User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
I finished this one last week and was pleased to discover another YA fantasy author who didn't rely on sex, swearing, or gore to write a compelling debut novel. The premise of the story was an intriguing hook. A tree, which has been observing the world in the woods, suddenly transforms into a woman and wakes up clueless about how it happened. That created an interesting mystery and how she seeks answers to who she really is. Was she a tree all along? Or was being a tree a curse from her past? The book introduces some other characters who each have their own motivations and then things really heat up when a magical civil war begins among the Tuatha and our heroine, Finn, is in the middle of it. I'm definitely going to pick up book 2 and see where this story goes. Glad I found this author.
Rating: really liked it
Tree of Ages is a fantasy novel about a tree who becomes a girl… or is it a girl who becomes a tree and then reverts back into a girl?
Finn is trying to figure out who she is and so is the rest of the world- which itself is on the verge of something big, something having to do with the magical creatures. Author Sara Roethle calls these creatures, ‘Faie,’ who disappeared years ago and now are reappearing all over the place.
The group's trip into the fairy forest was my favorite part. That whole section had me flying through the pages, I just had to know what was going to happen next!
This is only the first installment in the series and I was left with so many questions: will Finn ever figure out who she is? Will Aed come to terms with his shadowy past? Will Iseult clear his family name?
Guess I'll have to read the next novel to find out...
This book, the first in a series, reminded me of Katharine Kerr's Deverry saga. We have a wizard type person in Aed (Nevyn in Deverry), who is trying to help a young female, Finn (Jill in Deverry), come into her powers. Then there's the confused, tormented, perhaps love interest, Iseult (Rhodry in Deverry) and a whole cast of other characters who are along for the ride.
And, like Kerr's creation, the world that Roethle has crafted is very large and unexpected with, sometimes terrifying, creatures.
I'd recommend Tree of Ages for anyone who loves high fantasy.
If you like this, I'd also suggest Katharine Kerr's Deverry (start with Daggerspell) and Kage Baker's The Company series (start with In the Garden of Iden).
Baker's world is more of a steam punk/historical fiction/low fantasy type place, but I think that the relationships that she has knit together were quite like what Roethle has made in Tree of Ages.
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. FTC guidelines: check! And thank you for reading.
Rating: really liked it
Okay so I just finished reading Tree of Ages ;) and I'm giving it a 3.5 because the way I feel about it is in between liking it and really liking it.
Firstly I'd just like to say that I cannot fault the writing itself... IT WAS GREAT. The author has a lot of talent. The whole book was in third person and conveyed by several perspectives, and yet still managed to create so much mystery!
So when I first started reading this book I was all like...
It was a strange yet tantalizing start to a book... The style of fantasy (not the style of writing) reminded me of Juliet Marillier's books. It's not just a book with a vampire or some magic and then labeled fantasy, it's pretty much all over fantasy... ;) the best kind right.
I thought the start was a bit slow and the future vague, Finn is off to find out about herself but truly doesn't know where to start at first. But then things start to really happen... They meet Faie, there's a kidnapping, a Daring Rescue, more kidnappings and awesome reuniting ;)
I loved the plot twists they livened everything up so much... and I didn't see them coming ;)
I found I started to like characters that I didn't think I would. And while the romance was subtle, especially at the start, it is present. Although there was a hint of a love triangle which I'm not big on.
It's well set up for a sequel. I feel like I've seen a corner of a great painting and cannot wait to see the whole thing.
Well Written Sara C. Roethle
Rating: really liked it
Cliffhanger much?A great start but then it dragged a bit for me. I had to keep picking it back up forcing myself along. I must say as a warning that nothing..and I mean nothing, is resolved in book one, this book. Be prepared to purchase the others for a story arc to conclude. This was decent with world building and meh on character building. The intents of the characters are muddy and not well defined although you will NOT mix them up by midway through the book. So that means with a large cast, the character building is decent. But I didn't care about them. And I should have. I should have cried about the old man the way I cried when Grim encounters the mad builder and his aching hands in Den Of Wolves. I didn't care about the tree girl and I should have. I should have felt her evolve.
I didn't.
I should be rooting for Kai and the marks on his back make me cry for his youth.
I didn't.
All the others as well. They had stories. They had emotions. But there was simply NO substance to it. I didn't care when Finn cried because I didn't feel it..why she was crying. Or when Kai catches her crying but gives no solace. I should have understood why. And why and what these characters were intent on doing in Finn's quest. I didn't.
