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Fallenwood

by Leslie Soule (Goodreads Author)

3.43 of 5 stars 3.43 · rating details · 35 ratings · 16 reviews

Fallenwood—a land where magic is the life force, dragons are sages, and wizards good and evil battle for supremacy. When 16-year-old Ash is thrust into the middle of Fallenwood’s power struggles, she is also forced to face her own inner battles. Life on Earth was hard enough on Ash, who is locked in grief for her stepfather. Now, the fate of Fallenwood rests on her shoulde...more

Kindle Edition, 158 pages

Published (first published March 3rd 2011)

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May 11, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This book was more of a 2.5 rating.

I wanted to love this book. I liked the idea and the story around it. The author has a wonderful writing style and I loved some of her descriptive paragraphs.

There were a ton of characters in this book and I am not sure they were all needed. Some of them added a lot of excess story to the book that detracted from the main story line. I felt that some of the books should have been eliminated and other parts should have been expanded on. Maybe the book wasn't f...more

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Jul 10, 2011 The Project rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I’m not a reader of fantasy. I say that a lot, don’t I? “I’m not a reader of .” I swear, I’m a voracious reader. I suppose I should clarify that I’m most often a reader of the classics. Mainstream fiction suits me, I guess. I’m a contemporary girl living in a contemporary world. I’ve started many a fantasy/paranormal/etc. story and realized I couldn’t finish because it’s just not my cup of tea. Don’t shoot me for that, please?

At any rate, I added Fallenwood, a YA fantasy to my roster of reads. B...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Trisha Wolfe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kindle Edition
Published March 3rd 2011 by Decadent Publishing Company
But
From Goodreads: Fallenwood—a land where magic is the life force, dragons are sages, and wizards good and evil battle for supremacy. When 16-year-old Ash is thrust into the middle of Fallenwood’s power struggles, she is also forced to face her own inner battles. Life on Earth was hard enough on Ash, who is locked in grief for her stepfather. Now, the fate of Fallenwood rests on her shoulders. She must destroy the Great Cryst...more Kindle Edition
Published March 3rd 2011 by Decadent Publishing Company
But
From Goodreads: Fallenwood—a land where magic is the life force, dragons are sages, and wizards good and evil battle for supremacy. When 16-year-old Ash is thrust into the middle of Fallenwood’s power struggles, she is also forced to face her own inner battles. Life on Earth was hard enough on Ash, who is locked in grief for her stepfather. Now, the fate of Fallenwood rests on her shoulders. She must destroy the Great Crystal—the catalyst for all the land’s magic. As the kingdoms prepare for war, Ash must look inside to find the power to save the world, and herself.
Ash is struggling from despair and depression after the loss of her stepfather. Although she’s smart, attends college, she also is working at a dead end job that bores her to tears. When she’s forced to spread the ashes of her stepfather, she soon flees the scene, no longer able to control her desperation to be away from her pain.
She tumbles through a portal into Fallenwood. The world building the author created was simply awesome. Fallenwood feels like a mix between Alice in Wonderland, The Loin, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and the Iron Fey series all wrapped up into a very cool package, yet with its own uniqueness. I really enjoyed seeing the world from the different POV’s of many characters. Although Ash was the MC, we were shown the struggles of Fallenwood through different eyes. This also helped the reader know the world better, and have an understanding of Ash’s quest.
My favorite part of this story, other than the amazing world and characters, was the relationship between ash and Prince Edward. There was a real build up between them. They didn’t glimpse each other and fall in love right from the start. Although Ash knew she cared for him, there were trust issues and the problems with their realm and other things they had to overcome together. Through their story, the reader is shown how their love develops, and why it does. I loved this part the most.
Ash’s transformation from the weak, distraught teen, to the fierce, powerful ruler she becomes, was refreshing. Her character is a wonderful role model for young adults. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves High Fantasy, Romance, and characters that grab you, along with a world where you can get lost in. Awesome addition to the YA Market!
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Mar 17, 2011 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-and-liked-it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Unable to shake off her grief over the death of her stepfather, Ashley Kensington plods through each day without finding much meaning in her life. Although Ash takes college classes, she has no real idea of what she might do with her life, and her deadend job at a home improvement box store does nothing to brighten her days. Stuck in this relentless malaise, she runs off into the woods one evening after scattering the ashes of her stepfather with her family. She then blunders magically into the...more Unable to shake off her grief over the death of her stepfather, Ashley Kensington plods through each day without finding much meaning in her life. Although Ash takes college classes, she has no real idea of what she might do with her life, and her deadend job at a home improvement box store does nothing to brighten her days. Stuck in this relentless malaise, she runs off into the woods one evening after scattering the ashes of her stepfather with her family. She then blunders magically into the alternative world of Terra Illumina, also known as Fallenwood.

The author Leslie Soule opens the story with Ash in the familiar setting of our real world and then switches her narrative into a lush fantasy inspired by the classic hero's journey. The young Ash will be assisted by several helpful friends in the world of Fallenwood as she confronts her deepest fears, accepts that she has been wasting her life, finds new purpose, discovers her inner powers, and saves the world.

Fallenwood is a fast paced tale that takes a lot of twists and turns and throws a lot of characters at you. Sometimes the narrative suffers from too much switching around, which interrupts the flow, but the emphathetic Ash always steers the story back on course because she is so easily relatable. Even as the adventures grew challenging, I could always agree with Ash that it was better than putting in another shift as a cashier in a box store.

A big cast of characters populates this novel. Will Everett, Ash's main companion, felt remote to me. To me he was never quite fleshed out, but Greymalkin the Cat made up for Will's flatness. Greymalkin had been magically transformed into a cat from a man, but he can still talk. Soule includes a charming side story with Greymalkin in which he speaks to villagers from a tree and makes them think he is a voice from above.

Another good character is Prince Edward, who spends half the story locked in a dungeon before being saved by Ash. The chapters in which he languishes in his cell came across well and he is a sympathetic character.

Overall, Soule writes beautiful prose. Sometimes her wording is elegant and other times it is playfully creative. An example: "The sun had not fully risen, but the sky was like a punk teenager on a redecorating kick." The fantasy world of Fallenwood is packed with marvelous places and creatures, reminiscent of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Illeydra is a dragon statue that comes to life twice a day to listen to people's worries and offer guidance. In the dream world of the Pan Experiential, Ash is confronted by Discordia who helps Ash decide to accept her fate, whatever it may be. Plus there is a giant magic crystal, a black unicorn, and dragons. Fallenwood is a heartfelt psychological wonderland inspired by those difficult years when a young adult must pick a path and travel it with purpose.

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Sep 08, 2011 Debbie (at) I Heart YA Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fallenwood is a fantasy within a fantasy. The storyline and characters are incredible. Leslie Soule has one amazing imagination. The creativity that Soule uses in her character devolvement was just outstanding. I would have liked to known her as a child. I’m sure she had one wild imagination.

Fallenwood had me in a fantasy of my own with the six kingdoms, Kings, Queens, Magician, Jester, Gypsies, Shifters, Fairies, and a Dragon. That's doesn’t even being to touch all the characters in Fallenwood...more

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May 11, 2012 Michelle (In Libris Veritas) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, kindle, young-adult

Fallenwood turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise for me. I downloaded it while it was free on Amazon to read during a readathon because it seemed like it’d be a short and fairly interesting read, and it turned out to be a fantastic read that I would have been more than willing to pay for. The author has quite the imagination and I look forward to reading more from her.

The summary seem to promise a fairly standard tale, girl has some personal issues and ends up submersed in a world she didn’...more Fallenwood turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise for me. I downloaded it while it was free on Amazon to read during a readathon because it seemed like it’d be a short and fairly interesting read, and it turned out to be a fantastic read that I would have been more than willing to pay for. The author has quite the imagination and I look forward to reading more from her.

The summary seem to promise a fairly standard tale, girl has some personal issues and ends up submersed in a world she didn’t know existed. But this turned out to be quite different than what I was originally expecting. The main character, Ashley, does have some personal problems rooted in the death of her stepfather but it’s not something that she just happens to overcome as soon as things start to change for her. It’s major part of her character and she actually finds a way to coupe, it’s not something magically disappears. The writing is fluid and has a unique fantasy flair to it that makes it feel like a different sort of reading experience. It is a fairly sort book but the author does manage to fit in all of the necessary lore and details, but the time skips were a tad bothersome at times. They didn’t hinder the story really I just would have liked to have the scenes involved to flow into each other. I do wish it had been longer because 1) I really enjoyed it, 2) the ending made me want more and 3) there were scenes that could have been expanded and it would have made the story richer. There is a plethora of great things and places in Fallenwood and wish there had been more on all of it, with six different kingdoms and a fantastic range of creatures. The occasional shifts in pov’s does gives it depth and brings the other characters to life, letting you understand them better. I rarely have favorite quotes when it comes to books, either because I have too many or because nothing stick out individually but this one did. “War is not just war, war is business.” It kind of spoke volumes both within the story and outside of it.

As I mentioned before Ashley is an interesting main character and her personal journey through the book is a great one. Her struggle with her stepfather’s death was realistic and was not sugar coated for the sake of the reader. Her transformation overall takes time and she struggle with self doubt for a good portion of the book. Edward was a great character as well but I wasn’t fond of his relationship with Ash, it wasn’t that it didn’t fit it was that the time skips kind of made it seem quick when it was actually a normal paced attraction. Having said that their relationship was slow budding and rather sweet at the end, I believe I would have enjoyed it more if it had been giving more time on the page. My favorite character is Grimalkin, which should be no surprise since he is a cat who can talk. As soon as he entered the story he was my favorite, somethings just can’t be helped. I also loved one of his chapters and it gave great depth to his character, he may not be able to help himself but he can try to help others (even if he does benefit a bit). There are a variety of side characters and they each have their own parts to play in the story, and even the smallest of side characters gets a chapter for himself.

I think this fits in the young adult category but it is an easy read and can go a tad younger than that. While it is not graphic or and it does not go into detail, it does deal with death and suicidal thoughts. There is nearly no cursing and the violence is very tame. I do recommend this novel and I think those who enjoy quick and detailed romps through fantasy realms will enjoy this as much as I did.(less)

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Mar 15, 2011 CoffeeTimeRomance andMore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

All fairy tales have a villain, but what happens when the darkness in your soul is far more dangerous than any boogey man? This is the struggle that Ash faces each and every day, and while her depression and insecurities are ever present, she tries valiantly to make her very existence mean something. It is just sad that she never seems to realize that it is her caring and giving soul that makes her far stronger and more deserving of love than any amount of muscle. I am hoping there are many more...more

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May 01, 2012 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

If this story was a little more focused on a single character or maybe three, I would have loved it. But, to me, it seemed scattered. There were too many names and stories to remember. Most of the background information wasn't necessary to the plot and I felt most could have been told by another character. But, overall, the book had an amazing world to be in. I loved how some animals could talk and cast spells. It made an interesting plot. There was even a little romance... kind of. It reminded...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Diayll rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally Reviewed at: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating:5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Author for Blog Tour
Reviewer: Heather

This book brings a sense of mystery to the table as Ashley (Ash for short) finds herself in a parallel universe to life as we know it. She is just a normal young woman and works the grindstone of life one excruciating day at a time. Ash wants what every young woman wants and that is to love and peace in her life. Until one painful day she is flung into Fallenwood where she...more

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May 30, 2012 Heather Dobkowski rated it 3 of 5 stars

The characters had my interests but I felt like the ending was just thrown together. There was really good detail and had my imagination going. I could see the world throughout the story which was wonderful. It did allow me to escape. I just wish there was as much detail in the ending as there was throguhout the whole book.

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Jun 07, 2012 Catherine rated it 2 of 5 stars

I liked the idea of a portal leading to a different world, but still on the same planet. Unfortunately I felt that the story was simply being told - I didn't feel drawn in at all. Also, I found it hard to like Ash; I know she went through something very difficult but she just seems like a big pity party. For a 23 year old (YES THE DESCRIPTION IS WRONG - see page 1 of Chapter 1) she lacks a lot of maturity.

I did like some of the characters (there are a TON in this book); Will & Graymalkin, an...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Leslie Soule rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: fantasy

I wrote this book, so I am obviously biased, but I think it is quite possibly the greatest fantasy novel on earth except for those of Tolkien.

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Jan 01, 2013 Amber Larkin rated it 1 of 5 stars

boring, poorly written and all around one of the worst books I have read in years (I read around 300 books a year)!!!!

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Apr 25, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: free-on-kindle

It had promise but fell flat at times. And the ending was abrupt and plain boring.

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Sep 01, 2011 J.a. Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

wow, this one rocked. Well, written, intriguing, very good.

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Feb 11, 2013 Sierra rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, disappointment-extraordinaire, standalone, pure-torture

I'm not sure what happened here. There was as much promise here as with any other gem I can think of, but it was squandered on boring prose, boring characters, boring action and boring overtones. I mean, I don't know how author Soule managed to turn a powerful concept like suicide into banal, detached apathy, but holy hell she did it well. Again, lotsa potential, terrible execution.

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Jun 05, 2013 Flare Flame marked it as to-read

Apr 20, 2013 Ruth marked it as to-read

Apr 20, 2013 Stacie marked it as to-read

Shelves: owned

Apr 20, 2013 Kayla Eklund marked it as to-read

Shelves: dragons, free-kindle, less-than-200-pages, witches-and-wizards

Apr 08, 2013 Sita marked it as to-read

Shelves: ds

Feb 21, 2013 Nat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Feb 06, 2013 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Feb 02, 2013 Brian Clem rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jan 29, 2013 Shantaylah marked it as to-read

Jan 22, 2013 Rachel marked it as to-read

Jan 14, 2013 Layla marked it as to-read

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Jan 12, 2013 Brittany Eccleston marked it as to-read

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