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Starflower (Tales of Goldstone Wood #4)

by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Goodreads Author)

4.45 of 5 stars 4.45 · rating details · 126 ratings · 66 reviews

"Readers will enjoy this romantic adventure story...akin to C.S. Lewis' Narnia series."--"Booklist
"
When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps the lovely Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission...and a race against his rival for Gleamdren's favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insig...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published November 1st 2012 by Bethany House

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Starflower (Tales of Goldstone Wood #4)
by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Goodreads Author)

Immerse Yourself in the GOLDSTONE WOOD Saga
Winner of the 2011 Christy Award for Debut Novel
Winner for the 2012 Christy Award for Visionary Novel
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Apr 10, 2013 Carol R. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: young adults, adults

Award-winning author Anne Elisabeth Stengl continues her Tales of Goldstone Wood series with Starflower, a prequel to her first three books. Starflower takes place more than sixteen hundred years earlier, but lays the foundation for the story in Heartless.

Starflower tells how Hri Sora the dragon loses her wings and dragon form. In order for her dragon father to restore her back to dragon form, she must find the Flowing Gold of Rudiobus, securely hidden by the queen of fairies. Hri Sora kidnaps t...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Janalyn Voigt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

With its fairytale feel and intriguing characters, the fifth installment in the Tales of Goldstone Wood doesn't disappoint. In its pages we meet a young girl who falls prey to an enchantment only a kiss can break. Along happens the faery poet Eanrin, who can barely take the time to rescue a mortal, but his conscience won't let him ignore the maiden. Eanrin's kisses, meant to wake the girl, wake something within him. He's engaged on a pressing quest to free the love of his bardic life but he can'...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was contacted by the author asking if I wanted to review this book. It is set as a prequel to the other books in the series. Whilst I was waiting for this book to arrive I started reading 'Heartless' (book 1 in the series) but I got distracted and didn't continue with it - I figured that if I had this book coming I might as well read the prequel first.

When this arrived I loved the look of the cover, it's beautiful. But I still had a stack of review books so I didn't get to it right away. Then...more I was contacted by the author asking if I wanted to review this book. It is set as a prequel to the other books in the series. Whilst I was waiting for this book to arrive I started reading 'Heartless' (book 1 in the series) but I got distracted and didn't continue with it - I figured that if I had this book coming I might as well read the prequel first.

When this arrived I loved the look of the cover, it's beautiful. But I still had a stack of review books so I didn't get to it right away. Then the blog tour came up for it so I decided to join as it would give me a target date to read this book (tends to get me to read them quicker).

This story should have had everything I loved about it in it - fantasy, dragons, adventure, sort of fairytale style with the girl being captured by the dragon and needing to be rescued and I started reading with high hopes. But there was just something about this book that failed to capture my attention. I got about thirty pages in then drifted to a different book, I then went back and started again, this time getting about fifty pages in before starting another. Over the space of about 2 months I think I read ten other books in the middle of this one. I just couldn't get into it. I didn't look forward to reading it.

Yesterday I realised that the deadline for this review was up. I had to get it read for today's tour, so I sat down with 2/3 rds of the book left to read and skim read it.

I got the general gist of the story, I liked the introduction of Starflower herself and got a bit more interested, but the Bard and the other guy really annoyed me - they were like squabbling teenagers. Completely useless 'rescuers'. There was the odd comedic moment but not enough to make me want to read it in more detail.

As I didn't read it properly I can't really judge it, as i only skimmed. I have an idea of how it all played out and for me that was enough.

I just don't know why I didn't enjoy it, I just couldn't make myself care about any of the characters, I didn't feel connected to them or the story.

I don't want to put you off but I have to be honest, you may read it and love it but for me it just didn't hit the mark. sorry! (less)

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Jan 04, 2013 D.M. Dutcher rated it 3 of 5 stars

A lot of people spoke highly of this book, so I thought to give it a try. I think the plot is what made me not fall in love with the book, only liking it.

One day, a dragon-woman cursed into a human form invades a fairy castle to get the secret of flowing gold. She kidnaps the queen's favored cousin, and two men, a guardsman and a poet, try to get her back. The poet encounters a mortal girl, and rescues her. Her name is Starflower, and she has a part to play in this drama more than anyone could t...more A lot of people spoke highly of this book, so I thought to give it a try. I think the plot is what made me not fall in love with the book, only liking it.

One day, a dragon-woman cursed into a human form invades a fairy castle to get the secret of flowing gold. She kidnaps the queen's favored cousin, and two men, a guardsman and a poet, try to get her back. The poet encounters a mortal girl, and rescues her. Her name is Starflower, and she has a part to play in this drama more than anyone could think.

It really warms up in the end, and when it focuses on the titular character. The characters also can be memorable, and there's some really nice description, especially with the black dogs and the Beast. I kind of wish the kidnapped fairy had more of a part to play, too. She stole the scenes she was in with her pampered attitude. Really, the latter half was strong enough to be its own book. Props to for a nice little commentary on the alpha male caricatures found in other YA books.

