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amethystbookwyrm's review against another edition
3.0
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks to Netgalley and Sarah Dalton for giving me this book to review.
There is only one craft-born every generation and because the realm needs magic again the king has said that the next craft-born has to marry his son Prince Casimir. Mae is the craft-born but does not want to be a princess instead she wants be with her father and someday have adventures, when Ellen another girl from her small town claims she is the craft-born, Mae is happy to let her marry Casimir. But on the day Prince Casimir comes to their town, Ellen is kidnapped and Mae’s father is murdered. Mae, along with Casimir and Mae’s white stag Anta, go into the cursed Waerg woods to find those responsible. However, will Mae’s quest for revenge overcome her fear of her craft-born powers being discovered?
White Hart is a good YA fantasy novel which has the classic fantasy and fairytale feel, as it has a quest, young love and magic. I liked how descriptive the Waerg woods are as they come across as creepy, not just because of the creatures in it, but its general atmosphere.
Mae is a very impulsive and a bit of a whiny character, but I understood her desire to leave her town where she is an outcast looking for adventure even though it is a bit cliché. I liked Cas as he is more complex than he first appears to be, although he is oblivious and wanders into danger all the time, but I liked how he grew to appreciate Mae and see her as more than just a poor farm girl. I also liked Sasha as she says what she thinks and was willing to help Mae and Cas even when they had not been kind to her.
This book ends on a cliff-hanger I did not see coming and I am interested to see what happens next. I would recommend White Hart to fans of Witch Song by Amber Argyle and Cornerstone by Kelly Walker.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sarah Dalton for giving me this book to review.
There is only one craft-born every generation and because the realm needs magic again the king has said that the next craft-born has to marry his son Prince Casimir. Mae is the craft-born but does not want to be a princess instead she wants be with her father and someday have adventures, when Ellen another girl from her small town claims she is the craft-born, Mae is happy to let her marry Casimir. But on the day Prince Casimir comes to their town, Ellen is kidnapped and Mae’s father is murdered. Mae, along with Casimir and Mae’s white stag Anta, go into the cursed Waerg woods to find those responsible. However, will Mae’s quest for revenge overcome her fear of her craft-born powers being discovered?
White Hart is a good YA fantasy novel which has the classic fantasy and fairytale feel, as it has a quest, young love and magic. I liked how descriptive the Waerg woods are as they come across as creepy, not just because of the creatures in it, but its general atmosphere.
Mae is a very impulsive and a bit of a whiny character, but I understood her desire to leave her town where she is an outcast looking for adventure even though it is a bit cliché. I liked Cas as he is more complex than he first appears to be, although he is oblivious and wanders into danger all the time, but I liked how he grew to appreciate Mae and see her as more than just a poor farm girl. I also liked Sasha as she says what she thinks and was willing to help Mae and Cas even when they had not been kind to her.
This book ends on a cliff-hanger I did not see coming and I am interested to see what happens next. I would recommend White Hart to fans of Witch Song by Amber Argyle and Cornerstone by Kelly Walker.
xmyrin's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhat predictable but the premise is interesting! I'll be continuing with the series.
hannas_heas47's review against another edition
4.0
*Thanks Librarything for a free book in exchange for a review*
Loved it...this was a young adult novel that was really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Layered between fantasy and historical, this book was charming and easy to read. I'm beginning to like this genre more and more, although it is young adult. Cover and title didn't really catch my eye but the synopsis did. Characters were developed nicely and I was enthralled in the tale of the craft- born. Magic had dried up and only the craft-born could feed her blood back into the soil to help the people. I love the part about the white stag, that is something you don't see often. World building was great, the forest had a hunger game approach to it. Overall entertainment value is four stars. The drop on the ending/cliffhanger made me adjust my rating otherwise it would have been five stars. Thanks so much to the author for allowing me to review her book.
