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The Windborne #2
Guardian of the Pines
Gifted with tree magic, sixteen-year-old Cor learns that the largest pines in the UK still grow on a hidden island—and are endangered. He wants to live there and help, but the trees’ elderly caretaker refuses to train a smooth-talking city boy. To also come out as gay to anyone there would be bloody foolish.
Without him...they will die.
When an opportunity to visit this magical forest arrives, he grabs it, entangling novice witch Fern in his quest. Their mistakes anger the island’s elders and foul up her relationship with her boyfriend. It’s only after an island boy befriends him that Cor confronts the challenge of the massive pines—and his more powerful feelings for Oyster. If Cor wants to save the Pines and not lose Oyster, he will have to do something he’s never done—let Oyster and the others see who he really is.
GUARDIAN OF THE PINES joins new wizards with old friends as a generation of magic-wielders restores its connections to nature and community.
Book 2 of The Windborne Series can be read as a standalone.
Unabridged Large Print (16pt) Edition. A sweet romance appropriate for adults and young adults. No sex or graphic violence. Some mild cursing.
Without him...they will die.
When an opportunity to visit this magical forest arrives, he grabs it, entangling novice witch Fern in his quest. Their mistakes anger the island’s elders and foul up her relationship with her boyfriend. It’s only after an island boy befriends him that Cor confronts the challenge of the massive pines—and his more powerful feelings for Oyster. If Cor wants to save the Pines and not lose Oyster, he will have to do something he’s never done—let Oyster and the others see who he really is.
GUARDIAN OF THE PINES joins new wizards with old friends as a generation of magic-wielders restores its connections to nature and community.
Book 2 of The Windborne Series can be read as a standalone.
Unabridged Large Print (16pt) Edition. A sweet romance appropriate for adults and young adults. No sex or graphic violence. Some mild cursing.
428 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2019
About the author
Laurel Wanrow
14 books95 followersLaurel Wanrow loves misty mornings, the smell of freshly dug earth, petting long-haired guinea pigs and staring at the stars. She sees magic in nature and loves to photograph it.
Before kids, she studied and worked as a naturalist—someone who leads wildflower and other nature walks. During a stint of homeschooling, she turned her writing skills to fiction to share her love of the land, magical characters and fantastical settings.
When not living in her fantasy worlds, Laurel camps, hunts fossils and argues with her husband and two new adult kids over whose turn it is to clean house. Though they live on the East Coast, a cherished family cabin in the Colorado Rockies holds Laurel’s heart.
For Laurel's Newsletter: https://www.laurelwanrow.com/NewsSignup
Before kids, she studied and worked as a naturalist—someone who leads wildflower and other nature walks. During a stint of homeschooling, she turned her writing skills to fiction to share her love of the land, magical characters and fantastical settings.
When not living in her fantasy worlds, Laurel camps, hunts fossils and argues with her husband and two new adult kids over whose turn it is to clean house. Though they live on the East Coast, a cherished family cabin in the Colorado Rockies holds Laurel’s heart.
For Laurel's Newsletter: https://www.laurelwanrow.com/NewsSignup
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 19, 2019
All he wanted was a chance to prove himself, but was it the outside world he needed to prove himself to or was it himself?
Laurel Wanrow’s GUARDIAN OF THE PINES is the story of one teen’s secrets, insecurities and determination to follow his heart and his magic and he will do whatever it takes to achieve his dreams.
Cor is a bit of a trickster, street-smart, yet his talent for magic and his love of the ancient pines pulls him to the hidden island where the pines are dying, because he knows he can save him, he is more than he appears, but will he get the chance? Is he going about achieving his dreams the right way? When confronted with his feelings for Oyster, will he take a leap of faith and show his true self to the world around him?
Ms. Wanrow’s own magic has created a wonderful tale of self-acceptance and trust without holding back. Filled with all of the quirky characters from THE WITCH OF THE MEADOWS this becomes a magical journey back to the beauty of nature as well as a heartwarming tale of a boy who never let himself quite fit in. I sometimes found it difficult to read about Cor’s deceit or his suppositions that everyone he came in contact with wouldn’t accept him for one reason or another, but when all was said and done, he showed personal growth, and a releasing of the very preconceived notions he accused others of!
