The Druid (The Dawning of Muirwood Book 1)

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It's tough to rate books that aren't really books. This seems like it could be the beginning of a good serial though. We'll see. Mordaunt's priceless secret: the hiding place of an ancient tome that reveals the existence of other worlds and the magic between them. Mordaunt knows how potent its words are and how dangerous they could be in the wrong hands. But can Eilean win him over? All she must do is gain Mordaunt's confidence and trust and persuade the apostate to divulge his secret to her. But as she learns more from Mordaunt, Eilean's loyalties begin to fray. And the risks are greater than she imagined. I really enjoyed Jeff Wheeler's "Kingfountain" series, which was based on the latter years of the Plantegenet rulers of England in the fifteenth century, and was excited to discover that there are more books in the series (and more coming!) But instead, I turned to the first book in his "Dawning of Muirwood" series, "The Druid." It was an absorbing beginning to a series that I will definitely read. Anyway anyway, I like the new characters although Eilean seems flatter than some of the others. I love Mordaunt and Nostradamus provides an interesting interlude character. The threads are already being laid for the time in the future when women and wretcheds aren't allowed to learn. It would be interesting to read all of these chronologically again at some point. Captain Hoel is so annoying — I do not understand Eilean’s admiration for this man. He was a narcissistic jerk for almost two books, harming her friends and allies along the way, and yet she still gave him a pass every single time. Then towards the end he does a 180, and suddenly he’s loved her all along and his weird premonitions are what confused him (even though he witnessed first hand the corruption and the High Seer’s wrath and yet still did nothing about it lol).

On the other hand, one thing I enjoyed were the between-chapter inserts of Aldermaston Gilifil's redemption arc I felt was done in a correct manner and were an enjoyable read which I were looking forward to after each chapter. I can not wait to see what happens between these new MC's. Unfortunately, I know what eventually happens in this story (remember, this IS a prequel), but that does not take away from what I want to know about these characters that I have come to know and have become invested in. A few years ago I was obsessed with everything Wheeler wrote, I consumed the Kingsfountain series and the Muirwood series in just a couple of months. And then I tried to read some of the rest of his other series and I was never able to really get into the rest of his books. So when I heard about a prequel to Muirwood I figured this would be perfect. And while I did read it in just a few hours I still didn't feel that connection I did with the earlier books. I still enjoyed it but I didn't get that OMG I'm in for a treat, feeling I did with some of his other books. Always interested in fantasy novels, it was The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks that first got Jeff hooked on reading. Saying that by the end of the book he wanted to cry, Jeff was inspired to make people feel real emotions when reading his books.All I can say is that Mr. Wheeler has done it again. He has created a storyline that not only held my interest, but that grabbed me and did not let go. He made me feel INVESTED in the characters and the storyline. But, honestly, I already expected that. is the chief advisor of a vanquished king and an imprisoned Druid. He’s cruel and harsh but also extremely intelligent. As someone who is not religious, it's a testament to the story that my heart still feels happy that the Aldermaston reconnected with the Medium. Watching that mini character arc through the interludes was one of the best parts of the story. The world-building is excellent and continues to build on the already well documented lore from previous series by Mr. Wheeler. It’s so exciting to see some of these places that I’ve seen previously, but this time, to see how they started. Because he has based his world off of real places, he can really dig into what everything looks like and make it feel legitimately real. The abbeys, the landscape, the people, it all just feels like we are transported in time rather than transported into another world.

A young woman’s burgeoning powers make her Muirwood’s most wanted in a breathtaking novel by Jeff Wheeler, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Druid. Eilean remains the focus of this work, having gained considerably more power and confidence in working magic than is typical of book two in a Wheeler work. Its justified, in no small part, by the training she recieves and the nature of her trainer - but this remains one of the weakest parts of the book for me. Pacing as the nature of the world and the Powers within it at explicitly revealed is slow. I like my mysteries, the teasing out of hints and suggestions much as those who would work the Medium's will must listen for its whispers. Here, many secrets are laid bare. More, the latter portion of the work is sprinkled liberally with "magic words". Never one to be short on ideas, Jeff Wheeler further perfected his craft through storytelling during games of Dungeons and Dragons during high school. Inventing stories to bring these games alive, Jeff would engross his friends and family members as they played the fantasy game. Wheeler also rewards longtime readers of his books by sprinkling Easter eggs throughout that touch on places, people and things from his earlier series. For instance, at the end of “The Druid,” Eilean finds a sword and a scabbard engraved with a raven that would be familiar to anyone who has read the first “Kingfountain” trilogy or the later “First Argentine” series.We got a lot more from Eilean/Gwenllian's personality too here. I'm loving the theme of friendship and support between her and Celyn - we don't get enough girl power and ideal female friendships in fantasy these days. You're beautiful! I'm proud of you! Why don't our fictional women support each other more? The main character is a young woman who is a servant at an abbey that is responsible to attend to a druid who is under house arrest. The main character is somewhat interesting, but not engaging or compelling. Besides the druid character who is featured prominently in the story, the other side characters service the story but are not fully fleshed developed. There are some religious undertones of the story that people may not like, but the story is based around a certain time period that had a lot of religious conflict, so the story reflects that same feeling. Wheeler’s stories are a great palate cleanser and an excellent light read that will draw you in further and further into the story until you realize you’ve read 20+ books in the series and wish there were more. A young woman’s burgeoning powers make her Muirwood’s most wanted in a breathtaking novel by Jeff Wheeler, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Druid.

July 11, 2022: Fairly standard epic fantasy world building but some fun and unexpected twists and turns. I’m liking this better than I thought I would, several other books I’m reading but I’m leaving those on the shelf to focus on this.

Publication Order of Deep Magic Collections Books

The character of Hoel has been butchered, this man is a very different person from the Hoel of the first book. He is no longer the calculating, smart yet restrained soldier, but a clumsy lovefool who goes a complete 180 at the end in his morals and convictions for no apparent reason. The forced enemies to lovers trope attempt does not work as Hoel's tenderness towards Eilean was clear from the previous book. A slowburn warming up to eachother would have been much more satisfying instead of the sudden 0 to 100 we were met with. This read like a not super traditional trad gorl fantasy... but written by a man. I was honestly impressed by how Wheeler managed to write a female protagonist that felt authentic and true. Not one of those women who serve the male gaze. Her growth is very obvious by the end, if compared to where her character started at the beginning. That's not to say she's always doing what we as the reader would agree with. But the growth! In a sense as her learning increases & her understanding of her world grows, she correspondingly develops in power - with a little help from her friends, so to speak. I was given a free copy of The Druid by Jeff Wheeler (author), 47North (publisher) and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The Druid is the first book in the the Dawning of Muirwood Series. The Druid was published on May 1, 2022.

Then there is Captain Hoel. The feelings between the two of them, the fact that even though they understand that they SHOULD not trust each other - but yet they do - THAT becomes the biggest issue in this second book of this new trilogy. There's a fair amount of world-building with lore & vocabulary to process - it does make it feel a little tedious at times because it requires more focus, but by 15% I was pretty solidly engaged for the duration. I also really liked the theme of overcoming your differences to hear what others are saying. Everyone is so blinded by pride and the inability to effectively communicate in this day and age. It's an interesting idea to explore and have different characters reacting based on their prejudices and personalities Despite betrayals, deceptions, and the deadly motivations of others, a girl from the flax fields is about to rise above her station. By exploring the potential of the power of an ancient spoken magic, Eilean is coming into her own.So, I've done a lot of complaining so far, but the truth is until the end I was really enjoying this book and the writing. Wheeler's ability as a writer isn't the problem. It's his choices. It is possible to write a series where the author cares enough about the reader that they give them a full story with an actual ending.