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The Dryad
The monotony of farm work is killing Julian. Between his boring life and his demanding father, Julian is losing his passion for music and his hope for a life of travel. When he escapes work for a day in the woods, he stumbles upon a beautiful dryad and finds the beginnings of the life he’s always wanted. But the dryad’s magic runs deeper than he understands, and Julian must leave with her before his newly rekindled dreams are torn from him. The first in its series, The Dryad is a stand-alone novella. This story contains content intended for mature audiences.
104 pages, Paperback
Published September 6, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 26, 2017
I received The Dryad as an ARC a couple months before release, and if I had reviewed it then, I would have given this a 1-star rating. It wasn’t the writing itself (they write very well), but the content when being marketed toward romance readers. Instead, I approach the authors with my honest feedback. I admit I was wary of reading this again after the first time, but I gave it a shot, and I am glad to say that the changes made this book so much better. Great job, guys.
Onto the review! Julian has a wandering soul. He longs for a life of freedom and music, to travel and see the world. Instead, he’s stuck on a farm with an overbearing father and living in the shadows of his two older brothers. His mother is the only one who understands him. While taking a much-needed break, he stumbles upon Unharud in the forest and is immediately drawn to her. Through telepathic means, they are able to communicate and over some time, and their trust and love for one another grows. But they have obstacles to overcome if they want a future together.
This is a short story/novella, so the pace is quick. The writing is fluid and descriptive. This is a setup for another book to come as there is a cliff-hanger. To romance readers: there is no HEA or HFN just yet for Julian and Unharud, so you’ll need to stay tuned for what is in store for them to come. Overall, this is a tale of a young man wanting to break free and begin his journey in life, something fantasy lovers might enjoy (with a lil heat thrown in there). I’m giving this a 3.5-star due to the cliff-hanger, but rounding it up to a 4-star.
Onto the review! Julian has a wandering soul. He longs for a life of freedom and music, to travel and see the world. Instead, he’s stuck on a farm with an overbearing father and living in the shadows of his two older brothers. His mother is the only one who understands him. While taking a much-needed break, he stumbles upon Unharud in the forest and is immediately drawn to her. Through telepathic means, they are able to communicate and over some time, and their trust and love for one another grows. But they have obstacles to overcome if they want a future together.
This is a short story/novella, so the pace is quick. The writing is fluid and descriptive. This is a setup for another book to come as there is a cliff-hanger. To romance readers: there is no HEA or HFN just yet for Julian and Unharud, so you’ll need to stay tuned for what is in store for them to come. Overall, this is a tale of a young man wanting to break free and begin his journey in life, something fantasy lovers might enjoy (with a lil heat thrown in there). I’m giving this a 3.5-star due to the cliff-hanger, but rounding it up to a 4-star.
June 28, 2017
This was a very sweet tale about growing up and finding one's way in the world. Julian, the caring and sensitive male lead, lives on a farm with his mother, father, and two older brothers. As he is the baby of the family, he struggles with balancing the pressures his father puts on him and his own wishes. His dream of adventure and playing music is lost in his obligations until he meets Unharud, the magical dancing dryad in the woods.
I very much enjoyed following Julian as he broke away from the path his father had put before him and trail-blazed one of his own devising. Although this is definitely a romance with sweet (and a steamy ;) moments between the leads, this story has a clear focus on Julian's growth, decisions, and how one person (or dryad) can make a big difference and give someone the confidence/push they need to step out.
The writing is seamless, simple, and lovely. Dante Silva and Vanessa Mozes have created a tender novella, showing, to me, that while life may not go the way we plan, a little support and love can mean the world. The choice is up to the individual and starts when we listen to our hearts and our old souls. <3
I very much enjoyed following Julian as he broke away from the path his father had put before him and trail-blazed one of his own devising. Although this is definitely a romance with sweet (and a steamy ;) moments between the leads, this story has a clear focus on Julian's growth, decisions, and how one person (or dryad) can make a big difference and give someone the confidence/push they need to step out.
