Ennara and the Fallen Druid

A Conventional Tale, But With Some Clever Twists and Nice Touches

For openers this book feels like it is going to be very predictable and undistinguished. A magical young girl with a mark on her hand that identifies her as special. A same age male sidekick who's funny and impulsive. They're taken away from their tiny village by a wizard in order to recover a magical object, hidden in a faraway place, because it is needed to defeat an invasion of evil shadowspawn. On a bad day, say when your car won't start, you might be tempted to skip over this as just the same old same old. I suggest that would be a mistake.

The plot is conventional. But because that plot or one like it has served us well since the age before the Greeks even started writing this stuff down, there's always room for another good one. And this is a good one.

Importantly, the book is not overwritten. At the outset there is some over description and some showy writing, but that settles down quickly in favor of plain good story telling. ("Legs" go back to being "legs" instead of "appendages"; that sort of thing.) That struck me as important because this feels like a good entry level book for a confident early middle grade reader ready to try out a quest/fantasy type of book. This one seems aimed right at that sweet spot.

Apprpriately, then, we have an appealing group of heroes that should also entertain that reader. Ennara is smart and brave but also a bit shy and uncertain about this whole "special girl" thing that has been thrust upon her. She's not a shirker, though, and duty calls. Her pal Kithe is a pal through thick and thin and embodies steadfastness and loyalty. A third companion picked up along the way, Gevin, has his own mysterious destiny, but as part of the party brings resourcefulness and some moody depth to the undertaking. For a change the wizard is younger, (more like a favorite camp counselor), and he is just the right combination of chatty and closed mouth to move the plot along while keeping the reader in suspense.

There is action, and chases, and hiding, and thrills, and menace - on land, on the sea and in the air, so this isn't just a talky magic lesson sort of book. The characters sort of take turns being heroic and saving the others through quick thinking or quick action, so everyone gets to be involved in the story.

The author has created an interesting world, with an interesting backstory and mythology. The magic system is not complex but is understandable and satisfying. Descriptive passages are remarkably good for a middle grade adventure and city scenes, descriptions of boats at sea, descriptions of more exotic locations are effective and inviting. Again, it's not overdone but it's not undercooked either, which seems just right for the audience.

As an added bonus, every now and then there is a brief conversation, or a passing description, or some internal musing by a character, that is really quite arresting. The author isn't going for "literary", but that doesn't mean the book can't be well written. These touches just add a bit of spice to the project and make for a more satisfying and interesting read.

So, a solid tale, well told. Engaging characters and a good feel. A nice find.

Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

I enjoyed this greatly. Good plot. I liked the magical elements. Looking forward to reading more.

There’s a lot to like about this fantasy adventure of a young heroine born with special abilities, setting out to save the world. The pace is good, leaving very few boring moments, as Ennara first learns of the threat to her family and village, then faces up to the fact that she might be one of the few people alive who can do something about it.

Travelling with the wizard Tork and her best friend Kithe, Ennara’s journey is full of exciting peril as she tries to retrieve a legendary sword from a sunken city. Along the way she meets a captain with an exceedingly dodgy accent (is he Scottish? Irish? A pirate?), an intriguing marine cat and plenty of magical monsters. She also learns that magic isn’t as simple as it first appears to be.

I enjoyed this story. Ennara might be special, but she doesn’t act it. There’s so much she doesn’t know and isn’t sure of that reading about her journey is always interesting. The magical monsters are scary, the quest is difficult and the mix of magic and alchemy was nicely done.

Combining adventure and peril, with a bit of wisdom and lots of friendship, this was a good start to the series. With Ennara only just beginning to learn about her powers, it’ll be fun to see what happens next. Although the zombie chickens will be hard to top.

A great start to a fantasy series. Ennara and her friends are the key to saving her village. In their quest, they face challenges, treachery, and friendship. I had to get the next book right away!

Ennara and the Fallen Druid Author: Angela Myron Characters: Ennara, Kithe, Gevin, Tork This review is written in general terms to avoid spoilers.
Ennara, a gifted young girl in the Land of Estlan, discovers evil demons are threatening her home. Due to the circumstances of her birth, in Estlan, Ennara is identified a “Caul”, a very rare phenomenon. In the Estlan tradition they were known as children with magical traits. To combat the demons, Ennara must go on a quest to find a magic weapon. Kithe, Ennara’s friend tags along. Gevin , an apprentice on a boat, also makes their acquaintance. The Adventures include a trip at sea, an underground city and evil, magical creatures and beings.
I believe I may have been reviewing an ARC, so I will excuse any grammatical mistakes. This book was very compelling and I was drawn into the character of Ennara because of her innocence and good nature, but each of the characters has their own interesting traits and personalities. This is a book full of magic, exploration and wonder and will pull one into the book, racing along to see what happens next. Several times I was so engrossed that I looked up and found time had flown by. I wish the book was longer, but it is chock full of adventure, suspense and emotion. Myron builds a fascinating new world with a great backstory. I highly recommend this for younger readers and older readers (like me) will enjoy it too. I anxiously await the next book in the series, Ennara and the Book of Shadows.

Ennara and the Fallen Druid is a fast paced MG (8-12yo) fantasy adventure. Myron has a carefully crafted, well-constructed story here with everything children this age bracket will probably want – action, adventure, wizards, dark magicians, magical creatures and dashes of humour. There is a great balance between description and action so that the world and story are easy to visualise while maintaining pace. This would be an excellent introduction to the fantasy genre for younger readers.

Ennara is one of few children to be born with a caul over her face. This caul is said to occur on babies who become particularly gifted magic wielders. Though Ennara has commenced her studies in magical lore with her aunt, she has not practiced using magic and has no idea just what her skills are – let alone whether they will be special in anyway.

The wizard Tork requests that Ennara accompany him on his journey to find a way to stop the Shadespawn - evil creatures who were once human. (Increasing numbers of Shadespawn roam the land infecting those they scratch or bite.)

She gains young companions along the way- Kithe and Gevin. Kithe is her long-time friend who plays the slightly goofy sidekick. Gevin is a new acquaintance who is quiet and serious. Ennara is initially uncertain in her own abilities and frightened by the dangers that face them. In fact each of the children has their own vulnerabilities, which is something I enjoyed about their character construction. There are some cool magical creatures good and evil along the way - keep your eye out for Smoos!

There are great messages about self-belief, teamwork, trust and honesty in this story, but above all it is a rollicking adventure.

The book starts dramatically with Ennara running for her life from a Shadespawn and the pace doesn’t let up until the end – there are no dull bits in this story whatsoever.

Four Stars!

Lovely imaginative book with lots of exciting parts. This kept my 10 year old with her nose in the book all weekend as she tried to find out about sword retrieval She loved it so much she demanded the next one in the series!

She's the heroine everyone's been waiting for. Ennara, the marked girl with magical powers, together with his best friend sidekick were in for an eventful and epic adventure when Wizard Tork took them. Bent on retrieving a magical object to save the world against Shadespawn, Ennara encountered characters that made her journey to the Sunken City an eye-opening one.

My kids flocked me while I read this book. They thought Ennara resembled Harry Potter, but she was more fierce, determined and likeable. It's our first time meeting a girl with a caul and my boys thought her quest was daring and stirring. Overall, Ennara and the Fallen Druid deserves thumbs up and a magic wand!

Eleven year-old Ennara is out searching for her cow when she notices it is starting to get dark. She knows she shouldn't be out so late and begins to run when she senses something in the shadows. It seems that the shadow demons are getting bolder and stronger in numbers when an old family friend comes to enlist her help in a journey to rid the world of this terror.

[i]Ennara and the Fallen Druid[/i] is a story that mixes Harry Potter type adventures with King Arthur legends. To defeat the shadow demons, Ennara must travel over and under water to obtain a legendary weapon. She is followed by a dear friend and makes another friend along the way. She is finally putting everything she learned to the test and discovers she is much stronger than she ever knew. This is a great tale for Children with plenty of adventure transitioning into a few moments of tension and goosebumps. It ended way too quickly but with an easy path to the sequel. I can't wait to see what new adventure awaits her.