What do you think?
Rate this book
The King of the Trees #5
The Downs
Trapped in a phantom forest filled with deadly creatures of the cold, Owen son of Tadwyn leads Lucambra's royal family into a forbidden faery kingdom. Sentenced to death for unwittingly destroying the hallowed Glynnspire Cave, Owen and his companions become the Spirewalker of Feirian's unwilling guests. As the long awaited "shepherd's son," Owen is called upon to lay down his life to save his friends, restore the faery realm and revive lost souls. He is not alone, for a faithful ally in feathered guise will follow him to his appointed doom. Book V in the King of the Trees series, The Downs is a touching tale of sacrificial devotion and valor woven into a rich retelling of ancient legend.
- GenresFantasy
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2005
2 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
William D. Burt
12 books73 followersWilliam D. Burt is the award-winning author of the seven-title Christian allegorical "King of the Trees" series. (Author Website) Other works are in progress. His first series title, The King of the Trees, won the silver medal in the category of Christian fantasy in the 2014 Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest. The Golden Wood (Book 3) was a finalist in the category of Children's fable.
All seven of Burt's series titles have been awarded five stars by Readers' Favorite reviewers.
Volume I in his new Creation Seekers series, The Lake Lights is Burt’s first foray into the realm of science fiction. The plot deals with the investigation of an unusual lake phenomenon in Oregon as well as the discovery of a world-changing invention that helps prevent a nuclear disaster.
Sequel to The Lake Lights, The Vikings of Loch Morar is set primarily in Scotland and deals with prehistoric water creatures as well as a Viking treasure.
Having spent most of his teenage years living in Middle Earth, the author is an avid fantasy fan. The first edition of his first fantasy title, The King of the Trees, came out in 1998. While still in high school, he began his writing career editing his father's popular identification guides, "Edible and Poisonous Plants of the Western/Eastern States." As an Assistant Professor in the Special Education Department at Western Oregon University, he served as a successful grant-writer and program coordinator.
Burt holds a B.S. in English from Lewis and Clark College and an M.S. from Western Oregon University in Deaf Education. He is an RID-certified sign-language interpreter with over 30 years' experience. His interests include reading, foreign languages and mycology. He is married with two grown children.
All seven of Burt's series titles have been awarded five stars by Readers' Favorite reviewers.
Volume I in his new Creation Seekers series, The Lake Lights is Burt’s first foray into the realm of science fiction. The plot deals with the investigation of an unusual lake phenomenon in Oregon as well as the discovery of a world-changing invention that helps prevent a nuclear disaster.
Sequel to The Lake Lights, The Vikings of Loch Morar is set primarily in Scotland and deals with prehistoric water creatures as well as a Viking treasure.
Having spent most of his teenage years living in Middle Earth, the author is an avid fantasy fan. The first edition of his first fantasy title, The King of the Trees, came out in 1998. While still in high school, he began his writing career editing his father's popular identification guides, "Edible and Poisonous Plants of the Western/Eastern States." As an Assistant Professor in the Special Education Department at Western Oregon University, he served as a successful grant-writer and program coordinator.
Burt holds a B.S. in English from Lewis and Clark College and an M.S. from Western Oregon University in Deaf Education. He is an RID-certified sign-language interpreter with over 30 years' experience. His interests include reading, foreign languages and mycology. He is married with two grown children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 10, 2013
It seems that William Burt’s series, The King of the Trees, just keeps getting better and better with each book I read! The Downs is filled with self-sacrifice, redemption, and love. In The Downs, the reader finds himself in a world where things may not always be quite what they seem.
