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Starflower
(Tales of Goldstone Wood #4)
by
The Black Dogs are on the hunt, but who is their prey?
When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps fairest Lady Gleamdren, the Bard 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 insignificant mortal.
But when he stumbles up ...more
When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps fairest Lady Gleamdren, the Bard 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 insignificant mortal.
But when he stumbles up ...more
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Paperback, 349 pages
Published
November 1st 2012
by Bethany House
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Start your review of Starflower (Tales of Goldstone Wood, #4)

LOVED this book!! Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s novels just keep getting better! I’ve loved all of her books from Tales of Goldstone Wood, but Starflower is definitely an all-time favorite!
Starflower/Imraldera’s story was a fascinating one. –As was Bard Eanrin’s. What a delightful tale! With cat-men, possessive rivers, dragonwitches, and brave young mortal maidens, this story drew me in. Starflower, and others, Heartless, Veiled Rose, and Moonblood, have a captivating quality. A moon named Hymlume. ...more
Starflower/Imraldera’s story was a fascinating one. –As was Bard Eanrin’s. What a delightful tale! With cat-men, possessive rivers, dragonwitches, and brave young mortal maidens, this story drew me in. Starflower, and others, Heartless, Veiled Rose, and Moonblood, have a captivating quality. A moon named Hymlume. ...more

SO MANY FEELS!

Anne Elisabeth Stengl did it again. She made characters that had flaws that you couldn't help but fall in love with.
I think that Starflower is my favorite of the series so far. This probably stems from the fact that Eanrin and Imraldera are such wonderful and (like everyone in the books) well rounded characters. I'm beginning to get accustomed to the heart wrenching details of this series, and to my horror, I enjoy it.
Take Imraldera's past, for example. As it unfolds, you feel th ...more

Anne Elisabeth Stengl did it again. She made characters that had flaws that you couldn't help but fall in love with.
I think that Starflower is my favorite of the series so far. This probably stems from the fact that Eanrin and Imraldera are such wonderful and (like everyone in the books) well rounded characters. I'm beginning to get accustomed to the heart wrenching details of this series, and to my horror, I enjoy it.
Take Imraldera's past, for example. As it unfolds, you feel th ...more

Oct 08, 2012
Bluerose's Heart
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
clean,
gender-neutral,
young-adult-12-and-up,
favorites,
christian,
little-no-romance,
fantasy
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

“You’ve never loved anyone but yourself all your life!” –Starflower
Starflower is Anne Stengl’s fourth book in her Tales of Goldstone Wood Saga. It is a prequel and takes place about 1600 years before Heartless.
As always the messages in Anne’s story are profound and convicting. As we watch Starflower we learn the power of true love and seeing people through the eyes of the Creator to know their true names.
Eanrin, 1600 years younger then we last saw him, is selfish to the core. But as the novel pr ...more
Starflower is Anne Stengl’s fourth book in her Tales of Goldstone Wood Saga. It is a prequel and takes place about 1600 years before Heartless.
As always the messages in Anne’s story are profound and convicting. As we watch Starflower we learn the power of true love and seeing people through the eyes of the Creator to know their true names.
Eanrin, 1600 years younger then we last saw him, is selfish to the core. But as the novel pr ...more

Another grand adventure and I'm exhausted from the ride! Can't wait for the next book (to see if the library has it!)
...more

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
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

I have many thoughts.
There's no denying the fact that this book spoke to me. I was legitimately moved at times.
. . . And yet, there's a still a barrier that stands between me and this series.
Lovely Things:
- EANRINNNNN. C'mon, you saw this coming. But SERIOUSLY THOUGH. Eanrin is absolutely precious and he breaks/melts/warms my heart all at once. His journey in this book was hands-down what moved me the most. His was a story of fear and love and finding out how to live. EXCUSE ME WHILE I COLLA ...more
There's no denying the fact that this book spoke to me. I was legitimately moved at times.
. . . And yet, there's a still a barrier that stands between me and this series.
Lovely Things:
- EANRINNNNN. C'mon, you saw this coming. But SERIOUSLY THOUGH. Eanrin is absolutely precious and he breaks/melts/warms my heart all at once. His journey in this book was hands-down what moved me the most. His was a story of fear and love and finding out how to live. EXCUSE ME WHILE I COLLA ...more

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
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

If quality is to be measured in terms of interest and fascination — if literary merit reveals itself through invested emotion (tears in several cases) and a desire to go on reading a story forever — then I think Starflower could truthfully be called best and most beautiful of Stengl's Tales of Goldstone Wood. I'd looked forward to reading it for some time, and Stengl did not disappoint. She provides plenty of familiar faces from the start, as well as some new ones, and after I passed the fifty-p
...more

Wow!!!!!!Wow!!!!!!Wow!!!!!!Wow!!!!!Amazing!!!! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!! The main characters are Eanrin and Starflower. When Eanrin goes on an adventure to save his love, things start happening both bad and good. Starflower has always been cursed, she finds a certain cat that changes things in life. OK sorry that this review is so horrid I just can not write, but this book is so worth reading. I think people ages 12 and up can read this, depending on what they can handle. There is not anythin
...more

Starflower continues Anne Elisabeth Stengl's winning streak. Her Tales of Goldstone Wood are consistently good and this one is no exception, blending fairy tale, allegory, classic lit and modern storytelling into one absorbing, epic tale. I particularly enjoyed the tribal setting of the far past of Stengl's Southland - it lent a unique flavour to the story. Also thoroughly appreciated the Hound of Heaven references. I did think the religious allegory could have been a little more subtle, or some
...more

This had to have been my favorite of the series so far. I absolutely loved it. The imagery is amazing, the setting so detailed, and the characters are a hilarious. I could barely put this book down for wanting to know what would happen next.
Like a lot of fans, I absolutely love Sir Eanrin and was so glad to find out that he would be a main character in this story. Usually I don't like cats, but he is an exception. :)
To know what other books I back, go to my blog at http://backingbooks.blogspot. ...more
Like a lot of fans, I absolutely love Sir Eanrin and was so glad to find out that he would be a main character in this story. Usually I don't like cats, but he is an exception. :)
To know what other books I back, go to my blog at http://backingbooks.blogspot. ...more

Rescuing a princess can be a relatively thankless task. Especially when the Princess is rather a stuck-up snot. Nearly insurmountable perils await those who brave dire difficulties, precarious pinnacles and plummeting waterfalls not to mention dungeons of death.
Two hearty gentlemen, one characterized by a lyrical tomcat, the other by a bustling officious badger undertake just such a risky proposition.
But along the way, the tomcat fellow rescues a young maiden of deep tribal heritage who really d ...more
Two hearty gentlemen, one characterized by a lyrical tomcat, the other by a bustling officious badger undertake just such a risky proposition.
But along the way, the tomcat fellow rescues a young maiden of deep tribal heritage who really d ...more

Thus I continued my exploration of "The Tales of Goldstone Wood" series in "Starflower". This book was amazing, and intense and moving. I loved it! Honestly, each of Anne Elisabeth's new novels keeps reaching new heights of wonderfulness, beauty, and strength. I enjoyed reading Imraldra's story. . . the character Starflower is another new favourite; I truly routed for her struggles and journey, and loved the way she looked out for her young sister (I have a dear younger sister too, so I knew jus
...more

Review also available at Making the Grade
Finally! My opportunity to share my thoughts on this book!
STARFLOWER by Anne Elisabeth Stengl is the Goldstone Woods series prequel that I devoured in nearly a single sitting. (After-which I immediately went about acquiring paperback copies of the rest this stellar, and still on-going, high fantasy series.) It’s a beautifully written story that sweeps across vast lands unlike anything we can imagine in our time – involving daring adventure, enchanting ...more
Finally! My opportunity to share my thoughts on this book!
STARFLOWER by Anne Elisabeth Stengl is the Goldstone Woods series prequel that I devoured in nearly a single sitting. (After-which I immediately went about acquiring paperback copies of the rest this stellar, and still on-going, high fantasy series.) It’s a beautifully written story that sweeps across vast lands unlike anything we can imagine in our time – involving daring adventure, enchanting ...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 t ...more
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

Cat and mouse
I am thoroughly enjoying reading through the Tales of Goldstone Woods series. Starflower, book 4, held up well in comparison with the first three.
Though my favorite is still Heartless, this one might be my second favorite. One of my favorite characters in the series is Sir Eanrin, and it was great to see him as a main character instead of just a supporting role.
His inner struggle between choosing to serve the One Who Names Them, or to serve himself, really rang true with me, and w ...more
I am thoroughly enjoying reading through the Tales of Goldstone Woods series. Starflower, book 4, held up well in comparison with the first three.
Though my favorite is still Heartless, this one might be my second favorite. One of my favorite characters in the series is Sir Eanrin, and it was great to see him as a main character instead of just a supporting role.
His inner struggle between choosing to serve the One Who Names Them, or to serve himself, really rang true with me, and w ...more

Once again author Anne Elisabeth Stengl delivers a beautiful fantasy novel intertwined with the Tales of Goldstone Wood series. She seamlessly weaves fairytale properties - a bit of Rapunzel? the age-old story of beauty and the beast? - into the fabric of a Christian mind. The characters of STARFLOWER are torn by and from their lives into the adventure of a lifetime, struggling to save each other, struggling to save themselves, and all the while their paths are determined and pursued by an ether
...more

So far this is my favorite of the series; it takes a break from the current story line of Lionheart and Rose Red to go back in time to the origins of the story of Starflower, thus showing how Imraldera and Eanrin became knights of Farthestshore. Since those two have quickly become my favorite minor characters of the series, it was delightful to see them get a story in their own right, even if it takes place centuries before the rest of the series. Of all of them thus far, this book stands on its
...more

