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rgyger's review against another edition
4.0
As with all of Anne Elisabeth's stories, Draven's Light is a well crafted and beautiful tale. She fully brings to life both Draven and the two brother knights of Farthest Shore. This book gives a better picture of what the brother's do to build the houses for the light which the Prince has given them, as well as gives the first real look at Akilun the person, rather then the myth.
I did not enjoy everything about the story. While it was apparent that Anne Elisabeth meant for Draven to have truly been courageous, I found that for most of the story he was the coward his father had named him (if not for the reason his father gave). His refusal to kill the prisoner seemed to be less an act of courage than a gut reaction to the spilling of a man's blood. Throughout the story, he continually expressed that he believed he had made the wrong decision and then hid from it and the village. This made his actions at the end far less courageous as it was evident he had no regard for his own life.
The message I would take from this story is that even cowards can do heroic deeds. And that even good deeds can be done out of cowardice, as it is clear by Draven's own admittion that he did not spare the prince out of courage, but out of a fear of killing which was stronger than his fear of being an outcast.
Overall, I still loved the story. The little girl was great character to follow and the story as a whole was a captivating read. I look forward to reading Poison Crown: Part 1 in the future.
I received an ecopy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I did not enjoy everything about the story. While it was apparent that Anne Elisabeth meant for Draven to have truly been courageous, I found that for most of the story he was the coward his father had named him (if not for the reason his father gave). His refusal to kill the prisoner seemed to be less an act of courage than a gut reaction to the spilling of a man's blood. Throughout the story, he continually expressed that he believed he had made the wrong decision and then hid from it and the village. This made his actions at the end far less courageous as it was evident he had no regard for his own life.
The message I would take from this story is that even cowards can do heroic deeds. And that even good deeds can be done out of cowardice, as it is clear by Draven's own admittion that he did not spare the prince out of courage, but out of a fear of killing which was stronger than his fear of being an outcast.
Overall, I still loved the story. The little girl was great character to follow and the story as a whole was a captivating read. I look forward to reading Poison Crown: Part 1 in the future.
I received an ecopy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
what_ella_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I really, really liked this "Tales of Goldstone Wood" novella. The brothers Akilun and Etanun, which are mentioned throughout this series, play a central part in this story. All in all a very interesting and emotional addition to the "Tales of Goldstone Wood" series.
sammy234's review against another edition
3.0
The Tales of Goldstone Wood series is for me , a more relatable Narnia.
As a child who was in awe of the tales of Narnia but admittedly a bit alarmed and frightened by the alien strangeness of the whole thing , The Tales of Goldstone Wood would have captured me MUCH MORE.
When I read The Magician's Nephew and Polly decided to explore the attic , I was like ," NO. BUGS.SNAKES. YOU SHALL NOT PASS. Omigosh go bacccccccccccccccckkkkk."
( Yes , I was that type of child )
But would I follow a magical wood-thrush into a menacing but beautiful forest where time doesn't exist?
Um , yes !
Don't get me wrong. Anne Elizabeth Stengl's world is not all snuggly kittens and rainbows. But I connect to the characters , and I'd follow them anywhere.
( No matter how freaked out I am )
I'm not bashing C.S Lewis. Narnia as both an allegory and a beautiful tale is fantastic. NOBODY needs to say that.
But the reason why I love this book series MORE , is because while I know OF Edmund , Lucy , Susan, and Peter , I KNOW Anne Elizabeth Stengl's characters down to their very hearts.
Lionheart , Una ,Rosered, Eanrin , Dame Imraldera, Foxbrush ( My baby), Daylily,Felix , even the dragon in an angry fond sense ( because a good villain is a great thing! Kind of !) and ... Aethelbald , the Aslanish figure of this whole shindig ,are all so memorable.
They are human , they make mistakes , but they are so fun to read about. One day I'm binge reading the whole series , I'm telling you.
Plus , If I could point to the most creative of my favorite author's , Anne Elizabeth Stengl would win , hands down.
Her books become more rich in world building and character development with every new installment. It's astounding. She has an enormous amount of talent.
So I wasn't really worried that I wouldn't love Draven's light. It took me a longggggggg while to read , but only because I feel you have to be in the right mindset to read these dense , history rich novels.
I got more insight into the brothers Etanun and Akilun , which was great. These dudes have always been SUPER FREAKING VAGUE.
I loved that Draven's tale was told as a story WHILE the House of Light was being built. Like , yes. Thank you.
Did I think Anne Elisabeth Stengl couldn't do brother / sister relationships ? WELL, SHE CAN.
Honestly , the romance was a bit tacked on but I didn't care because the prince was a necessary character and Draven's relationship with his sister Ita overshadowed it all.
The end killed me. So that was nice.
The only reason I didn't give this book five stars was because my reading enjoyment was a little less than usual because I read the first half of this in 2015 and the rest this year.
Also , The King of the Farthestshore DID NOT SHOW UP TO THIS PARTY. WHY.
His bird singing does not count.
Yes , Farthestshore is heaven. The author's world building in this series is so good she even has the afterlife figured out.
So this isn't my favorite book of the series. That would be a tie between Shadow hand and Veiled Rose. But it was still really stellar writing and definitely enhanced my love of this world.
I do HAVE to stress that if you pick up this series , you read the series in order. And if you feel halfhearted about heartless , JUST KEEP GOING.
Heartless is the intro. It's great , but its just the icing on TOP of the cake. Veiled Rose is where everything gets good. Plus, Leo and Rosie. LEO AND ROSIE. GAH.
Plus , there is a talking cat. AND HE'S SASSY.
Okay. So basically this is the best allegorical series I have ever read , but it doesn't read like an allegory. Trust me , I am VERY PICKY about my christian fiction.
But this is really fantastic. Almost anybody can find something to love about. Unless you don't love magicalness and evil unicorns.
Then maybe back away slowly.
Content : clean
As a child who was in awe of the tales of Narnia but admittedly a bit alarmed and frightened by the alien strangeness of the whole thing , The Tales of Goldstone Wood would have captured me MUCH MORE.
When I read The Magician's Nephew and Polly decided to explore the attic , I was like ," NO. BUGS.SNAKES. YOU SHALL NOT PASS. Omigosh go bacccccccccccccccckkkkk."
( Yes , I was that type of child )
But would I follow a magical wood-thrush into a menacing but beautiful forest where time doesn't exist?
Um , yes !
Don't get me wrong. Anne Elizabeth Stengl's world is not all snuggly kittens and rainbows. But I connect to the characters , and I'd follow them anywhere.
( No matter how freaked out I am )
I'm not bashing C.S Lewis. Narnia as both an allegory and a beautiful tale is fantastic. NOBODY needs to say that.
But the reason why I love this book series MORE , is because while I know OF Edmund , Lucy , Susan, and Peter , I KNOW Anne Elizabeth Stengl's characters down to their very hearts.
Lionheart , Una ,Rosered, Eanrin , Dame Imraldera, Foxbrush ( My baby), Daylily,Felix , even the dragon in an angry fond sense ( because a good villain is a great thing! Kind of !) and ... Aethelbald , the Aslanish figure of this whole shindig ,are all so memorable.
They are human , they make mistakes , but they are so fun to read about. One day I'm binge reading the whole series , I'm telling you.
Plus , If I could point to the most creative of my favorite author's , Anne Elizabeth Stengl would win , hands down.
Her books become more rich in world building and character development with every new installment. It's astounding. She has an enormous amount of talent.
So I wasn't really worried that I wouldn't love Draven's light. It took me a longggggggg while to read , but only because I feel you have to be in the right mindset to read these dense , history rich novels.
I got more insight into the brothers Etanun and Akilun , which was great. These dudes have always been SUPER FREAKING VAGUE.
I loved that Draven's tale was told as a story WHILE the House of Light was being built. Like , yes. Thank you.
Did I think Anne Elisabeth Stengl couldn't do brother / sister relationships ? WELL, SHE CAN.
