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mfumarolo's review against another edition
3.0
In The Springsweet, Saundra Mitchell takes readers from the exciting city life of Baltimore to the wide open spaces of the Oklahoma Territory. While many might consider this novel to be more of a companion to its predecessor The Vespertine, I'd disagree. Zora, the protagonist of this story, is a secondary character in the previous book and without having read that, I would not have understood what exactly drove her west in this novel. Therefore, if you haven't read The Vespertine, stop reading this post now because some spoilers are about to happen.
Zora is seventeen and has suffered more loss in the last year than she has in her entire life. First her beloved Thomas, her fiance, dies and shortly afterward she gets word that so has her best friend and cousin, Amelia. Miserable in Baltimore, she moves to the tiny frontier town of West Glory to help her young widowed aunt. But leaving the past behind isn't so simple, especially when handsome Theo de la Croix has followed her west with the hopes of finally courting her after longing for her from afar. He'd be a proper match, but there's also Emerson Birch, a young farmer who may be a bit rougher around the edges with deep secrets, but has completely captivated Zora. As her suspicions and feelings for Emerson grow, she discovers a unique talent of her own: the ability to sense water underground, an incredible talent especially in these unforgiving lands.
Mitchell does a great job weaving together a well feeling story that's interesting to follow in this series that's a great blending of historical and slightly paranormal fiction. I must admit that I had a harder time getting into the first book in this series, understanding these people with elemental abilities and how exactly they worked. However, since I already came into this book with an understanding, I felt like the story got off to a better start. My biggest criticism, though, is that the ending felt a bit rushed. Mitchell has a beautiful build up to the characters and their environment, and while I know not all loose ends can be tied up because the sequel is due out next year, the ending was very abrupt in my eyes. This was a very fast read, finishing it in only a few days, and I wish I'd gotten around to reading it sooner.
If you're looking for historical fiction with a dash of the supernatural that's also a quick read, check out The Vespertine series.
Zora is seventeen and has suffered more loss in the last year than she has in her entire life. First her beloved Thomas, her fiance, dies and shortly afterward she gets word that so has her best friend and cousin, Amelia. Miserable in Baltimore, she moves to the tiny frontier town of West Glory to help her young widowed aunt. But leaving the past behind isn't so simple, especially when handsome Theo de la Croix has followed her west with the hopes of finally courting her after longing for her from afar. He'd be a proper match, but there's also Emerson Birch, a young farmer who may be a bit rougher around the edges with deep secrets, but has completely captivated Zora. As her suspicions and feelings for Emerson grow, she discovers a unique talent of her own: the ability to sense water underground, an incredible talent especially in these unforgiving lands.
Mitchell does a great job weaving together a well feeling story that's interesting to follow in this series that's a great blending of historical and slightly paranormal fiction. I must admit that I had a harder time getting into the first book in this series, understanding these people with elemental abilities and how exactly they worked. However, since I already came into this book with an understanding, I felt like the story got off to a better start. My biggest criticism, though, is that the ending felt a bit rushed. Mitchell has a beautiful build up to the characters and their environment, and while I know not all loose ends can be tied up because the sequel is due out next year, the ending was very abrupt in my eyes. This was a very fast read, finishing it in only a few days, and I wish I'd gotten around to reading it sooner.
If you're looking for historical fiction with a dash of the supernatural that's also a quick read, check out The Vespertine series.
joyousreads132's review
4.0
Hope springs eternal.
Mourning the death of her beloved, Zora Stewart decided she needed to escape. What better way to forget about the tragedies in her life but to occupy herself with back-breaking labour? Ruined in Baltimore by her own devices, her mother shipped her off to a stead in Oklahoma where farming life flounders due to the scarcity of water. Little did she know, within her lies the ability to call on its sources. But as soon as she availed herself of the remuneration for being "springsweet", guilt and worry soon burdens her as she recognizes hope in the people's eyes and the responsibility of being the person who can possibly give it. But among all things, she hopes that her stay in Oklahoma will ease some of the grief for the loss of Thomas.
In the brusqueness of the West, she meets Emerson, a recluse who alleviates some of the pain simply with his presence. Slowly but surely, she starts to find a reason to keep going and finds the pathway toward a life she's meant to live.
Much like its predecessor The Vespertine, The Springsweet is a historical romance with a touch of paranormal. I wouldn't call it subtle, but certainly the characters' abilities are pretty tame in relation to the other books that I've read in this genre (paranormal). Basically, Amelia's, Nathaniel's, Zora's and Emerson's powers are natural by origin. As in, Amelia's is fire, Nathaniel's is air, Zora's is water and Emerson's is earth/soil.
Nope. Amelia does not breathe fire. She sees the future only in the backdrop of a burning sunset.
No, Nathaniel does not create super storms. He simply 'jumps' and he can be wherever he wanted to be. He's like air. He can be anywhere.
Zora cannot summon a tsunami of water but she knows where she can find them.
And no. Emerson cannot direct earth to open up and swallow his proverbial nemesis. He can grow anything on his command.
Theirs was almost primitive and basic and totally appropriate in the era in which the author chose to tell their stories.
