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Eldentimber #2
Anwen of Primewood
It's never wise for a lady to run away in the middle of the night with a smooth-talking man with a questionable heritage—it's even worse to give that man your family's greatest treasure.
After making a chain of bad decisions, Lady Anwen of Primewood finds herself in Lauramore, posing as a tambourine girl while she attempts to track down the man who wooed her, robbed her, and left her in the woods. Instead, she finds Galinor—a melancholy prince who's incapable of saying no to a damsel in distress.
Together, they set out on a seemingly simple mission to fix Anwen's greatest mistake, but soon they encounter complications in the form of stolen horses, mischievous fairies, and a dark creature that stalks them through the forest.
Despite all that, the unexpected and inconvenient affection growing between them might be the most troublesome obstacle of all…
Full of charm and humor, Anwen of Primewood is a romantic fairy tale adventure set in a fantasy world you won't soon forget.
After making a chain of bad decisions, Lady Anwen of Primewood finds herself in Lauramore, posing as a tambourine girl while she attempts to track down the man who wooed her, robbed her, and left her in the woods. Instead, she finds Galinor—a melancholy prince who's incapable of saying no to a damsel in distress.
Together, they set out on a seemingly simple mission to fix Anwen's greatest mistake, but soon they encounter complications in the form of stolen horses, mischievous fairies, and a dark creature that stalks them through the forest.
Despite all that, the unexpected and inconvenient affection growing between them might be the most troublesome obstacle of all…
Full of charm and humor, Anwen of Primewood is a romantic fairy tale adventure set in a fantasy world you won't soon forget.
393 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2015
330 people are currently reading
407 people want to read
About the author
Shari L. Tapscott
69 books914 followersShari L. Tapscott writes young adult fantasy and humorous contemporary fiction. When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys gardening, making soap, and pretending she can sing.
She loves white chocolate mochas, furry animals, spending time with her family, and characters who refuse to behave.
Tapscott lives in western Colorado with her husband, son, daughter, and two very spoiled Saint Bernards.
Join Shari's newsletter, and be one of the first to learn about new projects, upcoming releases, sales, and specials.
She loves white chocolate mochas, furry animals, spending time with her family, and characters who refuse to behave.
Tapscott lives in western Colorado with her husband, son, daughter, and two very spoiled Saint Bernards.
Join Shari's newsletter, and be one of the first to learn about new projects, upcoming releases, sales, and specials.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
January 9, 2016
So, if you weren't already in love with Galinor from Pippa, hold on to your hats people. You will be ready to marry him by the end of this book. We see a completely different side of him.
On to the story - Anwen isn't a very bright girl, or maybe it's love making her stupid. She falls in love with a gypsy and entrusts him with something that is very precious to her father. To be fair, she doesn't quite know how important the stone is. She soon realized how wrong she was to trust this man when he robs her and leaves her alone, sleeping in the middle of nowhere.
So, she embarks on a journey to find him and get what is hers. She first goes to Lauramore where she meets the group of princes who agree to help her on her journey. Galinor is among this group, as is Anwen's childhood love, Irving. Along the way, secrets about her family are revealed.
This book is every bit as good as the first one. I want so much more of these characters. Once Anwen is no longer acting naieve and in love with the gypsy, she is quite likeable. Irving is absolutely hilarious - the kind of guy you'd love to be friends with but could never date.
I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Ms. Tapscott has gained a fan!
On to the story - Anwen isn't a very bright girl, or maybe it's love making her stupid. She falls in love with a gypsy and entrusts him with something that is very precious to her father. To be fair, she doesn't quite know how important the stone is. She soon realized how wrong she was to trust this man when he robs her and leaves her alone, sleeping in the middle of nowhere.
So, she embarks on a journey to find him and get what is hers. She first goes to Lauramore where she meets the group of princes who agree to help her on her journey. Galinor is among this group, as is Anwen's childhood love, Irving. Along the way, secrets about her family are revealed.
This book is every bit as good as the first one. I want so much more of these characters. Once Anwen is no longer acting naieve and in love with the gypsy, she is quite likeable. Irving is absolutely hilarious - the kind of guy you'd love to be friends with but could never date.
I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Ms. Tapscott has gained a fan!
January 19, 2016
I slipped this one in this holiday weekend, curled myself up in the big cozy chair and didn't move for hours. It was lovely. I was so anxious to read this book I just couldn't help myself.
This is the second book in this series. You don't have to read the first book to understand this book but it should would make more sense and the connections would be there from the beginning.
Reading this book was so fun! I was easily caught up in these characters and this story. Anwen is a new character to me but Galinor is a character from the first book and I was so glad to see him in this story. He is a bit broken down in the beginning of this story, the poor guy. But as the book goes along, he becomes the man I always knew he was. Strong, confident, brave and quite the hero. It was so attractive.
I don't think I loved this book quite as much as the first one, but it was still really good. I am loving this series and I can't wait to get a moment to read the next one!
Content: Clean
This is the second book in this series. You don't have to read the first book to understand this book but it should would make more sense and the connections would be there from the beginning.
