Stephanie S. (skywriter319) - , reviewed on 4/9/2009 + 784 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Before Scotland, there was Caledonia. Rowan and Fiana are two powerful magicians whose impending love marriage will bring peace and happiness to their people. However, enemies interrupt the ceremony, forcing Rowan to hide inside his wand. Fiana swears to do anything to find Rowan...including using black magic.

Over a thousand years later, among the redwood forests of modern-day California, twelve-year-old foster child Cullen Knight stumbles across an odd-looking stick of wood. Life is harsh on Cullen: his foster family treats him with no love, and he is bullied in school for his diminutive size and young age. When he picks up the wand, however, the spirit of Rowan also occupies Cullen's body, coming out in times of trauma or stress. And Cullen's life is changed forever. Will he be the one to reunite Rowan with his fiancee, and save Fiana from the grips of evil?

To start, this book will not be an easy read for what can only be called the "Harry Potter" generation. Despite its uncanny similarities to Harry Potter--the cruel foster family, the magic, the protagonist's isolation from "normal" school society--ROWAN OF THE WOOD does not have the easy engagement and attraction of Rowling's series. The writing is often heavy and stilted; adults will be able to appreciate it more.

Once you get past the often amateur-sounding writing, however, the result is a decent fantasy story that runs between two time periods. Fiana's trek through magical time is interesting, and Rose does a good job of painting the harsh realities of middle school, a place where bullies lurk. I would recommend this for parents with kids who enjoyed Harry Potter and want to read similarly styled books.

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