What do you think?
Rate this book
Faerie Tales from the White Forest #3
Ondelle of Grioth
“You cannot presume what our departed High Priestess would say or do at a time like this.”
“Yes, I can!” cried Brigitta … “I can, I can. I carry her here.” Brigitta pounded on her chest. She burst into sobs, and Elder Dervia wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into her bosom.
Thanks to Ondelle’s parting gift, Brigitta is now a rare deodyte, a faerie bound by two elements. But she has little energy to explore, let alone enjoy, her new air element, as she is also now haunted by the memories of her dead High Priestess. When she tries to learn more from the Air Faeries, she is met with suspicion. When she reveals her distress to the Council of Elders, they dismiss her from her Apprentice duties. And when the memories that plague her convince her she must seek an audience with the Eternal Dragon to reconnect her forest with the Ancients, she knows she must leave her home once again.
Driven by what she knows she must do, Brigitta steals the High Priest’s scepter and, along with the help of Jarlath and Minq, makes her way to Forever Beach. The problem: someone else has gotten there first, and the Ancients are now under his command.
“Yes, I can!” cried Brigitta … “I can, I can. I carry her here.” Brigitta pounded on her chest. She burst into sobs, and Elder Dervia wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into her bosom.
Thanks to Ondelle’s parting gift, Brigitta is now a rare deodyte, a faerie bound by two elements. But she has little energy to explore, let alone enjoy, her new air element, as she is also now haunted by the memories of her dead High Priestess. When she tries to learn more from the Air Faeries, she is met with suspicion. When she reveals her distress to the Council of Elders, they dismiss her from her Apprentice duties. And when the memories that plague her convince her she must seek an audience with the Eternal Dragon to reconnect her forest with the Ancients, she knows she must leave her home once again.
Driven by what she knows she must do, Brigitta steals the High Priest’s scepter and, along with the help of Jarlath and Minq, makes her way to Forever Beach. The problem: someone else has gotten there first, and the Ancients are now under his command.
- GenresFantasy
212 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2014
About the author
Danika Dinsmore
21 books79 followersSHORTSKY:
Danika Dinsmore is an award-winning writer, spokenword artist, and educator living on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.
LONGSKY:
Danika currently works and plays in literary and speculative fiction with an emphasis on juvenile and young adult literature. She is author of several books of poetry, a spokenword CD, and the Faerie Tales from the White Forest middle grade fantasy series. She also writes short stories that blur the lines between speculative and literary fiction.
A seasoned spokenword artist, Danika has performed at hundreds of events such as Faerieworlds in Eugene, OR and Bumbershoot in Seattle, WA. She lives in British Columbia and teaches creative writing and world-building as a visiting writer in the schools and at festivals and conferences across North America.
Find her at danikadinsmore.com
Danika Dinsmore is an award-winning writer, spokenword artist, and educator living on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.
LONGSKY:
Danika currently works and plays in literary and speculative fiction with an emphasis on juvenile and young adult literature. She is author of several books of poetry, a spokenword CD, and the Faerie Tales from the White Forest middle grade fantasy series. She also writes short stories that blur the lines between speculative and literary fiction.
A seasoned spokenword artist, Danika has performed at hundreds of events such as Faerieworlds in Eugene, OR and Bumbershoot in Seattle, WA. She lives in British Columbia and teaches creative writing and world-building as a visiting writer in the schools and at festivals and conferences across North America.
Find her at danikadinsmore.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 10, 2016
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Danika Dinsmore once again wrote an incredible story. This book places Brigitta into some difficult situations that give her a chance to grow and shine. In this book, we find that she's received not just a second element from the High Priestess, but also new memories that show her how to restore the elemental balance of the world. No one believes that Brigitta is actually seeing memories and attribute it to her grieving over the loss of a friend. Brigitta decides to go try and fix the problem while the Elders of her village hesitate.
I love seeing how Brigitta has developed and changed over the series so far, and that she continues to do so. Danika has captivated my attention once again. I am left me wanting more and looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Again I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fantasies.
Danika Dinsmore once again wrote an incredible story. This book places Brigitta into some difficult situations that give her a chance to grow and shine. In this book, we find that she's received not just a second element from the High Priestess, but also new memories that show her how to restore the elemental balance of the world. No one believes that Brigitta is actually seeing memories and attribute it to her grieving over the loss of a friend. Brigitta decides to go try and fix the problem while the Elders of her village hesitate.
I love seeing how Brigitta has developed and changed over the series so far, and that she continues to do so. Danika has captivated my attention once again. I am left me wanting more and looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Again I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fantasies.
March 24, 2021
Another entertaining faery adventure. I thought the new character, Narru, was cute, unusual and interesting.
August 26, 2015
Ondelle of Grioth is book three of Danika Dinsmore’s Faerie Tales from the White Forest, set to be released in April 2014. I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
Ondelle of Grioth continues the story of Brigitta of the White Forest. The elemental faeries of the White Forest are losing their connection to the Ancients, the source of their magic. Brigitta, a deodyte (a faerie with two elements), is haunted by the memories of Ondelle, her dead High Priestess, which guide her in her decision to visit the Eternal Dragon in hopes of reconnecting with the Ancients.
She and her trusted Watcher friend, Jarlath, secretly leave the protected realm, along with a stolen scepter that belongs to the High Priest. During their journey, they struggle for survival in the Dark Forest as they battle toward Forever Beach, where they expect to find the Eternal Dragon.
It’s a race against time. And enemies.
Dinsmore is a gifted storyteller, whose command of her imaginary world is superb. From measurements of time passage to descriptions of landscape, the language and detail is vivid, consistent, and captivating. In the first two books, Dinsmore provides a White Forest Lexicon. There isn’t one in my copy of Ondelle of Grioth, but perhaps that is because it is an ARC – I hope that one will be included in the final publication as I found the glossaries in books 1 and 2 to be not only helpful but extremely interesting and fun.
Dinsmore precisely envisions the White Forest and the world of Faweh (the outer world beyond the White Forest). For example, one such term in the lexicon is carnivorous caterpillars: caterpillars in the dark forests of Foraglenn can grow to be quite large and vicious. They cocoon other living animals and suffocate them. Their offspring (see glow worms) chew through the cocoons and eat the remains. Carnivorous caterpillars do not turn into butterflies. Dinsmore skillfully weaves scenes that carry out this information without actually putting it in so many words in the story, and readers still appreciate the full impact of the world.
Each chapter opens with a memory of Ondelle’s, then segues into a scene with Brigitta, who is trying to make sense of the memory. Each memory provides a clue for Brigitta to follow, which either helps or mystifies her further on her quest.
At first, I found this unique structure to be a bit confusing. In fact, the opening chapter completely threw me because the dead High Priestess is the first character we meet. But, after the first few chapters I fell into the rhythm and began to look forward to seeing Ondelle at each chapter break. She is a comforting, wise presence, which helps balance the impetuous, yet intelligent Brigitta.
I found, at times, that the story was either overly complex, or too vague, when characters referred to events that had occurred in the first two books. I wonder if some middle-grade readers would have trouble navigating the plot if they aren’t careful readers. Much of what occurs in book 3 is intricately linked to adventures and information in the previous two books. Although the story is a pleasure to read for the world-building alone, my suggestion to new readers would be to read the series from the beginning to get the most out of the third book.
Overall, I felt that the story moved realistically, quickly, and unpredictably. Highly recommended read. Faerie Tales from the White Forest continues to be one of my favorite coming-of-age series for middle grade readers.
Ondelle of Grioth continues the story of Brigitta of the White Forest. The elemental faeries of the White Forest are losing their connection to the Ancients, the source of their magic. Brigitta, a deodyte (a faerie with two elements), is haunted by the memories of Ondelle, her dead High Priestess, which guide her in her decision to visit the Eternal Dragon in hopes of reconnecting with the Ancients.