Reading this book was so fun! I was easily caught up in these characters and this story. Anwen is a new character to me but Galinor is a character from the first book and I was so glad to see him in this story. He is a bit broken down in the beginning of this story, the poor guy. But as the book goes along, he becomes the man I always knew he was. Strong, confident, brave and quite the hero. It was so attractive.
I don't think I loved this book quite as much as the first one, but it was still really good. I am loving this series and I can't wait to get a moment to read the next one!
Content: Clean
April 16, 2020
I adored the first book in this Eldentimber series, and was excited to dive back into this world of medieval fantasy. I think it helps a lot to read the books in order, especially as they discuss a lot of events and have lots of returning characters from the previous book.
I liked Anwen a lot. She is a great protagonist, and although naive, she is kind and has some spunk to her. The book begins with a terrible choice made by her, and morphs into a quest to right the wrong she made, as she is joined by many noble friends and princes. I loved having Galinor back from the first book. There is so much more to him and this book gives him a chance to show that.
The magic and fantasy were so fun, and I loved Pika and Danvers. There were so many twists and turns in this story, I really never knew what was going to happen next. The romance was sweet and clean, and I just couldn’t put this book down. Can’t wait to jump into the next one!
I liked Anwen a lot. She is a great protagonist, and although naive, she is kind and has some spunk to her. The book begins with a terrible choice made by her, and morphs into a quest to right the wrong she made, as she is joined by many noble friends and princes. I loved having Galinor back from the first book. There is so much more to him and this book gives him a chance to show that.
The magic and fantasy were so fun, and I loved Pika and Danvers. There were so many twists and turns in this story, I really never knew what was going to happen next. The romance was sweet and clean, and I just couldn’t put this book down. Can’t wait to jump into the next one!
September 6, 2016
~3.5 stars~
This is my 2nd book to read in this series, and like the 1st it was a simple and pretty easy coming of age romance. Had a very PG feel to it but that didn’t take away from the story. I really liked the characters in this one. I'll defiantly read more when Im in the mood for a light romance. Especially with them being offered on kindleunlimited.
This is my 2nd book to read in this series, and like the 1st it was a simple and pretty easy coming of age romance. Had a very PG feel to it but that didn’t take away from the story. I really liked the characters in this one. I'll defiantly read more when Im in the mood for a light romance. Especially with them being offered on kindleunlimited.
November 13, 2024
Wow, the ending was a quite drastic… and rather unnecessary IMO. Seriously. Did it really need to sink that far?
Overall the book was good. I was a little hesitant at first in regard to Anwen. I don’t typically love clueless and foolish heroines, and she most certainly is that… but Tapscott somehow pulls it off. Despite her extreme naivety, Anwen started to grow on me. And she does have an exceptionally cool super power in her connection with animals. I just loved Pika ☺️
The book was a solid 5 stars for most of it, but I simply must knock off a star for that crash and burn ending. Hard to call it a happily ever after, even if Prince Charming did get his girl.
Content:
There’s no foul language or sex. There is some violence, but it’s not excessive. The romance is clean and doesn’t go beyond a couple kisses at the end. There is magic and curses. There’s no mention of faith or God.
Overall the book was good. I was a little hesitant at first in regard to Anwen. I don’t typically love clueless and foolish heroines, and she most certainly is that… but Tapscott somehow pulls it off. Despite her extreme naivety, Anwen started to grow on me. And she does have an exceptionally cool super power in her connection with animals. I just loved Pika ☺️
The book was a solid 5 stars for most of it, but I simply must knock off a star for that crash and burn ending. Hard to call it a happily ever after, even if Prince Charming did get his girl.
Content:
There’s no foul language or sex. There is some violence, but it’s not excessive. The romance is clean and doesn’t go beyond a couple kisses at the end. There is magic and curses. There’s no mention of faith or God.
January 21, 2023
Action, Adventure, and Romance
It was wonderful to read Galinor's story. I liked him more in this story than in "Pippa of Laura more."
Anwen is an adventurous lady who has a knack for trouble. It all starts when she falls for the wrong man and tries to run away with him. He stole a precious stone from her. A stone she is desperate to get back.
Anwen and Galinor travel the Kingdoms in search of the stone. It doesn't take long to figure out that they are very attracted to each other.
The story has peril, action, adventure, fantasy creatures, and romance.
I enjoyed the book and plan on continuing the series.
It was wonderful to read Galinor's story. I liked him more in this story than in "Pippa of Laura more."
Anwen is an adventurous lady who has a knack for trouble. It all starts when she falls for the wrong man and tries to run away with him. He stole a precious stone from her. A stone she is desperate to get back.
Anwen and Galinor travel the Kingdoms in search of the stone. It doesn't take long to figure out that they are very attracted to each other.
The story has peril, action, adventure, fantasy creatures, and romance.
I enjoyed the book and plan on continuing the series.
March 6, 2022
Love
Very sweet continuation of this series.
I felt like the ending was a tad abrupt. I have hopes we'll see more of Anwen and Galinor's conclusion in book 3.
**Update, there was no continuation of this couple in the next book. Slightly disappointed in the ending. I needed to see a little bit more.
Very sweet continuation of this series.