Unfortunately there's some issues. Is the cousin Gleandrame with a ligature on the e or Gleandram? I didn't really get the sense the "e" was used as an honorific, so it jarred me out of the book a bit early on. I think the biggest thing though was the plot.

It takes some twists and turns, and it didn't flow too well. I think she really needed to tell Starflower's story from the beginning in time with the capture of Gleandram. The book instead changes focus to her later on, and it doesn't work too well. The rescue itself was a bit weird; bratty princess or not, you'd think if a dragon just waltzed in to your castle and despoiled you, you'd send more than two people if only to deal with it. But the quest switch really makes little sense to me; why would she them choose to forget her main goal, and believe the girl could accomplish a secondary one that would be less vital?

The ending also made me quirk an eyebrow. Mostly in the reveal what the evil person was looking for. It robbed a bit of the menace from the Dark Father in the prologue whether he knew or not what he was looking for.

So its pretty good, but the tangled plot knocked it down a few notches for me. It felt like the fae part was lesser than the Beast part, but the latter was really good. The latter part could actually be a strong fairy tale in its own right, and has some very mythic overtones. Especially the resolution, and you realize what the Dark Hounds were. I'm curious about the next book, since it sounds like it will focus on the dragon woman. (less)

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Dec 29, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

A dragon-witch, a damsel in distress, rivalry for a maiden's love, enchanted sleep, and a young maiden who could be the answer to a problem - all parts of this wonderful story by Elisabeth Stengl. Open this book, and find the fun of fantasy and the ultimate battle of good and evil.

Eanrin lives the life of a loved poet, and is a man vying for the hand of the lovely Lady Gleamdren. But, tragedy strikes before she chooses her love and she is taken away by the evil dragon-witch who is out for reveng...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Rebecca Holland rated it 2 of 5 stars

Anne Elisabeth Stengl, 'Starflower,' ISBN 978-0-7642-1026-6, Bethany House

51Awz+cAFkL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_It is a part of a series - the Goldstone Wood Saga - or it is the beginning of a series of fantasy stories published by the Christian publishing house Bethany House.

I know, Christian and fantasy, does it go together?

Well Stengl won the 2011 Christy Award for Debut Novel and the 2012 Christy Award for Visionary Novel.

But as a reader of a...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Blossom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book. If you have read other Stengl books, you won't be disappointed. If you haven't read any nor other fantasy books, you might well be overwhelmed and/or confused.

The main characters are Bard Eanrin and Captain Glomar from Rudiobus; Starflower, a human young woman (she is called Imraldera by Eanrin) who has compassion throughout the entire book; Fairbird, Starflower's sister, is mentioned often throughout but she has a small part in this book- she is a driving factor to why Starflower d...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Jordan Mierek rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received a copy of STARFLOWER by Anne Elisabeth Stengl from Bethany House. This is the fourth novel in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series, but its set before the first book. I have read all of the books except for the first, but it was a while ago and I did not remember much. With that said, STARFLOWER works fine as a standalone novel. There are references to characters from other books, but it only adds to the depth of the series without making this book confusing.

Like the others in the serie...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Nikole Hahn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl is yet another novel from the Goldstone Wood Series filled with unique voices and humorous characters.

They say to create a great piece of writing you must read a variety of genres. Stengl inserts some Native American flavor into these stories as we hear about some of the characters from Veiled Rose and Moonblood like the boy who got lost on the Paths and Imeralda. We also learn more about Earin, the cat-man.

The story is less about Earin and more about Imeralda...more Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl is yet another novel from the Goldstone Wood Series filled with unique voices and humorous characters.

They say to create a great piece of writing you must read a variety of genres. Stengl inserts some Native American flavor into these stories as we hear about some of the characters from Veiled Rose and Moonblood like the boy who got lost on the Paths and Imeralda. We also learn more about Earin, the cat-man.

The story is less about Earin and more about Imeralda–also known as Starflower. Starflower is from the Hidden Lands where women literally do not have a voice. They use sign language to speak to each other and men view them as property. Earin finds Starflower in an enchanted sleep next to a magical river.

Earin is a cat and a man. He is a silly poet in love with Queen Bobos cousin, Gleamdren. Gleamdren is a shallow and vain girl who lets herself get kidnapped by Hri Sora, a dragon, who used to be Etalpali–a great queen whose hatred turned her into Dark Father’s daughter.

The Dark Father strips her of her dragon form and her wings. Hri stands in human form bearing the power of her dragon’s fire in a frail human body. Hri is mother to the Black Dogs–her neglected children who know only hate until Starflower.

The Black Dogs do Hri’s bidding and are known for dragging people to death’s dark waters. The lesson Stengl reveals between the Black Dogs and Starflower is how persistant love and courage can change someone who has only known hate and abuse.

Starflower succeeds where Earin fails in bringing Gleamdren to safety, but only after Starflower makes a bargain. Starflower must face the past she ran from in order to free her people from the bondage of a deviate faerie lord once married to Hri. Hri wants Amarok dead. Starflower is not alone. Earin accompanies her and faces the danger with Starflower. Overall, Stengl’s novel, Starflower is just as good as the rest of her novels in the Goldstone Wood series and I rated it five stars. There is a good reason why Stengl won the Christy Award twice.

