Eden Forest

Saskia Trilogy #1

by Aoife Marie Sheridan

Sarajane Anderson is your regular twenty-one year old with family, friends and a normal job. She also happens to be the only person who can save Saskia, a parallel world to earth.

When Sarajane is taken to Saskia, she could never have imagined the reality of the world that she is stepping into- a world where magical abilities are in everyone's possession.

She must face a father she never knew, a world that is beyond her belief, a guardian who captures her heart; and a darkness that wants to take it.
On her journey, Sarajane discovers her magical abilities, and realizes too that they come with a price. Sarajane is truly tested as her own loved ones are put at risk- the ultimate question she is forced to ask herself is, how do you choose who lives and who dies?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Magic

175 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 2012

About the author

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR AOIFE MARIE SHERIDAN

USA Today Bestselling author, avid reader and coffee junkie. Lover of all things fantasy, paranormal & romance.

To find out more about Aoife Marie Sheridan you can visit her at:

Amazon Page:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00B5W8SK6

Newsletter:
https://goo.gl/forms/w9miesaD3qH7DBwv2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Aoifemariesheri

Website: www.aoifemariesheridan.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aoifesheri

Reviews

[Hughie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aoife is my daughter and I am so proud of her. I have never read a book before so this was the first I have ever picked up. Eden Forest amazed me, especially that my own daughter wrote it. Her imagination and creativity blow me away. I know every dad is the proudest in the world but you only have to read it to understand how truly fantastic this book is. So so proud of you Aoife Marie. x

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars....

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Also, I'd like to say that the copy that I was given was one of the earlier versions, so the grammar and spelling were mostly atrocious. I kept that in mind while reading this book. Otherwise, I probably would have rated this book a lot lower.
Despite all this I did find this book to be a really good YA fantasy read. The characters didn't have quite the development that I would have liked. I didn't really like how Sarajane just somehow accepted that she's a princess. It just didn't seem too realistic to me, however, given the fact she just accepted that she's on literally another world, maybe it wasn't quite that difficult to jump from middle-class girl to princess of another world.
The plot was good, with the right amount of tension and forward momentum, some good romance was stuck in there. With the romance, I did find that there was more realism there, Sarajane just didn't totally forget about the guy she left hanging on Earth.
I believe the biggest disappointment to me was probably the last 3 or 4 sentences of the book. It was just such an abrupt cliff-hanger that it seemed too contrived, too quick. The cliff-hanger wasn't such a suspenseful cliff-hanger that I was left absolutely needing the next in the series.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Melissa Cushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly LOVED this book! I give this one 4 1/2 STARS out 5. This is a beautifully written novel and I CANNOT wait for the sequel!

Eden Forest is a beautifully written and descriptively wonderful fantasy story. The story revolves around Sarajane, a normal girl from "our world" whose mother disappears without a trace. Sarajane's world changes drastically after her mothers disappearance and in comes my favorite character Tristan. He whisks Sarajane away to a world that is parallel to ours... called Saskia. Saskia is quite a change for Sarajane as compared to her own world. She finds herself at times overwhelmed by all that is different in this world and all that she must learn. In the process of this transformation, Sarajane learns that she is a princess and has magical abilities. She learns a lot about herself and her mother. I will not say anything more as to not give too much away, but you need to read this if you are a lover of YA, Fantasy,and/or Romance. I will say my favorite part of the book is the build up of Sarajane's and Tristan's relationship... I loved it and cannot wait to see where their story goes.

Aiofe Marie Sheridan is an amazing author who has an imaginative, descriptive, and beautiful writing style. I had not yet read any of her work and am so very glad that I did! She writes with full detail so that you can actually envision the story and feel like you have been drawn right into this alternate world! Her characters are amazing. There are some character's that you love and there are some character's that you love to hate. it is the perfect balance of character development. Great, amazing read and cannot wait to continue this story.

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

Sarajane Anderson is your regular twenty one year old. With family, friends and a normal job. She also happens to be the only person who can save Saskia, a world parallel to earth.

When Sarajane is taken to Saskia, she could never have imagined the reality of the world she steps into, a world where magical abilities are in everyone's possession.

She must face a father she never knew, a world that is beyond her belief. A guardian who captures her heart, and a darkness that wants to take it.
On this journey Sarajane discovers her magical abilities and realizes they come with a price. Sarajane is truly tested, as her loved ones are put at risk. The question she must ask herself is, how do you choose who lives and who dies?

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fantasy world, crossover by people from the modern world. Elemental magic.

"She pours out two cups of chamomile tea that she grows in her garden." This is just one of the many badly worded lines. The style is rather juvenile and the formatting atrocious. The line I just quoted took three lines across, broken badly, and every second line in the Instafreebie copy has just one or two words. This makes the book very hard to read and hard on the eyes.
"finishing her breakfast with a puss on her face" No. 'With a puss on her' means with a cross face on her. The extra word 'face' is not used.
"Dad has his own real estate agency." This is an American term - estate agents sell houses in Ireland. Not 'real' estate.

This book is about abuse of women, by men and by women, from the start and pretty much throughout. Young women, pregnant women, new mothers, servant women, mature women, in both fantasyland and modern Ireland. All being abused, attacked, robbed, abducted or otherwise harmed. When a man hasn't met a woman he used to know for 21 years, he greets her and goes to bed with her. Why does anyone think any of this is acceptable? Either side of the world boundaries?

I didn't enjoy the story, though others may like it more. I appreciate that the author has put a lot of work into the book, and it is part of a series, but I would suggest the author read books by Juliet E McKenna or Maggie Furey to see what she could aspire to write.
I downloaded an ARC from Instafreebie. This is an unbiased review.

[Stacey Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Eden Forest, the first book in the Saskia Trilogy, for an honest review. The story takes you on a fantasy adventure through the worlds of Saskia and Earth. Though it is told through three different views, Sarajane is the focal character. Her journey is the crux of story.

Sarajane is a likeable, relatable character. I enjoyed reading the story through her eyes and Marta's. Queen Bellona was dark and fun, but well I'll just say it...GRRRRR!

Aoife does a really good job creating worlds. Making you not only want to be in them, but stay in them. There were a few things that bothered me, the beginning felt a little slow and the ending felt a little abrupt, but I quickly moved past that. Enjoying the ride the author took us on. There were times I didn’t feel the characters were flushed out fully, but that might come out in the next one.

It’s a sign of a good book when you get invested enough to want to jump in the story and strangle some of the character… or kiss them, depending on your preference! There is enough action, intrigue, and a romance to keep you reading into the night.

I highly recommend this book! Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Aneta Bak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I instantly fell in love with Eden Forest and the world of Saskia. I absolutely love the idea of a parallel world next to earth. It gives the book a huge sense of fantasy but you also enjoy the world you already know. The amount of detail the author put into describing the world was truly beautiful, I felt like I was right there watching everything happen right in front of me. And if you've been following my blog, you know that I absolutely love books with kings and queens, especially when they have evil queens.

As much as I loved all the fantastic world-building in this book, I felt like the author put too much detail in describing the characters, there was a part in the book in the first few chapters where the characters clothes were described 3 times within like two pages, which got kind of repetitive. I have mixed emotions about that, like its nice to be able to picture that, but I need some action.

This book is told in 3 different points of view, and I absolutely loved it. You definitely get to know all the different characters and you do get close to them since you see what they're thinking and such. I must say that my favorite was definitely Sarajane. Especially her relationship with Tristan, I thought they were the cutest thing ever.

I loved this book, and I'm so excited to keep reading the series. Highly recommend this to all the Fantasy lovers out there.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 1 out of 5]

An intriguing plot idea, beautiful cover, and the hidden potential add up to the one star. However, the rest needs intense work.

Read full review in the 2013 July/August double issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[DelSheree · Rating 5 out of 5]

The average life of Sarajane Anderson is about to change drastically. Her quiet existence shatters when she is abducted by strange men with odd abilities. Even more shocking, she has not been drug off to a secret location to await a ransom. She has been taken to a parallel world, one where her birthright means magic, unbreakable laws, and deadly consequences.

Right from the beginning I was captured by this book. Readers first meet Sarajane as she is searching for her mother who has vanished with no explanation and no leads. The effect of her mother's disappearance is felt by the whole family, and affects every aspect of their lives. Sheridan did a great job of setting up the backstories of her characters and making sure the readers cared about what happened to them.

Another great aspect of the characters in this book was Sheridan's ability to write unlikable characters. The king of Saskia is a very complex character. Many times, I wanted to throw something at him. Yet, at other times his redeeming qualities made me want to give him another chance. Even Sarajane's mother had this duality to her character that will make readers struggle to know their feelings toward her. There were no stock characters. Everyone had a story, a life before the book, that played a role in their decisions and actions. I am very interested to continue following the characters and seeing how they change and grow.

The world of Saskia was well developed as well. Details like the physical landscape and overall geography of the kingdoms were carefully planned and added depth to the story. The magic system was unique and the story behind it was something I found very interesting. This first book provided some answers about the world and magic, but I got the impression that there is more left unsaid. Along with the world, the overall story was very well thought out. I didn't notice any plot holes or sections that didn't mesh with everything else. Sarajane's introduction to this world was full of conflict, complications, and danger. I was entertained all the way through.

Finally, the romance. There are really two love stories this book explores. Sarajane's mother and biological father face no end of problems given their stations in life when they first meet. All of which is complicated by her mother becoming pregnant with Sarajane and being forced to flee. It was very interesting to see these two be reunited and see the changes in each one. My feelings about them changed several times throughout the book.