I felt like the ending was a tad abrupt. I have hopes we'll see more of Anwen and Galinor's conclusion in book 3.
**Update, there was no continuation of this couple in the next book. Slightly disappointed in the ending. I needed to see a little bit more.
February 4, 2016
In Shari Tapscott's first book, "Pippa of Lauramore", we were introduced to a vast array of colorful characters that inhabit a medieval, magical landscape that includes sword fights, castles, chivalry and fairies. Just like a fairy tale. And while I enjoyed it, I felt like some ingredient was missing.
Whatever that ingredient was, I got it in "Anwen of Primewood". We meet Anwen, a beautiful young woman of noble birth who has decided to run away with a handsome gypsy, blissfully unaware of the fact that it's not her that she wants, but a magical stone that she carries. Her naivete gets a kick in the tush when she awakens to find him and her stone gone.
In her pursuit to retrieve her property, she falls in with Galinor, a brave prince who has seen his efforts to win the tournament for Pippa's hand end in failure. He agrees to help her in her quest (that's just the kind of guy he is), and so do several of the other tournament contestants, including the wisecracking Irving, who has known Anwen forever.
I loved this story. Irving is hilarious, and I could sense the chemistry between Anwen and Galinor from the very beginning. However, what set this story above the first was that it felt much more mature in tone. Oh, sure, there were still fairies, but the whole story seemed considerably darker than Pippa. The storytelling has also markedly improved. I look forward to reading Ms. Tapscott's third book, Seirsha of Errinton, very soon!
Whatever that ingredient was, I got it in "Anwen of Primewood". We meet Anwen, a beautiful young woman of noble birth who has decided to run away with a handsome gypsy, blissfully unaware of the fact that it's not her that she wants, but a magical stone that she carries. Her naivete gets a kick in the tush when she awakens to find him and her stone gone.
In her pursuit to retrieve her property, she falls in with Galinor, a brave prince who has seen his efforts to win the tournament for Pippa's hand end in failure. He agrees to help her in her quest (that's just the kind of guy he is), and so do several of the other tournament contestants, including the wisecracking Irving, who has known Anwen forever.
I loved this story. Irving is hilarious, and I could sense the chemistry between Anwen and Galinor from the very beginning. However, what set this story above the first was that it felt much more mature in tone. Oh, sure, there were still fairies, but the whole story seemed considerably darker than Pippa. The storytelling has also markedly improved. I look forward to reading Ms. Tapscott's third book, Seirsha of Errinton, very soon!
October 6, 2018
Gypsy is a racial slur but I guess the writing is good
If you know anything about the Romani people, you'd know that Europe has been demonizing them for literally hundreds of years, and their dehumanization still continues to this day; their genocide continues to be made legal in countries us Americans consider progressive. Google it, it's not my story to tell, I'm just trying to call attention to it.
That being said, the fact that a group of wealthy white teenagers is going on an extravagant wild goose chase to track down one of these people, characterized by the "gypsy" stereotype of being liars, thieves and cheaters, is SO incredibly problematic. The blatant use of this group of people makes zero sense in the context of Tapscott's world here because she doesn't seem to use real ethnic groups for any of the other kingdoms. Which leads me to believe that she ignorantly used the stereotypes of this group because the aesthetic is interesting/romanticized, or some similarly uninformed reason.
Which brings me to my last point: it's a real shame that this book is so grossly uninformed, because Tapscott is an otherwise genuinely fun author to read. If this book hadn't relied on stereotypes perpetuated by white people with the intention of dehumanizing this ethnic group to excuse their genocide, I would have enjoyed it as much as I've liked reading her other work.
If you know anything about the Romani people, you'd know that Europe has been demonizing them for literally hundreds of years, and their dehumanization still continues to this day; their genocide continues to be made legal in countries us Americans consider progressive. Google it, it's not my story to tell, I'm just trying to call attention to it.
That being said, the fact that a group of wealthy white teenagers is going on an extravagant wild goose chase to track down one of these people, characterized by the "gypsy" stereotype of being liars, thieves and cheaters, is SO incredibly problematic. The blatant use of this group of people makes zero sense in the context of Tapscott's world here because she doesn't seem to use real ethnic groups for any of the other kingdoms. Which leads me to believe that she ignorantly used the stereotypes of this group because the aesthetic is interesting/romanticized, or some similarly uninformed reason.
Which brings me to my last point: it's a real shame that this book is so grossly uninformed, because Tapscott is an otherwise genuinely fun author to read. If this book hadn't relied on stereotypes perpetuated by white people with the intention of dehumanizing this ethnic group to excuse their genocide, I would have enjoyed it as much as I've liked reading her other work.
August 3, 2023
Man, y'all. This one sucked me in! You'd think I'd have learned not to start a new book at bedtime, but alas, Tapscott kept me up until the wee hours of the night again.
I'm a mood reader and I needed something light and hopeful, fun and squeal-worthy. And Tapscott does easy-to-read adventure so well! I'm glad I impulse read this one and can't wait to read the rest of the series. (I need to see Irving's story. I have loved him from the beginning of the first book and I'm not sure I buy into Rosie, yet!)
