Today, I am going to review the Legends of Muirwood series by Jeff Wheeler. This is, by far, one of my favorite fantasy series. It is a trilogy; however, there are other series by Mr. Wheeler that tie into this one. I will do a quick review of all three books. Make sure to read to end for some special news.
The Wretched of Muirwood
This is book one in the Legends of Muirwood series. I have reviewed this book before, mainly because it is my favorite. The book follows Lia, a young girl who was abandoned by her parents on the door step of an abbey after birth. Orphans who were abandoned this way are known as wretcheds. They are raised in the church and taught a skill. After they have reached adulthood, they may leave abbey or stay to serve in their current job.
Lia was trained as a cook and she served the Aldermaston, the chief priest of Muirwood Abbey. Her deepest desire is to learn to read and write. Unfortunately, wretcheds are not allowed to learn to read or write. Nobles and the wealthy send their children to the abbeys to learn about the Medium and to read ancient tomes of knowledge. If they complete the studies, they are allowed to take the Maston Trials and become a Maston. Of course, this makes Lea jealous.
Those who become powerful in the Medium can perform great feats by allowing the Medium to work its power through them. Despite not being allowed to read, Lia has a deep connection with the Medium. One night, a young knight on the run is dropped off at her kitchen and Lia has to decide whether to help him or not. She will have to use everything she has learned to keep him safe.
The Blight of Muirwood
Book two in the Legends of Muirwood series finds Lia more experienced in the ways of the Medium, but also more lonely. The young knight that she helped in book one, Colvin, had promised to dance with her around the May Pole. However, he has new duties in the kingdom and she has not seen him in some time.
Lia is tasked by the Aldermaston as the new defender of Muirwood and has devoted her time to learning the secret tunnels in and out of Muirwood Abbey. With all of her new responsibilities and troubles, she now finds out that the heir to a nearby country, Pry-Ree, is coming to Muirwood and she is going to be responsible for protecting her. The only good news, is that Colvin is also helping to guard her.
To top it off, the Queen Dowager arrives in Muirwood and accuses the Aldermaston of the king’s death. All the while, Lia discovers a plague that is beginning near her homeland of Muirwood. How can she balance her duties and stop the plague? Or can the plague be stopped?
The Scourge of Muirwood
In book of the Legends of Muirwood series, the plague is now spreading across the kingdom. Lia knows that time is running out. Ellowyn Demont, the heir to Pry-Ree has been whisked away to another abbey to learn the ways of court while Colvin tries to teach her the ways of the Medium.
It is up to Lia to protect Muirwood, but also to protect Ellowyn. With the plague spreading and time running out, can she risk the lives of he one’s she loves the most to save the kingdom. If she must choose between the man she loves, Colvin, and the man who has been like a father to her, the Aldermaston, can she make that choice? Could you?
Conclusion
If you can’t tell from the short descriptions of the books that I’ve given you above, the books are amazing. Jeff Wheeler really makes you fall in love with these characters and Kate Rudd really brings them to life in the audiobook. The Legends of Muirwood series is a perfectly balanced trilogy. Each page leaves you wanting to read the next.
If you would like to get a copy of these books yourself, I will leave a link below to where you can find them on Amazon. If you have read them before, let me know what you thought of them. Want to keep up to date on news for my upcoming books? Click here to join my newsletter. A link to sign up is at the bottom of the page. You will be the first to be updated on new blog posts and upcoming news on The Battlemage Trilogy.
Exciting News!!!
Now for the big news!!! It’s GIVEAWAY time. I will be giving away a paperback copy of the Legends of Muirwood series on my Facebook page. Don’t currently follow me on Facebook. Click here to get started. Reborn book one in The Battlemage Trilogy will be completed soon. I have three chapters left to edit and then it will be sent to Beta Readers. To celebrate, I will post the instructions to enter the giveaway on my Facebook page when the beta version is released to Beta Readers.
Can’t wait to read the books, check the links below to find a copy on Amazon. Like audiobooks, check out Kindle Unlimited by clicking here for a free 30 day trial. You can use it to download the Legends of Muirwood series to read and listen as part of the free trial. You can have up to 10 books on your device at once. Finished a book, just send it back and get another, no additional charge.
***DISCLAIMER***
Links to Amazon.com in this blog post are affiliate links. I may receive compensation from Amazon for purchases made through these links. This does not affect the price that you pay for the item.