Honestly , the romance was a bit tacked on but I didn't care because the prince was a necessary character and Draven's relationship with his sister Ita overshadowed it all.
The end killed me. So that was nice.
The only reason I didn't give this book five stars was because my reading enjoyment was a little less than usual because I read the first half of this in 2015 and the rest this year.
Also , The King of the Farthestshore DID NOT SHOW UP TO THIS PARTY. WHY.
His bird singing does not count.
Yes , Farthestshore is heaven. The author's world building in this series is so good she even has the afterlife figured out.
So this isn't my favorite book of the series. That would be a tie between Shadow hand and Veiled Rose. But it was still really stellar writing and definitely enhanced my love of this world.
I do HAVE to stress that if you pick up this series , you read the series in order. And if you feel halfhearted about heartless , JUST KEEP GOING.
Heartless is the intro. It's great , but its just the icing on TOP of the cake. Veiled Rose is where everything gets good. Plus, Leo and Rosie. LEO AND ROSIE. GAH.
Plus , there is a talking cat. AND HE'S SASSY.
Okay. So basically this is the best allegorical series I have ever read , but it doesn't read like an allegory. Trust me , I am VERY PICKY about my christian fiction.
But this is really fantastic. Almost anybody can find something to love about. Unless you don't love magicalness and evil unicorns.
Then maybe back away slowly.
Content : clean
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
4.0
When the chief’s son comes of age, the tribe presents him with a prisoner. He is to kill this man and take up a new name as a man. He refuses and instead earns the name Draven, or “fainthearted.” Draven lives as a recluse, a shadow among his people with only his fierce sister Ita as a companion. The drums of war take the men of the tribe to battle, but Draven stays behind. A strange plague follows the warriors home, and when it strikes the one Draven loves most, he vows he will find a way to save her.
This short (less than 200 pages) tale is framed as a story repeated to a little girl as she battles her own fears. Before the end the author ties both the present and past together neatly. Stengl brings her usual powerful story-weaving ability and packs action, danger and romance into this tale, keeping it both moving and exciting. Perhaps the most beautiful part of the story is the relationship between brother and sister, Draven and Ita. Ita seems to understand instinctively when to push her brother, and he knows equally well when to respect her independence. While Draven’s Light isn’t saturated with the story world fans of the Tales of Goldstone Wood books have grown to love so well, they will recognize the mysterious Wood itself as well as two brothers from myth – Akilun and Etanun – and the little wood thrush who often leads heroes seeking aid.
This short (less than 200 pages) tale is framed as a story repeated to a little girl as she battles her own fears. Before the end the author ties both the present and past together neatly. Stengl brings her usual powerful story-weaving ability and packs action, danger and romance into this tale, keeping it both moving and exciting. Perhaps the most beautiful part of the story is the relationship between brother and sister, Draven and Ita. Ita seems to understand instinctively when to push her brother, and he knows equally well when to respect her independence. While Draven’s Light isn’t saturated with the story world fans of the Tales of Goldstone Wood books have grown to love so well, they will recognize the mysterious Wood itself as well as two brothers from myth – Akilun and Etanun – and the little wood thrush who often leads heroes seeking aid.
quoththegirl's review against another edition
5.0
2021: My husband and I finished reading this aloud to each other on a car trip to Washington DC, and it was just as good as I remembered. One of my favorite Stengl books!
2015: I received my pre-ordered copy of Draven’s Light in the morning, and I had devoured it by the end of the day. This may well be my favorite Tale from Goldstone Wood yet, because of the incredibly vivid, enthralling characters. Sometimes characters in shorter works suffer because there simply isn’t room to develop them fully. Not so with Draven’s Light. Draven, the man who believes himself to be a coward, is one of the most heart-wrenchingly brave characters in Stengl’s universe. But it was Ita, Draven’s physically frail but incredibly fierce little sister, whom I found completely fascinating. This story is one of Stengl’s darker tales, but it’s also one of her best and most powerful works. I think this story would make a great introduction to Stengl’s work; after this, they’ll be hooked!
2015: I received my pre-ordered copy of Draven’s Light in the morning, and I had devoured it by the end of the day. This may well be my favorite Tale from Goldstone Wood yet, because of the incredibly vivid, enthralling characters. Sometimes characters in shorter works suffer because there simply isn’t room to develop them fully. Not so with Draven’s Light. Draven, the man who believes himself to be a coward, is one of the most heart-wrenchingly brave characters in Stengl’s universe. But it was Ita, Draven’s physically frail but incredibly fierce little sister, whom I found completely fascinating. This story is one of Stengl’s darker tales, but it’s also one of her best and most powerful works. I think this story would make a great introduction to Stengl’s work; after this, they’ll be hooked!
allison_r's review against another edition
4.0
In the darkness of the pit, the light shines brightest.
In the depths of fear, true heroes are born.
And in a quiet village, a young girl listens to a story told by immortals.
Each day, a girl must bring water to the two brothers who labor to build a strange house on the hill. No one can remember when they came, and no one knows when they will finish their work and leave. Although they frighten the girl, the Kind One tells wonderful tales of adventure and courage-- such as the Coward and the Pit.
Draven was meant to be the next chieftain. But he loses it all when he finds himself unable to comply with his village's barbaric practices. But when their reckless behavior leaves them vulnerable to a mysterious curse, only Draven the Faintheart can defend them... if he can find the courage.
This is Stengl. To say it is beautiful is absolutely redundant. You can go into any Stengl novel or novella assuming the writing, imagery, and execution will be gorgeous, and you won't be disappointed. It is equally redundant to say that I enjoyed it immensely! That being said, Draven's Light reads slightly different from the past novels-- in a good way. Of the novels, it is most reminiscent of Golden Daughter, which makes sense considering they're consecutively published. It feels more mature than her writing ever has before. There are some reflections on youth and aging that add a greater level of philosophy (although all the novels are quite thoughtful).
I was very pleased to see how much Stengl experimented with the structure of this novella. It really isn't a long tale, and the double storyline gave it a pleasing depth. We not only follow the story of Draven; we see it being told to a young girl years later. It was completely unlike anything Stengl has done so far and absolutely lovely.
As for the characterization, I was so, so impressed with the character of Akilun. Stengl managed to write a character who is sweet, wonderful, and so, so kind. He is a noble and great man, but he never becomes foreign because of this.
That being said, I did not like the character of Ita. She is the strong woman of this tale. My problem is that she kicks her brother, Draven. Repeatedly. And it causes him pain. I expected that this physical aggression would eventually be addressed, and it was-- sort of. But it still made me uncomfortable. I can hear you pointing out already that Stengl writes flawed characters. She does-- absolutely!-- but I still feel that Ita was never put down as thoroughly as Una, who I found more likable than her.
But the main thing that prevents me from giving Draven's Light a perfect ten for ten is this: it hinges on an unexpected emotional choice from a character the audience doesn't know yet. So even though it's unexpected... because I was unfamiliar with the character, it didn't really resonate with me. As the novella continued and I learned more about the character and the culture, his defying of social norms began to feel... strange to me. He has been conditioned for this choice presumably since birth, but we never really learn what causes or allows him to overcome this except that it is in his nature.
That being said, this novella is a worthy addition to the Tales of Goldstone Wood. Although it doesn't feature many of the popular canon of characters, it still draws heavily on established plots-- need I point out the unspoken comparison of Draven the Faintheart and Lionheart? Yes, this novella is different than past Stengl. It is darker, less fairytale and more folklore. It doesn't feature as many familiar characters, and it is significantly shorter than her novels. But it's still Stengl-- and that means it's pretty darn great!
*Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
In the depths of fear, true heroes are born.
And in a quiet village, a young girl listens to a story told by immortals.
Each day, a girl must bring water to the two brothers who labor to build a strange house on the hill. No one can remember when they came, and no one knows when they will finish their work and leave. Although they frighten the girl, the Kind One tells wonderful tales of adventure and courage-- such as the Coward and the Pit.
Draven was meant to be the next chieftain. But he loses it all when he finds himself unable to comply with his village's barbaric practices. But when their reckless behavior leaves them vulnerable to a mysterious curse, only Draven the Faintheart can defend them... if he can find the courage.
This is Stengl. To say it is beautiful is absolutely redundant. You can go into any Stengl novel or novella assuming the writing, imagery, and execution will be gorgeous, and you won't be disappointed. It is equally redundant to say that I enjoyed it immensely! That being said, Draven's Light reads slightly different from the past novels-- in a good way. Of the novels, it is most reminiscent of Golden Daughter, which makes sense considering they're consecutively published. It feels more mature than her writing ever has before. There are some reflections on youth and aging that add a greater level of philosophy (although all the novels are quite thoughtful).
I was very pleased to see how much Stengl experimented with the structure of this novella. It really isn't a long tale, and the double storyline gave it a pleasing depth. We not only follow the story of Draven; we see it being told to a young girl years later. It was completely unlike anything Stengl has done so far and absolutely lovely.
As for the characterization, I was so, so impressed with the character of Akilun. Stengl managed to write a character who is sweet, wonderful, and so, so kind. He is a noble and great man, but he never becomes foreign because of this.
That being said, I did not like the character of Ita. She is the strong woman of this tale. My problem is that she kicks her brother, Draven. Repeatedly. And it causes him pain. I expected that this physical aggression would eventually be addressed, and it was-- sort of. But it still made me uncomfortable. I can hear you pointing out already that Stengl writes flawed characters. She does-- absolutely!-- but I still feel that Ita was never put down as thoroughly as Una, who I found more likable than her.
But the main thing that prevents me from giving Draven's Light a perfect ten for ten is this: it hinges on an unexpected emotional choice from a character the audience doesn't know yet. So even though it's unexpected... because I was unfamiliar with the character, it didn't really resonate with me. As the novella continued and I learned more about the character and the culture, his defying of social norms began to feel... strange to me. He has been conditioned for this choice presumably since birth, but we never really learn what causes or allows him to overcome this except that it is in his nature.
That being said, this novella is a worthy addition to the Tales of Goldstone Wood. Although it doesn't feature many of the popular canon of characters, it still draws heavily on established plots-- need I point out the unspoken comparison of Draven the Faintheart and Lionheart? Yes, this novella is different than past Stengl. It is darker, less fairytale and more folklore. It doesn't feature as many familiar characters, and it is significantly shorter than her novels. But it's still Stengl-- and that means it's pretty darn great!
*Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
meganmcculloughbooks's review against another edition
3.0
If this was longer it could have been much better. I feel like there wasn't enough time to develop the characters.
anna_catherman's review
5.0
Draven's Light may be half the length of the Tales books, but it nevertheless manages to weave a wonderful Tale that ties in just enough with the main series to thrill readers while exploring new territory and times. We get our best look yet at the Brothers Ashiun, a lot of exploration of different cultures and worlds, and the ending. Agh, it was so beautiful and painful. Stengl really nails the bittersweet not-quite-happily-ever-after ending.
The only complaint I can really think of for this one is that the romance is forgettable and slightly unnecessary, but it doesn't really detract from the plot, either, so it gets a pass in my book.
This little book doesn't reach the high heights of, say, the last hundred pages of Golden Daughter, but manages to hold its own among the other books. Definitely one I'll be revisiting in the future.
(*Note: Jan. '20 was my first read of this book, after re-reading all the other Tales. I didn't read the first go-around this one so I would have something new to read next time I read them.)
The only complaint I can really think of for this one is that the romance is forgettable and slightly unnecessary, but it doesn't really detract from the plot, either, so it gets a pass in my book.
This little book doesn't reach the high heights of, say, the last hundred pages of Golden Daughter, but manages to hold its own among the other books. Definitely one I'll be revisiting in the future.
(*Note: Jan. '20 was my first read of this book, after re-reading all the other Tales. I didn't read the first go-around this one so I would have something new to read next time I read them.)
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