It was so fun to see so many returning characters! I loved seeing Galinor's story play out and Anwen was fun. I liked her spunky spirit, although she was spunky in a different way than Pippa. I really enjoyed how she was different, but still adventurous in her own way. She showed bravery, going into situations in spite of her discomfort and fear. She chose to do what was right and make amends for her mistakes, no matter the cost. And I admired that. Galinor is a sweetheart and I kind of love his sweet, chivalrous manner. It's fun seeing someone a little more reserved and definitely fun seeing him fall for someone who can love him the way he deserves.
The story felt like more of an adventure than Pippa's tournament, so it had more travel and exploration, but it was still fun and we had a group cast that went along, which I enjoyed. It was a page-turner. I was so engaged and read the first 75% in one sitting. That was the most fun part, I think. The ending, while satisfying, did feel a little bit...less than I had hoped for. I'm not really sure how to put it. It was good! Don't get me wrong, but I think it wasn't quite what I was expecting or hoping for and so I'd have to say I think I liked the first one better.
All that said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the whole book and would definitely recommended it to anyone needed an uplifting, fun story.
Content: sweet, clean romance, no foul language, and some mild fantasy violence and tavern fights. Thematically, the book touches on confidence, mistakes, forgiveness, wisdom, loyalty, and courage. I'd be comfortable giving the book to 14+
I'm a mood reader and I needed something light and hopeful, fun and squeal-worthy. And Tapscott does easy-to-read adventure so well! I'm glad I impulse read this one and can't wait to read the rest of the series. (I need to see Irving's story. I have loved him from the beginning of the first book and I'm not sure I buy into Rosie, yet!)
It was so fun to see so many returning characters! I loved seeing Galinor's story play out and Anwen was fun. I liked her spunky spirit, although she was spunky in a different way than Pippa. I really enjoyed how she was different, but still adventurous in her own way. She showed bravery, going into situations in spite of her discomfort and fear. She chose to do what was right and make amends for her mistakes, no matter the cost. And I admired that. Galinor is a sweetheart and I kind of love his sweet, chivalrous manner. It's fun seeing someone a little more reserved and definitely fun seeing him fall for someone who can love him the way he deserves.
The story felt like more of an adventure than Pippa's tournament, so it had more travel and exploration, but it was still fun and we had a group cast that went along, which I enjoyed. It was a page-turner. I was so engaged and read the first 75% in one sitting. That was the most fun part, I think. The ending, while satisfying, did feel a little bit...less than I had hoped for. I'm not really sure how to put it. It was good! Don't get me wrong, but I think it wasn't quite what I was expecting or hoping for and so I'd have to say I think I liked the first one better.
All that said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the whole book and would definitely recommended it to anyone needed an uplifting, fun story.
Content: sweet, clean romance, no foul language, and some mild fantasy violence and tavern fights. Thematically, the book touches on confidence, mistakes, forgiveness, wisdom, loyalty, and courage. I'd be comfortable giving the book to 14+
December 27, 2021
It was really nice to see Galinor get his happy ending. He is such a sincere sweetheart, and he deserved all the love and happy ending possible after the first book. Anwen drove me nuts on occasion, but I loved her way with animals, and her pets were hilarious.
February 23, 2019
I really loved this book, even though I thought it had a lot of sadness tangled up in it. It was a lovely read with adorable romance and a pretty great ending. This book really grew on me after I realized Anwen is basically a disney princess as far as animals go. :)
January 5, 2018
I didn't much care for this installment in the series. I love Anwen's name, I like that she's very different from Pippa, and I like seeing a different side of Galinor. I found Dimitri confusing, however. His actions made little sense, and it wasn't hard for me to understand where he was coming from. I'm glad we got more of Irving, Bran, and Dristan, and Rosie was a great addition. I also thought Pika and Danver were a lot of fun.
I'm not sure why, but I just wasn't feeling it with this book, or these characters.
I'm not sure why, but I just wasn't feeling it with this book, or these characters.
September 27, 2015
After reading Pippa's and Grace's story, I was anxious to read Anwen's too. At first I was a little nervous, because it took a while to love Anwen's character, since she started out doing something really FOOLISH. But as the rest of the story unfolds, you see her remorse and her single-minded determination to make things right, and I was rooting for her and crying for her every step of the way. There were frightening scenes and other scenes that made me smile, and I especially loved getting to see some of the wonderful characters from book one again--it felt like a family reunion! I love this fantasy world and the loveable characters Ms. Tapscott has brought to life. Can't wait for the next book!
June 4, 2025
2025: 3.75 stars
2016: 5 stars
2016: 5 stars
May 2, 2021
2.5/5 stars. Warning, some end-of-book hints, maybe sort-of spoilers. Also quite long.
Personally, I didn't like this one much. Galinor never interested me much honestly, he kind of felt like a perfect blank character to me, in both the last book and this one. I didn't get much more personality from him in this book either. In fact, I liked him best when he was more shy and withdrawn after the events of the last book - that element gave something to his character that made me want someone to reach out to him. That was wiped away fairly quickly though and he turned into a typcial Gary Sue.
And then there's Anwen.
Oh, Anwen.
