Adventure Between the Pages: Wren by Rachel Rossano
1:00 AM
Age
Appropriate For: 13 and up (mild violence, some
romance)
Best
for Ages: 13 and up
Description:
Wren Romany is
as unconventional as they come. Born to a large, devout family and then forced
out to fend on her own, she earns her living as a bounty hunter. As her second
winter alone looms, she decides to stay in one place for the season. Seeking
shelter, she offers her hunting skills in exchange. Tourth Mynth, the master of
the ruined fortress in the valley, needs help. His small household faces a hard
winter. As son of a disenfranchised noble, he has plenty of space beneath his
roof, but not much to eat. Wren's offer seems a good fit. Wren soon learns the
residents of Iselyn need more than simply meat on their table. The valley's
residents squirm beneath a harsh master. Unsolved murder and betrayal lurk in
the Mynths' not so distant past. And Tourth's battle with his emotional scars
from the recent civil war will determine the fate of the whole valley.
I was so
excited to be asked to review yet another of Rachel’s books. I was honored to
be asked to review Duty, and I had enjoyed reading Exchange. So when Rachel asked me to review Wren, I
jumped at the chance.
Like Duty, Wren is set in a fictional world. However, it feels more
like historical fiction than fantasy. There isn’t any magic, strange creatures,
or other creepy fantasy elements. So both those who like mild fantasy and
fiction set it times past will enjoy this book.
The
basic premise of the story is that siblings are separated and forced to make
their own way in the world. I have been interested in reading this series ever
since I read a blog post by Rachel Thomson about it years ago. I am very eager
to read the other book in the series that has already been published – Taerith.
Overall,
I loved that adventure that kept me turning pages. There were a couple of
points that things were a little confusing either from the number of
characters, or from a messy political situation. But those moments were very
few and far between.
Wren is
a strong woman, she has to be. She makes her living as a bounty hunter and has
earned the reputation of being one of the best. Somehow, Rachel managed to make
Wren strong without making her boy-like. Many strong female characters end up
hating the fact that they are girls. Wren wears men’s clothes because she needs
to, and feels awkward in dresses, but she didn’t seem to hate the fact she was
a girl.
The
banter in this book was amazing. I mean, who doesn’t love the friendly banter
of guys. I liked all the men who worked for Tourth Mynth and how they
interacted. A couple of times it was confusing, there were a lot of characters
to keep track of, but I loved it.
Tourth I
think was my favorite part of the story. His battle with his past was very well
done and believable. He was also just an awesome leading guy: strong, handsome,
caring, and a man of good character. He is everything a girl could want in a
leading man.
The
romance was very light and mostly toward the end of the book. I really enjoyed
it, though. It was so sweet.
I highly
recommend this book for adventure seekers, mild fantasy lovers, mild romance
lovers, and readers who enjoy fun banter.
Was this
helpful? Please vote it up on Amazon.
I received this book from the author in
exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive
review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.
3 comments
Thank you so much for reviewing Wren. :) I am delighted that you enjoyed it so much. :)
ReplyDeleteI went away and added this to my list the moment I saw the cover. I've even added her other books. I was very excited, it isn't often I learn of new authors - what I mean is in the blogging world a lot of the authors don't have their books out yet so I must wait impatiently. It made me happy to learn of published books.
ReplyDeleteI'm eager to buy this one and read it.
Sarah, - this is off-topic - I tried to add your blog button to my new blog, but it didn't show up as the awesome button... it showed up as something else. I have no idea why it didn't work either...... :o /
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm glad you liked Wren so much!! It's such an amazing book! :o )