Skip to main content

The Heartwood Crown by Matt Mikalatos




The Heartwood Crown is the second book in the Sunlit Lands Series by Matt Mikalatos. But don't worry if you haven't read the first book, The Crescent Stone. There's enough back story in this one for you not to be completely lost, but seriously, the first one is so good, you should plan on reading it first.

The story of The Heartwood Crown picks up a short time after The Crescent Stone ends. Many of the characters have settled into various parts of their life. Madeline, Shula and Yenil are back on earth, trying to live as normal a life as possible but the Sunlit Lands and their struggles from there keep creeping back in. After a visit from an unusual guest, Madeline knows that she has to return.

What she didn't know were the difficulties that her friends Jason and Darius had been facing in the days after the attack on the Elenil people that control the magic of the Sunlit Lands. The end of magic as the people of the land know it is at hand and Madeline must decide if she will be the one to help usher in the new age.

This story does an excellent job of entertaining but beyond that, Mikalatos brings up issues that we all struggle with. He handles very difficult topics such as love, self-respect, and forgiveness in a way that allows the reader to identify their own struggles and come to a decision of if they can tackle them or at least admit their presence and how they may be affecting day to day life.

This is a young adult fiction but the themes and storyline capture the reader from a much broader age range. It is an excellent second installment and I look forward to reading any additional adventures that the Sunlit Lands may have for us.


I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of review. I'm never required to leave a positive review but always thankful when I can.

PS Matt, If you're reading this, is it possible that The Sword of Six Worlds is going to combine with this series? Signed, A Validus Fan Who's Still Waiting For More

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hospitality for the Rest of Us: Long Distance

People are moving more and more. When I was a youngster, it was a rare instance for a friend to move away. Now it's me that moves away. We've moved a lot, especially when we first got married. It was something like five addresses and three states in the first four years of our marriage. We've slowed down a bit. In the midst of all that moving, we've made some friends along the way. I try to keep an open line in case of times of grief and celebration. One of the best tools I've found for keeping in touch with loved ones far away is Facebook. As much time as I could spend doing other things instead of checking it, it's the best thing I've found. It allows me to communicate with others, without having to call. I know calling is amazing, hearing people's voices, but for introverts, there are no body language clues for us to pick up on that help make our conversations easier. It's also why we prefer to video chat :-) Back to Facebook, some etiquette.

Stories from the Kitchen: Taste and See

I celebrated my birthday last weekend. It was wonderful and the leftovers left me with a question or two. Find out what they are and how I'm currently answering them in this week's podcast. Stories from the Kitchen Season 2, Episode 2: Taste and See Notes from the episode: Taste and See by Margaret Feinberg Dad’s New York Cheesecake (from the back of a Philidelphia Cream Cheese package) 1 ⅞ cups graham cracker crumbs ¼ to ½ cup butter, melted 1 cup sugar, divided 2 lbs cream cheese (4 packs) 2 large eggs (lightly beaten) 1 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp cornstarch 1 cup sour cream Preheat oven to 450F Mix well graham crackers, 2 tbsp sugar, and enough butter that the mixture holds together. Reserve 2 tbsp for garnish. Press mixture onto bottom and sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Chill in the freezer while preparing the filling. Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth and light. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and cornstarch until just blended. S

Threadbare Knees

I feel sure that you've heard the saying "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade."  Well, recently I picked up a pair of wool cashmere blend slacks from Salvation Army and upon further inspection at home, the knees were threadbare, practically holes.  Easy enough to miss, when your knees don't fall in the same spot as the previous owner.  They were inexpensive, so it wasn't a big monetary loss, but I felt like it would be a shame to toss such nice fabric and so I searched the internet to see what I could do.  I found this cute little purse pattern, for free!   You can go check it out by clicking here . It is a great little pattern and I was able to make the entire purse in one rainy day!  Here are some pictures of my threadbare knees purse. Don't you just love those little pleats? And there's even a little pocket inside.  I'm so impressed with myself! Time to fill it up with my keys and such non-sense! And remember, when life gives you th