Another wonderful, magical, young adult tale with a message from Laurel Wanrow!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Laurel Wanrow!
Series: The Windorne Series - Book 2
Publisher: Sprouting Star Press (April 26, 2019)
Publication Date: April 26, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy | Coming of Age
Print Length: 311 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Laurel Wanrow’s GUARDIAN OF THE PINES is the story of one teen’s secrets, insecurities and determination to follow his heart and his magic and he will do whatever it takes to achieve his dreams.
Cor is a bit of a trickster, street-smart, yet his talent for magic and his love of the ancient pines pulls him to the hidden island where the pines are dying, because he knows he can save him, he is more than he appears, but will he get the chance? Is he going about achieving his dreams the right way? When confronted with his feelings for Oyster, will he take a leap of faith and show his true self to the world around him?
Ms. Wanrow’s own magic has created a wonderful tale of self-acceptance and trust without holding back. Filled with all of the quirky characters from THE WITCH OF THE MEADOWS this becomes a magical journey back to the beauty of nature as well as a heartwarming tale of a boy who never let himself quite fit in. I sometimes found it difficult to read about Cor’s deceit or his suppositions that everyone he came in contact with wouldn’t accept him for one reason or another, but when all was said and done, he showed personal growth, and a releasing of the very preconceived notions he accused others of!
Another wonderful, magical, young adult tale with a message from Laurel Wanrow!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Laurel Wanrow!
Series: The Windorne Series - Book 2
Publisher: Sprouting Star Press (April 26, 2019)
Publication Date: April 26, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy | Coming of Age
Print Length: 311 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
April 6, 2019
Guardian of the Pines takes place after Fern's adventures in The Witch of the Meadows. We get to see how things are going for Fern, Beri and the other characters, but the focus is on newcomer Cor and his desire to find his place in the world. Cor is desperate to land an internship, and he will do whatever it takes to do so. And his actions cause problems and pain for Fern and the others. It took me a long while get past his lies and willingness to hurt others to help himself, but by the end of the book he starts being more honest and recognizing how his actions have affected everyone else. I have cautiously started to warm up to the guy, but I'll have to see how he is in later books. Loved seeing the other characters, and I would definitely like to learn more about Hazel and see where life takes her. And more Toots the owl, please.
***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC of this book.***
***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC of this book.***
April 14, 2019
3.5 Stars!
This book was very interesting. Like nothing I’ve ever quite read before.
This book was interesting because fantasy isn’t normally my thing, and this book ended up being nae quite my cup of tea... normally, I’d let the author know within a few chapters, but the thing with this book ended up being that... the writing was absolutely freaking beautiful? The imagery, the world-building — nae quite like anything I’ve ever read before. I loved the attention to detail, and especially in the dialect — little details like the characters saying “nae” instead of “no” or “not” help make the world-building great. And *that’s* what kept me hooked.
The fact that this book wasn’t quite my thing is at NO FAULT of the author. The fantasy genre is usually spotty with me; either I connect with a book or I just don’t, and I didn’t quite connect with this one. BUT I very strongly believe that more loyal fans of the fantasy genre would *adore* this read. The world-building, as I’ve gushed, is absolutely freaking phenomenal. While I didn’t personally connect with the characters, the world was lovely and it’s a shame I didn’t quite appreciate them as much as I thought I would. Though, I think I have an idea as for why that may be.
Guardian of the Pines has a summary that makes it sound like the plot will mostly revolve around Cor, and his possible romance with a boy named Oyster, so I wasn’t quite expecting half of the plot to follow a girl named Fern. The story is written in third person and it follows one character a time, Fern being one of them — yet she’s nae mentioned in the summary at all. That kind of threw me for a loop, and I found myself kind of skimming her bits, wondering when we would get back to Cor and his portion of the story. Oyster, too, was introduced much later than I anticipated, but I didn’t mind that so much — I much prefer a slow-building romance to an instalove one.