*book given by publisher to review.(less)

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Dec 12, 2012 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-fantasy, ya

Starflower is the newest entry in a series that is fast becoming one of my favorites. Most of the books I read are intended for YA and older, but a few like the Tales of Goldstone Wood, while great for any age, are being added to my read aloud to the children list. Instead simply retelling specific fairy tales, these books use the traditions and tropes of the genre to tell new stories and as a result are a truly refreshing read.

Starflower itself is something of a standalone and can be easily pic...more Starflower is the newest entry in a series that is fast becoming one of my favorites. Most of the books I read are intended for YA and older, but a few like the Tales of Goldstone Wood, while great for any age, are being added to my read aloud to the children list. Instead simply retelling specific fairy tales, these books use the traditions and tropes of the genre to tell new stories and as a result are a truly refreshing read.

Starflower itself is something of a standalone and can be easily pick up without needing to read the previous books. The premise is simple and well loved: a dragon has kidnapped the princess, and two suitors must try to rescue her with the understanding that whoever succeeds will win her hand in marriage. But below the surface this book is anything but simple, starting with the fact that the dragon usually looks like a human. The narrative weaves back and forth through several sets of characters providing multiple viewpoints into what ultimately becomes the story of two women who are facing the same evil in very different ways.

The writing style is a little old fashioned as fits the genre but is never hard to follow. It comes across a little like a mash up of George MacDonald and Princess Bride with honor and virtue juxtaposed with a startlingly dry humor. There’s a scene with frogs that’s laugh out loud funny. And there’s “fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…” If you start this too late at night, you will be trying to staying awake to finish it.

While I look forward to this being on the family read aloud list, there are some very dark elements to the story which would probably go over the heads of most very small children and be worthy conversation topics with most teenagers, but could be too much for those in between. The most glaring one is the cultural practice of one land which places a curse on all infant girls so that they lose their voices. Blatantly referred to as slaves, they are never permitted the literal ability to speak for themselves. This is a powerful element in the story as one girl escapes to the outside world and begins to walk a different “Path.” However, it could raise questions and concepts grade-school children aren’t ready to cope with.

Beyond that, I can whole-heartedly recommend Starflower as well as the other Goldstone Wood books. There is no bad language or innuendo and even violence is kept to a minimum. They are a particularly good fit for fantasy loving teenagers, though probably leaning a bit more toward being girl books. Definitely don’t be afraid to jump into the series with Starflower, but keep an eye out for the other three books as well.

Reblogged from my site: myrdan.com
My thanks to Bethany House for sending me a review copy of Starflower, in return for my honest opinion of this book.(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Gillian Adams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

This book caught me by the heart and refused to let go. I started it, excited to read another book from the Tales of Goldstone Wood, and instantly became so entangled in the lives of the characters that I had a hard time setting the book aside, even to do ordinary things like eat and sleep.

Starflower is the fourth book released in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series, though it takes place more than sixteen hundred years before the others.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl's writing style is absolutely beautif...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-literature, christian-action-adventure, christian-fantasy-fiction, christian-fiction, christian-suspense-fiction, christian-teen-fiction, fantasy-adventure-fiction, medieval-fantasy-fiction, romance-fiction, science-fiction-and-fantasy

I've been a huge fan of Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Christian Fantasy Series, Tales of Goldstone since her first book, Heartless. Now after all this time, Anne has written a novel as a prologue to Heartless in which the readers get a bit of the back story about the characters we've come to know and love and how they got to where we find them in the novel Heartless.

There still is an air of mystery whenever you encounter any of Anne's characters from her novels, because she slowly builds them up with...more I've been a huge fan of Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Christian Fantasy Series, Tales of Goldstone since her first book, Heartless. Now after all this time, Anne has written a novel as a prologue to Heartless in which the readers get a bit of the back story about the characters we've come to know and love and how they got to where we find them in the novel Heartless.

There still is an air of mystery whenever you encounter any of Anne's characters from her novels, because she slowly builds them up without giving too much away too soon. In this novel there are two stories happening simultaneously that will eventually intersect. So if you don't quite understand it from the beginning, take a deep breath, relax and immerse yourself further. It will all make sense in the end. Much like great fictional books do, when you get to the end, you can see how it all came together and that to me, makes for an exceptional book.

In the novel, Starflower, we get a sense of the fate of a great city that was once ruled by a Faerie queen. That city was called Etalpalli or known as the City of Wings by some. In this peaceful city, the people all flocked in the air, their wings a garden of many colors, and they lived in the green-grown towers of Etalpalli. In those high places, they found it easy to hear the voices of the sun and the moon singing and would sing back in joyful echo. Once upon a time, the City of Wings was a peaceful demesne full of life. Now it burned.

