The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mist...
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reviews
Jan 04, 2011
Jillian -always aspiring-
rated it: 
Mistwood isn’t quite what you might expect -- or, I’ll be honest here, it wasn’t what I was expecting.
I’ll be honest again: I’m a sucker for covers, and I loved this one. That was what moved me to pick this book up sooner rather than later, and the blurb on the cover flap was intriguing enough to pique my interest. However, the book isn’t filled with all the gripping mystery, wondrous magic, and dark allure that I expected: instead, it’s a story about discovery, trust, loyalty, More...
I’ll be honest again: I’m a sucker for covers, and I loved this one. That was what moved me to pick this book up sooner rather than later, and the blurb on the cover flap was intriguing enough to pique my interest. However, the book isn’t filled with all the gripping mystery, wondrous magic, and dark allure that I expected: instead, it’s a story about discovery, trust, loyalty, More...
Aug 18, 2011
Lunamoth
rated it: 
the premise for this book was certainly interesting, However the book itself was a bit flat.
Isabela is the Shifter, an immortal being who can shift into any animal or make herself hard as stone at will, however we quickly learn in the book that she is incapable of shifting into animals.
This is the part where the book lost me, i was so excited to see this happen and it just didn't. It becomes apparent why she can't very late in the book and it was underwhelming to say th More...
Isabela is the Shifter, an immortal being who can shift into any animal or make herself hard as stone at will, however we quickly learn in the book that she is incapable of shifting into animals.
This is the part where the book lost me, i was so excited to see this happen and it just didn't. It becomes apparent why she can't very late in the book and it was underwhelming to say th More...
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Sep 14, 2011
Danya
rated it: 
The Shifter is a being of legend. Wild, powerful, and able to take on any shape it chooses... and its purpose is to protect Samornian royalty. But for years now the Shifter has been gone, vanished into the wilds of Mistwood, and some have begun to believe it was indeed only a creature of myth.
That is, until the Samornian prince Rokan brings her back with him to the castle. Isabel has few memories of anything before the here and now, but she knows that as the Shifter it is her duty More...
That is, until the Samornian prince Rokan brings her back with him to the castle. Isabel has few memories of anything before the here and now, but she knows that as the Shifter it is her duty More...
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Jun 29, 2011
Allie
rated it:
I had the great fortune to receive this book right off of Goodreads in a First Reads giveaway and even got to meet the author. Being immensely grateful for that experience, it's safe to assume I might be a bit prejudiced in this review. Regardless, I honestly loved this book. I knew from the summary and a few reviews I probably would. A high fantasy young adult, court intrigue, a strong female protagonist, an element of mystery, and some romance? I was pretty much sold on this book even before I
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Feb 26, 2011
Mistwood was such a beautifully written novel. If there was one thing that really blew me away it was the writing. It was exquisite, it really was. That alone will keep me seeking out more novels by Cypress.
However, I found the other elements of the story lacking. The plot was one big mystery. Both the reader and Isabel are in the dark for almost all of the novel. If I had to describe the plot in one word, I'd say confusing. I found that when you start a novel that takes place in a More...
However, I found the other elements of the story lacking. The plot was one big mystery. Both the reader and Isabel are in the dark for almost all of the novel. If I had to describe the plot in one word, I'd say confusing. I found that when you start a novel that takes place in a More...
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Jan 13, 2011
Jamie
rated it:
I found this book to be dead boring and exactly why I hate fantasy books, generally. I read it less than a month ago and would be hard pressed to write a paragraph about it. Yawn.
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Nov 29, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
Isabel is an ancient shapeshifter who is committed to protecting the king and his family. She has been living in her forest, Mistwood, when the new king comes to ask for her help. Isabel struggles to protect him, because she is having trouble shifting and there are gaps in her memory. Little does she realize a past treachery may be the cause of her difficulty.[return][return]I picked this book up because it was being compared to The Attolia series and Graceling. The main character, Isabel, is
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Nov 03, 2011
Harmony
rated it:
First of all, yay for more High Fantasy! Overall, I liked it. It wasn't anything amazing, but I enjoyed reading Isabel's story.