I didn't like her much at all honestly. She was incredibly naive and selfish throughout most of it. In the beginning she came off rather ditsy, always talking randomly even when in danger and she's been told to be quiet. Nope, instead she's gonna make some silly delightful comment and run straight into the danger. And then apparently all the wild animals known for attacking humans suddently adore her the instant she talks to them, because she's just so cute and sweet! Oh, everyone just adores her!
I'm gonna be honest, I didn't get cute and sweet from Anwen. I got selfishness and lack of awareness. Even throughout the book when she kind of seemed to be growing, she would still say and do incredibly reckless and selfish things.
Regardless of all that, I had still liked the book throughout most of it. The plot was meandering and I felt constantly annoyed by things here and there, and when some silly drama started. I was really looking forward to the end when we'd get our payoff... until I actually got to the end. You'd think after that awful journey we had to sit through there would be some reward, right? Nah. Instead, something depressing happens that ends that whole journey.
Okay, soul crushing and all, but then a backup plan developes. She goes on yet another goose chase, only to be lied to, tricked, and waylaid constantly. But then it's done - in an incredibly lackluster fashion- but done. So here we are. 90% through and we should be finally at the payoff, right? Everything's fixed now, right?
No. Instead, we get a tragic shock out of nowhere, and Anwen is consumed by guilt. Another character basically waves it all off. Then she's alone. Suddently we see a pretty dark and messed up scene and another tragic sort-of-death. I would expect to see tons of heartbreak from Anwen at this point, but instead, she literally only cares about Galinor it seems. With a few pages left, you can probably guess that now we finally get our happy ending, but it feels weak and rushed, and it's hard to enjoy after the shock and disappointment that was the entire book.
Basically, the story was drawn out and meandering, but mostly not too disturbing, and then suddenly we get a really dark and sad ending. I felt like not enough time was dedicated to the ending to make it come off better.
Personally, I didn't like this one much. Galinor never interested me much honestly, he kind of felt like a perfect blank character to me, in both the last book and this one. I didn't get much more personality from him in this book either. In fact, I liked him best when he was more shy and withdrawn after the events of the last book - that element gave something to his character that made me want someone to reach out to him. That was wiped away fairly quickly though and he turned into a typcial Gary Sue.
And then there's Anwen.
Oh, Anwen.
I didn't like her much at all honestly. She was incredibly naive and selfish throughout most of it. In the beginning she came off rather ditsy, always talking randomly even when in danger and she's been told to be quiet. Nope, instead she's gonna make some silly delightful comment and run straight into the danger. And then apparently all the wild animals known for attacking humans suddently adore her the instant she talks to them, because she's just so cute and sweet! Oh, everyone just adores her!
I'm gonna be honest, I didn't get cute and sweet from Anwen. I got selfishness and lack of awareness. Even throughout the book when she kind of seemed to be growing, she would still say and do incredibly reckless and selfish things.
Regardless of all that, I had still liked the book throughout most of it. The plot was meandering and I felt constantly annoyed by things here and there, and when some silly drama started. I was really looking forward to the end when we'd get our payoff... until I actually got to the end. You'd think after that awful journey we had to sit through there would be some reward, right? Nah. Instead, something depressing happens that ends that whole journey.
Okay, soul crushing and all, but then a backup plan developes. She goes on yet another goose chase, only to be lied to, tricked, and waylaid constantly. But then it's done - in an incredibly lackluster fashion- but done. So here we are. 90% through and we should be finally at the payoff, right? Everything's fixed now, right?
No. Instead, we get a tragic shock out of nowhere, and Anwen is consumed by guilt. Another character basically waves it all off. Then she's alone. Suddently we see a pretty dark and messed up scene and another tragic sort-of-death. I would expect to see tons of heartbreak from Anwen at this point, but instead, she literally only cares about Galinor it seems. With a few pages left, you can probably guess that now we finally get our happy ending, but it feels weak and rushed, and it's hard to enjoy after the shock and disappointment that was the entire book.
Basically, the story was drawn out and meandering, but mostly not too disturbing, and then suddenly we get a really dark and sad ending. I felt like not enough time was dedicated to the ending to make it come off better.
September 10, 2025
Abrupt. The sentences are short and choppy, the plot builds to stuff that abruptly resolves, the characters fall in love abruptly. I just couldn’t connect with Anwen’s decision making. For most of the book it seems more like a preteen book rather than YA.
Anwen falls in love with a random dude in a traveling group and agrees to give him a changeling stone that he pleads for. She is dumb and sees nothing suspicious about this. He takes everything while she is sleeping including her dress. She wakes and hopes there is a reasonable explanation. She works at an in. To track him down so she can go to Lauramore where the tournament took place. There she meets Galinor, who is still nursing his wounds from trying to win Pippa. The whole crew then follow her to locate random dude. They finally track him down and he acts like he still likes her but destroys the stone she can’t have it. Then she returns to find out her father turns into a gargoyle having been cursed by a gremlin. This other person sends her in a scavenger hunt to find items in a stew. Galinor is committed to her by now. They almost die by the hand of thieves. They run into Pippa and Archer which was nice, but everything about that exchange is abrupt. Then they return home make the stew and the Gimlie pretends to lift the curse because he is delaying her so she won’t be there when her father accidentally kills her mother during the turning. It cures her father because turns out that her mother is the one that laid the curse on him as she sought magic to help with their infertility and gave it to him. Never explains how he got a changeling stone. Anyway Gimlie’s can see the future and he knows this is the only way that Anwen survives so he helped her mother to make sure Anwen left and then returned so she could survive. Then she tells Galinor she will stay with her father. The winter passes to Spring and her father tells her to go to Galinor. That night random guy breaks in claiming to love her and says he won’t kill her if she loves him too. Her pet fox breaks in and bites him. He goes still. Before Dimitri is killed by her other pet, he says he sent assassins to Galinor. She leaves to find him, but he was by the sea when the assassins hit. He took care of them and makes his way to her father’s house. He shows up and renews his proposal. She accepts and turns out the fox isn’t dead because the Gimlie healed him before it died. So she just left her animal dying on the floor without burying him? Galinor wants to elope so he doesn’t have to spend one more day without her and she agrees. Her engagement ring is the changing stone.
Anwen falls in love with a random dude in a traveling group and agrees to give him a changeling stone that he pleads for. She is dumb and sees nothing suspicious about this. He takes everything while she is sleeping including her dress. She wakes and hopes there is a reasonable explanation. She works at an in. To track him down so she can go to Lauramore where the tournament took place. There she meets Galinor, who is still nursing his wounds from trying to win Pippa. The whole crew then follow her to locate random dude. They finally track him down and he acts like he still likes her but destroys the stone she can’t have it. Then she returns to find out her father turns into a gargoyle having been cursed by a gremlin. This other person sends her in a scavenger hunt to find items in a stew. Galinor is committed to her by now. They almost die by the hand of thieves. They run into Pippa and Archer which was nice, but everything about that exchange is abrupt. Then they return home make the stew and the Gimlie pretends to lift the curse because he is delaying her so she won’t be there when her father accidentally kills her mother during the turning. It cures her father because turns out that her mother is the one that laid the curse on him as she sought magic to help with their infertility and gave it to him. Never explains how he got a changeling stone. Anyway Gimlie’s can see the future and he knows this is the only way that Anwen survives so he helped her mother to make sure Anwen left and then returned so she could survive. Then she tells Galinor she will stay with her father. The winter passes to Spring and her father tells her to go to Galinor. That night random guy breaks in claiming to love her and says he won’t kill her if she loves him too. Her pet fox breaks in and bites him. He goes still. Before Dimitri is killed by her other pet, he says he sent assassins to Galinor. She leaves to find him, but he was by the sea when the assassins hit. He took care of them and makes his way to her father’s house. He shows up and renews his proposal. She accepts and turns out the fox isn’t dead because the Gimlie healed him before it died. So she just left her animal dying on the floor without burying him? Galinor wants to elope so he doesn’t have to spend one more day without her and she agrees. Her engagement ring is the changing stone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2017
Sorry, but no.
I read the first book and was surprised at how much I liked it, so I splurged and got this one immediately and was quite disappointed. More than anything, it was like a story of a handful of rich kids on a long spring break road trip. The story was long and meandering. The stakes are never very high and whenever opposition does arise, it's resolved almost immediately and the resultant serial anticlimaxes are aggravating. There is one twist in the story, where the author tries to make sense of the wild goose chase that is supposed to be a coherent novel. Said twist only serves to make the bulk of the preceding story only seem more pointless, and then, at long last, the ending is the one that everyone has seen coming for the last 90% of the book. As much as I enjoyed the first book, this one was a yawn. 2 stars just because it was a decently written yawn.
I read the first book and was surprised at how much I liked it, so I splurged and got this one immediately and was quite disappointed. More than anything, it was like a story of a handful of rich kids on a long spring break road trip. The story was long and meandering. The stakes are never very high and whenever opposition does arise, it's resolved almost immediately and the resultant serial anticlimaxes are aggravating. There is one twist in the story, where the author tries to make sense of the wild goose chase that is supposed to be a coherent novel. Said twist only serves to make the bulk of the preceding story only seem more pointless, and then, at long last, the ending is the one that everyone has seen coming for the last 90% of the book. As much as I enjoyed the first book, this one was a yawn. 2 stars just because it was a decently written yawn.
April 4, 2020
3.5 stars
I think I liked Pippa's story more than Anwen's. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed it! There were certainly some twists and turns I didn't see coming. And I'm glad Galinor has his own story of redemption! At the beginning of the story, you have a spoilt young lady who runs away with a family heirloom to be with her gypsy lover only to be completely betrayed by him. She makes her way to Lauramore where the tournament is winding down from book 1. It is here she meets the very dejected Galinor. With some serious persuasion, they set off with 3 other princes to retrieve the relic she so hastily gave that gypsy turncoat. The adventure takes them all over the fantasy world on a myriad of adventures that have our daring party meeting with dangers, gypsies, curses, glasselns, traitors, and friends! This was a great story. The character growth was more than what I thought could be captured in under 400 pages. I'm most eager for the rest of this series!
I think I liked Pippa's story more than Anwen's. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed it! There were certainly some twists and turns I didn't see coming. And I'm glad Galinor has his own story of redemption! At the beginning of the story, you have a spoilt young lady who runs away with a family heirloom to be with her gypsy lover only to be completely betrayed by him. She makes her way to Lauramore where the tournament is winding down from book 1. It is here she meets the very dejected Galinor. With some serious persuasion, they set off with 3 other princes to retrieve the relic she so hastily gave that gypsy turncoat. The adventure takes them all over the fantasy world on a myriad of adventures that have our daring party meeting with dangers, gypsies, curses, glasselns, traitors, and friends! This was a great story. The character growth was more than what I thought could be captured in under 400 pages. I'm most eager for the rest of this series!
May 6, 2017
Even though I didn't enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed Pippa of Lauramore (not sure about that spelling), I still gave it a five because I couldn't put it down. I'm one of those people who read four or five books at a time - well, I kept picking this book up and ignoring the others. Like the other reviews say - Galinore grew up! He took his eyes off of himself and gave of himself to Anwen - and lo and behold he truly fell in love. Anwen also grew up during this story. She stopped wanting love for loves sake and loved a man for who he truly was. I think that some of the other characters are also growing as well and can't wait to find out their stories too. I've already downloaded the next story into my Kindle and am looking forward to starting it. Oh yeah - the ending to this story is quite the shocker!
August 15, 2017
I could not love Anwen as much as I loved Pippa, but she was still a great character. She’s not very bright at the beginning of the story, “falling in love” with a gypsy who then bamboozles her out of a precious amulet that really belongs to her father, but as she goes on her quest to find the man, she grows as a woman and a character, which I loved. Along the way, she meets up with the young knight once Pippa favored in “Pippa of Lauramore”, and he too has a chance to grow. He wasn’t a character I particular liked in the first story, but we got to see more about what makes him a good overall guy in this one, and he goes from doing something because everyone around him feels he must to doing so because he actually wants to. Like Anwen, he grows as a person and a character, and their falling in love with each other made more sense for it all.
January 5, 2019
Poor Galinor. I did want more of his story, but this is sad. He is so demoralized to have people know that Pippa and Archer were helping him win the competition, that he's lost his self confidence. And Anwen is annoying. She's so very gullible, vain, and illogical that I had trouble rooting for her. And Dmitri! Despite robbing, kidnapping, and assaulting Anwen, her friends (despite having both the authority and opportunity) do nothing to punish him, so he keeps harming her. Worst of all, he kicks the pet fox to death (I hated the book at that point). Yes, the magical farmer brings him back, but still! I gave it 3 stars because the other characters (like Irving and Rosie) are delightful and there is still much that is charming in the story itself (like Marigold and Galinor's brother getting all excited about maps together).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5
Although not as great as the first one, or even Grace of Vernow, I still enjoyed Anwen of Primewood. The whole story was great, but I would’ve liked it more if Galinor’s personality was different. I had fun reading the parts when he gave Anwen those cocky grins. If he was like that more often, I would’ve cared for this book more.
Also, I thought it was so sad, the way things go between Anwen and Dimitri. Maybe in another life...ach. I can’t say anything that will spoil the book. Which means I should probably finish this review. Overall summary of my feelings: I think I would’ve enjoyed this more if there was more flirting. Those who didn’t like Pippa that much, this one would be better for you, I think.
Although not as great as the first one, or even Grace of Vernow, I still enjoyed Anwen of Primewood. The whole story was great, but I would’ve liked it more if Galinor’s personality was different. I had fun reading the parts when he gave Anwen those cocky grins. If he was like that more often, I would’ve cared for this book more.
Also, I thought it was so sad, the way things go between Anwen and Dimitri. Maybe in another life...ach. I can’t say anything that will spoil the book. Which means I should probably finish this review. Overall summary of my feelings: I think I would’ve enjoyed this more if there was more flirting. Those who didn’t like Pippa that much, this one would be better for you, I think.
March 7, 2019
Anwen the Charmer
Anwen is a naive young woman who trusts the wrong guy & life as she knows it will never be the same again.
I love Anwen's ability to charm animals and had hoped to learn at least a little more about where it came from as well as its limitations.
I liked that Galinor has the chance to redeem himself after letting Archer win the scavenger hunt for him.
The book is geared more towards young adult readers, perhaps, but it's a sweet story that all can appreciate.
It did feel a little drawn out at times, though at the same time, the ending felt like a lot was being crammed in together to get it all in and done.
Still, the happily-ever-after was fun.
Clean romance level: sweet kisses
Anwen is a naive young woman who trusts the wrong guy & life as she knows it will never be the same again.
I love Anwen's ability to charm animals and had hoped to learn at least a little more about where it came from as well as its limitations.
I liked that Galinor has the chance to redeem himself after letting Archer win the scavenger hunt for him.
The book is geared more towards young adult readers, perhaps, but it's a sweet story that all can appreciate.
It did feel a little drawn out at times, though at the same time, the ending felt like a lot was being crammed in together to get it all in and done.
Still, the happily-ever-after was fun.
Clean romance level: sweet kisses
February 12, 2021
The story itself was cute and written well.
HOWEVER.
The author chose to base one of her fantasy people groups on our world's Roma people. And uses the commonly known racial slur as their official name. And uses every single ugly stereotype we have about the Roma as truth in her fantasy world. They're dangerous, thieves, liars, and the few good ones are exotic and turn their backs on their culture. None of these racist stereotypes are examined or refuted. It's just taken at face value that they're true.
All of this made me really uncomfortable reading the book, and eventually angry that such ignorant and harmful opinions about real people here in our world were spread even farther in a fantasy novel.
HOWEVER.
The author chose to base one of her fantasy people groups on our world's Roma people. And uses the commonly known racial slur as their official name. And uses every single ugly stereotype we have about the Roma as truth in her fantasy world. They're dangerous, thieves, liars, and the few good ones are exotic and turn their backs on their culture. None of these racist stereotypes are examined or refuted. It's just taken at face value that they're true.
All of this made me really uncomfortable reading the book, and eventually angry that such ignorant and harmful opinions about real people here in our world were spread even farther in a fantasy novel.
May 9, 2022
So this wasn't my favorite story, and I thought Anwen to be haphazard in her choices to say the least, but the story did give Galinor, one of my favorite knights from the tournament to win Princess "Pippa's" hand in marriage, a chance to show how truly noble he is (swoon). I enjoyed visiting with Irving, Marigold, Dristan, and Bran, and I liked the feisty, Rosie. My favorite character, however, was Pika, a glasseln, that had been tamed by Anwen. Every cat lover should have a glasseln! Oh, Pippa and Archer make a cameo appearance in this story too, as well as the fairies, and some strange new magical creatures. So, not a bad story, just not my favorite. Looking forward to Prince Rigel's story in book 3.
July 25, 2018
Again, I SO wish you could rate half stars on Goodreads. This is definitely a 4 1/2 star read for me. Most of the book I really enjoyed, but there were a couple of parts that kept it from being a true 5 star read for me. Over all, this was a (mostly) fun follow-up to Pippa of Lauramore. It's been a while since I read the first book, so a couple of things referenced to that book in Anwen of Primewood were a little hard for me to recall in great detail. I will say that while I remember liking Galinor a lot in the first book, he quickly became my indisputable favorite character in this second book. Seriously, can I get a real-life Galinor? ;)
July 16, 2019
3.5 stars
I was prepared to love this novel as much as I loved the first two in the series, but it fell a little flat for me. The characters were great, and I enjoyed more development of quite a few characters from the tournament; however, it took me a while to like Anwen. The romance was okay, but I think there could have been more details about Anwen’s and Galinor’s developing feelings for one another. The writing was good, but the story didn’t flow seamlessly. It felt lackluster and like some chapters and destinations were just fillers. Despite that, I really did enjoy this novel, and I look forward to reading more of the series.
I was prepared to love this novel as much as I loved the first two in the series, but it fell a little flat for me. The characters were great, and I enjoyed more development of quite a few characters from the tournament; however, it took me a while to like Anwen. The romance was okay, but I think there could have been more details about Anwen’s and Galinor’s developing feelings for one another. The writing was good, but the story didn’t flow seamlessly. It felt lackluster and like some chapters and destinations were just fillers. Despite that, I really did enjoy this novel, and I look forward to reading more of the series.
January 22, 2019
Nice story
I wish I would have read this sooner after finishing The first in the series. I have to think back on the characters and that story to see how this one fit into it. Definitely read the series in order otherwise you will have spoilers from the other books. Loved that Anwen had special relationships with wild animals yet it wasn’t related to magic and that the author downplays the use of magic and focuses on the good and not rushing the natural course of life by using magic.
Nicely written and now I will immediately read the next in the series instead of waiting.
I wish I would have read this sooner after finishing The first in the series. I have to think back on the characters and that story to see how this one fit into it. Definitely read the series in order otherwise you will have spoilers from the other books. Loved that Anwen had special relationships with wild animals yet it wasn’t related to magic and that the author downplays the use of magic and focuses on the good and not rushing the natural course of life by using magic.
Nicely written and now I will immediately read the next in the series instead of waiting.
November 15, 2021
Solid Story, but boring.
Gallinor was already a boring character in the first book, and he doesn't improve a lot in this one, even though he is the main love interest. Yes main, but not the only one for a long while, even though right in the beginning it becomes apparent that the others clearly do not count
The romance did not work for me, neither did the heroine. She is nice, has a knack for animals, which is nice, but otherwise?
There is hardly a meaningful connection between the MCs. Why do they fell in love with each other? because the book says so. Hope the following ones are better.
Gallinor was already a boring character in the first book, and he doesn't improve a lot in this one, even though he is the main love interest. Yes main, but not the only one for a long while, even though right in the beginning it becomes apparent that the others clearly do not count
The romance did not work for me, neither did the heroine. She is nice, has a knack for animals, which is nice, but otherwise?
There is hardly a meaningful connection between the MCs. Why do they fell in love with each other? because the book says so. Hope the following ones are better.
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