Hri Sora is a character with many different persona's blended together, she was once the Faerie Queen of Etalpalli but when she grows angry, the fire that burns within another part of her, unleashes the fury of the dragon-witch within. She dwells in a life of half light and half dark, but when she becomes dragon-witch she suffers from memory loss and she struggles to recall that former part of her life. When she confronts her Dark Father in hopes of regaining the wings he once had taken from her, he offers her a trade. He'll restore her wings, if she brings back the secret of the location of the Flowing Gold of Rudiobus and only kept safe by the Queen Bebo, who is the oldest and strongest of all Faerie queen. It is the chief treasure of King Iubdan Tynan and the only person who knows where it is hidden is the Queen's cousin, Lady Gleamdrene' Gormlaith.

Hri Sora agrees to the deal and sets off in a scheme to find a way to penetrate the boundary protections that Queen Bebo established. No one can enter Rudiobus uninvited. To even set foot in Gorm-Uisce Lake without leave would be death. She had no other choice. There was nothing left. No power without her wings; no city to call home. Only the hideous memory of former fires and that burning, driving lust for revenge. Such a pathetic creature she was, reduced to the form of a human. Unless... she smiled. This form was pitiable, but her mind was still good. And dragons command many powerful enchantments. An idea took root, and her smile grew.

Now the book really gets interesting and all kinds of characters from two different worlds are introduced and soon we begin to see the threads of an epic fantasy adventure beginning to grow. This is the story of dragons, Faerie Queens, hidden worlds, enchantments and of course magic. In the end, Anne Elisabeth Stengl once more weaves such an elegant storyline together you forget this is an imaginary world after all. I won't spoil it for you so you'll have to read this one for yourself and it's perfect is you haven't read the Tales of Goldstone Wood yet, because this is the perfect beginning. In fact, I'm going to continue once more with the series from beginning to end. This one easily rates a 5 out of 5 stars for those that love books like Lord of the Rings Trilogy or even The Chronicles of Narnia series!!!

I received Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. The one thing I did take away from this novel, is that it sets up the premise for your stereotypical fairytale story's and you can see how the author used those to move the story forward especially when dealing with the character of Lady Gleamdrene' Gormlaith. The exciting part is that Book 5, The Dragon Witch is due out in 2013, so trust me, you'll want to pick up the entire series!!! (less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Christie Hagerman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

(For a more detailed review, see the full post.)
It's not often that I get nervous writing a book review, but this one has left me feeling a bit uncomfortable. I want to do it justice. I'm not sure I can say enough positive things about this book, which is, in my opinion, allegorical fantasy at its best.

When a simple girl is led into the world of immortals, we fall into a story I can best describe as a cross between Alice in Wonderland and the Chronicles of Narnia. It's a world where rivers and t...more (For a more detailed review, see the full post.)
It's not often that I get nervous writing a book review, but this one has left me feeling a bit uncomfortable. I want to do it justice. I'm not sure I can say enough positive things about this book, which is, in my opinion, allegorical fantasy at its best.

When a simple girl is led into the world of immortals, we fall into a story I can best describe as a cross between Alice in Wonderland and the Chronicles of Narnia. It's a world where rivers and trees come alive, where animals talk and faeries change from human to animal form. The setting, the character development, the dialogue--all absolutely brilliant. I was in that world with our heroine and the egocentric cat-man that gets caught up in her plight, and I couldn't close the cover until I'd discovered how these funny, very human (but somehow not) characters resolved the grand plot.

All the elements of classic fantasy unfold as good and evil battle for the kingdom of men, but the deeper threads of this story present themselves as the characters each decide which side to fight for. As is common to man in the real world as well, the choice isn't always clear, and those presenting the choices can't always be trusted.

There were life lessons woven throughout this story, themes of love, friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in Christian fantasy fiction.

Warning: I was a little mixed up for the first few chapters, as the many characters were introduced and their personalities came alive. If you have a hard time at first, I think this is on purpose, so stick with it! And don't let the complicated names throw you off!

PARENTAL RATING: PG. Some of the bad guys are really bad guys, and while no heavy violence is described, we must remember that we are dealing with a destructive, fire-breathing dragon intent on revenge, and various minions who could be scary for younger children. The sensuality that is often present in fantasy fiction isn't a worry with this book. The worst of it was vague allusions to the antagonist's desire for a young maiden, which were so vague that they would fly over the head of most younger teens. Both my girls have total green light to read this one ASAP--I'm already sure they'll love it!

**This book was provided to me by NetGalley.com in exchange for my honest review.(less)

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Sep 26, 2012 Ryssmiles rated it 5 of 5 stars

Before I speak of Starflower I must speak of the Tales of the Goldstone Wood series as a whole. Book one is Heartless. Book two is Veiled Rose. Book three is Moonblood and the fourth book is Starflower. Each book stands alone, however, they work together so beautifully as a series I highly recommend that you read them together.

In a recent blog I referred to the power of story (the power of myth), and how it helps us see our own stories. The Tales of the Goldstone Wood gave that gift to me. They...more Before I speak of Starflower I must speak of the Tales of the Goldstone Wood series as a whole. Book one is Heartless. Book two is Veiled Rose. Book three is Moonblood and the fourth book is Starflower. Each book stands alone, however, they work together so beautifully as a series I highly recommend that you read them together.

In a recent blog I referred to the power of story (the power of myth), and how it helps us see our own stories. The Tales of the Goldstone Wood gave that gift to me. They are more than slightly, but not completely allegorical, after the manner of Narnia. However their real comparison, in my mind, would be C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold.

I've already read several of these books more than once and each time I find more depth. They hold so much truth to be uncovered. They are together the story of the Beloved.

Beloved bride. Beloved children. Beloved lost. Beloved.

They are stories of death and resurrection. Rebellion and redemption. Friendship and Betrayal. The books visit lands of myth and mystery and in that world they give us a glimpse of the greatest story of all: the story of our Father, our Bridegroom, our Guide seeking His Beloved.

Not only do these stories illustrate fabulous truth, they are delightfully told. I COULD NOT PUT THEM DOWN. I can't even begin to describe the creativity of these tales. Take for example the myth of the unicorn. In Heartless we are introduced to the songs of unicorn fry. (I pictured them as seahorses.) Then in Moonblood we meet the Unicorn and discover the song that he once sang. He is both brilliant and hideous: endowed with glory and undeniably fallen - a mastery of storytelling.

Each character, be it person or fairy or river or wood is fabulously developed and each story weaves through the others like a beautiful symphony.

Starflower, in particular, is the story of knowing and being known by your true name. I give it my highest star rating - 5 stars off the chart.

I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.(less)

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Jan 24, 2013 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books-blogged, 2013-favorites-read-this-year, adult-fiction, books-i-own, christian-fantasy, read-in-2013

I loved this book! I found it very thought-provoking. The author has done an excellent job in terms of characters, setting, and theme. Interestingly, while I felt an immediate sympathy for Starflower, one of the main characters, in her trouble, I had a hard time liking Eanrin at first. As the bard for Queen Bebo and King Iubdan at Rudiobus, the immortal realm, he is tall, slender, and very talented as well as immortal. But he is also egotistical and selfish. He really loves no one because he doe...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Mandy Sickle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dragons, ebooks, fairies-or-fae, fantasy, fiction, male-lead, magic, 2012, read2review, reading-diaries-reviews

I received Starflower in return for an honest review as part of the blog tour hosted by Prism Book Tours in return for a honest review. Hri Sora is a powerful dragon who has been in a state of sleep since she burned down her city which she was trying to protect. Her father took her dragon form and wings leaving with just her mortal body. Desperate to have them back Hri Sora makes a deal with her father that she will bring him back a treasure to add to his hoard. Her plan is to kidnap the Queen's...more I received Starflower in return for an honest review as part of the blog tour hosted by Prism Book Tours in return for a honest review. Hri Sora is a powerful dragon who has been in a state of sleep since she burned down her city which she was trying to protect. Her father took her dragon form and wings leaving with just her mortal body. Desperate to have them back Hri Sora makes a deal with her father that she will bring him back a treasure to add to his hoard. Her plan is to kidnap the Queen's cousin since she knows what the treasure looks like and use her to retrieve it. Hri Sora easily captures Gleamdren her next challenge is to get her to give up the treasure so she can have her true form.

When the woman he loves is kidnapped Eanrin sets out to find Gleamdren before Glomar can rescue her. Eanrin isn't a warrior he's instead a immortal faerie poet who happens to also be part cat. He comes across a girl who has drunk from the enchanted river and even though he want's to find Gleamdren he can't help feeling a little sorry for the mortal girl and taking her to the serpent witch who owes him a favor. Thank's to the serpents collection of frog princess the girl is woken from her enchanted slumber. It's after the pair escape from the serpents land that he learns she's under a curse and can't speak but he's able to figure out her name Starflower. Deciding he can't leaver he takes her along with him on his journey to find Gleamdren fearing what would happen if he leaves her behind. As they get closer to finding Gleamdren they learn that Starflower is tied to Hri Sora which could change everything.

I was a little nervous starting Starflower because it's not the first in the series it's the fourth book, and I hate to read out of order. Thankfully it can be read as a standalone for what I understand it's almost a prequel to the first three but honestly I'm not sure. I wasn't sure about Eanrin at first he kind of has a big ego, then again I guess if I was the Prince of Poet's I would have a high opinion of myself. So I wasn't sure I was going to like his character however when he met Starflower, he showed his compassionate side which I really liked. Startflower is one of those characters you just can't help loving because she's been through so much but she keeps coming back. It's a fast paced action packed adventure with a little love story tossed in the mix. I really enjoyed the world of Goldstone Woods, since it's new to me I found it refreshing and exciting. However I've not read the first three but after reading Starflower I will be checking them out when I get some downtime because I enjoyed this one so much. I had a hard time putting it down and was able to finish over the coarse of a evening because I wanted to know how their adventure would end. (less)

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Apr 06, 2013 Crystal Langley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I hate to join the crowds and sound like a copy cat but using the words entrancing and captivating are the only way to go. However, I disagreed with a lot of the reviews I have read out there on Starflower that said it started out slow. Anne's style of writing took me hostage and flew me to the end far too quickly! I love how her descriptions made the figments of ones imagination almost tangible and the impossible believable. For instance, it is fairly common for a river to be referred to as ang...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Paperback free from author for honest review