One of the things I really liked about this story though, besides the world-building and imagery, would be the social issues Cor addresses. He lives in a fantasy world that’s entirely made up, but things like prejudice and racism — things that are very much still rampant in today’s society — are addressed, which is especially important considering Cor is a POC. It was really incredible — yet also sad — to read about how Cor’s world paralleled our own. Especially reading about his insecurities and doubts about liking a white boy while he’s PoC — as a white reader, I admit that I’ve never really thought about things like that, so that certainly helped open my eyes a little.
Overall, while this book wasn’t quite my cup of tea, I think it would be PHENOMENAL for more avid readers of the genre. Hopefully they can connect with the characters more than I could — Cor and Oyster, especially, have the potential to be really cute.
This book was very interesting. Like nothing I’ve ever quite read before.
This book was interesting because fantasy isn’t normally my thing, and this book ended up being nae quite my cup of tea... normally, I’d let the author know within a few chapters, but the thing with this book ended up being that... the writing was absolutely freaking beautiful? The imagery, the world-building — nae quite like anything I’ve ever read before. I loved the attention to detail, and especially in the dialect — little details like the characters saying “nae” instead of “no” or “not” help make the world-building great. And *that’s* what kept me hooked.
The fact that this book wasn’t quite my thing is at NO FAULT of the author. The fantasy genre is usually spotty with me; either I connect with a book or I just don’t, and I didn’t quite connect with this one. BUT I very strongly believe that more loyal fans of the fantasy genre would *adore* this read. The world-building, as I’ve gushed, is absolutely freaking phenomenal. While I didn’t personally connect with the characters, the world was lovely and it’s a shame I didn’t quite appreciate them as much as I thought I would. Though, I think I have an idea as for why that may be.
Guardian of the Pines has a summary that makes it sound like the plot will mostly revolve around Cor, and his possible romance with a boy named Oyster, so I wasn’t quite expecting half of the plot to follow a girl named Fern. The story is written in third person and it follows one character a time, Fern being one of them — yet she’s nae mentioned in the summary at all. That kind of threw me for a loop, and I found myself kind of skimming her bits, wondering when we would get back to Cor and his portion of the story. Oyster, too, was introduced much later than I anticipated, but I didn’t mind that so much — I much prefer a slow-building romance to an instalove one.
One of the things I really liked about this story though, besides the world-building and imagery, would be the social issues Cor addresses. He lives in a fantasy world that’s entirely made up, but things like prejudice and racism — things that are very much still rampant in today’s society — are addressed, which is especially important considering Cor is a POC. It was really incredible — yet also sad — to read about how Cor’s world paralleled our own. Especially reading about his insecurities and doubts about liking a white boy while he’s PoC — as a white reader, I admit that I’ve never really thought about things like that, so that certainly helped open my eyes a little.
Overall, while this book wasn’t quite my cup of tea, I think it would be PHENOMENAL for more avid readers of the genre. Hopefully they can connect with the characters more than I could — Cor and Oyster, especially, have the potential to be really cute.
April 25, 2019
What a great book to read. Characters are well thought out and complex. It's a fantasy world and it doesn't let you down one bit. You can read this without reading the others and not get lost. Makes me want more from this author. I want to read more about Cor and the other characters as well.
May 7, 2019
The Guardian of the Pines is a unique book written by Laurel Wanrow. This book definitely brings this to the table, being different and unique from other books I have read to date. I always enjoy it when an author can come up with an interesting and unique idea and put it to the paper, well at that. The plot overall is well developed and put together, however I found that overall the story was a bit "vanilla" for me and not that there is anything wrong about vanilla but I was always kind of waiting for "something", and don't ask me what that is, but there was just something missing for me. The pace of the book was good, but was a bit on the slower side in my eyes.
Let's discuss the characters, and I want to start with the side characters first. I really liked Fern and thought she, as little as we saw of her, was actually a very likable character. Now knowing that this is a series, I wish I would have started with the book that focuses on her quite honestly. Her family are great and I wish people like them really existed. I also like Lady Pina, in all her glorious stuffiness, and thought she was a fantastic character actually.
To me this is more a young adult kind of read and would be great for some teens I think. All in all I did enjoy reading this book, I just wish Cor was a bit more evened out as a character and I would have connected with him more. Once he actually got over his "chip on his shoulder" I felt I liked him and the story a lot more.
Voluntary review of Advance Reader Copy. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher.
And now the most difficult character, Cor. I had a lot of issues with this one to be honest and personally did not care for him for the most part. I get social injustice and racism, having to fight the system, having to proof yourself and the whole issues he had with his parents and all, BUT, give me a break her for one minute. Ever thought that MAYBE you shouldn't also feed into certain stereotypes by lying to people, deceiving people, taking things from people without them knowing why you are taking things? IF you want people to treat you a certain way well maybe you should start with honesty and actually give people a chance and yes you are basing things on the past but at some point you have to get over the past and move on, and yes I speak from experience. There were a lot of times in this book I was like what the heck is he thinking? And he expects people to be like "no worries it is all cool lying to us like that, here have a cookie!"? Seriously? And then constantly blaming the "I am black card" when just seconds again he deceived and lied to someone who out of their goodness of their heart was helping him! Yeah sorry that just doesn't sit well with me and is a major reason I couldn't connect with this character and this story.
I definitely had the feeling though that I was missing something and sure enough, it is a series so I think it would be beneficial reading the others. I don't think it is huge but I always felt a bit like I was missing out a little, again nothing major though and this can definitely be read as a standalone book. Knowing this does put the book in a slightly different light though. If I would have started with Fern's story I think I would have enjoyed this series significantly more. Again this book is probably not so much for me just because I can't connect with this main character but I do like the concept of the series and the book was well written. I did like Fern so I can see how I would have really enjoyed her story.
Let's discuss the characters, and I want to start with the side characters first. I really liked Fern and thought she, as little as we saw of her, was actually a very likable character. Now knowing that this is a series, I wish I would have started with the book that focuses on her quite honestly. Her family are great and I wish people like them really existed. I also like Lady Pina, in all her glorious stuffiness, and thought she was a fantastic character actually.
To me this is more a young adult kind of read and would be great for some teens I think. All in all I did enjoy reading this book, I just wish Cor was a bit more evened out as a character and I would have connected with him more. Once he actually got over his "chip on his shoulder" I felt I liked him and the story a lot more.
Voluntary review of Advance Reader Copy. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher.
And now the most difficult character, Cor. I had a lot of issues with this one to be honest and personally did not care for him for the most part. I get social injustice and racism, having to fight the system, having to proof yourself and the whole issues he had with his parents and all, BUT, give me a break her for one minute. Ever thought that MAYBE you shouldn't also feed into certain stereotypes by lying to people, deceiving people, taking things from people without them knowing why you are taking things? IF you want people to treat you a certain way well maybe you should start with honesty and actually give people a chance and yes you are basing things on the past but at some point you have to get over the past and move on, and yes I speak from experience. There were a lot of times in this book I was like what the heck is he thinking? And he expects people to be like "no worries it is all cool lying to us like that, here have a cookie!"? Seriously? And then constantly blaming the "I am black card" when just seconds again he deceived and lied to someone who out of their goodness of their heart was helping him! Yeah sorry that just doesn't sit well with me and is a major reason I couldn't connect with this character and this story.
I definitely had the feeling though that I was missing something and sure enough, it is a series so I think it would be beneficial reading the others. I don't think it is huge but I always felt a bit like I was missing out a little, again nothing major though and this can definitely be read as a standalone book. Knowing this does put the book in a slightly different light though. If I would have started with Fern's story I think I would have enjoyed this series significantly more. Again this book is probably not so much for me just because I can't connect with this main character but I do like the concept of the series and the book was well written. I did like Fern so I can see how I would have really enjoyed her story.