We aren't told stuff but we don't have emotions from these characters to guess why we should care.
And frankly I stopped caring about any of them.
I pointed out Den Of Wolves.as a comparison book. I cared about The Grim and Blackthorn books, from the first page I was deeply invested in those two. Very much. I still think about that cast of characters much much later and long to go back to that world. But in this world? Not in a million years.
I thought the book really good up until the travelers appear. It dragged for me, even while in the Blood Forest, which should have been a defining part of the story. It was muted for me. As were the grittiness I usually feel in the various towns a party encounters. I think this is a lack of observation through the character. I know they go to a tavern but what does it look like? Smell like? What do they see? What catches their eye and what do they fear? There is so much introspection going on, I know little of the world through their eyes. What I do know, the author simple tells me. That should not have to happen. If given multiple perspectives from people in the party, facts do not need to be told to me.
If Finn gives me a view of a sea, and then Kai, and then Aed, Isieult, Anna, even the tavern wench...I get it. I feel it. I MUST feel I am on this journey with them and guess what?
I didn't.
I wasn't interested enough in the abrupt ending to care to wade through future books. Facts without whys are the bane of me enjoying a book. I don't know why even the simple things happen in this book. The author just says things like "We will be taking the Sands Road" and later "No one takes the Sands Road". And obviously they do. So no reason is given for why that character feels that way or feels the emotions they do. That is the way the book meanders through a road trip finding and losing and finding partners.
And the abrupt ending forcing the story to be continued in book 2 or 7 (who knows?), to me is an insult to the time I invested in reading despite the issues I felt.
I just don't care enough.
Especially to invest more money and time.
Rating: really liked it
So when I first heard the premise of the story—a tree transforms into a girl and goes on an adventure—I thought, “Well, that sounds weird.”
But . . . it’s actually really cool. The book opens with Finn suddenly reverting from tree to human form. She has no memory of any life other than that of a tree, and her sudden humanity is a complete mystery to her. We the reader, of course, quickly surmise that she was originally human and enchanted or cursed, but Finn truly has no idea. All she wants is to become a tree again.
And that’s where the mystery begins. Finn must set out into the world on a journey of discovery. She starts out with only Aed, the wise old man who found and protected her post transformation (and who may be much more than he initially seems) as her companion. But soon she picks up others along the way . . . including a possible (?) love interest, the tormented and mysterious Iseult.
The world itself is very magical, full of terrifying creatures. The actual action of the book takes a little while to get going, but once it hits . . . WOW. It’s very hard to put down the book. And all the while, the mysteries deepen, dragging the reader in further.
The end definitely leaves the reader in cliffhanger territory . . . but I’m all right with that! I know the whole series is published, I can just pick up and binge read my way through the whole thing if I want to. (Which I definitely want to.)
Rating: really liked it
I give this five stars. It would've been four because there was a few scenes that seemed to drag, but it's been a weird week for me, so I don't take that into account.
I loved loved loved this. A tree turning into a human makes for an amazing adventure, especially when you add in a grouchy but adorable old hermit and a possible love interest (or two) in fairly opposite seeming men along the way.
Finn's transition from tree to woman was a nice story, and like an epic, things were revealed along the way. All the characters were really cool save for the red-headed twins. I loved them, but a lot seemed to happen to the poor souls- they just couldn't catch a break.
Iseult- mmmmm. Kai- mmmm. Aed- you're just too cool and adorable XD I love you.
This thing is action-packed with that LOTR (movie version) flavor. I love anything fae so already I'm biased. Everything was perfect except for a few things that personally effected my reading:
- in the beginning Finn did a lot of reiterating with the subject of her tree-status and "how did I know what this was?" line of thinking. I think it could've been shortened or redone differently
- ........
Actually it was really just that lol otherwise I recommend this book for a good read :)
Happy Reading
Rating: really liked it
Finn was a tree, now she's human. This story had some potential, in theory. In reality, a bunch of random people were wandering around, then they bumped into each other and sort of stuck loosely, had some unlikely adventures, split apart again, zoomed around aimlessly, got back together. Sort of like a chemistry lesson gone bad. The characterization was awful. No character was ever developed enough for the reader to have a sense of their personality or what they might do, and just when it seemed like some development was happening, that character would zoom off in the opposite direction of what was expected. The people they didn't trust and looked askance at were suddenly their BFF. The author also changed POV randomly - not at chapter breaks or with any kind of transition - just SWITCH! It was totally bizarre.
