A Love Letter to the Tales of Goldstone Wood [yeah, it’s a fangirl post]

I first heard about the Tales of Goldstone Wood while with my cousins eight years ago. Brittany, my eldest cousin, showed me a beautiful book she had picked up for just a few dollars at a little bookstore. It had one of the loveliest covers I had ever seen. It was titled Heartless, and it was written by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.

It is the first book in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series, and it is my childhood. (Warning: this is a major nostalgic fangirl post with so many references that many won’t understand…. but I really don’t care. #sorrynotsorry)

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I’ve always enjoyed fantasy, living off of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia for as long as I can remember, but The Tales of Goldstone Wood took that love to a new level.

I read Heartless three times before Veiled Rose was released (Heartless was published in 2010, and Veiled Rose came out in 2011…). I devoured Veiled Rose and then Moonblood, but whatever expectations I had for the series could not prepare me for what came next. Starflower and Dragonwitch completely outdid everything that had come before them.

The books just. kept. getting. better.

Goddess Tithe, the first novella, was released on the heels of Dragonwitch, taking breath away yet again. When the opportunity arose, I signed up for the cover reveal for Shadow Hand, completely delighted that I could participate.

Bits and pieces about Golden Daughter were dropped, then came the cover and the buzz about how long it was (584 packed pages). Then Draven’s Light, a huge “novella” fitting the hugeness of the series, was released. I cried while reading it. Repeatedly.

The depth and richness of everything in the Tales of Goldstone Wood is incomparable. There are many excellent modern fantasy novels, but the Tales of Goldstone Wood series towers over all of them. There are so many good fantasy stories out there, but The Tales of Goldstone Wood dominates on every level.

So much can be said about the world(s) captured in the series–the cultures and kingdoms and histories. The lordly sun and the lady moon. The glory and purity of the starry sky. The Faerie kings and queens with their three lives. The halls of the Merry People and the throne room of the goblin queen. Rivers and all their craftiness. The Dragon and his kiss. The Knights of Farthest Shore and the Lumil Eliasul. Much can also be said about the stories with all their complexity and twists and the threads that trace through them—the wild fun and the wild danger.

But the world would be only interesting and the stories would be only adventures if it weren’t for the characters. The characters are what make these books more than just stories. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over the people that leaped off the page and commanded attention and affection, each one unique and so so so so real.

stengl 1 I never much cared for the Chronicler or Leta—probably because I’m very partial to Alistair and didn’t like that they didn’t see or appreciate his greatness—but the Brothers Ashiun stole my heart, their story devastating me every time I read it. Somehow, I came to adore even the Flame at Night with all her fire, hatreds, lies, and brokenness.

Not many people loved Una, but she was dear to me even with all her selfish whining. Felix, that dastardly little fiend of brother, has never stopped making me laugh, and watching Leo grow from the boy-prince into manhood with much trial and error is still one of my favorite things.

I wasn’t a fan of Daylily and Foxbrush, but that’s probably because I’m very, very partial to Leo, Rose Red, and Una (it’s like a love pentagon).

Draven’s courage and Ita’s resolve will never not give me tears and chills. I haven’t met Sairu yet, but from what I’ve heard, I think I’ll like her. The Panther Master broke my heart, and I sorely miss Sun Eagle.

Imraldera, the sweet, brave Starflower; oh, how she taught me compassion. And words cannot express the place Eanrin has in my heart, the most cat-ish poet to ever grace the page, so fierce and noble and unexpected in every way.

For whatever reason, I stopped reading the Tales of Goldstone Wood a few years ago, but then Anne Elisabeth Stengl announced that she won’t be writing any more of them.

So I went back to my shelf and stared at the books, feeling strangely, deeply sad. Heartless, Starflower, and Dragonwitch are on my special Favorites of All Time shelf. Golden Daughter sits on my To Be Read shelves. The others are gathered together on their own shelf, and I decided it’s time to revisit all the beloved places and reacquaint myself with all the beloved people.

