Another Adventure in Goldstone Wood!

There are several reasons this is an exciting time for fans of Anne Elisabeth Stengl's work:
Dragonwitch is coming! In case you haven't seen the blog button in my sidebar announcing this fact, the fifth book in the "Tales of Goldstone Wood" series is releasing in July! From the cover art and the description of the book, it sounds like this will be a very different and unique addition to the series, as it appears to include a lot of characters I have yet to "meet." Looking forward to reviewing it in about a month!The sixth book in the series, Shadow Hand, has a cover - and it is beautiful!! The description of the sixth book includes Daylily and Foxbrush, and it sounds great! Can't wait to find out what's in store for these characters who didn't gain the spotlight in a previous story or two...Care to see that beautiful new cover??


Oh my goodness - I believe the cover for Shadow Hand is my favorite of the series so far!! And it has some tough competition, as the covers are all very enchanting and intriguing (and Starflower is especially lovely). But the colors on this one are absolutely stunning. The browns and reds speak of fire and danger; the blues speak of a depth permeating the story and a calm waiting to be found; and the green speaks of growth awaiting the characters in this wild land.

The symbolism and tie-ins with previous covers and stories are incredible. The round frame of the rock brings to mind the cover of Heartless, as well as some familiar characters' stories coming full circle. The thorns are subtle - almost overlooked because the background is so bright - but still reaching out and perhaps causing the heroine to have that sense of foreboding hovering in her expression. Yes, the thorns are reaching up, but the trees and the bird (oh, that faithful bird - perhaps the same one depicted on the cover of Heartless?) are reaching higher. The heroine's dress is so ethereal - gorgeous but ghostly, like she just might prove elusive. And her hair suggests a fiery spirit that could both burn and ignite. The colors blend seamlessly together, giving the sense of a story that is full of imagery and meaning and life, as I'm sure it will be.

About the Book

"'She Will Take Your Own Two Hands 
To Save Your Ancient, Sorrowing Lands.'

By her father's wish, Lady Daylily is betrothed to the Prince of Southlands. Not the prince she loves, handsome and dispossessed Lionheart, but his cousin, the awkward and foolish Prince Foxbrush. Unable to bear the future she sees as her wedding day dawns, Daylily flees into the dangerous Wilderlands, her only desire to vanish from living memory.

But Foxbrush, determined to rescue his betrothed, pursues Daylily into a new world of magic and peril, a world where vicious Faerie beasts hold sway, a world invaded by a lethal fey parasite...

A world that is hauntingly familiar."

Learn more about the book at www.shadowhandnovel.blogspot.com.

Giveaway!

Anne is giving away a "Tales of Goldstone Wood" coffee mug to celebrate the cover reveal! It has a banner depicting all the lovely covers on it:

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below!
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