Scan barcode
eileen_goury's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
chelseaj91's review against another edition
5.0
Yet another book that was difficult to put down. Anne Elisabeth Stengl's writing is amazing. She picks words that vividly paint a picture in the reader's mind. She's also managed to create a world that is deep, with it's own set of histories/legends. Almost as if it's been around for years in more than just pen and paper.
Set around 1600 years before the events that unfolded beginning in Heartless and moving on through Veiled Rose and Moonblood, Starflower allows us to see the back story behind some characters:
Eanrin: The bard, Chief Poet of Rudiobus, both man and cat, very much in love with Lady Gleamdren (or is he?)
Starflower: Mortal maid, cursed, silenced but with a voice that's stronger than most
Hri Sora: (aka The Dragonwitch), angry, out for revenge
Glomar: Captain of Iubdan's guards, both badger and man, very much in love with Lady Gleamdren
Gleamdren: Cousin of Queen Bebo, one of the keepers of the Secret of the Flowing Gold, kind of spoiled, object of every man's affection (at least she wishes)
From the beginning, where we first met Eanrin he somehow managed to endear himself to me despite being really quite conceited and self-absorbed. I grew to like him even more once he found Imraldera and started to fully understand what it meant to truly love. Of course Starflower, was the complete opposite of Eanrin from the start and you couldn't help but feel bad for her--she'd been cursed with no voice from the moment she was born, that being said, even though women were seen as not much more than slaves, she managed to hold onto her fire and was made strong through the love from her mother and then the love she showed her sister. She even managed to find the strength to stand up to the Beast and see to his destruction so that her sister could be free of the curse even if it meant probably never seeing her again.
I highly recommend the entireTales of Goldstone Wood series to anyone, especially those who love fantasy and fairy tales. I do suggest going in order for the most part since the books tend to kind of build on one another as well as go deeper into things that were only mentioned previously.
Set around 1600 years before the events that unfolded beginning in Heartless and moving on through Veiled Rose and Moonblood, Starflower allows us to see the back story behind some characters:
Eanrin: The bard, Chief Poet of Rudiobus, both man and cat, very much in love with Lady Gleamdren (or is he?)
Starflower: Mortal maid, cursed, silenced but with a voice that's stronger than most
Hri Sora: (aka The Dragonwitch), angry, out for revenge
Glomar: Captain of Iubdan's guards, both badger and man, very much in love with Lady Gleamdren
Gleamdren: Cousin of Queen Bebo, one of the keepers of the Secret of the Flowing Gold, kind of spoiled, object of every man's affection (at least she wishes)
From the beginning, where we first met Eanrin he somehow managed to endear himself to me despite being really quite conceited and self-absorbed. I grew to like him even more once he found Imraldera and started to fully understand what it meant to truly love. Of course Starflower, was the complete opposite of Eanrin from the start and you couldn't help but feel bad for her--she'd been cursed with no voice from the moment she was born, that being said, even though women were seen as not much more than slaves, she managed to hold onto her fire and was made strong through the love from her mother and then the love she showed her sister. She even managed to find the strength to stand up to the Beast and see to his destruction so that her sister could be free of the curse even if it meant probably never seeing her again.
I highly recommend the entireTales of Goldstone Wood series to anyone, especially those who love fantasy and fairy tales. I do suggest going in order for the most part since the books tend to kind of build on one another as well as go deeper into things that were only mentioned previously.
laraa93's review against another edition
4.0
This fourth book in the 'Tales of Goldstone Wood' series was my first read by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Immediately, I fell in love with her way of writing and the pacing of the story. Her descriptions of this world she created are very detailed and soon transport you into her world with the characters.
Starflower tells the story of Lady Gleamdren, Queen Bebo's cousin. She is adored by many. However, holding the secret of the Flowing Gold, got her kidnapped by Hri Sora, a dragon who has lost her wings. This starts the adventure of Captain Glomar and Bard Eanrin who set forth on a rescue mission to rescue their beloved. On his way to Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin happens upon Starflower, a mortal who cannot speak due to a curse. Since he didn't have the heart to leave her there, he ends up saving her and she ends up joining the rescuers on their mission.
All characters in this story were very entertaining especially Glomar, who can turn into a badger and Eanrin who transforms into a cat. I really enjoyed their tiffs, and also the relationship between Starflower and Eanrin. Both their personalities were very developed by the author and I even liked Gleamdren, even though she is somewhat spoiled. Starflower was of course my favourite character and I could not stop reading when the author told the story of her past and what led to her escape from her land.
