I found the storyline to be interesting, but the main character to be childish and annoying. However, as a coming of age story for a teen/YA, the angst and conflicted emotions and frankly childish actions of Elanna may find a more sympathetic audience. I frankly couldn't finish it due to my irritation at her constant whining and waffling loyalties. The world-building is good and the magic mythology as well. Nice storyline too, I just couldn't stand any more of the main character to be frank. I won't be recommending this to any adult readers of YA and only suggest it to younger teen or pre-teen readers interested in fantasy.

I wanted to love this book, based off the description. I find myself liking it, with some reservations.

My main drawback was not connecting very well with El - she feels a lot of feelings that don't seem to resolve. Her tumultuous childhood gave way to a precarious existence living at the king's mercy, all the while being teased and bullied by his daughter and heir. Never-the-less, El strives towards creating a life for herself that is full of connection and opportunity. But after learning an unpleasant truth about someone important in her life, she struggles to understand it and the reader is left struggling with her. - and nothing really comes of the revealed truth. Being reunited with her parents brings uncertainty- but even as she proclaims her disinterest in becoming their daughter again, they appear unconcerned and forge ahead as though no time lapsed between them seeing her last and today. While their is grief displayed over the lost years, there is also a certainty that everything will turn out alright in the end - which I didn't believe or have faith like El's parents seem to have.

Additionally, I found there were a some "off-screen" characters, who, when mentioned, caused me to pause and reflect on who they were before I was able to continue with the story. They didn't add to the story, rather, they distracted me from the main plot.

Concerns aside, I enjoyed this read - not without it's limitations, but still entertaining.

I was pulled in by the beautiful cover. Then the description hooked me next. So I was intrigued and I must say that I am so happy I read this story. It was beautifully written with great characters you can relate to. I love that the main character is trying to figure out who she is and what she wants. Which is hard considering she was taken from her family and then taken back by her family after a period of years.

The story line is great and keeps you guessing. The character development is wonderfully done and makes you really want to root for the characters and what they are facing. The ending was fantastic and wrapped things up nicely.

A pleasant although not groundbreaking YA fantasy. The pseudo-Celtic setting may be a point of appeal for some readers.

Really, really enjoyed this book. Elanna is an interesting and likable character dealing with tough issues. Hard to put down!

As someone who loves to get her hands in the dirt, I was enthralled by the premise of this book. The main character, Elanna, is very connected to the land and can use her magic to make trees move and even see through the eyes of animals. I really enjoyed the way Callie Bates has built this world. Unfortunately I was also frustrated that I didn't feel more connected to her characters. I wanted to really like Elanna and Jahan but I found myself getting annoyed at them. There were a few points in the story where I thought the story could be veering into something very interesting but it didn't. For example I thought, "wow, if he really is a spy that would make this story so much more interesting." This debut novel has a lot of potential and I'll definitely be watching for future books by Callie Bates.

This was an exciting story about a young woman caught between the rising tensions of the two countries. One of them is her childhood home, while the other was both her prison and then her eventual home. Her struggle to find her identity reflects much of what young people her age feel. It's a struggle of whether you are who you were raised to be or something more? Along the way she discovers fantastic powers that can alter the course of the conflicts, whether she uses those powers, is what you will find out.

This book is an excellent read! If you enjoy fantasy, you will love this book!
Elanna is being held captive by her family's rival country, Eren, after her father's plans to overthrow Eren's king are foiled.
Elanna is raised with respect and maybe even a little affection from the King of Eren. But the king's daughter hates her and would do anything to get Elanna in trouble. After the king is mysteriously poisoned to death, Elanna realizes that she is being framed for his murder. Her only way to survive is to go back to her native country.
But how can she go home to a country she barely remembers? Back to the parents who abandoned her? Elanna is torn.
Through a fast-paced series of events, Elanna learns that she is not just the daughter of a king, but that she has her own unique power that hasn't been rivaled in over 200 years.
In order to find out what those powers are, how she saves everyone, and who she falls in love with, you have to read the book!
This is a very unique, refreshing, brilliant story. The tree-hugger in me loved all of the ties to nature!

​Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy! I can't wait to read more from Callie Bates!

I really liked this book! Its a lovely fantasy novel about a girl, Elanna, the daughter of the head of the rebel forces, who had been raised by the king ever since she was kidnapped at a young age. Now that the king was murdered, she is forced to piece together the truths and lies and discover where she truly belongs. Oh yeah- and there's earth magic in the book! Overall a really enticing read!

I'll be honest, this book was not for me. It was long, drawn out and tedious. I'm sure there will be many people who absolutely love this book but it certainly won't be for everyone. While the writing itself is fine, the characters are a little lack-luster, and the plot is predictable. It's sad that this book fell so short in my estimation as I was very excited upon reading the blurb, especially when Callie is compared to Sarah J. Maas, one of my favourite authors, as one of the fantasy writing greats.