world is true. As Gwyn, his brother Lawen, and even Nathaera, a young girl he rescues, come to realise, knowing something and doing something about it are two different things.A well written first installment of an epic YA fantasy that is well worth the read. Can't wait to pick up the next book.

In a world where magic is outlawed, Gwyn decides to risk everything to find a cure for his dying brother. Upon entering the woods, he is confronted by a dark elf. The elf instructs Gwyn to murder a twisted creature named Kive.With his trustee unicorn, Aluem, Gwyn embarks on a journey of discovery and adventure. He discovers more about himself than he realised and gets much more than he bargained for. Will he kill Kive, and, more importantly, will he be able to save his brother?I enjoyed this book and it had all the ingredients I look for in a fantasy novel. It's definitely clean Fantasy and I would highly recommend it to YA Fantasy readers.

Fourteen year old Gwynter sets off on a forbidden quest to save the life of his dying brother in a land where magic is outlawed. On the way he will gather friends and foes whilst discovering his true self.Now that might sound like a lot of fantasy stories, but it's how a tale is told that matters. I loved the narrative and found the characters compelling and a joy to read, from our young hero to his trusty unicorn and especially the broken, cannibalistic Kive, who almost stole the whole tale.As YA fantasies go, this one had multiple levels and was one of the most entertaining and page turning examples I've read.

Loved the book cover. Loved how the format of the book. Loved that the author created a map so I know where I am in the story! I can imagine myself in the story. That is why this fiction book is so original.Cannot wait for the next episodes!