Hri Sora is a dragon-witch, but is a cursed one. Her wings were taken from her and she wants nothing more than to get them back and to take revenge on the man that she feels made her fall and have to take the form of a human woman. She starts this mission by gaining entry into a secret kingdom and proceeding to kidnap Lady Gleamdren to gain what she wants. Eanrin is in love with the Lady Gleamdren and will not let her be kidnapped without a chance of s...more Paperback free from author for honest review

Hri Sora is a dragon-witch, but is a cursed one. Her wings were taken from her and she wants nothing more than to get them back and to take revenge on the man that she feels made her fall and have to take the form of a human woman. She starts this mission by gaining entry into a secret kingdom and proceeding to kidnap Lady Gleamdren to gain what she wants. Eanrin is in love with the Lady Gleamdren and will not let her be kidnapped without a chance of survival, so he embarks on a journey to save the Lady. Along the way he meets up with, and cannot pass by, Starflower. She seems to be a mere mortal woman, but she also seems to be much more than that, with a bigger destiny than that. As much as Eanrin wishes to just leave her in her deep sleep that was placed upon her by a curse, he cannot. After a magical kiss awakens Starflower, Eanrin learns she cannot talk, but takes her under his wing anyway, for he can't see anyone wonder into their own peril because of not knowing the magical land they are now in. The further into the mission they get the more Eanrin comes to care about this mortal woman, Starflower. As they seek out Hri Sora and her hidden kingdom Eanrin and Starflower go through a lot together and Eanrin comes to find that this mysterious mortal woman may have more connections to the dragon-witch than he ever could have imagined. Can he figure out the mystery of Starflower? Does he really want to? Can he ever come to save the Lady Gleamdren from Hri Sora? Starflower is full of secrets, can she keep them from Eanrin and keep him safe and herself safe?

I found this book a wonderful journey to another land. I was transported to a time of true magic, kings, queens, mythical creatures, and adventure. I found this to be a whole different kind of read for me. I wasn't sure what to really expect, but it proved to me that sometimes you need to read the unknown to create a journey while reading. It was a read that had a good flow to it, not super fast paced, but it wasn't by any means slow moving. It was a relaxing read, that made me pick it up over and over until I came to the end of the journey with Eanrin and Starflower. The writing was great, wonderful description and details that made the story that much more vivid to the reader. The characters were also fantastic! I loved how they all seemed to develop throughout the entire book and how they grew as the tale went on. I found myself loving all the characters, even Hri Sora. The background that was filled in for all the characters as the story unfolded is what made it so great to discover the characters in a deeper fashion. I must say that I had a great time reading this book and am very glad to have started my new year of reading off with it. If you are at all into fantasy, even just a little, this is a great book. When you add mystery, adventure, and a bit of love into the mix along with terrific characters a great read it made! I highly recommend you take this journey like I did, you will not regret it.

5/5 Stars!!
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Nov 30, 2012 Abigail Hartman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Did I say I liked Lionheart and Rose best? No... No, I don't think so...

All right, so maybe I did, but Starflower and especially Eanrin snagged my heart in this latest tale of Goldstone Wood. I fell in love with the cat-poet, his feline ways and his foolishness and his deathly fear of the Hound who ever pursues him. He was more than just a laugh (although he is certainly that); he is full of personality and you cannot help but be invested in him. Since Starflower is mute, she was rather harder f...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Sandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-reviewed-2013, high-fantasy, magic-dark-or-otherwise, dragons, faeries, romance-based, words-fail-me-good

A wonderfully enchanting and mysterious world that you can sink into and allow your imagination to roam free.

'Starflower' is about a Faerie called Eanrin and his quest to find his 'beloved' Lady Gleamdren from the clutch of a dragon-witch, who managed to fool the Faerie people long enough to kidnap her. Along the way, he meets the enchanted, yet cursed, mortal girl, Starflower. Unable to leave her, he finds a way to break her out of her enchanted sleep and they set off to save Lady Gleamdren fro...more

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Dec 04, 2012 LaQuita (Just Us Girls) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought for sure that I'd be lost when noticing that this was book number four to the Tales of Goldstone Wood Series, but that wasn't the case at all. I was extremely happy to learn that this book takes place before the other books.

Not only that, but this was the type of book that made you feel comfortable with the characters, so whether you read the first couple of books or not, you'd still love this book. This certainly was the case for me. I couldn't put the book down nor did I want too. T...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Alicia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have never fallen in love with a story so completely before. This has to be one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a long time. Starflower has a place in history next to classics like Othello, Romeo and Juliet and Alice in Wonderland.

Starflower to me tells the story of what it means to love. It is about love in every form.

First you have the Dragonwitch. She is a cursed woman who has been betrayed by love and even though she has such a fiery anger in her you know that to have...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Myra (Pieces of Whimsy) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-let-me-count-the-ways-reading, 2013-read-a-latte-challenge, 2013-ya-reading-challenge, e-book, for-review, reviewed

Review first published on my blog, Pieces of Whimsy

4.5/5

I haven't read the other books in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series but as this one is set as a prequel to the others it doesn't matter. I can't say whether the book is less or more enjoyable without reading the others in the series but I definitely found myself liking it!