This time, I’m reading them in chronological order—the order they take place, not the order they were published. Starflower has already reclaimed its place in my heart, and I’m nearly finished with Dragonwitch, dying over Eanrin, Imraldera, Hri Sora, Etanun, Mouse, and Alistair all over again.

I know not everyone who reads Penprints will “get” this post, but it’s been a long time coming. The Tales of Goldstone Wood are a prime example of the power and beauty of stories. They are pure, beautiful, and everything stories should be.

It’s strange how they only get better the more I read them, how sad and happy they make me at the same time, how much I’ve learned from them about people and life and myself and God, how deeply they delight and compel at the same time.

What stories made up your childhood? Have you read any Tales of Goldstone Wood? Do you have a favorite?

With love,

Rosalie

P.S. – I may not post next week. We’ll see. If I do, should I post about hope when hope is gone or the importance of growing up.

P.P.S. – I realize that as a love letter, this should probably have been addressed to the series instead of just talking about the series, but I thought talking to a stack of books might be a little odd. So I figured I had better just talk about them as if they were real since that’s less weird. ;)

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Rosalie Valentine

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June 25, 2015

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Books

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DRAVEN’S LIGHT Review (5/5)

I received a free copy of Draven’s Light in exchange for my honest review.

“Before he could catch his breath, a certain silvery voice fell upon their ears: the liquid song of a morning thrush in the branches above their heads.” Draven’s Light is the second Novella of Goldstone Wood which are little inserts in the series Tales of Goldstone Wood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. I have been reading Stengl’s books for years now, and I am always floored by her skill and the stories she tells. Draven’s Light did not disappoint. He was supposed to kill that prisoner in cold blood before the men of his tribe in order to gain his man’s name and leave his boy’s name behind. He could have very easily dispatched the prisoner, for as is often remarked, he was a bear of a man, but just as he was about to deliver the fatal stroke, he realized that he was no killer. Despite the shame and disgrace that he knew would fall upon him, he let the prisoner live. Instead of a man’s name, he was deemed Draven, “Coward”.

Draven has a crippled sister, Ita, and I thoroughly enjoyed the brother sister relationship that they shared. Though she is crippled, Ita is fierce, and though his huge, Draven is meek. They complement each other sharply, and Stengl portrays a beautifully deep bond based on respect and love. This element alone could make the book as it was fleshed out nicely, but there’s also some romance, peril, and suspense. The romance was tasteful but thrilling, and it fits the noble style of Stengl’s writing and the characters.

Now, Draven’s Light was kind of dark, but I think when the premise is a guy becoming an outcast because he doesn’t kill someone in cold blood, the reader should be able to gather that this isn’t going to be all singing thrushes and gleaming moonlight. The violence is portrayed as a truly ugly thing. Part of why I like this story so much is that it’s not just like “killing bad” or “death sad”, it’s saying killing is gruesome, and death is a tragedy.

Stengl was masterful in creating suspense. Draven and the reader are told early on, “Don’t cross the river”, and it’s not a blaring thing throughout the book. What makes it so suspenseful is that it’s always niggling in the back of the reader’s mind as the story marches forward and we imagine all sorts of things that could possibly be across the river. (Also, Goldstone Wood groupies, the Brothers Ashiun are in Draven’s Light. That’s right. We learn a little more about Etanun and Akilun, and it ends up making what we already know all the more painful. *fangirling* And remember Gutta from Starflower, well…)

In conclusion, Draven’s Light is a powerful story despite its brevity. If you have read any other Tales of Goldstone Wood books, this is a thrilling addition as Stengl expands her fabulously diverse world. If you haven’t read any of Stengl’s, books this is still a gripping story well worth reading. This is complete with strong characters, superb pacing, a solid but twisting plot, and a satisfying ending. In this story, we see the true meaning of courage. Again and again, Draven thinks he’s a coward, but we see that it’s not really weakness. If he was a coward, he would have killed that prisoner instead of face the shame of letting him live. Fear doesn’t make you a coward, and when you push on despite of fear, that’s courage.

Therefore, I give Draven’s Light five out of five satisfied stars and a PG-13 rating. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads. :)