Child of the Forest
Series: Child of Prophecy, #2
Author: Audrey Simmons
Genre: Fantasy
Book Description:
Even as bait, Neoma thought she would have a little more time to have fun with her best friends on Tour before things got serious. But Tobias’ words still ring in her ears.
A chilling prophecy about tangled destinies, one that Tobias refused to expand on. Only a hint that a relationship with Luca will mean she never comes home.
Almost as soon as the journey being Neoma is given yet another dire prophecy from the Mountain Herself: Hold close the stars in your soul or the Mad God will win this fight and chaos will reign.
Neoma has a decision to make but the clock is ticking. Aurinkun warships have been spotted off the coast of Manena.
War is no longer a distant possibility. Only an inevitability.
Book Review:
I think my favorite thing about Child of the Forest was Neoma’s relationship to the Forest God, Sigar, and learning more about him and his followers. I just wished there was more about it. Whereas the interludes in Child of the Moon told of the Moon Mother’s creation of the world and the beginning of this, the interludes in this one told us about Sigar.
But I still want to see more of Neoma and Sigar. He really seems to care for her. I want to see her be chosen and marked by him, as he implies he might do sometime.
I found the characters more relateable and vivid in this one, but that could just be because I read it in paperback instead of ebook, and I find paperbacks easier to read most of the time. I felt like there wasn’t as much of an over-physical emphasis in Neoma and Luca’s relationship, but if you hate the pining we-can’t-be-together trope and the people not explaining to each other what their problems are while who’s unwilling swaps around … stay clear of this one. I’m not much of a romance person, so I can’t say whether it was good or not.
It’s obvious they care about each other though, and there’s a lot of very important non-romance relationships, too. Platonic soulstars continue to be a thing, and I liked the relationships Neoma has with her friends. It was also really nice to meet her aunt, even if there was not much of her.
I’m finding that the more I have to deal with the military structure of the Brotherhood, the less tolerance I’m finding for it. People have to follow orders, and work within an authority structure, and salute superiors, etc, instead of relating as peers. And this is the order of those chosen by the Moon Mother. It’s too clearly portrayed as “good.”
“The Mad God will win this fight and chaos will reign.”
I don’t particularly enjoyed the lawful = good, chaos = evil implications in this, especially when viewed together.
An aside, but related, is that there’s a focus on Neoma being supposed to learn to run in the trees and climb as well in her boots as she can do bareback. Because Brothers wear boots, right? I really don’t like this. It’s a little thing, but in the context of everything else, I feel like it’s important. Because Neoma might get pretty good at running in the boots, but realistically, boots is a trade-off. Protect your feet for less dexterity and grip. And I’d like Neoma to present this fact to her “officers” sometime.
There’s also a lot of bullying, and some of it severe, since many people don’t like Neoma for being a female brother. I just wished she would stand up for herself so much! She might say it’s better not to challenge them because they’ll just get more sneaking, but it seems to me that being cowed and vulnerable and not standing up for yourself is what gets them going. So I really wish her friends pointed that out to her and encouraged her better. They try, but they’re damaged themselves. I happen to think they’re all damaged by the rigid military authority structure and by the way they’ve been schooled, and the fact they submit themselves to it. And that’s how the bullying happens so much, too.
I enjoyed the focus on Neoma and her struggles, though. This may be an epic fantasy, but it’s first and foremost the story of Neoma – and her friends – but her emotions and the things she has to deal with and the trauma she deals with and how she grows.
The Chosen One trope and the Prophecy aren’t really clarified much in this book yet, but there are a few hints. I’m not altogether sure where it’s going, but it seems interesting.
I liked the use of medicinal herbs, too. I thought they can help, and the healers sometimes fail.
And I also enjoyed how Neoma’s mother continues to reach out to her from the River of Stars. Sometimes just to be with her, because she cares about her.
Enthralled By Love 