She and her trusted Watcher friend, Jarlath, secretly leave the protected realm, along with a stolen scepter that belongs to the High Priest. During their journey, they struggle for survival in the Dark Forest as they battle toward Forever Beach, where they expect to find the Eternal Dragon.
It’s a race against time. And enemies.
Dinsmore is a gifted storyteller, whose command of her imaginary world is superb. From measurements of time passage to descriptions of landscape, the language and detail is vivid, consistent, and captivating. In the first two books, Dinsmore provides a White Forest Lexicon. There isn’t one in my copy of Ondelle of Grioth, but perhaps that is because it is an ARC – I hope that one will be included in the final publication as I found the glossaries in books 1 and 2 to be not only helpful but extremely interesting and fun.
Dinsmore precisely envisions the White Forest and the world of Faweh (the outer world beyond the White Forest). For example, one such term in the lexicon is carnivorous caterpillars: caterpillars in the dark forests of Foraglenn can grow to be quite large and vicious. They cocoon other living animals and suffocate them. Their offspring (see glow worms) chew through the cocoons and eat the remains. Carnivorous caterpillars do not turn into butterflies. Dinsmore skillfully weaves scenes that carry out this information without actually putting it in so many words in the story, and readers still appreciate the full impact of the world.
Each chapter opens with a memory of Ondelle’s, then segues into a scene with Brigitta, who is trying to make sense of the memory. Each memory provides a clue for Brigitta to follow, which either helps or mystifies her further on her quest.
At first, I found this unique structure to be a bit confusing. In fact, the opening chapter completely threw me because the dead High Priestess is the first character we meet. But, after the first few chapters I fell into the rhythm and began to look forward to seeing Ondelle at each chapter break. She is a comforting, wise presence, which helps balance the impetuous, yet intelligent Brigitta.
I found, at times, that the story was either overly complex, or too vague, when characters referred to events that had occurred in the first two books. I wonder if some middle-grade readers would have trouble navigating the plot if they aren’t careful readers. Much of what occurs in book 3 is intricately linked to adventures and information in the previous two books. Although the story is a pleasure to read for the world-building alone, my suggestion to new readers would be to read the series from the beginning to get the most out of the third book.
Overall, I felt that the story moved realistically, quickly, and unpredictably. Highly recommended read. Faerie Tales from the White Forest continues to be one of my favorite coming-of-age series for middle grade readers.
July 15, 2014
Today, I am reviewing the Fantasy novel Ondelle of Grioth by Danika Dinsmore. This is the third installment of the Faerie Tales from the White Forest series. For the purposes of disclosure, this is the only novel in the series that I have read – I haven’t seen the first two.
I give this book a 5/5. Yes, it’s finally happened – a book received an actual perfect score. Here is my breakdown.
Characters: 5/5. Danika has created a society of supernatural creatures that is believable and relatable. Each character has a place, none are superfluous, and I felt connected to each and every one. From Brigitta, the confused but headstrong protagonist to Fozk and Gola and the rest, each character contributed to the story, no matter how brief his/her involvement.
More importantly, I haven’t read the first two stories in this series, and yet I was never confused by the character interactions or connections. That is a feat in and of itself!
Plot/Storyline: 5/5. Danika weaves her story like she was born in this realm and is just telling us about something that actually happened. The magic in the world is in-depth and clearly explained, with nary a feeling of the deus-ex-machina. I was fascinated by the link between Brigitta and Ondelle in particular (remember that I haven’t read the first two books) and excited by the possibilities as the story unfolded.
Flow: 5/5. This story proceeded at the speed of plot, which is how I myself write. I never felt like more time was being taken than necessary on any point, or that the characters had diverted into needless conversation or activity. Danika wrote a story, and that story is evident in each keystroke.