3.5 stars
It took me an unholy amount of time to read this, but nonetheless I really enjoyed it! Eanrin is my absolute favorite Goldstone Wood character so far, and this book includes my Goldstone Wood OTP 😍 (so far, that is... who knows what later books might have in store XD)
AND THAT CLIMAX. THE ENDING IN GENERAL. MY HEART IS STILL BURSTING WITH FEELS. ACK. *clutches heart*
Looking forward to Dragonwitch!
It took me an unholy amount of time to read this, but nonetheless I really enjoyed it! Eanrin is my absolute favorite Goldstone Wood character so far, and this book includes my Goldstone Wood OTP 😍 (so far, that is... who knows what later books might have in store XD)
AND THAT CLIMAX. THE ENDING IN GENERAL. MY HEART IS STILL BURSTING WITH FEELS. ACK. *clutches heart*
Looking forward to Dragonwitch!

When I received this book in the mail, I was so excited that I had to restrain myself from tearing into it right away. It held promise of all the aspects I enjoy in a novel: adventure, far-off lands, mystery and wonder, and a dash of the fairy-tale and romance.
And Starflower brought it all, as well as its own unique flavour. While not boring by any means, the story is not driven by action. Instead, it delves into character--not simply the beings, whether mortal or Faerie, but the very lands in w ...more
And Starflower brought it all, as well as its own unique flavour. While not boring by any means, the story is not driven by action. Instead, it delves into character--not simply the beings, whether mortal or Faerie, but the very lands in w ...more

As usual with Anne Elisabeth Stengl and her books, this was an absolute 5 star read for me. This has absolutely become one of my favorite series.
I love the atmosphere of these books and the way that Stengl uses traditional fairy tale elements as well as classic works and native mythologies to weave her tales. For instance, within this book, there is a maiden kidnapped by a dragon and imprisoned in a high tower as well as a maiden being awakened with a kiss from an enchanted sleep, and these are ...more
I love the atmosphere of these books and the way that Stengl uses traditional fairy tale elements as well as classic works and native mythologies to weave her tales. For instance, within this book, there is a maiden kidnapped by a dragon and imprisoned in a high tower as well as a maiden being awakened with a kiss from an enchanted sleep, and these are ...more

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
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

Eanrin has always known to never get involved in the affairs of mortals. If all Faeries had that policy, the Hidden Land would have lived out a happier story. But as the lost daughter of the Eldest walked a road darkened by Faerie, so her path will fatefully cross a Faerie’s again. And again.
In Starflower, Anne Elisabeth Stengl tells the story of Faeries who became involved with mortals, and mortals who became involved with Faeries. Not all were the better for it; nor were all the worst.
Starflow ...more
In Starflower, Anne Elisabeth Stengl tells the story of Faeries who became involved with mortals, and mortals who became involved with Faeries. Not all were the better for it; nor were all the worst.
Starflow ...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 th ...more
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

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
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

Yet another book that was difficult to put down. Anne Elisabeth Stengl's writing is amazing. She picks words that vividly paint a picture in the reader's mind. She's also managed to create a world that is deep, with it's own set of histories/legends. Almost as if it's been around for years in more than just pen and paper.
Set around 1600 years before the events that unfolded beginning in Heartless and moving on through Veiled Rose and Moonblood, Starflower allows us to see the back story behind ...more
Set around 1600 years before the events that unfolded beginning in Heartless and moving on through Veiled Rose and Moonblood, Starflower allows us to see the back story behind ...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 ...more
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
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Imps of Goldstone...: Starflower | 28 | 43 | Nov 14, 2015 06:43PM | |
Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish | 1 | 1 | Dec 01, 2014 09:25AM | |
¿Por qué no una traducción al español? | 1 | 1 | Dec 01, 2014 09:21AM | |
Translation into Spanish, why not? | 1 | 1 | Dec 01, 2014 09:20AM | |
Free Book Giveaway: Giveaway: Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl!! | 1 | 4 | Dec 04, 2012 09:44AM | |
Shut Up & Read: Starflower Blog Tour - Review, Excerpt & Giveaway | 1 | 7 | Dec 04, 2012 06:13AM | |
Shut Up & Read: Starflower Blog Tour - Review, Excerpt & Giveaway | 1 | 7 | Dec 04, 2012 06:13AM |
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 the TALES OF GOLDSTONE WOO
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Tales of Goldstone Wood
(8 books)
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Ciannon Smart has been holed up in her England home since the pandemic began a year ago, but by no means has she been idle. She’s been on...
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“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.”
—
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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.”
“A true name is a powerful thing. Dangerous. Many go through life asleep inside, because no one has ever called their true name. And so, they think themselves safe.”
—
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