The story was full of humour, mystery and adventure and I am now a huge fan of this author and series. I look forward to reading more books by this wonderful author. I would recommend this to all fantasy readers.
Starflower tells the story of Lady Gleamdren, Queen Bebo's cousin. She is adored by many. However, holding the secret of the Flowing Gold, got her kidnapped by Hri Sora, a dragon who has lost her wings. This starts the adventure of Captain Glomar and Bard Eanrin who set forth on a rescue mission to rescue their beloved. On his way to Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin happens upon Starflower, a mortal who cannot speak due to a curse. Since he didn't have the heart to leave her there, he ends up saving her and she ends up joining the rescuers on their mission.
All characters in this story were very entertaining especially Glomar, who can turn into a badger and Eanrin who transforms into a cat. I really enjoyed their tiffs, and also the relationship between Starflower and Eanrin. Both their personalities were very developed by the author and I even liked Gleamdren, even though she is somewhat spoiled. Starflower was of course my favourite character and I could not stop reading when the author told the story of her past and what led to her escape from her land.
The story was full of humour, mystery and adventure and I am now a huge fan of this author and series. I look forward to reading more books by this wonderful author. I would recommend this to all fantasy readers.
anna_catherman's review
5.0
Ah, Starflower.
Just when you think Anne Elisabeth Stengl's work can't get any better, you read the next one and it's just as good, if not better.
Starflower goes back over a thousand years in the story's timeline to give us backstory of some of the characters we've grown to know and love in the other books: Eanrin and Imraldera, most prominently. It also gives glimpses into legends that have been whispered about since the begnning of the series: more Rudiobus, and in particular Lady Gleamdren.
More than that, though, it has excellent characters and relationships between them. Eanrin and Imraldera are the best, but Starflower and Fairbid, Sun Eagle...Lady Gleamdren and her suitors...Amarok, Hri Sora, and the Black Dogs...
I won't elaborate much more, for fear of spoilers, but suffice it to say Starflower is everything I've come to expect from the Tales series. It's a perfect blend of faerie tale and allegory, with redemptive themes, beautiful prose and gentle storytelling. Especially compelling is Eanrin's knighting.
"In the end, Eanrin decided, there was only life or death. He saw now how small he was, another beast among beasts. No better than Hri Sora or Amarok or any creature who made themselves their only standard and their only source of truth. After all he had been through, Eanrin knew he could no longer life that way."
Just when you think Anne Elisabeth Stengl's work can't get any better, you read the next one and it's just as good, if not better.
Starflower goes back over a thousand years in the story's timeline to give us backstory of some of the characters we've grown to know and love in the other books: Eanrin and Imraldera, most prominently. It also gives glimpses into legends that have been whispered about since the begnning of the series: more Rudiobus, and in particular Lady Gleamdren.
More than that, though, it has excellent characters and relationships between them. Eanrin and Imraldera are the best, but Starflower and Fairbid, Sun Eagle...Lady Gleamdren and her suitors...Amarok, Hri Sora, and the Black Dogs...
I won't elaborate much more, for fear of spoilers, but suffice it to say Starflower is everything I've come to expect from the Tales series. It's a perfect blend of faerie tale and allegory, with redemptive themes, beautiful prose and gentle storytelling. Especially compelling is Eanrin's knighting.
insipidurbanism's review
4.0
Bard Earin may be my favorite character in this series. This book was very, very well written, adorable, and provided very insightful and enjoyable back story to Imraldera and Earin's romance, not to mention finally introduced Lady Gleamdren and the Dragonwitch. I will definitely continue reading this series!
artemishi's review
5.0
I loved this YA adventure! It's well-written, with a complete world that is explored through the characters, instead of narrated to the audience like a documentary. It's a prequel in a series I haven't read (yet), but I was able to follow along just fine. I really enjoyed the inclusion of faerie mythology (primarily British) like the Caithsidhe, and each character felt developed and distinct (and a main character who isn't Caucasian- hooray!). I want to continue to visit the cultures described in this one, especially considering the disparity between genders. I would recommend it for fans of intelligent YA, classic faerie tales and myth, strong female characters, subtle world-building, and folks who enjoy characters that are morally grey. As I do.
More...