Spelling/Grammar: 5/5. Huzzah! Well done! I saw no errors. I repeat, I saw no errors. This is not to say that there are none, but I did not see them as I went through. My only suggestion to Danika is that she eliminate what Stephen King called the “swifties” – which are adverbs attached to dialogue, like “he said softly,” or “she shouted angrily.” Your writing is strong enough that you don’t need them.
Overall: 5/5. Absolutely amazing. I have been planning to read this book for a long time, and now I will be getting the rest. Then, once I’ve read books one and two, I’ll be re-reading this one to see what I missed in my first go through. I can’t say it enough – Danika has crafted a masterpiece. I look forward to more.
I give this book a 5/5. Yes, it’s finally happened – a book received an actual perfect score. Here is my breakdown.
Characters: 5/5. Danika has created a society of supernatural creatures that is believable and relatable. Each character has a place, none are superfluous, and I felt connected to each and every one. From Brigitta, the confused but headstrong protagonist to Fozk and Gola and the rest, each character contributed to the story, no matter how brief his/her involvement.
More importantly, I haven’t read the first two stories in this series, and yet I was never confused by the character interactions or connections. That is a feat in and of itself!
Plot/Storyline: 5/5. Danika weaves her story like she was born in this realm and is just telling us about something that actually happened. The magic in the world is in-depth and clearly explained, with nary a feeling of the deus-ex-machina. I was fascinated by the link between Brigitta and Ondelle in particular (remember that I haven’t read the first two books) and excited by the possibilities as the story unfolded.
Flow: 5/5. This story proceeded at the speed of plot, which is how I myself write. I never felt like more time was being taken than necessary on any point, or that the characters had diverted into needless conversation or activity. Danika wrote a story, and that story is evident in each keystroke.
Spelling/Grammar: 5/5. Huzzah! Well done! I saw no errors. I repeat, I saw no errors. This is not to say that there are none, but I did not see them as I went through. My only suggestion to Danika is that she eliminate what Stephen King called the “swifties” – which are adverbs attached to dialogue, like “he said softly,” or “she shouted angrily.” Your writing is strong enough that you don’t need them.
Overall: 5/5. Absolutely amazing. I have been planning to read this book for a long time, and now I will be getting the rest. Then, once I’ve read books one and two, I’ll be re-reading this one to see what I missed in my first go through. I can’t say it enough – Danika has crafted a masterpiece. I look forward to more.
April 8, 2014
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.
This was a wonderful third installment in the "Faerie Tales From The White Forest" series. Though it had been a while since I'd read the second book, Dinsmore did an excellent job of weaving in enough information so that I didn't feel lost. This book put the protagonist, Brigitta into some difficult situations that gave her a chance to shine. And we got to see more of the world these elementally-attuned faeries live in. Her world-building is, as always, amazing and maintains a sense of danger and wonder.
The second book ended with Brigitta . A close friend had died and she found herself in the strange situation of having a second element given to her by that friend. With this third book we find that she's received not just a second element from her friend, but also new memories that show her how to restore the elemental balance of the world. But no one believes that she could inherit memories like that and attribute it to her grieving over the loss of a friend.
Brigitta strikes out on her own to try and fix the problem while the Elders of her village hesitate. She faces not only the hostility of the of denizens of the world outside her forest, but also has a timeline and incomplete information.
The character development is wonderful and it is delightful to see Brigitta grow into the person she's becoming. By the end of the book, Dinsmore has laid the groundwork for a much larger quest through the world.
This was a wonderful third installment in the "Faerie Tales From The White Forest" series. Though it had been a while since I'd read the second book, Dinsmore did an excellent job of weaving in enough information so that I didn't feel lost. This book put the protagonist, Brigitta into some difficult situations that gave her a chance to shine. And we got to see more of the world these elementally-attuned faeries live in. Her world-building is, as always, amazing and maintains a sense of danger and wonder.