The writing is seamless, simple, and lovely. Dante Silva and Vanessa Mozes have created a tender novella, showing, to me, that while life may not go the way we plan, a little support and love can mean the world. The choice is up to the individual and starts when we listen to our hearts and our old souls. <3
August 10, 2017
This was a very interesting beginning to what seems a very interesting story. We have Julian, a misfit in his own home and who adores his mother and her tales of her homeland. She was a wanderer who had a gift for music. In that regard, Julian is the same. He loves the lyre that has been passed down for generations in his mother's family and tries to practice as often as he is able. This is particularly difficult because his father is a farmer and is doing his best to have his sons follow in his footsteps. The youngest of the three boys, Julian helps to support the family by doing odd jobs in their town. Until one day he happens upon the dryad in her element. What began as a stolen moment in the forest to play his music ended up as sparking an interest in the mysterious. Julian and his dryad form a bond and he's drawn into magic and the unknown. Ending on an open note, there's definite interest in how the story continues. I'm hoping it continues...
August 14, 2017
An enjoyable, quick read. Julian lived on a farm with his parents and two brothers but it wasn’t the life that he wanted. He took after his mother in that he had a wanderlust. She just had fulfilled it with a lot of traveling, then finding his father and falling in love. The story does end with more to go in the story, but not in the typical cliff hanging where you want to swear and never read books by the author again. Things happen (don’t want to do spoilers) and the characters still have more to go in their stories. I did get caught up with the different people in the story and would like to see what will happen to them. Reminded me in the way it flowed of some fairy tales I read before but not in a bad way. I did receive a ARC copy from Hidden Gems for a honest review. Would I read the next story by these authors? Yes, as it did pull me into the story so that I wanted to finish it. Over all a good read that would rate 3.5 stars.
January 4, 2019
I received an ARC of this story through Hidden Gems and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I found this story to be a little slow to start for my typical tastes, but I pushed through and was very pleasantly surprised in the latter half of the book and now cannot wait to read more of Unharud and Julian's story. Normally I dislike stories that feature what seems to be "insta-love" but it really works for this book. Julian is a small village boy who's never been anywhere or had any real life experiences. Unharud is a dryad from another world and, of course, very innocent and unknowing of Julian's world. In the context of both their experiences the "insta-love" is understandable and even a little adorable, but it was only once they started to experience adversity to their relationship that I really started to feel for the two of them and got truly drawn into their story. I am very interested to read further into the series and see where this couple's adventures will end up!
I found this story to be a little slow to start for my typical tastes, but I pushed through and was very pleasantly surprised in the latter half of the book and now cannot wait to read more of Unharud and Julian's story. Normally I dislike stories that feature what seems to be "insta-love" but it really works for this book. Julian is a small village boy who's never been anywhere or had any real life experiences. Unharud is a dryad from another world and, of course, very innocent and unknowing of Julian's world. In the context of both their experiences the "insta-love" is understandable and even a little adorable, but it was only once they started to experience adversity to their relationship that I really started to feel for the two of them and got truly drawn into their story. I am very interested to read further into the series and see where this couple's adventures will end up!
August 16, 2017
A fun, engaging, quick read. The writers paint a thorough and beautiful picture of a world where dryads dance in clearings and young men struggle with the pressures their fathers' expectations put on them. Julian is a relatable, appealing, well-rounded character. Unharud is heartbreakingly beautiful, and I hope for a sequel so we can dive more into her and her backstory to give her more depth. Found myself unable to stop reading and so excited for the next part!
August 12, 2017
I like that this little story was written by a husband and wife author team. I got the sense that their personalities were weaved into the characters thought that was cool. Even though it was a short read, it was entertaining. There were some questions that went unanswered and I hope the story continues so we can find out more.
August 11, 2017
Short quick read. Story line about a coming of age is good. Interesting characters.I would definitely read another book by this author and I would very much like to read more about Julian and Unharud. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
August 6, 2017
A solid, short read. Seems to set up a great adventure.
August 12, 2017
The beginning of Julian and Unharud's story, it was short and sweet. A good Novella.
August 14, 2017
I was given an advanced copy for an Arc Read for an honest review.
The story was extremely short, something I wasn't expecting. But all that can be overlooked because it's a wonderful story about a young man who has dreams of playing his music and traveling and feeling like he's not going anywhere helping around town or home. He meets an fae woman who he falls in love with but trouble arises and he is left to his fate of finally living his dream
The story was extremely short, something I wasn't expecting. But all that can be overlooked because it's a wonderful story about a young man who has dreams of playing his music and traveling and feeling like he's not going anywhere helping around town or home. He meets an fae woman who he falls in love with but trouble arises and he is left to his fate of finally living his dream
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews