The Shiver Tree was a beautifully written story. Typically I am not one to pick up a fantasy novel of my own will, but the description of the story line just pulled me in. Paired along side the magnificent cover, this book is a world of its own. From the beginning you could feel the tension and danger brewing within, but the main character, Kiana, was not about to let anything destroy the place she loved so much. Headstrong and determined, she set out on an adventure that brought her to new heights. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat and brings you deep into their world. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone that uses books to find new universes to submerge themselves in to escape the real world around them.

Upon encountering this book on Netgalley, I was immediately drawn in by its intriguing and distinctive premise. However, upon delving into the story, I found it lacking in coherence. The multitude of species introduced, including elves, druids, gnomes, sorcerers, and werewolves, contributed to a narrative that was at times difficult to follow. Additionally, while the spell casting was intriguing, I found there to be an absence of explanations for the incantations spoken which added to my confusion.

That being said, there were certain aspects of the story that stood out for their originality. For instance, the concept of magic manifesting as a "tattoo" on the forearm of druids, with leaves fading and regenerating with their magical use, was particularly fascinating.

Overall, while the story shows promise, the abundance of elements introduced resulted in a somewhat disjointed storyline.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

I found it hard at times to follow the story and found it very hard to engage with it. The battles scenes were very interesting. But I don’t believe this was in the range of books I like to read

I very much wanted to love this story, but it is not for me. It’s too disjointed, and it has an astounding amount of largely incongruent things smashed together. You’ve got elves, gnomes, druids, sorcerers, and…werewolves? Throw in some pirates, jinn and eerily Harry Potter-ish incantations for good measure. I know, let’s add “mindf**k” and “ugly-a**” in there, too, just to thoroughly jar you out of the fantastical world.

I loathe leaving negative reviews, but I have to be honest here. I did love the seed of magic growing into a mark of a tree of the left forearms of druids, with leaves fading if magic is used…that’s fascinating and totally unique. I hope that I will be in the minority with my opinion, and that others will love the book. I do think there’s a good tale in here somewhere, but as is, it’s trying to do too much and needs some…well…pruning.

I received an eARC from NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing (thank you), and I am leaving this review voluntarily.