I wish it was longer, mostly because I wanted to be...plunged into this world of mist and shifters and politics. It wasn't invested in any of the characters or anything that was going on, which took away some of the enjoyment for me. I was kinda just reading "This happened" and then "This happened" without really feeling it.
Isabel More...
I wish it was longer, mostly because I wanted to be...plunged into this world of mist and shifters and politics. It wasn't invested in any of the characters or anything that was going on, which took away some of the enjoyment for me. I was kinda just reading "This happened" and then "This happened" without really feeling it.
Isabel More...
Jan 21, 2012
Liz
rated it:
I didn't really care for this book. It's not that there wasn't a good story or good characters, there were, it's that the potential for both was never realized.
I had an editor once who, upon reading through a short story I'd sent her, said, "Nice outline; where's the rest of the story?" That's how I felt after reading this book. Nothing was fleshed out, neither the characters nor the story itself. Everything felt flat, two dimensional. There was so much telling instead of s More...
I had an editor once who, upon reading through a short story I'd sent her, said, "Nice outline; where's the rest of the story?" That's how I felt after reading this book. Nothing was fleshed out, neither the characters nor the story itself. Everything felt flat, two dimensional. There was so much telling instead of s More...
Dec 14, 2011
Liyana
rated it: 
It's been a long time since I've had such pleasure reading a book. It's also been a long time since I was engrossed enough, interested enough to actually finish one. I was blown away from the first page.
Mistwood was exactly what I needed. Cypess continued to surprise me with every turn of the page, and the tension is never-ending. I kept trying to guess what would happen, and there's really nothing I like better than to be proven wrong, especially when it's done so artfully. It's rare More...
Mistwood was exactly what I needed. Cypess continued to surprise me with every turn of the page, and the tension is never-ending. I kept trying to guess what would happen, and there's really nothing I like better than to be proven wrong, especially when it's done so artfully. It's rare More...
Nov 23, 2011
Vanille
rated it:
Okay, now, I tried really hard to like this book. The premise raised a small, red flag in me -- I love shape-shifters, when they're done right. Here, they weren't.
This whole book, to sum it up, is vapid and shallow. It read like a romance novel without the romance: the same flat, hollow stereotyped characters we know and hate in some political intrigue that really was just a mass of confusion and frustration. No matter what happened, I didn't care about anyone in the story. There was More...
This whole book, to sum it up, is vapid and shallow. It read like a romance novel without the romance: the same flat, hollow stereotyped characters we know and hate in some political intrigue that really was just a mass of confusion and frustration. No matter what happened, I didn't care about anyone in the story. There was More...
Nov 10, 2011
Jacob
rated it:
I think this book was ok. It was a quick read, I did it in one night, and I think that was about right. The book has less fighting and action and more emotional lovey-dovey stuff, but I kinda expected that going in since it is a young adult novel with a heroine trying to decide how she feels about "her prince" that she is bound to protect. That plot premise screams emotional journey/discovery, not kick-butt action/fighting. The plot itself was a bit predictable, and I pretty much h
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Oct 26, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 15, 2011
Larissa
rated it:
(actually 3.5)
I had heard about Mistwood awhile back from another blog and the description (and cover art) intrigued me. I bought it on my Kindle and read it over a vacation in California. I definitely liked the legend aspect of it, and the author had a twist ending that I could not see coming. The descriptions were very well written, I could picture the castle that most of the book takes place in very vividly.
What I did not enjoy so much is that there was not a ton of ac More...
I had heard about Mistwood awhile back from another blog and the description (and cover art) intrigued me. I bought it on my Kindle and read it over a vacation in California. I definitely liked the legend aspect of it, and the author had a twist ending that I could not see coming. The descriptions were very well written, I could picture the castle that most of the book takes place in very vividly.