I adored the writing in this piece! The description is just gorgeous and some of the word is just so delightful that I'm compelled to read the passage again.

I wanted to f...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Christy rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you are a fan of allegorical fantasy books like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, you will love Starflower. This is the fourth book in the Dragonwood Series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. I was asked to be part of this blog tour for this book and though I hadn't read any of the other books in this series, I agreed. I read the synopsis and thought it sounded like a wonderful story. It is! Though it is the fourth in the series, it is the prequel to the other three. I did not feel l...more If you are a fan of allegorical fantasy books like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, you will love Starflower. This is the fourth book in the Dragonwood Series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. I was asked to be part of this blog tour for this book and though I hadn't read any of the other books in this series, I agreed. I read the synopsis and thought it sounded like a wonderful story. It is! Though it is the fourth in the series, it is the prequel to the other three. I did not feel like I was missing anything crucial and thoroughly enjoyed this book on its own.

Starflower takes place part in the world of Fae and part in the world of humans. The story begins in the world of the faeries. It is a place of peace and a place of enjoyment. A faerie party would be nothing without its bard singing tales of love to the fair maiden, so this story has the bard and the maiden. The maiden is taken by a fallen dragon who must find what her father desires so he will return her wings to her. Two of the maidens admirers begin on the perilous journey to rescue her.

On the way, Eanrin, part-time cat, comes upon a mortal who is unconscious by the river's edge. He believes she must be a princess, for who else would succumb to the river's waters. He rescues her by taking her to a place where princes are toads. He is owed a favor, so the one who has turned the princes to toads allows a toad to kiss the mortal woman and she wakes up. (This is one of the best scenes. It is hilarious. All of the toads are croaking, "Kiss me." )

The book takes you on an unbelievable journey through worlds unknown to humans. It is fully of humor, excitement, and heart. It has such depth. I could see the influence of the poem, The Hound of Heaven, even before I got to the end where Mrs. Stengl says it was influential in this book. The Hound chases you and you run from him believing he wants to harm you. The Beast promises you immortality and promises to make you a god, only to lead you to death. But once the Hound finds you, He gives you more than you could ever imagine.

I know I cannot do this book justice in a review without giving away too much of the story. I want you to find out on your own how amazing it is. I usually do not read this type of fantasy, but I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series!(less)

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Nov 29, 2012 Meghan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-personal-library, favorites, author-review-request, reviewed

Oh. My. Goodness. How have I not heard of this series yet?! How has it not crossed my path until now? This book was massively overflowing with wondrous magical beauty. I can say without a doubt that this book rivals any Faerie story that I have read to date, easily.

I did not head into this book with high expectations. But before long I was completely blown away. I am at awe at how beautifully this story is written, no, woven sounds like a much better word. Because it's more like a masterpiece th...more Oh. My. Goodness. How have I not heard of this series yet?! How has it not crossed my path until now? This book was massively overflowing with wondrous magical beauty. I can say without a doubt that this book rivals any Faerie story that I have read to date, easily.

I did not head into this book with high expectations. But before long I was completely blown away. I am at awe at how beautifully this story is written, no, woven sounds like a much better word. Because it's more like a masterpiece than anything else. Can you tell that I loved it?! Seriously though, if you haven't read this book yet, or were completely unaware of this series existence, like myself. You need to get your hands on this right now. All fantasy fans everywhere, read this, pronto, immediately.

This is book #4 in the series, but I read it without feeling like I was missing any details. I am thinking that the stories aren't completely related to each other. But I assure you I that I will be getting out there and reading the previous three installments as soon as I can. I have found a brand new author that I simply adore. Her writing carried me away into this amazing fantastical, and terrifying, stunning world. I was so sad when I closed the last pages because I was just not ready to go.

The characters in the story were all so incredibly developed. I gushed to my husband repeatedly with quotes from the book, and the incredible descriptiveness, immensely vivid imagery, and the characters within that I just could not get enough of. It was also such a fun read because it was like watching this awesome puzzle come together. We were given all these pieces of information and events that were seemingly unrelated. But as the story came together and all the pieces connected, it made the story that much more epic. Anne really has created a story to be loved by all.

I will be looking for more books by her, and definitely be wanting to read the rest of this series. Thank you so much to Anne for sending me her story. It's cast a spell on me and I've completely fallen in love. To all of you, I say again, go read this book. It's a must for any and all readers.(less)

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Nov 28, 2012 Jennette Mbewe rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl, I knew I had discovered an extraordinary author, but I told myself I needed to read more of her stuff just to make sure. And then I read Starflower. It is safe to say, I will read everything by this author.

Wow. Where to start.

First, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The cover is beautiful. From the back cover you think the story is only about Bard Eanrin winning his Lady Gleamdren’s favor by rescuing her from a dragon-witch, but it is so much more th...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Shelby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-mythology-challenge-books

Review can also be found here: http://imlostinabook.blogspot.com/201...

I have to say, I can't decide what part of this book I like the best. It's a three-way tie between the plot, the characters, or the character development! But whichever of the three does eventually win, this book was an amazing read I'd definitely recommend to any lover of fantasy.

The book starts off meeting Eanrin, the conceited and imminently dislike able fae. Through a series of events - caused by Eanrin's ego - Lady Gleam...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Bluerose's Heart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, clean, fantasy, favorites, gender-neutral, little-no-romance, young-adult-12-and-up

As if I wasn't looking forward to another installment to the Tales of Goldstone Wood series enough, when I discovered that Eanrin was one of the main characters in Starflower, my patience was even thinner as I waited. Eanrin has been my favorite character throughout the series. He's arrogant and selfish, which would make you think I'd dislike him, but that's not the case. I've discovered through my reading that arrogant men hold a special place in my reading heart....as long as their heart of go...more As if I wasn't looking forward to another installment to the Tales of Goldstone Wood series enough, when I discovered that Eanrin was one of the main characters in Starflower, my patience was even thinner as I waited. Eanrin has been my favorite character throughout the series. He's arrogant and selfish, which would make you think I'd dislike him, but that's not the case. I've discovered through my reading that arrogant men hold a special place in my reading heart....as long as their heart of gold shines through. Eanrin's definitely shines through! He's an immortal human/cat. Sometimes he's human, sometimes cat. I found myself snickering quite often at parts including him in both of his forms.Eanrin is also completely blind in the first three books(I can't remember now if he even played a part in Veiled Rose or not). In Starflower, we get to go back to a time when he has eyesight.

Despite my love for Eanrin, though, Starflower was the one who won me over in this story. She's the strong, silent type. While she's had a hard life, love still shines through. She comes from a land where women are worthless, with the exception of providing male heirs to the men. I got a strong Native American vibe from Starflower and her land. If I wasn't supposed to get that vibe, just let me live in blissful ignorance! This particular aspect of the story especially thrilled my reading heart. Do you know how difficult it is to find great, clean Native American fantasy stories?! Extremely! (Feel free to leave me suggestions in this area.)

Starflower can be read as a standalone, but PLEASE don't! I can't recommend to you enough to read this series in order. You simply can't get a full appreciation for the characters or the brilliance of writing when read out of order. All the little details come together perfectly. It's time for a re-read of the whole series for me, because there were characters that I couldn't quite place exactly. I did get a little confused at times. While I did recognize everyone, I couldn't remember what part some of them played in the earlier books. That's something else that I love about this series, though. You will want to read them over and over. I can't imagine how many extra little moments I'll find special the next time I read them.

This series has it's allegory moments. I've finally learned to accept that I'm simply not comfortable with Christian allegories. It's not so overwhelming in this particular series that I can't ignore those moments, though. I read this book as a great fantasy and nothing else. Hopefully, that doesn't offend anyone! ;)

Overall, as all my regulars around here should already know, this whole series gets a HIGHLY recommended from me!(less)

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Apr 10, 2013 Aj Hult rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, read-agains

I am going to keep this very brief.
This was by far my favorite book in the series.
This book acts as a 'prequel' going 1600 years back before the start of Heartless and gives you a glimpse into what shaped the lives of Eanrin and 'Starflower'. Also, I loved learning about Eanrin's 'passionate love' for Lady Gleamdren and how that eventually shaped him into who we saw in Heartless.
O MY WORD!!! THE ROMANCE IS SO SUBTLE BUT SIGH WORTHY!!!
Alrighty, that is as brief as I can make it.
My advice? Re...more

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Jan 19, 2013 CaliGirlRae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, high-fantasy, inspirational

When I saw the cover for Starflower, I had to jump on this book. I loved that it featured what looked like a woman of color (reminding me of the actress Rosario Dawson) and the beautifully painted style just accentuated the focus of the character. I was a bit worried that this was the fourth in a series but I soon got over that as I dove into the wonderful worldbuilding and lyrical narrative of the story.

Starflower is a fast paced story filled with princess, dragons, bards and a beautiful fantas...more

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The Indie Exchang...: ENDS TONIGHT! Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl	1	8	Dec 17, 2012 11:26am
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About Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. She is the author of HEARTLESS, VEILED ROSE, MO...more

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Books by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Veiled Rose (Tales of Goldstone Wood #2)

Dragonwitch (Tales of Goldstone Wood, #5)

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Quotes from Starflower

“Her eyes pleaded with him to understand, to try. Under that gaze, Eanrin had no option but to sit and stare at the scribbles in the dust, stare with all the intensity a cat can muster. His pupils dilated until the golden irises were like rings of eclipsed sunfire. Imraldera watched him, chewing her bottom lip and waiting.
At last the cat lashed his tail and raised his whiskered face to her. "I'm sorry, my girl. It looks to me like the Greater Stick Bug pursues the Lesser Stick Bug over the back of a giant alligator. Can't make a thing of it otherwise.” — 1 person liked it

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Starflower (Tales of Goldstone Wood #4)

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