The second book ended with Brigitta . A close friend had died and she found herself in the strange situation of having a second element given to her by that friend. With this third book we find that she's received not just a second element from her friend, but also new memories that show her how to restore the elemental balance of the world. But no one believes that she could inherit memories like that and attribute it to her grieving over the loss of a friend.
Brigitta strikes out on her own to try and fix the problem while the Elders of her village hesitate. She faces not only the hostility of the of denizens of the world outside her forest, but also has a timeline and incomplete information.
The character development is wonderful and it is delightful to see Brigitta grow into the person she's becoming. By the end of the book, Dinsmore has laid the groundwork for a much larger quest through the world.
May 6, 2014
www.readsandreviews.com
*received an advanced copy of this book for a fair and honest review*
Ondelle of Grioth is the third book in Danika Dinsmore's Faerie Tales from the White Forest. As this adventure begins we find our heroine, Brigitta, back home in the White Forest among family and friends, but mourning the loss of her mentor, Ondelle. In addition, she is recalling memories that belong to Ondelle, experiences that drive Brigitta to make a choice that sends her back into danger to save not just her little portion of the world, but all of civilization.
Like her previous adventures, Brigitta encounters new dangers and makes new friends, creatures that challenge the imagination. One of author Dinsmore's greatest strengths is her creativity and ability to bring her creatures to life, to the point that the reader has no doubt that they exist.
Just as we saw with The Ruins of Noe, the second book in the series, this third installment is more intense, paralleling the dangers that Brigitta faces. Truth be told, at times the mythology surrounding Brigitta's task is a bit muddled and more than once I found myself rereading paragraphs for clarity. Fortunately, this did not distract from my enjoyment of the book and I find myself impatient for the next chapter in the series before this one has even hit the bookstores!
This series would be a wonderful addition to any child's library and great fun to read together as a family.
*received an advanced copy of this book for a fair and honest review*
Ondelle of Grioth is the third book in Danika Dinsmore's Faerie Tales from the White Forest. As this adventure begins we find our heroine, Brigitta, back home in the White Forest among family and friends, but mourning the loss of her mentor, Ondelle. In addition, she is recalling memories that belong to Ondelle, experiences that drive Brigitta to make a choice that sends her back into danger to save not just her little portion of the world, but all of civilization.
Like her previous adventures, Brigitta encounters new dangers and makes new friends, creatures that challenge the imagination. One of author Dinsmore's greatest strengths is her creativity and ability to bring her creatures to life, to the point that the reader has no doubt that they exist.
Just as we saw with The Ruins of Noe, the second book in the series, this third installment is more intense, paralleling the dangers that Brigitta faces. Truth be told, at times the mythology surrounding Brigitta's task is a bit muddled and more than once I found myself rereading paragraphs for clarity. Fortunately, this did not distract from my enjoyment of the book and I find myself impatient for the next chapter in the series before this one has even hit the bookstores!
This series would be a wonderful addition to any child's library and great fun to read together as a family.
May 12, 2014
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.
Daninka Dinsmore does not disappoint with "Ondelle of Grioth", the third installment in the White Forest series. My only regret is that I do not have the fourth book to leap into immediately.
In this book, Brigitta has returned home to the White Forest, with some of her new friends, and she is trying to settle back into her destined position while mourning the passing of her friend and Mentor, Ondelle of Grioth. It is evident that Ondelle has passed her memories on to Brigitta, and while she struggles to make sense of the memories she further questions her destiny and her place in her world.
Brigitta finds herself alienating those around her, with the exception of some of her closest friends, and she sets out to continue to help restore balance to the White Forest. With each step of her adventure, and each passing memory, she discovers more about her abilities, her destiny and the world that she lives in. Sometimes answers are not revealed until the moment that they are needed.
As with the preceeding two novels, Brigitta makes new friends along the way, and more of the world that Danika Dinsmore has created, is revealed to the reader. I am eager to continue the journey alongside Brigitta and her friends and I will be waiting impatiently for the next installment.