Loved it...this was a young adult novel that was really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Layered between fantasy and historical, this book was charming and easy to read. I'm beginning to like this genre more and more, although it is young adult. Cover and title didn't really catch my eye but the synopsis did. Characters were developed nicely and I was enthralled in the tale of the craft- born. Magic had dried up and only the craft-born could feed her blood back into the soil to help the people. I love the part about the white stag, that is something you don't see often. World building was great, the forest had a hunger game approach to it. Overall entertainment value is four stars. The drop on the ending/cliffhanger made me adjust my rating otherwise it would have been five stars. Thanks so much to the author for allowing me to review her book.
bryonycostello's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review was originally posted on my blog, Paperbacks & Protagonists.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
The beginning of White Hart had me intrigued by page one. I loved the concept of the Waerg Woods, and although Mae and Casimir experienced many evils whilst on their travels, there was something enchanting about the whole idea.
Mae is an outcast in the tiny village of Halts-Walden, a village that is far removed and far behind in the times when compared to the rest of the realm. White Hart follows Mae through a life-changing experience and a journey of revenge through the aforementioned Waerg Woods.
Ever since Mae discovered that she was craft-born, she has spent her entire life keeping her gift hidden so that she is not forced into marriage to Prince Casimir. However, after some unexpected occurrences, Mae finds herself alone in the world with only the prince to keep her company.
The storyline of White Hart was engaging, and it was something that I really enjoyed. Nevertheless, I was disappointed by the lack of medieval elements...please excuse me if I'm wrong, but I am fairly sure by the names of villages and several other things within the book, that White Hart is set in or around medieval times. I love all things medieval, so I wish that there had been more description surrounding this element of the novel.
There is not much that I didn't like about the book, but I will say that Mae came across as a little bit whiny at times and that it was rather short. Normally I wouldn't complain about a short book, but White Hart is fairly short and it leaves you with a cliffhanger!
Overall, the major selling point of this book is the Waerg Woods...as much as they scared me, I really do love Dalton's description of them.
White Hart will be published by Sarah Dalton on the fifth of March.
This review was originally posted on my blog, Paperbacks & Protagonists.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
The beginning of White Hart had me intrigued by page one. I loved the concept of the Waerg Woods, and although Mae and Casimir experienced many evils whilst on their travels, there was something enchanting about the whole idea.
Mae is an outcast in the tiny village of Halts-Walden, a village that is far removed and far behind in the times when compared to the rest of the realm. White Hart follows Mae through a life-changing experience and a journey of revenge through the aforementioned Waerg Woods.
Ever since Mae discovered that she was craft-born, she has spent her entire life keeping her gift hidden so that she is not forced into marriage to Prince Casimir. However, after some unexpected occurrences, Mae finds herself alone in the world with only the prince to keep her company.
The storyline of White Hart was engaging, and it was something that I really enjoyed. Nevertheless, I was disappointed by the lack of medieval elements...please excuse me if I'm wrong, but I am fairly sure by the names of villages and several other things within the book, that White Hart is set in or around medieval times. I love all things medieval, so I wish that there had been more description surrounding this element of the novel.
There is not much that I didn't like about the book, but I will say that Mae came across as a little bit whiny at times and that it was rather short. Normally I wouldn't complain about a short book, but White Hart is fairly short and it leaves you with a cliffhanger!
Overall, the major selling point of this book is the Waerg Woods...as much as they scared me, I really do love Dalton's description of them.
White Hart will be published by Sarah Dalton on the fifth of March.
jasmyn9's review against another edition
4.0
White Hart is a phenomenal story. There's magic, a prince, a haunted forest, and frightening creatures all waiting inside. I love that the hero of the story, and the one doing most of the saving, is a girl. Mae doesn't always think of herself as strong, but she's smart and resourceful when it's needed most. I loved her relationship with her stag, Anta. I'm always more attached to a character that has a good bond with a favorite animal.
Prince Casimir, on the other hand, was not what I would call your typical fantasy prince. He wasn't the amazing good hero saving the day, but he also wasn't the evil prince out to destroy the world. He just...was. The only thing he really seemed to have a strong opinion on was that he had to marry the craft-born girl - who he believes to be Ellen.
Much of this story takes place in the Waerg Woods. It's full of creatures - some I had heard of and some I hadn't, but all had a very unique twist. I absolutely loved the birds!!! They had the perfect creepy factor going for them. The groups of people they encounter in the woods are also very diverse and really help to push Mae along her emotional journey.
This story had plenty of action and was a very quick read. It does end with one heck of a cliffhanger though and I don't see a release date for book two yet.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-white-hart-by-sarah-dalton.html#sthash.yeIbedsR.dpuf
Prince Casimir, on the other hand, was not what I would call your typical fantasy prince. He wasn't the amazing good hero saving the day, but he also wasn't the evil prince out to destroy the world. He just...was. The only thing he really seemed to have a strong opinion on was that he had to marry the craft-born girl - who he believes to be Ellen.
Much of this story takes place in the Waerg Woods. It's full of creatures - some I had heard of and some I hadn't, but all had a very unique twist. I absolutely loved the birds!!! They had the perfect creepy factor going for them. The groups of people they encounter in the woods are also very diverse and really help to push Mae along her emotional journey.
This story had plenty of action and was a very quick read. It does end with one heck of a cliffhanger though and I don't see a release date for book two yet.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-white-hart-by-sarah-dalton.html#sthash.yeIbedsR.dpuf
dragoneyes451's review against another edition
4.0
Dalton doesn’t fool around starting her story. There’s very little descriptive background in the beginning before suddenly you’re whirling into a thickening plot. Then, just as you’re getting excited, frantically turning page after page… it gets stagnant. Sure, they’re traveling through the dark, mysterious, dangerous Waerg Woods, and you’re not sure what’s going to happen to them next. But the character relationship is very cliche. The we-don’t-like-each-other, he-likes-this-other-girl-so-I-can’t-possibly-like-him, okay-I-like-him-but-he-likes-her-not-me, etc. etc. story line has been done so many times. I began wishing Dalton had chosen a different approach for the main characters’ relationship.
Then you meet the Ibenas, and you’re now excitedly flipping through the pages again. You get pulled into the roller-coaster of Mae’s emotions, despite the cliche-ness of it all. I legitimately could not stop reading this book once I got to this point. Suddenly there was a plot twist I hadn’t been expecting. I looked to see that I was 90% of the way through the book, and I inwardly groaned.
To say I was happy with the way the book ended would be a lie. Books that just END like that drive me a little crazy, but it's an excellent set up for the sequel.
I did have one major issue with the book. I felt like Dalton was trying to make a few political statements, but she never hashed out those parts of the book enough to actually make the statement. For example, she seemed to want to make a distinction between the female lead, Mae, being black and poor, and the male lead, Casimir, being white and a prince. But it doesn’t really go anywhere and feels unnecessary to the story she’s trying to tell. And then there’s the coal-burning palace. Look, I’m an environmental scientist, and I am all for ecological awareness. But beyond the statement that the “fumes” (smog) have killed the crops and are making people sick, it doesn’t go any further. Perhaps she’ll expand upon this more in her second book, but I feel like if you are trying to take an environmental stance, you have to dig deeper into it than she has.
Overall, I really liked this book. There was a moment where things were turning into a typical, expected and unexciting plot, and my initial enjoyment began to waver, but then the action really picked back up the rest of the way to the end. I’m already excited for the sequel to come out, so I can find out WHAT HAPPENED. What a cliffhanger!
Then you meet the Ibenas, and you’re now excitedly flipping through the pages again. You get pulled into the roller-coaster of Mae’s emotions, despite the cliche-ness of it all. I legitimately could not stop reading this book once I got to this point. Suddenly there was a plot twist I hadn’t been expecting. I looked to see that I was 90% of the way through the book, and I inwardly groaned.
To say I was happy with the way the book ended would be a lie. Books that just END like that drive me a little crazy, but it's an excellent set up for the sequel.