The Vespertine has the Austenesque feel to it while The Springsweet will take you back to the old Frontier. Saundra Mitchell excelled, quite spectacularly in whisking me away to these worlds while staying in the same period. How did she do it? Well, I imagine an incredible amount of strenuous research and profound imagination were involved. Call me insane, but she romanticized the wild, wild West for me.
Zora was a completely different character here compared to who she was in The Vespertine. She suffered losses in which a girl her age would consider impossible to overcome. But she grew up a lot. She lost a lot of her spright but she gained a lot more resolve and strength in spite of all the hardships, both physical and emotional she'd had to endure.
There were two love interests in this book but I wouldn't be so quick to say it's a love triangle. For the first time ever, I'm actually torn that the other guy didn't have a prayer. He was sweet, gentlemanly and had the guts to chase her across the country. And his counterpart - the other guy was a force in which Zora's abilities made more sense and therefore, a part of her that I don't know she can live without...and he's incredibly hot. *sigh* So what's a girl to do? I say it's not a love triangle because Zora didn't really feel anything for the other guy so there wasn't a moment when she vacillated between the two.
The Springsweet is a take off from the other books from my shelves and I loved what Saundra has given us so far. I'm dying to read the next book!
VERDICT: Sweeping plains, barn-raising, yokels, horse-drawn wagons. The setting was, again highly imaginative yet somehow scarily accurate. If I was turned off by historical romance then, Saundra Mitchell single-handedly changed that for me.
Mourning the death of her beloved, Zora Stewart decided she needed to escape. What better way to forget about the tragedies in her life but to occupy herself with back-breaking labour? Ruined in Baltimore by her own devices, her mother shipped her off to a stead in Oklahoma where farming life flounders due to the scarcity of water. Little did she know, within her lies the ability to call on its sources. But as soon as she availed herself of the remuneration for being "springsweet", guilt and worry soon burdens her as she recognizes hope in the people's eyes and the responsibility of being the person who can possibly give it. But among all things, she hopes that her stay in Oklahoma will ease some of the grief for the loss of Thomas.
In the brusqueness of the West, she meets Emerson, a recluse who alleviates some of the pain simply with his presence. Slowly but surely, she starts to find a reason to keep going and finds the pathway toward a life she's meant to live.
Much like its predecessor The Vespertine, The Springsweet is a historical romance with a touch of paranormal. I wouldn't call it subtle, but certainly the characters' abilities are pretty tame in relation to the other books that I've read in this genre (paranormal). Basically, Amelia's, Nathaniel's, Zora's and Emerson's powers are natural by origin. As in, Amelia's is fire, Nathaniel's is air, Zora's is water and Emerson's is earth/soil.
Nope. Amelia does not breathe fire. She sees the future only in the backdrop of a burning sunset.
No, Nathaniel does not create super storms. He simply 'jumps' and he can be wherever he wanted to be. He's like air. He can be anywhere.
Zora cannot summon a tsunami of water but she knows where she can find them.
And no. Emerson cannot direct earth to open up and swallow his proverbial nemesis. He can grow anything on his command.
Theirs was almost primitive and basic and totally appropriate in the era in which the author chose to tell their stories.
The Vespertine has the Austenesque feel to it while The Springsweet will take you back to the old Frontier. Saundra Mitchell excelled, quite spectacularly in whisking me away to these worlds while staying in the same period. How did she do it? Well, I imagine an incredible amount of strenuous research and profound imagination were involved. Call me insane, but she romanticized the wild, wild West for me.
Zora was a completely different character here compared to who she was in The Vespertine. She suffered losses in which a girl her age would consider impossible to overcome. But she grew up a lot. She lost a lot of her spright but she gained a lot more resolve and strength in spite of all the hardships, both physical and emotional she'd had to endure.
There were two love interests in this book but I wouldn't be so quick to say it's a love triangle. For the first time ever, I'm actually torn that the other guy didn't have a prayer. He was sweet, gentlemanly and had the guts to chase her across the country. And his counterpart - the other guy was a force in which Zora's abilities made more sense and therefore, a part of her that I don't know she can live without...and he's incredibly hot. *sigh* So what's a girl to do? I say it's not a love triangle because Zora didn't really feel anything for the other guy so there wasn't a moment when she vacillated between the two.
The Springsweet is a take off from the other books from my shelves and I loved what Saundra has given us so far. I'm dying to read the next book!
VERDICT: Sweeping plains, barn-raising, yokels, horse-drawn wagons. The setting was, again highly imaginative yet somehow scarily accurate. If I was turned off by historical romance then, Saundra Mitchell single-handedly changed that for me.
cjyu's review
4.0
4.25 stars
Much better than The Vespertine, I loved the Springsweet, lyrical and magical, it got straight to the point and Zora discovered her magic very earlier so the story didn't drag on like it did in The Vespertine, and no doubt Zora was much more interesting as a protagonist, and the love interest was WAYYYYY better. Looking forward to Aetherborne!
Much better than The Vespertine, I loved the Springsweet, lyrical and magical, it got straight to the point and Zora discovered her magic very earlier so the story didn't drag on like it did in The Vespertine, and no doubt Zora was much more interesting as a protagonist, and the love interest was WAYYYYY better. Looking forward to Aetherborne!
roseice's review against another edition
3.0
There's a strange style to this book that makes it both lovely and faraway. During the reading, I was not sure how I felt about Mitchell's writing as a whole. Upon finishing, I felt this book was... vague and poorly conceived to the very last page. And it's somewhat appalling how long it took for evidence of Amelia to appear. I hate this fleeting, obscure weave of characterization Mitchell insists on. It's lovely in its execution, but leaves me detached from every character, and I don't want to feel so far away from all of them. Also, I found the romance was shallow and without growth.
I'll give it three stars for Mitchell's lovely writing, which was at times a plus. But in short, The Springsweet was a poor portrayal of an elemental magic story (a genre I'm dorkily protective of!).
I'll give it three stars for Mitchell's lovely writing, which was at times a plus. But in short, The Springsweet was a poor portrayal of an elemental magic story (a genre I'm dorkily protective of!).
randijeanreads's review
5.0
I loved, loved, loved this book! Springsweet contains some of my favorite elements- A strong protagonist that possesses the ability to do something unusual,a love triangle,and it's set on the prairie. I can't wait until the next book comes out.
misssusan's review
4.0
Excellent. It's tricky to write good voice in historical fiction: too modern and it sounds off, too accurate and it can impede understanding. Mitchell's really good at it, Zora's voice is clear and distinct and she feels like she belongs in her setting (from Baltimore to the prairies; a frontier story!). I'm also impressed by the length: it's difficult to write a proper story with fleshed out characters in under 300 pages and this is the third time Mitchell's done it. Looking forward to the sequel. 4 stars
kairosdreaming's review
4.0
This review can be found on Amazon.com as part of the vine program, or my personal blog www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
hollylynna's review against another edition
3.0
Good..wish I had read vesper tine first...would have meant more I think.
operasara's review against another edition
5.0
The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell is a sequel to The Vespertine. This book follows Zora who moves in with an aunt in Oklahoma shortly after the landrun following the death of her fiancee. Zora finds that this new frontier dangerous and difficult but filled with interesting people. Zora soon finds that she has the ability of a springsweet, one who can locate water, and finds herself in a love triangle between the man who is right socially and the man that is right for her heart.
I loved this book. While it was a sequel to The Vespertine it felt more like a companion novel which has a character from the original but does not continue the original story. The historical setting was written well allowing the reader to feel like they are in the frontier setting. The book is short and the plot engrossing leaving me with a story that I could not not put down. Both this book and The Vespertine reminded me of the historical romance novels that I loved and adored as a teen (but without all the sex.)
Appropriateness: This is a wonderful historical romance that teens will love. There is no alcohol or drugs. There are a few sections where it could be implied that more happened than just kissing but it is left to the imagination. I would recommend this book to readers 13+
I loved this book. While it was a sequel to The Vespertine it felt more like a companion novel which has a character from the original but does not continue the original story. The historical setting was written well allowing the reader to feel like they are in the frontier setting. The book is short and the plot engrossing leaving me with a story that I could not not put down. Both this book and The Vespertine reminded me of the historical romance novels that I loved and adored as a teen (but without all the sex.)
Appropriateness: This is a wonderful historical romance that teens will love. There is no alcohol or drugs. There are a few sections where it could be implied that more happened than just kissing but it is left to the imagination. I would recommend this book to readers 13+
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
3.0
Mitchell can write. It's pretty without being flowery and meaningless. The descriptions, the world, the setting, and the characters all work so well.
I'm a fan of the blending of historical fiction with magic, and I appreciate how Zora is a broken character. She's struggling with her past and it impacts her being able to move forward in a realistic manner. Things AREN'T easy to overcome, and Zora doesn't magically become right again in a new setting. But she gets what she deserves in the end, and the ending made me REALLY excited about the third book in this series because it'll take place in one of my favorite places.
That said, I felt like the plot kind of dragged, particularly in the second half of the book. A lot of big things happen, but I never quite felt like they mattered nor that they advanced the characters or story much. I wanted a little more investment in them for true impact.
You can read this one without reading The Vespertine, but you'll get a lot more out of this one if you have read it and are familiar with Zora's story and background. The magical elements will make a lot more sense, too.
I'm a fan of the blending of historical fiction with magic, and I appreciate how Zora is a broken character. She's struggling with her past and it impacts her being able to move forward in a realistic manner. Things AREN'T easy to overcome, and Zora doesn't magically become right again in a new setting. But she gets what she deserves in the end, and the ending made me REALLY excited about the third book in this series because it'll take place in one of my favorite places.
That said, I felt like the plot kind of dragged, particularly in the second half of the book. A lot of big things happen, but I never quite felt like they mattered nor that they advanced the characters or story much. I wanted a little more investment in them for true impact.
You can read this one without reading The Vespertine, but you'll get a lot more out of this one if you have read it and are familiar with Zora's story and background. The magical elements will make a lot more sense, too.