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Rowan: Branch 1 of the Tree of Life
Nearly a century ago, Rowan Nemed died by lightning strike. The divine bolt ignited something magic and she was transformed into something rare, powerful, and fey: sidhe.
Sidhe survival depends much upon one’s ability to remain hidden from other supernatural creatures and magic users who would exploit them. Rowan has lived for several years in the pressure cooker of Hollywood as a set designer, carefully staying away from the camera. However, a spontaneous act of recognition for her work brings Rowan to the notice of Los Angeles’ supernatural community and her freedom is threatened.
Lion shifter Adrian and vampire Simon are best friends and business partners. When they discover Rowan, each wants her for his own. Rowan does her best to dissuade them, for a supernatural matebond means the end of her freedom.
Then demons begin hunting sidhe and Rowan is a prime target. She agrees to exchange her freedom for survival. But which male will Rowan accept? And can she survive when one of them dies in a battle to keep her?
This is the first of three books in The Tree of Life trilogy. The book can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Mature content not suitable for readers under 18. Content has been proofread, edited, and updated.
Sidhe survival depends much upon one’s ability to remain hidden from other supernatural creatures and magic users who would exploit them. Rowan has lived for several years in the pressure cooker of Hollywood as a set designer, carefully staying away from the camera. However, a spontaneous act of recognition for her work brings Rowan to the notice of Los Angeles’ supernatural community and her freedom is threatened.
Lion shifter Adrian and vampire Simon are best friends and business partners. When they discover Rowan, each wants her for his own. Rowan does her best to dissuade them, for a supernatural matebond means the end of her freedom.
Then demons begin hunting sidhe and Rowan is a prime target. She agrees to exchange her freedom for survival. But which male will Rowan accept? And can she survive when one of them dies in a battle to keep her?
This is the first of three books in The Tree of Life trilogy. The book can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Mature content not suitable for readers under 18. Content has been proofread, edited, and updated.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 23, 2014
About the author
Holly Bargo
42 books136 followersI've been writing stories since I was old enough to put pencil to paper. My mother raised me on books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Carol Ryrie Brink, Elizabeth George Speare, Marguerite Henry, and Walter Farley. Wilder and Farley are probably contributing factors to my decades-long love affair with horses, particularly Morgans.
Horses comprise a significant part of my life. We didn't live on a farm and my parents didn't like horses, but that didn't stop me. I bought my first horse weeks before my 15th birthday with money earned from working at the family's ice cream parlor. Having passed 50 years old, I still have horses, two of which are Morgans.
In my early teens I started reading romance and fantasy: Danielle Steel, Barbara Cartland, Jude Devereaux, Jayne Anne Krentz, David Eddings, Robin McKinley, R. A. Salvatore, Jack Chalker, Orson Scott Card. Years later, I quit devouring everything the library had to offer and started narrowing my choices. I wrote for the high school newspaper and got a few encouraging nibbles on short stories submitted to magazines.
In college I majored in English, because literature is my "thing." Except, I didn't want to read the musty old stuff written by long dead men; I wanted to write and be read.
Fast forward to now, after 30 years of marriage, two children (one in college and the other serving in the military), I never lost that habit of writing, regardless of how little encouragement--or even active discouragement--I received.
So, now I write romance and paranormal romance. I enjoy writing it and hope you enjoy reading it.
Horses comprise a significant part of my life. We didn't live on a farm and my parents didn't like horses, but that didn't stop me. I bought my first horse weeks before my 15th birthday with money earned from working at the family's ice cream parlor. Having passed 50 years old, I still have horses, two of which are Morgans.
In my early teens I started reading romance and fantasy: Danielle Steel, Barbara Cartland, Jude Devereaux, Jayne Anne Krentz, David Eddings, Robin McKinley, R. A. Salvatore, Jack Chalker, Orson Scott Card. Years later, I quit devouring everything the library had to offer and started narrowing my choices. I wrote for the high school newspaper and got a few encouraging nibbles on short stories submitted to magazines.
In college I majored in English, because literature is my "thing." Except, I didn't want to read the musty old stuff written by long dead men; I wanted to write and be read.
Fast forward to now, after 30 years of marriage, two children (one in college and the other serving in the military), I never lost that habit of writing, regardless of how little encouragement--or even active discouragement--I received.
So, now I write romance and paranormal romance. I enjoy writing it and hope you enjoy reading it.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 5, 2021
3 Cranky Stars
Rowan is a dark elf and is shunned by others of her kind. She is made her home in Los Angeles working for herself as a set designer for the Hollywood Elite. Her kind are Hunted for their power and immortality, her being a female of her kind is extremely rare and highly sought-after. Typically in order to be safe she has to bond with another Supernatural, either a were creature or vampire or another of her kind. She is unmated when the Story begins, she meets a vampire and a weretiger that are business partners and work in security. Both of them feel like they are her fated mate. The vampire, Simon, is immortal like Rowan is and Adrian, the weretiger, is not Immortal. Simon concedes his mating to Adrian since Adrian has one lifetime and Simon has many. Demons are hunting Rowan to be able to eat her flesh and Magic which will give them a boost. She mates with Adrian for protection. Before coming to Los Angeles she had escaped captivity and slavery and was met by Raphael, who took her under his wing and helped her to heal and in the time that they were together, Raphael fell in love with her, but she was not ready to be mated for all of eternity oh, so he let her go. She then ended up in Los Angeles. During one of the contracts she had there was a Battle to see who she belong to and Adrian was killed so Simon bonded with her to keep her under his protection. Fast forward many years and another battle with other Supernatural Simon was killed and she gave herself over to Rafael to live happily ever after.
However, I feel like the relationships she has in this book with both Adrian, Simon, and Raphael we're too rushed and hallow. I feel like each one of the romances should have been their own separate book to allow for more depth. The author kept changing perspective between the main 4 characters very frequently, sometimes all perspectives in the same chapter, this is something I personally do not enjoy. Overall the book was well written, the story is well thought out, the characters are personable and likeable, and it's a good read.
Rowan is a dark elf and is shunned by others of her kind. She is made her home in Los Angeles working for herself as a set designer for the Hollywood Elite. Her kind are Hunted for their power and immortality, her being a female of her kind is extremely rare and highly sought-after. Typically in order to be safe she has to bond with another Supernatural, either a were creature or vampire or another of her kind. She is unmated when the Story begins, she meets a vampire and a weretiger that are business partners and work in security. Both of them feel like they are her fated mate. The vampire, Simon, is immortal like Rowan is and Adrian, the weretiger, is not Immortal. Simon concedes his mating to Adrian since Adrian has one lifetime and Simon has many. Demons are hunting Rowan to be able to eat her flesh and Magic which will give them a boost. She mates with Adrian for protection. Before coming to Los Angeles she had escaped captivity and slavery and was met by Raphael, who took her under his wing and helped her to heal and in the time that they were together, Raphael fell in love with her, but she was not ready to be mated for all of eternity oh, so he let her go. She then ended up in Los Angeles. During one of the contracts she had there was a Battle to see who she belong to and Adrian was killed so Simon bonded with her to keep her under his protection. Fast forward many years and another battle with other Supernatural Simon was killed and she gave herself over to Rafael to live happily ever after.
However, I feel like the relationships she has in this book with both Adrian, Simon, and Raphael we're too rushed and hallow. I feel like each one of the romances should have been their own separate book to allow for more depth. The author kept changing perspective between the main 4 characters very frequently, sometimes all perspectives in the same chapter, this is something I personally do not enjoy. Overall the book was well written, the story is well thought out, the characters are personable and likeable, and it's a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2016
A beautifully written start to what promises to be an intriguing series. Ms Bargo has a great sense of what her supernatural characters will have to go through in order to prevail in modern-day USA, making it an interesting and informative read, packed full of credible scenarios and behaviours. Her characters are lovingly drawn, to the point where I was disappointed to lose one of them early on, and spent a page or so reeling from the loss before I could fully re-engage with the story.
September 24, 2014
For a 42-Chapter-length book I felt the story could have packed a bigger punch.
I felt the pace was really slow; there were some parts where the story didn't move along at all.
For the series starter this book didn't compel me to want to read the rest in the series. I was a little disappointed.
I felt the pace was really slow; there were some parts where the story didn't move along at all.
For the series starter this book didn't compel me to want to read the rest in the series. I was a little disappointed.
July 10, 2015
This book was a really good read. I enjoyed most of the characters and there were quite a few plot twists and turns which always kept you guessing. Overall a enjoyable read and I will look forward to reading what this author has in store for future books.
4 out of 5 fangs
~Storm
4 out of 5 fangs
~Storm
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews