"Starflower" by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Starflower (Tales of Goldstone Wood) (Nov. 1, 2012) by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.*

This Christian fantasy novel takes place more than sixteen hundred years before the first novel in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series. Lady Gleamdrené Gormlaith, the queen’s cousin, is the fairest Faerie in the land, and she knows it. When she’s kidnapped by the troubled and cursed dragon-witch Hri Sora, Bard Eanrin and Captain Glomar – both of the royal court – set off on a rescue mission, for they both believe that Lady Gleamdren is their true love. Eanrin is veered slightly off course when he comes across an unconscious maiden in the Wood Between, a dangerous place. It rests between the Near World of mortals and the Far World of Faeries and other mystical creatures. The maiden is Starflower. In all his immortal life, Eanrin has never involved himself in the life of a mortal, and he has many qualms about it now. But he takes Starflower with him. Starflower, for a mortal, is an interesting creature. Even Hri Sora takes notice. What is Starflower’s story? And how is it connected to the dragon-witch?

            As this was my first novel by Stengl, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I found that I was fascinated by this tale. The main characters – and even the major supporting characters – all have distinct personalities, and Stengl’s writing is full of depth. I would recommend this tale to anyone with an appreciation of fantasy. The magnificent creature, Lumil Eliasul, does remind me of Aslan from the Narnia books, but this Christian fiction tale doesn’t read with blatantly obvious Christian undertones. It also reads as a standalone; one does not have to have read the previous three books.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”