What I did not enjoy so much is that there was not a ton of ac More...
Aug 17, 2011
Angie
rated it:
When I read the summary for this book, I was interested in this new concept for a book. It sounded like something I had never read before so I decided to give it a read. I guess you can tell from my rating that it did not live up to my expectations, although the book wasn't necessarily bad.
I found the characters hard to connect with and sympathize for, especially the Shifter which is problematic since she was the main character. She was too distant and "expressionless" (thi More...
I found the characters hard to connect with and sympathize for, especially the Shifter which is problematic since she was the main character. She was too distant and "expressionless" (thi More...
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Aug 14, 2011
Emma
rated it:
Within the first 20 pages of Mistwood, I found myself hooked and actually excited to read to the end and know how it would resolve. The premise of this Shifter creature who lives solely to protect her king and can shift into anything was pretty good.
Unfortunately, the rest of Mistwood seemed to lose momentum once it got going. It was still... okay, but ceased to be hugely captivating.
Basically, it's a book about politics and loyalty. The Shifter is supposed to be loyal t More...
Unfortunately, the rest of Mistwood seemed to lose momentum once it got going. It was still... okay, but ceased to be hugely captivating.
Basically, it's a book about politics and loyalty. The Shifter is supposed to be loyal t More...
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Aug 01, 2011
Alyssa
rated it:
I'd read mixed reviews about this book, but I was excited to read it. It sounded different, no vampires and werewolves and faeries. Just a Shifter and a kingdom and a lot of court intrigue. I read a review where the person thought that the characters were flat...she has a point. None of them really change in the book, except maybe Isabel...but since she's half wild, she's not really consistent at all. I think my favorite part was all the court intrigue. Who's lying to who, who's a traitor, who's
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Jul 07, 2011
Becky
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 05, 2011
Corinne
rated it:
Isabel is a Shifter, a legendary and powerful being that is bound to whomever sits on the throne in Samorna. She is sworn to protect the king and when Prince Rokan comes to the Mistwood to claim her protection, she cannot deny him. Upon reaching the castle, though, she finds that she cannot change shape the way she used to - and emotions that have never clouded her thinking or reactions before are making her task challenging when it should be effortless. Intrigue within the court and political s
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Jul 01, 2011
Maggie
rated it:
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. Going in I had heard a lot of hype, but I’m also not a huge fan of this kind of fantasy fiction. I think it’s too easy to go wrong. And comparisons to Graceling by Kristin Cashore were obviously inevitable, and almost anything in the genre compared to Graceling is going to fall a bit short.
So, I was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t quite live up to the hype but made an enchanting, enjoyable read. Fans of the genre are sure to adore it More...
So, I was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t quite live up to the hype but made an enchanting, enjoyable read. Fans of the genre are sure to adore it More...
Jun 23, 2011
Carmin
rated it:
Ok... So Mistwood was one of those books you go into with an idea of what would happen, how it would end. Who was who. And then Cypess changes everything. I loved this book because it was so different from so many other young adult books I have read. The writing was incredibly engaging and addictive. The plot was so intricate in some parts of the book I had to re-read to catch up.I love the idea that this book was a book that as one that dealt with Kings and royalty and society it never let you
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May 20, 2011
Cyp
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 09, 2011
Christine
rated it:
The Shifter, a creature born of mists and magic, is sworn to protect the king and his family. She does this with great power, and without emotion, for she is not truly human. Or so the legends say.
Isabel doesn’t remember being The Shifter, though. She doesn’t remember anything at all. When Prince Rokan takes her from the Mistwood, binding her to him with a bracelet rumored to have first created her from the mists, she only knows that she wants to protect him.
But Rokan is hidi More...