February 25, 2024
Picked this up at the Gaithersburg Book Festival last year.... it's like a Scholastic Book Fair - for adults.
Back to the book: Cor is a wizard with a special affinity for trees. I chose this one because the protagonist, pictured on the cover is Black.... and was well rewarded. I hadn't read previous books in the series, but that was not a hindrance, and this is definitely a world I wish to re-enter.
Cor is basically wizarding royalty, but his parents won't allow him to use his name to pull any strings... although it might help with his greatest desire: a plum internship in a very closed magical community working with giant pines. He also has to deal with all of the issues that come with being Black.... something appears to be missing? Check the Black kid.
He also has to balance school with volunteer responsibilities, extra-curriculars, and a family responsibilities. Oh, and he's gay.
Am I Black? No. Am I part of the LGBTQ+ community? No, but I'm an ally to both, and love many people who are one or the other, or both - including many of my students... and this hits the representation matters boxes.
Hope to find Wanrow this year at the Festival!
Back to the book: Cor is a wizard with a special affinity for trees. I chose this one because the protagonist, pictured on the cover is Black.... and was well rewarded. I hadn't read previous books in the series, but that was not a hindrance, and this is definitely a world I wish to re-enter.
Cor is basically wizarding royalty, but his parents won't allow him to use his name to pull any strings... although it might help with his greatest desire: a plum internship in a very closed magical community working with giant pines. He also has to deal with all of the issues that come with being Black.... something appears to be missing? Check the Black kid.
He also has to balance school with volunteer responsibilities, extra-curriculars, and a family responsibilities. Oh, and he's gay.
Am I Black? No. Am I part of the LGBTQ+ community? No, but I'm an ally to both, and love many people who are one or the other, or both - including many of my students... and this hits the representation matters boxes.
Hope to find Wanrow this year at the Festival!
April 8, 2019
The Guardians of the Pines, is a great book! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 Star rating! I would give more stars if I could!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟This 265 page magical, fantasy is one you can't put down. 👏👏👏👏It is so well written I felt like I was in the middle of a forest smelling all the great pines! 🌲🌲🌲Cor (the main character) as well as all those he encountered had a sense of mystery about them.🗡️ Not much information was presented to the readers about the characters. 🔥🔥 Each seemed to have an element of jealousy or mistrust about them. Only the character of Fern gave you a hint of her character, but as with the others there was many questions to be answered. 😛😛 I can't wait to read the next book in the series! The only draw back to the story was a few areas containing bad language. However, it was not enough to prevent one from finishing a good story. 💖💖💖I received an ARC of this book, and this is my voluntaty, honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Guardian of the Pines!
A great fantasy and magical book...
A great sequel to "The Witch of the Meadows" in the sequel it brings back all the characters from The Witch of the Meadows with a few new ones..
I really liked Cor...he wants to help save the Pines from extinction but no one will give him a chance...
So he tricks Fern and makes her pledge her help to him...
To learn more about Cor you will have to read the book
highly recommend
A great fantasy and magical book...
A great sequel to "The Witch of the Meadows" in the sequel it brings back all the characters from The Witch of the Meadows with a few new ones..
I really liked Cor...he wants to help save the Pines from extinction but no one will give him a chance...
So he tricks Fern and makes her pledge her help to him...
To learn more about Cor you will have to read the book
highly recommend
April 12, 2019
Fun to read and find out more about Fern’s magical world through a new character. I liked how the author expanded on Fern yet at the same time followed Cor’s journey to the magical island world. I was totally involved in the new magic Cor was learning. The growth of both Characters was exciting to see.
May 5, 2019
Guardian of the Pines by Laurel Wanrow is a wonderful story that I have read and loved it. This is book number two in this wonderful sereis that I can not get enough of. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about general fantasy ,LGBT romance in their stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 25, 2019
This was a fun, unique fantasy story. I really enjoyed Cor's story as he endeavors to save the pines, the engaging characters and top notch world building made this a very enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 30, 2019
I adore the world Ms. Wanrow has created...complex and vivid. Just pre-ordered book 3.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews