Heartwood

Trickster's Game #1

by Barbara Campbell

Year after year, season after season, for as long as Darak's people could remember, the battle of the Oak and the Holly had taken place, bringing an end to Winter and the rebirth of Spring. But this year the battle went wrong as Darak's brother became possessed by the spirit of the Holly. To free him, Darak must undertake a quest to restore the very balance of nature.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

422 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2005

About the author

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Reviews

[Gem · Rating 1 out of 5]

the main charater wasn't interesting enough to care about his inner turmoil.

[Lyri Ahnam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heartwood is reminiscent of Stone-Age Britain with a yearly Midwinter “battle” between the Oak King and the Holly King, but Barbara Campbell transforms the ancient myths into something entirely her own. This is a quest story with elements of a portal fantasy, and intriguing characters who are both tested and transformed by story events. There are shamans, gods, and a strange Otherworld ruled by chaos.
The main character is Darak, a stoic hunter who begins the story hardened and bitter, trying to force everyone around him to his will. His story transformation is earned a thousandfold. Authors often speak about struggling to challenge or harm their characters. Ms Campbell doesn’t appear to suffer from that malady. Darak endures heart-wrenching trials that would kill a lesser man. His ordeals leave him shattered and vulnerable, yet deepened and more human.
The Holly Lord was another fascinating character: a seasonal god trapped in a mortal body for most of the tale. His point of view was my favorite. He is both innocent and wise, compassionate and compelled to follow his destiny. His social skills were terrible, but he tried hard to understand his human companions, which made him endearing.
Griane is a young healer and herbalist who acts impulsively but always with the best intentions. When she isn’t acting rashly, she is smart about making preparations and applying her skills to help others. She stands up to Darak and calls him on his machismo.
The story also stars a Trickster god who often appears as part fox. His motivations are never entirely clear, and he is sometimes exasperating and other times sympathetic.
The cosmology of Heartwood gives the illusion of an existing belief system that has evolved over time. I don’t personally find the Stone Age compelling, but the writing was so good, it was hard to stop turning pages. Every time our heroes concocted a plan, something went awry.
The climax was not entirely unexpected—one of those inevitable endings that make the novel’s journey feel complete. The clear indication of a potential sequel in no way detracted from the bittersweet end or the lovely romantic denouement between two of the main characters. It’s a sign of a great story when the conclusion resonates so strongly.
Heartwood is a well-written fantasy novel with complex, heroic characters overcoming impossible odds.

[Sarah]

Its not that this was a bad book, its just that I couldn't get fully into it, and I kept putting it down because I found other more interesting things to read. The last time I went to get pick it back up, I had completely lost the story line.

[new_user]

Iffy...

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read fantasy, but picked this one up on a whim. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The plotting was unique and the characters had a lot of depth.

[M— · Rating 1 out of 5]

Drivel. Boring, didactic, and predictable all at once.