“The woods are more than what you see, there is a heart in it, and my life beats in time with its pulse.”
Rating: 3 stars
Release date: 13th April 2021
Author: Kristin Ward
CW: Death of family (remembered), death of family (witnessed), burning, graphic descriptions of violence, memory loss, ritual use of blood, war/battle
Treacherous. Evil. Dark. Dorcha Wood is all of these. And none of them.
The people of Felmore talk of Dorcha Wood in whispers, if they speak of it at all, fearing the wrath of the Cù-Sìth should their words be carried on the wind. Those murdering beasts still roam the darkness of the forest, the last remnants of the cursed Aos Sí—a race of elves long since vanished from the world.
But to seventeen-year-old Fiadh, it is home. A haven. A forest whose secrets become known only when it chooses to reveal them. Her life is one of balance until the outside world shatters it.
From the moment Fiadh set eyes on Gideon, the peaceful rhythm of her life was lost. As a new path unfolds, Fiadh confronts the reality of old hatreds, the consequences of things hidden, and the truth of who she really is.
The Girl of Dorcha Wood has the promise to grow into a really interesting series. It builds intrigue, answering a few questions but leaving even more unsolved, and suggests hints of what else is to come.
It’s not officially coined as but it reads as a prequel to the rest of the series. If you don’t mind a slow book where not much happens, you may enjoy this (I’m just personally in the reading mind when I need something to immediately catch my attention). You learn about some of the history and lore of the world, but you don’t get to see physically much of it. Given how many folkloric characters are seen and used repeatedly in stories, I liked how the author used these Celtic characters instead, so the reader can learn of them too.
I liked Fiadh. Her character makes sense given her isolation – she was nervous and naive around people, but she was also nervous of herself. I liked her affinity with animals and nature and I think it could be interesting to learn more of this in the sequel(s).
It did make me feel sorry for her, this isolation, because she deserved honesty from everyone around her and she didn’t always get it. It also justifies why she clung to the first other person she saw, regardless of their faults.
The book definitely picked up at the end. It had been slow-going before, but there was more action in the last 30 pages or so of the book which made it easier to keep reading – it wasn’t not easy to read in the first place, there just wasn’t really a plot to make you read on.
I am intrigued by enough of it that I may read the sequel.
About the Author
Kristin Ward is an award-winning young adult author living in Connecticut. A science and math teacher for over twenty years, she infuses her geeky passions into stories that meld realism and fantasy. Kristin embraces her inner nerd regularly, often quoting 80s movies while expecting those around her to chime in with appropriate rejoinders. As a nature freak, she can be found wandering the woods – she may be lost, so please stop and ask if you see her – or chilling in her yard with all manner of furry and feathered friends. Often referred to as a unicorn by colleagues who remain in awe of her ability to create or find various and sundry things in mere moments. In reality, the horn was removed years ago, leaving only a mild imprint that can be seen if she tilts her head just right. A lifelong lover of books and writing, she dreamed of becoming an author for thirty years before publishing her award-winning debut in 2018. Her first novel, After the Green Withered, is one of many things you should probably read.
Social Media & Other links are all in one link: https://bit.ly/KWardAuthor https://www.kristinwardauthor.com/
The Indecisive Readers 
Great review!
LikeLike