I love that with each book in The King of the Trees, Burt chooses to focus on a different facet of his literary world. This installment is set in the land of one of Gaelathane’s creations, the Faeries. I truly enjoyed this tale, as William Burt has a unique take on what seems to almost be a fantasy novel staple; faeries. He has fleshed out their history and traditions in a way not many fantasy authors do. Because of their world’s fallen nature, as they age, the faeries lose their wings. Unable to discover the cure to prevent their wings from disappearing, these “slipwings,” as they are called, must walk the earth, disguised as a normal person. Owen, the son of a shepherd, stumbles upon their land by mistake and finds himself caught up in a law that cannot be overlooked. He, along with his sparrow companion, must each learn to embrace who they truly are, and what their destiny holds for them.
I think there’s a little part of every girl (or woman!)that loves faeries, and I am no exception. Unlike what you may expect, the Faeries in The Downs are a much more “grown up” version than the fairies you'll find in Peter Pan or on the Disney channel. They are more reminiscent of the wise Elves in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The Downs is, so far, my personal favorite in the series. I found that it satisfied the hopeless romantic in me, but didn't place so much importance on the romance aspect that it lost it’s true roots as a fantasy novel. Highly recommended!
The Wordsmith Journal strives to guide readers to books of personal interest, with the understanding and respect that what appeals to some may not appeal to others. Therefore we attempt to keep our reviews focused on content, genre and style. The rating is necessary to make use of Goodreads and Amazon. It reflects the reviewer’s own level of enjoyment, but the review is intended to be informative for the benefit of all readers.
I love that with each book in The King of the Trees, Burt chooses to focus on a different facet of his literary world. This installment is set in the land of one of Gaelathane’s creations, the Faeries. I truly enjoyed this tale, as William Burt has a unique take on what seems to almost be a fantasy novel staple; faeries. He has fleshed out their history and traditions in a way not many fantasy authors do. Because of their world’s fallen nature, as they age, the faeries lose their wings. Unable to discover the cure to prevent their wings from disappearing, these “slipwings,” as they are called, must walk the earth, disguised as a normal person. Owen, the son of a shepherd, stumbles upon their land by mistake and finds himself caught up in a law that cannot be overlooked. He, along with his sparrow companion, must each learn to embrace who they truly are, and what their destiny holds for them.
I think there’s a little part of every girl (or woman!)that loves faeries, and I am no exception. Unlike what you may expect, the Faeries in The Downs are a much more “grown up” version than the fairies you'll find in Peter Pan or on the Disney channel. They are more reminiscent of the wise Elves in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The Downs is, so far, my personal favorite in the series. I found that it satisfied the hopeless romantic in me, but didn't place so much importance on the romance aspect that it lost it’s true roots as a fantasy novel. Highly recommended!
The Wordsmith Journal strives to guide readers to books of personal interest, with the understanding and respect that what appeals to some may not appeal to others. Therefore we attempt to keep our reviews focused on content, genre and style. The rating is necessary to make use of Goodreads and Amazon. It reflects the reviewer’s own level of enjoyment, but the review is intended to be informative for the benefit of all readers.
January 31, 2010
Wow! How would you like to disappear on your wedding day? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you had the chance to meet some fairies. That's what happens to Gwynneth daughter of Marlis. I have read many books about fairies, but other authors don't explain where they come from or why we can't see them. Burt ties everything together in a way that makes sense. The big fairies are losing their wings, and nobody can make them grow back. This is a wonderful story of good vs. evil, and I had no idea how things would turn out. It's also a love story between a boy and a girl. The girl is taken away, and the boy can't find her. There's lots of suspense and action. The illustrations are gorgeous. I love this series!
January 17, 2011
I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the others in the series...also, it included someone dieing for the people in that towns sins...which bugged me cause the dude who was representing Christ had already died for the whole world....Christ died once and for all...We don't have to sacrifice things any more cause Christ paid the price for all the sins of those who repent and trust in Him. :D
Soo, if you read this book, just look out for that...Maybe I just misunderstood it, but if I understood it like that, I'm sure others will too.
Very good book other than that!
-Sonia
Soo, if you read this book, just look out for that...Maybe I just misunderstood it, but if I understood it like that, I'm sure others will too.
Very good book other than that!
-Sonia
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews