Heartwood

By: Freya Robertson

Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards

Winner: Sir Julius Vogel Best Novel 2014

Chonrad, Lord of Barle, comes to the fortified temple of Heartwood for the Congressus peace talks, which Heartwood’s holy knights have called in an attempt to stave off war in Anguis. But the Arbor, Heartwood’s holy tree, is failing, and because the land and its people are one, it is imperative the nations try to make peace.

Freya is a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy, as well as a dedicated gamer. She has a deep and abiding fascination for the history and archaeology of the middle ages and spent many hours as a teenager writing out notecards detailing the battles of the Wars of the Roses, or moping around museums looking at ancient skeletons, bits of rusted iron and broken pots. She also has an impressive track record, having published over twenty romance novels under her pseudonym, Serenity Woods.

©2013 Freya Robertson (P)2014 Audible Ltd

Many details and names

This is one of those books that require a second read to pick up a lot of missed details. While I know the ending, typically I never mind experiencing the story again. Not this time. There isn't much to this story that pulls me back into it. Other books that require (or my desire for) another read through is like being with lost friends. This book however, I just can't get excited or feel like I've missed enough that reread Heartwood.

Solid fantasy. Not annoying

Interesting fantasy story.
I have no complaints. It didn't blow my mind.
You do have to pay attention to keep the multilayered story straight.

slow isn't necessarily bad, but...

so I listen to books because they help me sleep at night. ill listen for about 15 or 30 min, get snug, relax, and drift off to sleep. then the next night I pick up where I left off. but Heartwood is like getting hit in the face with a sledgehammer. 5 minutes and I'm OUT. there's so much set up, so much description, I don't even remember anything actually HAPPENING. but its really well written as far a prose go.

Book makes a good sedative however not interesting

If it weren't for the narrator I would not have attempted listening to the book. It was very difficult to follow the characters much less the story line. I fell asleep more times listening to this book than any other book I have ever listened to. This is not to say that this is a bad book, merely that it is too complex for me to sort out before bed!

Exciting but confusing

If you are an expert at keeping track of an abundance of details, this is the book for you. However, I found it very difficult to keep the story line connected to the correct characters. There’s a lot going on. Each part could almost have been its own book.

Disastrous,

I gave it the old college try, but honestly, I struggled with finishing this. From the stunted character development, and disjointed plot, it seems as if this was written with little thought. The sexualization of the women knight from the beginning was cringy enough, but the to have the characters not recognize basic human emotions and to then make SO MANY illogical choices, it's as if they were robots emulating humans.I got through it, but if there's a sequel, count me out, I couldn't bare to subject my worse enemy to it let alone myself.

Over generalized sexist junk

I couldn’t get past the first few minutes. Maybe the narrator was better than I can say because the book was so terrible it was hard to hear him say how the main guy sexualized his fellow knight instead of recognized her for her skills. When a book opens like with such premises as visible curves under the armor, I just can’t.

Fantastic idea with female nights but shame on this author for making them less valuable because of their gender. Puke emoji