I did have one major issue with the book. I felt like Dalton was trying to make a few political statements, but she never hashed out those parts of the book enough to actually make the statement. For example, she seemed to want to make a distinction between the female lead, Mae, being black and poor, and the male lead, Casimir, being white and a prince. But it doesn’t really go anywhere and feels unnecessary to the story she’s trying to tell. And then there’s the coal-burning palace. Look, I’m an environmental scientist, and I am all for ecological awareness. But beyond the statement that the “fumes” (smog) have killed the crops and are making people sick, it doesn’t go any further. Perhaps she’ll expand upon this more in her second book, but I feel like if you are trying to take an environmental stance, you have to dig deeper into it than she has.
Overall, I really liked this book. There was a moment where things were turning into a typical, expected and unexciting plot, and my initial enjoyment began to waver, but then the action really picked back up the rest of the way to the end. I’m already excited for the sequel to come out, so I can find out WHAT HAPPENED. What a cliffhanger!
auburnedge's review against another edition
5.0
Holy crap!! I will honestly say I had low hopes for this book. It was on the free list I got from an author I followed. I chose to read it because the cover looked pretty awesome. Little did I know I would stay up all night reading it. I was enthralled by the story and had to know how it ended! I will be buying the second and third in the series and hopefully they will be just as amazing!
urlphantomhive's review against another edition
2.0
READ IN ENGLISH
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I really liked the cover, it is simple yet effective, because people do judge a book on it's cover (at least if they don't know anything else about it).
Mae is -secretly- the craftborn, the one person in the realm who has the ability to restore magic to its former glory (and will marry the crown prince). Mae is a poor girl, ignored by everyone in the village except her dad. (Her mother is -surprisingly- dead). When another girl from her tiny, tiny village is found to be the craftborn, the prince himself comes to collect her, but before that can actually happen, terrible thing happen.
To avenge her father and save the 'craftborn', Mae and the prince (please recall, she is a very poor girl who's never had the chance to train social skills) go - on their own - on a quest in the haunted magical forest 'The Waerg Woods'...
OK, I couldn't stand Mae. She is - as I mentioned before - very poor, though she acts more arrogant and spoilt than Casimir, who's the Crown prince! That doesn't make a lot of sense, especially when Mae keeps saying how spoilt Casimir is and everything. One of her better qualities is saving Casimir, because, hell, he needs a lot of saving! (Don't let him wander alone for more than two minutes).
She's also far to proud. There are multiple occasions where here being the craftborn could have easily saved the two of them, but she is to proud to use it because he laughed at her. Silly girl!
And if she hates Ellen that much, why would she not just expose her to the world? Why go and do this kind of theatre, with the blood in a bottle and all that? Why?!
Onto the world. We don't get to know too much about it. What I wondered though, it is probably changed in the final version of this book (I haven't been able to check), but there is a great inconsistency in the name of the realm. Aegunlund is most common, but there's also Agenlund and Aegunland?
The Waerg Woods are haunted and creepy. Or so we're told. No one dares enter except - of course - Mae. The woods reminded my of the clock-arena in Catching Fire. It's divided into little parts, each of which have special threats for you. (Think fog, rain, animals etc). There's also a clicking monster, who's apparently not bound by any boundaries.
The story is not that original. It's a series of getting caught, escape, getting caught, escape etc. A lot happens very fast, so there isn't really time for a lot of details, background story or real character development. Mae doesn't learn to be less arrogant, either. Some of her decisions seem so weird to me, that it was hard for me to see them as part of the story rather than being a plot device to come to the end of the story. Which isn't really an ending! It just starts to get excited from this point, I believe. I don't mind reading trilogies and I don't need full closure at the end of a book, but this seems just like it ended somewhere halfway, with an enormous cliffhanger...
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I really liked the cover, it is simple yet effective, because people do judge a book on it's cover (at least if they don't know anything else about it).
Mae is -secretly- the craftborn, the one person in the realm who has the ability to restore magic to its former glory (and will marry the crown prince). Mae is a poor girl, ignored by everyone in the village except her dad. (Her mother is -surprisingly- dead). When another girl from her tiny, tiny village is found to be the craftborn, the prince himself comes to collect her, but before that can actually happen, terrible thing happen.
To avenge her father and save the 'craftborn', Mae and the prince (please recall, she is a very poor girl who's never had the chance to train social skills) go - on their own - on a quest in the haunted magical forest 'The Waerg Woods'...
OK, I couldn't stand Mae. She is - as I mentioned before - very poor, though she acts more arrogant and spoilt than Casimir, who's the Crown prince! That doesn't make a lot of sense, especially when Mae keeps saying how spoilt Casimir is and everything. One of her better qualities is saving Casimir, because, hell, he needs a lot of saving! (Don't let him wander alone for more than two minutes).
She's also far to proud. There are multiple occasions where here being the craftborn could have easily saved the two of them, but she is to proud to use it because he laughed at her. Silly girl!
Spoiler
And if she hates Ellen that much, why would she not just expose her to the world? Why go and do this kind of theatre, with the blood in a bottle and all that? Why?!
Onto the world. We don't get to know too much about it. What I wondered though, it is probably changed in the final version of this book (I haven't been able to check), but there is a great inconsistency in the name of the realm. Aegunlund is most common, but there's also Agenlund and Aegunland?
The Waerg Woods are haunted and creepy. Or so we're told. No one dares enter except - of course - Mae. The woods reminded my of the clock-arena in Catching Fire. It's divided into little parts, each of which have special threats for you. (Think fog, rain, animals etc). There's also a clicking monster, who's apparently not bound by any boundaries.
The story is not that original. It's a series of getting caught, escape, getting caught, escape etc. A lot happens very fast, so there isn't really time for a lot of details, background story or real character development. Mae doesn't learn to be less arrogant, either. Some of her decisions seem so weird to me, that it was hard for me to see them as part of the story rather than being a plot device to come to the end of the story. Which isn't really an ending! It just starts to get excited from this point, I believe. I don't mind reading trilogies and I don't need full closure at the end of a book, but this seems just like it ended somewhere halfway, with an enormous cliffhanger...
chyina's review against another edition
4.0
"White Hart" tells the story of a young girl gifted from birth with the power to call upon nature. It is something that has always been a part of her and yet it is something Mae has to hide, if she doesn't want to marry the prince anyway. You see, the king has declared that the craft-born, as those like her are called, must be married to the prince and she could never she herself in a stuffy castle cut of from nature and Atta, the large white hart that has been her closest companion since she was a child. But when the girl who was pretending to be a craft-born goes missing and her father is murdered she will stop at nothing to get her revenge, even if it means traversing the cursed and ever-changing forest.
Luckily, all the characters are believable and interesting to read. We aren't given the stereotypical prince on a white horse and the enchanted forest has fun and new horrors. Weird sentence, I know. But sometimes when you read about an enchanted forest you get the same couple of characteristics each time but that is not the case with this book. Sarah Dalton took her time to build an interesting and unique world that pushes her characters past their breaking point.
I think that my biggest issue with this book is that Dalton uses color to decide not only if someone is attractive but if they are educated or seen as barbarians. Not a big fan.
Luckily, all the characters are believable and interesting to read. We aren't given the stereotypical prince on a white horse and the enchanted forest has fun and new horrors. Weird sentence, I know. But sometimes when you read about an enchanted forest you get the same couple of characteristics each time but that is not the case with this book. Sarah Dalton took her time to build an interesting and unique world that pushes her characters past their breaking point.
I think that my biggest issue with this book is that Dalton uses color to decide not only if someone is attractive but if they are educated or seen as barbarians. Not a big fan.
kimmiereadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. Interesting YA fantasy series. Really enjoyed it even though there were some tragic circumstances that I wouldn't have minded being avoided.