Rating: really liked it
Beautifully woven taleShe awakes falling. She was a tree now she is a girl. She wants to be a tree again. This is a tale rich in lore. I stumbled during the first twenty or so pages, wavering on whether to continue or not. I am so happy I chose to continue. I'm blown away by this tale. I definitely recommend this book. The story weaves itself from a cute story into a full blown epic tale.
Rating: really liked it
I really thought Iseult would be the one I fell in love with, but I was wrong. It’s Kai. It’s definetly Kai 🤷🏻♀️ Iseult is awesome but my heart went the opposite way.
I was worried that Finn was going to be a damsel since she’s constantly being kidnapped but she’s proven that she can hold her own. I’m glad about that cause besides love triangles, there isn’t nothing I hate more than a damsel in distress in my books.
I’m looking forward to The Melted Sea 🌊
Rating: really liked it
2.5 stars
I thought that there was a very compelling backstory here that I was more interested in than the current plot. I would have probably enjoyed this more with some flashbacks.
I thought the writing was sufficient but that there needed to be some editing, as words were left out here and there.
I really liked the very diverse group of characters and the way the narrative skipped back around from one to another. I really like knowing what each of them was thinking, but I thought there was a significant lack into what each of them was feeling. I really like emotionally charged books because I think it adds depth to the characters and I would have liked more of that here. Even when the main character was said to be seen with tears rolling down her cheeks on one or two occasions I just didn't really feel it.
I thought that there was entirely too much of characters getting snatched and then rescued, lost and then found, the group splitting and then regrouping. So much time was spent on that aspect and not enough was spent on plot progression.
Rating: really liked it
The beginning starts a little slow but it quickly picks up and keeps your interest right to the very end.
Finn, the tree child, wakes to find herself human after spending a century as a tree. She's wakened by Àed who takes her in, cares for her and helps her acclimate to her new state of being.
Finn eventually sets out to find someone who can turn her back into a tree, Àed ostensibly goes along to keep her company. It doesn't take long for them to gain companions but who is to be trusted?
I thoroughly enjoyed this deviation from the Young Adult books I have been reading and reviewing.
There's fantasy and more subtle magic. The magic doesn't slap you in the face: it's more of an innate magic, something that is a part of the person as a whole, than it is black magic vs white magic which is quite refreshing.
Rating: really liked it
Every now and then, I stray away from the mainstream and make my way into that little online aisle with the tag “self-published” upon it. This is how I stumbled across “Tree of ages” by Sara C. Roethle. A happy coincidence after typing “self-publish” on Amazon’s search box.
The first thing that caught me was the cover (tho, after reading the book I consider it false advertisement), the second thing was the synopsis, afterwards, the e-book price (budget books!) and just like that, I was hooked!
I had my doubts, of course, but the promise of an interesting story with powerful magic and a girl that was once a tree (?!) were too incredible to resist. And, to be honest, I am glad I took the chance.
The book is well written, well edited and nicely paced. The story feels consistent and the world-building is on point -giving you enough information to form an image, but not too much that you feel overwhelmed.
The characters’ personalities and traits where what I enjoyed the most, despite some cliches here and there. They worked well together as they all have a unique thing to offer. I think this is pretty hard to accomplish and totally applaud Roethle for managing to succeed. Something that surprised me was the multiple relationships that the character’s formed between them, making it hard -if not impossible- to predict love interests and betrayals.
Regarding the world-building, I enjoyed the slow introduction that Sara C. Roethle provides. While some people like to get the facts of the world beforehand, I actually prefer to discover them one by one along the plot. It just feels more natural to me. Roethle makes excelent use of her main character (tree-girl) to guide the reader into this magical land -with its own magical creatures!
One last thing I would like to highlight about “Tree of ages” is the attention to detail that Sara C. Roethle put into it. There were many little hints, here and there, that helped to show character traits or position the reader in a certain space/atmosphere. One example that’s pretty obvious is Aed’s way of speaking, which differs from everyone else’s and offers and idea of who he might truly be.
Perhaps the only downfall I found in “A tree of ages” were the characters’ interactions between them. Most of these felt plain, weak or too plot convenient at times making me feel a bit annoyed. I blame it on the book being an early work and the certainty that it could just be my personal taste -I prefer more engaging conversations. I will add that I didn’t feel this way about all characters, just with a few main ones.
In general, “Tree of ages” is a good book. I was surprised that it only took me 3 days to finish it, but I think that just proves there’s good pacing along the pages. I never felt the plot was being rushed or things were left out in order to finish the story -as it has happened with other books. I also enjoyed the narration, which is built with the perspectives and experiences of all characters intertwined in such a way that it’s doesn’t feel repetitive or mismatched. It was like hearing one big story told in parts by different people (near the end, the narratives do start to split in order to build up for the next book).
I’ve given “Tree of ages” three well-deserved stars. I would have given it five starts, but I did find the dull conversations/interactions a constant annoyance during my reading (sometimes I just wanted to skip them). I would recommend this book for those who like magical adventures, imminent war and a less YA-oriented plot (the main character is supposed to be over 20 years old).
Rating: really liked it
MehEdit: I typed up more elaborate thoughts at some point so figured I'd dump them here.
One of the interesting things about reading digital media is you don’t have that inherent ability to tell how far you are in a book like you do with physical media. In this case that almost meant I didn’t finish the book as I ended up kind of wandering away from the book and only finished it because I noticed I was actually on the last chapter. Not that finishing it really changed my opinion of the book.
First thing to mention would be this is not a complete story. This is VERY much a part 1. Most series will start you out with a complete book for the first one, have a beginning middle and end. As they go on though that ‘end’ can become more and more vague until the second to last book will rarely have one at all as it’s setting up so hard for the final book. This series apparently skipped that and just ended the first book without any kind of conclusion. It’s basically just- ‘They make camp and go to sleep. To be continued.’
My second complaint would be how often Finn finds herself accosted, kidnapped, and led astray. To be fair the first time she almost gets herself out of it… maybe. I was a lot more charitable about before it was a recurring theme. I like to have main characters with a bit of agency and honestly Finn doesn’t have much. She sort of has a goal but has very little direction for how to get there and keeps getting massively sidetracked, mostly by the aforementioned accosting.
Then there is the Faie, which I’m assuming are a variant on the Sidhe, fair folk, fairies, etc. In most instances I see these sorts of creatures they are powerful and mischievious or chaotic, but bound by certain rules that they must abide by and if you follow the rules you can often come out of confrontations with them whole if not better. Personally I am a fan of this kind of thing- matching one’s wits against supernatural forces and coming out on top. I think that happens all of once in this book. The rest of the time it’s just bumbling about into faie traps whenever they’re involved. It got annoying very quickly.
So, final thoughts? This book spent so much time setting up the series it forgot to have much of a story. It just feels like a chain of events more than any coherent plot. I didn't even find it a particularly interesting chain of events.
Rating: really liked it
I'm not kidding, this was an amazing read! I finished it quickly despite being busy the past few days. I don't know if the book is shorter, or if it was simply due to the fact I was lost in the story and the flowy writing. Speaking of which, did I mention I LOVE her writing style? Ha! I do. I became a bit obsessed with it. :D
The story itself was great fun. I was amazed Sara could make me fall in love with so many characters at once, but fall in love I did. I adored Aed. He was my favorite character out of the entire series with his old-man, grumpy, and powerful presence. The chemistry between him and Finn was spot on, perfect and adorable.
Finn, the MC, was pretty awesome too. I love her innocent but brave self. I'm worried about what she will become as the series progresses. I'm thinking with a war on the horizon and memories returning by the minute, she will change much. I hate to see it happen, and I'm excited to see it happen.
I definitely plan to continue this series.
Rating: really liked it
I really wanted to love this. It starts out with a girl who was a tree who turns into a girl and I was like YES PLEASE!! This is like totally new and fresh. But, shortly after that this book started going downhill. I could get behind her going to where she was being pulled to and I really loved all the characters but the story/plot itself just wasn't working for me. At one point they have to put their trip on hold because all of a sudden there is a plot twist that really just made this one fall apart.
This is the issue that I have with indie books some are really good and then you get the ones that failed to really work. I think that if the author went back and did some major edits and just cleaned up the pacing etc. That this could be an amazing title. But as it sits for at least me it just failed to give me what I was looking for.
