Brad About Books: Mistwood by Leah Cypess

MISTWOOD
Published: April 27, 2010
Publisher: Greenwillow (Harper)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 304 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Series: Mistwood, #1

The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty—because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

Mistwood is a whirlwind of a fantasy adventure with fun characters and a tale for the ages. I couldn't put it down!

Mistwood starts with immediate action and never seizes to let up. I was instantly emerged into this world, exploring the epic fantasy parts of it with the castles and ghosts and everything brilliant about it. Mistwood has everything I love it in a fantasy novel: castles (love!), supernatural creatures, and an excellent protagonist that I could connect with.

Because Isabel is a really awesome for the fact that she doesn't remember her past. People tell her she is the "Shifter", the one and only person who could save their kingdom. And the really interesting thing is that she doesn't know how. And I loved how Cypess brought up that question and played upon it, diving deeper into it all the way up to the fantastic climax.

And Rokan is another stunning character! He's a prince with a haunting past that made his character development soar higher as Mistwood progressed. But not only are our main characters great; even the minor characters are fantastic and well-developed. Not a single one annoyed me. Not even our villain! (Which I will not spoil, since the villain is almost kept a secret for the majority of the book.)

The ending. Mind. Equals. Blown. I couldn't turn those pages fast enough, and once something wicked about a character is revealed, I was amazed and stunned just at how well Leah Cypess pulled it off. Just everything about Mistwood is mind-blowing, but my favorite part is the world, especially the world of the Mistwood. It's original, unique, and unlike anything I've ever read about it. That's why Mistwood is so special to me.

Mysterious and wonderful, Mistwood is a must-read for fans of fantasy. One of my favorite reads of 2012. Beautiful and mesmerizing! 

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