Daninka Dinsmore does not disappoint with "Ondelle of Grioth", the third installment in the White Forest series. My only regret is that I do not have the fourth book to leap into immediately.
In this book, Brigitta has returned home to the White Forest, with some of her new friends, and she is trying to settle back into her destined position while mourning the passing of her friend and Mentor, Ondelle of Grioth. It is evident that Ondelle has passed her memories on to Brigitta, and while she struggles to make sense of the memories she further questions her destiny and her place in her world.
Brigitta finds herself alienating those around her, with the exception of some of her closest friends, and she sets out to continue to help restore balance to the White Forest. With each step of her adventure, and each passing memory, she discovers more about her abilities, her destiny and the world that she lives in. Sometimes answers are not revealed until the moment that they are needed.
As with the preceeding two novels, Brigitta makes new friends along the way, and more of the world that Danika Dinsmore has created, is revealed to the reader. I am eager to continue the journey alongside Brigitta and her friends and I will be waiting impatiently for the next installment.
January 14, 2016
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll admit up front that Ondelle of Grioth, the third book in the Faerie Tales from the White Forest series, is not my kind of novel. I like my fantasy reads to be action-packed adventures—fast-paced, exciting, and fraught with peril.
Ondelle of Grioth, on the other hand, is a perfect fit for those who require a more gentle style of storytelling with talking, explaining, describing, and planning, for the most part, taking the place of action. The bones of the story are promising—headstrong faerie Brigitta goes against the wishes of her Elders and sets out on a mission to reconnect her forest with the mysterious Ancients—however, large swaths of the aforementioned "talking" kept me thumbing my Kindle to get to the more interesting bits.
That said, the author has an obvious affection for her sweet characters and delivers a story that will be liked by those who enjoy less urgency in their storytelling.
I’ll admit up front that Ondelle of Grioth, the third book in the Faerie Tales from the White Forest series, is not my kind of novel. I like my fantasy reads to be action-packed adventures—fast-paced, exciting, and fraught with peril.
Ondelle of Grioth, on the other hand, is a perfect fit for those who require a more gentle style of storytelling with talking, explaining, describing, and planning, for the most part, taking the place of action. The bones of the story are promising—headstrong faerie Brigitta goes against the wishes of her Elders and sets out on a mission to reconnect her forest with the mysterious Ancients—however, large swaths of the aforementioned "talking" kept me thumbing my Kindle to get to the more interesting bits.
That said, the author has an obvious affection for her sweet characters and delivers a story that will be liked by those who enjoy less urgency in their storytelling.
April 3, 2014
I have long admired this author and her poetic prose. In Book Three of the White Forest series, Danika Dinsmore pulls out all the stops on imagination as teen faerie Brigitta faces an Odyssean series of trials to overcome in order to save her home. Readers will want to have read the first two books in the series to fully appreciate the character interactions and recurrences (and surprise reappearances) in this wildly inventive world. Dinsmore has a keen sense of what young readers like, and I know that diehard fans like my niece will be enraptured by Brigitta’s continued forays into the unknown with her stalwart band of misfit friends. Can’t wait to buy her a copy. (I was given an advance ebook reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
June 20, 2014
Welcome to the world of faries that Danika Dinsmore creates. You'll step into a world so different from the planet Earth and where fairies live in great danger. Brigitta is cursed by the memories of Ondelle. Is Ondelle trying to tell her something? What's happened to Jarlath? Why is he suddenly against Brigitta? Enter if you dare.
July 26, 2016
Book 3 of a delightful series -- I've enjoyed each one Some young friends of mine are excited to hear I've finished this one, as I passed the previous books to them as well, and they want to continue with the story!
How can an author get a better recommendation than that!
How can an author get a better recommendation than that!
October 3, 2014
I received the omnibus edition of the first three books in this series from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. You can see my combined review at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2....
November 19, 2016
The map illustrations in the front of the book are wonderful. Brigitta learns more about Ondelle and so do we. This brings more adventures her way.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews