Review of Starflower!

Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl is the fourth book in the Christian fantasy series Tales of Goldstone Wood. You can read my reviews for the second and third books by clicking on the links.

A furious dragon vs. a man-cat and a mortal girl. Doesn't seem like a fair fight at all, does it?

When the beautiful Lady Gleamdren is kidnapped by a fairy queen turned dragon, the amorous poet of Rudiobus, Eanrin, is quick to pledge to save her, as is his rival who is equally determined to win Gleamdren's heart. The two decide to race each other to save the beautiful lady, but Eanrin gets sidetracked when he attempts to escape a terribly frightening white hound that has been pursuing him and when he saves a mortal girl, trapped in sleep, from a river. He saves her out of the goodness of his immortal heart, but little does he know this girl has power unexplainable- the power of courage and love. Starflower, or Imraldera as Eanrin calls the girl, joins him in his noble quest. As the story unfolds, Imraldera's true story is revealed, and the dark powers pursuing her and her ability to aid Eanrin instead of hinder him becomes more and more evident.

Although the girl has much strength, does she have the fortitude to stand up to the dragon witch and the dark force after her? Will Eanrin rescue his lady-love? What is this white hound, and will he harm Eanrin?

As with its predecessors, Starflower is a story as imagination-inspiring and beautiful as its cover. This book can be a standalone book, without knowledge of the characters from previous books. This book is set as a prequel to the previous three books in the series, so we delve into the past of characters such as Eanrin, who we first saw as a feline protector in the first book, Heartless. He gives the book its breath of lightheartedness but also contributes in deeper ways- I absolutely loved learning more about the mysterious man-cat from the previous books. The lead character, Starflower, is strong and captivating, quite representative of the cast of characters we have seen in the author's previous books. She is bold and self-sacrificing, as shown by her actions and love of her sister. I love the depth of emotion in this book- it is a book with heart. Parents will also appreciate that it is a clean book with strong morals and spiritual truths.

I highly, highly recommend this book. Brilliant, captivating, a must-read!

Note: Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Blessings,
~Prism~