Shadows of the Redwood

Scions of Shadow Trilogy #1

by Gillian Summers

The popular and critically acclaimed Faire Folk Saga continues in
THE SCIONS OF SHADOW TRILOGY

When the Redwood Forest tree shepherd disappears under mysterious circumstances, Keelie Heartwood and her elven grandmother arrive at the local Renaissance festival to investigate. Then her grandmother vanishes―and Keelie finds herself ensnared in a life-or-death battle against an ancient curse, a goblin prophecy, and a diabolical alliance.



 

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairies, Urban Fantasy, Fae, Teen, Elves

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

A forest dweller, Gillian was raised by gypsies at a Renaissance Faire. She likes knitting, hot soup, costumes and adores oatmeal, especially in the form of cookies. She loathes concrete, but tolerates it if it means attending a science fiction convention. She's an obsessive collector of beads, recipes, knitting needles and tarot cards, and admits to reading InStyle Magazine. You can find her in her north Georgia cabin, where she lives with her large, friendly dogs, obnoxious cats, and an occasional fairy.

(Gillian Summers (Georgia) is the pseudonym for co-authors Berta Platas and Michelle Roper. Both are ardent renaissance faire groupies.)

Reviews

[Rosver · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book goes over long for a very simple story. Our heroine, Keelie, is sent to the Redwoods to help solve a problem and of course she saves the day. However, the story meanders a lot. There are many boring scenes where what happens are the characters walking and talking about things that has little to do with the story. There is also the romantic 'plot line' (if you can call it that) among the young characters that is incredibly lame and annoying and often disrupts the flow of the main plot/story with dullness. Yeah the romantic part is boring. It would have been better if the author left it out.

The book is also overly cluttered with unnecessary details. Often you have to read paragraph after paragraph with nothing but descriptions and that means several paragraphs of nothing happening. Several times I have found myself skipping paragraphs just to get on with the story.

The characters isn't really endearing or remarkable. Often they are too cliche and simplistic. Rise is essentially the stereotypical seductress. She is out there to steal our heroine's love partner. Laurie the stereotypical dumb blond. Pretty without much brains. Knot the guardian cat is just annoying. He often just interrupts the story and provides excuse for the author to waste words with descriptions about Knot drunk and tipsy. Sean is very much like a puppet which the author add essentially as being the heroine's love interest and sort of action man in the end of the book. Keelie, the heroine, she is boring. She is passive and reacts with the events happening instead of acting and shaping the events. As a heroine, she is way unremarkable and uninteresting.

And, the humor, which the author seems to try to use, should be improve... a lot. The cat joke at the epilogue is really very lame. There are similar attempts (like the love potion) that just failed in inciting laughter or amusement. The author really sucks in terms of humor.

As a whole, there is nothing really exceptional. It is a book that you really wont hate but won't enjoy either. It is a book that many would soon forget.

[Zarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore the first trilogy and i'm so very happy there's more! :)
Also, I'm glad there was a lot more sean action
in the others he wasnt in them much, but in this one it seemed like he was actually more of a main character

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one wasn't in a faire, and seemed a bit more of a hodgepodge of fantasy creatures. There were a lot of characters to keep track of. I was glad to see that Keelie was still in mourning for her mom. Too many books forget something like that, but it's real to mourn for that long. More details are found out about what Keelie really is, and she seems to handle things a little too well. She never really gets hurt at anything, I was never afraid that she might not make it. She's too powerful for a 16 year old.

[Melanie Izzo picciotti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began the series to see how my granddaughter would like it guide a while ago and picked it up again now that it’s in ebook format. It’s a cute relaxing little read. Sometimes I need to get away from my crime/mystery violence.

[Carrie Swart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series

[Bridget R. Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keelie Heartwood finds her skills as a tree shepherd sorely tested when she journeys to California's Redwood Forest with her grandmother. The Redwoods' tree shepherd has disappeared and it's up to Keelie to solve the mystery. The Redwood Forest is unlike any Keelie has ever encountered. Something dark lingers there. Can Keelie find the forest's tree shepherd before it's too late?

What I thought: A solid book that will please current fans and garner more. The mystery and darkness will intrigue readers and keep them guessing. I read and enjoyed The Tree Shepherd's Daughter, but haven't read the other two books, Into the Wildewood and The Dread Forest. This didn't affect my enjoyment of The Shadows of the Redwood. In fact, reading this book peaked my interest to go back and read the two books I missed. This series shares many of the elements readers enjoy in paranormal romances like Twilight and Shiver, but with a slightly different twist.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in the second series of the Faire Folk saga. Kellie and her Grandmother travel to California to the Shakespeare Fair and the Redwood forest where the Tree Shepard has disappeared.Knot the cat is very busy running from Risa who has fallen under a love spell meant for Sean. Keelie's love interest Sean is feature more in this story. Which adds a nice love interest. The Redwoods are dark and will not speak to Keelie. Can she solve the mystery of the missing Tree Shepard while her Grandmother is busy playing the part of the Queen in the Shakespeare play?
Excellent continuation of the Faire Saga and the story of Keelie.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exciting way to start off a new series, and it's a perfect new twist on the original theme of fairies. The obstacles and challenges are done in a completely different light from all the other stories about the magical world. Summers takes a common theme, something that has been done by hundreds of authors, and puts a completely new twist on the world.

Cover: The cover is mysterious and almost scary. But it's very intriguing and wills readers to pick up the book to find out more.

[Suzanne Toon]

One word: Peascod. Three words: Read this book! Keelie delves further into her life and tries to decide if she should pick or a side or stay true to herself. All the while people plot against her from all sides.

I'm re-reading the series since the last book in the second trilogy has been released and there are series that you come back to time and time again, noticing something different each time you read them. This is one of those series. I love, love, love it, and I know that I'll be both sad and glad when it ends.

[Rasma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like I have said of other books by this author I had my nose a book all day just to finish this next chapter in Keelie's life. Even though Keelie has helped the elves out of some sticky situations it seems that many still do not believe in her enough to help save another guardian of the forest. A goblin curse is upon the redwood forest and when Keelie's grandmother disappears its up to Keelie to once again save the day.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a huge fan of the first trilogy, and am overjoyed there is now a second, with the same characters plus a few. This takes place in the redwoods, a spot dear to my heart. My only complaint is with the publisher: they give away the last 50 pages of the book in the back cover summary! Rather than a teaser, it's a spoiler. I hope Flux does a better job next time.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book in the second series of the Faire Folk saga. The plot is not radically different from the other books but it is a very enjoyable read. Knot the cat is definitely my favorite character. In this book, Keelie and her grandmother travel to the redwood forest of California to search for a missing tree shepard.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keelie Heartwood is back. Sean and her are reunited. There is sure to be lots of sweet moments between them. Keelie must save a fellow Tree

Shepherd lost in the Redwoods forest. Things get creepy and strange fast. Good thing Keelie is up to the

challenge. Love, love, love this first book in a potentially fantastic trilogy.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover looks dark, and Keelie is no longer in familiar surroundings, but there is more romance in this one. I really like how Sean plays more of a part in this story, and we get to know him more and I realized I do like the two of them together.

Hopefully, because Keelie is both elf and fae, with probably a fourth of her blood human, she will live just as long as Sean.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriate for: age 14+
You will like this book if you like: Elves, fairies, magic, trees, romance

Another great book about Keelie, but I don't see why the author started a new series. It's so similar to the old one and only 6 months in the future, so it doesn't make sense to me.
She finally used a different plot line and I enjoyed it a lot. Only 1 swear word.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed the Fey Folk trilogy by Gillian Summers. this first book of the second series was also enjoyable. It was a little darker than the others but I still enjoy the characters and the relationship with the trees and nature. I visited the Redwood Forest as a teenager and remember the majesty of them.

[Valarie Kinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a bit creepier than the last, with a great sense of humor thrown in at times. More questions have risen that I hope will be answered in the next couple of books. In all, Shadows of the Redwood was a great read and entirely enjoyable.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fourth book in The Faire Folk Saga: Trilogy 2 by my good friend Berta Platas (She and another person write together under the pseudonym Gillian Summers.).

[Toni Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so sad I have to wait a long time for the next book... I love this author..

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new trilogy continuing with the characters from the Fairy Folk Trilogy

[Novia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really hooked on books like this.
Totally. Fairies. Goblins. Talking trees. Lovin' it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the first trilogy it was amazing. It has a really great hook and it great for young teens. I cant wait to read the next in this trilogy.

[Zarezz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book,but I think Gillian Summers should wrote a lot of relationship of Keelie and Sean in the other books,like in this one.

[Mary-kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's good to see how the main character matures and grows with her family and romance.

[Nazli Kayayeva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book

[Sergej · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy, but interesting worldbuilding.

[zaheerah · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun fact: my aunt actually bought this book for me for my birthday a couple of years back and I read it without realising its the fourth in a series lmaoo

[Leia Skywalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing, I idolize Gillian Summers!

[Brenda . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yup I am obsessed. Loving this series.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read!!