It took me a lot longer to finish Mistwood than I thought it would originally. While I liked the premise and enjoyed the story it didn't grip me the way books normally do when I get excited.

The comparisons to Tamora Pierce, Megan Whalen Turner and Kristin Cashore are pretty accurate as far as those things go. I don't like to make such comparisons, but I could understand why they were made. This is a straight fantasy; from the Kingdom to the politics and to the structure of the world itself this can't be considered any other way.

There have been varying reports on the characters. Some find them blah, some find them dynamic--they fall in the middle for me. I preferred Isabel before she began to understand who (and what) she was. I found it more intriguing to have her stumbling around in the dark about things. They told her the reason she felt protective of Rokan, but not why. They explained to her about what she was, but not who she was. They spent more time talking around her than to her and it frustrated her.

And she does feel something for Rokan, but she doesn't trust him or that feeling. She questions everything and for that I loved her. Then the truth begins to piece itself together. The growth of character relationships that were emerging suddenly got flung away and we're basically back at the beginning only now at least Isabel understands why she fled.

Rokan...I didn't like or dislike him. He was there and he occasionally made me like him a little more, but then just as easily there is plenty to make me dislike him. Do I think he ever meant anything maliciously? No. Do I think he was selfish and all problems could have been solved if there had been better communication? Yes and yes.

The ending made me a little sad, or that is the revelation about Clarisse (Rokan's sister). I was surprised, but it made sense. More sense than perhaps what eventually ended up happening to Isabel. And no, I don't think Rokan did the right thing. I was completely with his sister--why show mercy to those who would have shown none to you? ( )

This book was much better than most YA books I've tried. Very different and it sucked me in from the first page. I believe that calling it a YA book is somewhat limiting as it is fine adult fantasy without any of that teenage angst that fill so many of them. I really liked Isabel, the shifter. Rokan was pretty good although he could have been filled out just a bit but the story wasnt' really about him.

Very good suspense as we went along with poor Isabel as she tried to fill in the holes left in her spotty memory.

Highly recommended. ( )

Great, Awesome-like book!
okay, so there's this world and we're dropped down into the middle of it and have no idea what's going on. neither does Isabel, the main character. as the story progresses we figure things out little by little. then we get one secret dropped on us, after another, after another.
and there's one really sad moment. I cried. I had to go back and re-read it three times and still my brain was saying "does not compute. does not compute." that's only happened to me once before, in the Hunger Games, when Finnick died :(, and fangirls everywhere cried in agony.
yeah, this moment was kind of like that. a little less dramatic, maybe, depending on your point of view.
this book is written in third person, for those people who have a preference as to whether a book is written in first or third.
also, if you're sick and tired of the boy-meets-girl-and-one-of-them-happens-to-be-a-vampire-or-something-and-they-fall-in-love story line, this is the book for you!
it's really good. the ending was a little... flat, but I don't think it could've ended any better than it did. ( )

already liking this book. palace intrigue, a coup, a mystical female witch/ warrior girl, an evil sorcerer. all this in the first 4 chapters and oh yeah a hint of romance. finished it and it did not disappoint, eve had a couple lil plot twists whichi didn't figure out. ( )

already liking this book. palace intrigue, a coup, a mystical female witch/ warrior girl, an evil sorcerer. all this in the first 4 chapters and oh yeah a hint of romance. finished it and it did not disappoint, eve had a couple lil plot twists whichi didn't figure out. ( )