Isabel doesn’t remember being The Shifter, though. She doesn’t remember anything at all. When Prince Rokan takes her from the Mistwood, binding her to him with a bracelet rumored to have first created her from the mists, she only knows that she wants to protect him.
But Rokan is hidi More...
Apr 01, 2011
Leah Cypess’s Mistwood has been sitting on my nightstand for a bit now. I kept telling myself, ok, Mistwood next, and then somehow something else always got put on top of it. Somehow this almost always guarantees that I love a book. I wish I knew why this always seems to happen, but I don’t. I just know that it does. And I loved Mistwood.
The shifter is a legend. She has protected the kings of Samorna for centuries. Her sole job is to ensure that the rightful king and his family are a More...
The shifter is a legend. She has protected the kings of Samorna for centuries. Her sole job is to ensure that the rightful king and his family are a More...
Feb 09, 2011
Lesley
rated it:
I have to agree with the other reviewers who felt this book showed a lot of promise that was never fulfilled. There are lots of intriguing elements, mainly the main character: when the book opens, she has only the vaguest memories of who she is (suspenseful!), plus she discovers she has some magical powers which make her a bad-ass fighter (Buffy-ish!). It turns out she's a legendary creature (cool!)--but why is she so different from how she's described in all the legends (twist-y!)? Since the wr
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Jan 23, 2011
Debbie
rated it:
In a kingdom whose young king is struggling to maintain his tenuous hold on the throne, Isabel is the Shifter, an immortal whose sole purpose is to protect the king. The problem is that when the king searches her out in her home in the Mistwood, she doesn't remember anything, including how to shift. After returning to the palace with the king, Rokan, Isabel works hard to remember her previous life with the royal family while doing her best to protect Rokan from murderous politicians and scheming
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Jan 18, 2011
Eva
rated it:
Isabel is a Shifter, a creature of mist and fog whose duty for hundreds of years has been to be the protector of the king and his family. When Prince Rokan comes the Mistwood to find and bind Isabel and bring her back to the castle, Isabel remembers this, and also finds the castle and her role very familiar. Right away, she realizes that her powers, such preternatural quickness, an intuition that is magical, and an ability to know where Prince Rokan is anywhere in the castle, are designed to hel
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Jan 12, 2011
Alison
rated it:
From the first page, the idea and scene captivated me. It was like the book was calling me in to experience a world that needed to be told. You know a book is going to be pretty awesome if it can do that within a thousand words.
But as I got into it, I wasn’t as captivated as I had been from the beginning. Before I picked the book up, I had read so many reviews saying how amazing the book was. So I was like “There is no way this book could be a disappointment if there are that many po More...
But as I got into it, I wasn’t as captivated as I had been from the beginning. Before I picked the book up, I had read so many reviews saying how amazing the book was. So I was like “There is no way this book could be a disappointment if there are that many po More...
Dec 01, 2010
Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids
rated it:
*SPOILER FREE* WOW! Leah Cypress's debut book is an engrossing story for any fantasy reader. It's brilliantly written, suspenseful and a supernatural must read. I literally couldn't put Mistwood down until I was done. From page one, Leah had me hooked with the story of Isabel, a shape shifter taken from her home in the forrest known as Mistwood.
With little memory of her former life, Isabel knows her existence is for protecting the King. The court she's now sworn to protect is full of More...
With little memory of her former life, Isabel knows her existence is for protecting the King. The court she's now sworn to protect is full of More...
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Nov 16, 2010
Katy
rated it:
Wow! Ok where to begin, Isabel is unbelievable, and Rokan, well he is Rokan, thats a compliment. Isabel is a shifter, shifters have one job, and that job is to guard the King. When they aren't needed they are in the Mistwood doing their thing. Rokan seeks Isabel out, and she agrees he is the new King after all. She travels back to his palace with him,and falls back into the swing of things. Her memory is a little cloudy, but she still has a job to do. Someone wants to hurt her Prince, he technic
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