The other romance is between Sarajane and a guardian named Tristan. At their initial meeting. Sarajane can't stand him, which is perfectly reasonable. Yet, as they are pushed together during traveling and fighting, true feelings begin to emerge. That hardly means being together will be easy. Strict class systems are only part of the problem. Forced arranged marriages are an even bigger issue, but in the end the danger facing them both and the wrath of Sarajane's father present no end of problems keeping them apart. I have no doubt that these two will face many problems throughout the book that they will have to overcome in order to share their lives.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The storyline, world, and characters were engaging and kept me turning pages right up until the end.

Check out my other reviews at The Edible Bookshelf

[Nada Sobhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eden Forest is a novella and the first instalment in The Saskia Trilogy by Aoife Marie Sheridan.

Narrated in the first person present tense, Eden Forest opens in Saskia with Marta giving a description of the land and alerting the reader to her pregnancy, which we later know is from a love affair with the King of Saskia. We also learn about Saskian laws and traditions and how Saskians are immortal and born with an affinity of air, water, earth, fire or spirit. At first glance, Marta appears to be a caring person.

The reader learns that Saskia is a world parallel to earth and that a fire barrier separating the two worlds can be crossed but with great difficulty.

Eden Forest is written from several perspectives, all in the first person; however we are told whose point of view we are reading at the beginning of each chapter, avoiding any possible confusion. It is a very interesting way of writing – the first I've read seen – and it gives character depth. Through this technique, Sheridan merges with each character making them come to life on the pages of her novella.

The author has an abundance of intriguing characters, but what I liked most was how each character has a specific role to play in the story – even eight-year-old Mei. Some have minor roles but are expected to have much bigger ones in the coming parts of the trilogy.

As the novella progresses, two characters stand out in contradiction; Marta and her daughter Sarajane. Whereas Sarajane is caring, believable, down to earth, intelligent and understanding, her mother, Marta, is unmotherly-like, as opposed to what we have seen in the first chapter. A face-off between Sarajane and King Morrick makes this point clear. Moreover, most of the time we see Marta, she is crying; yet the reader feels that her emotions are not deep. And when she finally sees her daughter after a long absence, all she is concerned with is food! (Of all things!)

Another interesting character is the conflicting, contradictory Tristan, King Morrick's head Guardian and who is later given the task to retrieve, or rather kidnap, Sarajane. Until the end of Eden Forest, the reader cannot read this particular character.

There is also a massive contrast between Saskia's King and Queen, which makes the reader wonder how they ended up together, but that comes at the end of the story.

Eden Forest is a quick and easy read. Its pace is fair at the beginning but starting chapter three, the pace and events become intense. You cannot put the book down and you feel the need finish the novella and skip work and sleep in the process.

I truly enjoyed Aoife Sheridan's Eden Forest and can hardly wait for the next two parts, which I expect will have more details about the elemental affinities and focus more on characters briefly mentioned or introduced like Carew.

(Note: There are a couple of brief, adult scenes).

[Colleen Bratley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantasy that keeps you reading, wondering and entertained. So much can be developed with fiction, but without characters you enjoy, the story never blossoms. Aoife keeps you entertained, and involved. It's a good read and you'll want to read the sequels to find out what else happens.

Writing a fantasy fiction can be so much fun, but still making it believable is a little bit harder than many think. You have to work hard on development of the characters to be sure that the reader understands, believes and can emotionally attach to what is happening to them. Aoife does work on that, but should have gone a little further to make the reader cheer for their success and cry for their loss with more definitive reactions to certain things.

Keeping the reader involved in the story is all about the characters and the movement of their lives. The theme of this book is not only interesting, it's entertaining, and believable, at least as much as fantasy can be. The story keeps moving, and it definitely creates pictures in your mind. I really do want to read the next book and see what happens. For her first book, I think it was done quite well, and subsequent ones should be even better.

What the main character learns would be shocking to most people, but she doesn't seem to react too much to it, which dampens your reaction. This leaves you wondering if you missed something that explained her calm reaction.

The book moves from one world to another, and one character's story to another, so sometimes you really start to feel like you are in the story understanding each person. But yet still trying to figure out the why of what happens keeps you reading.

Aoife did a good job of tying everything together though, allowing you to see the whole picture and yet from different views of the characters. Each character definitely had their personalities and you certainly knew what you liked and didn't like. So when some reactions missed the mark, you create your own idea of why and what happened to make them so. That's okay unless later in the story or sequel what happens changes everything you created. Then your whole ideas may leave you less than happy with the character and the story, hence the quest of defining the character and all their reactions in a full spectrum of disposition.

A huge plus is Aoife creates likable, even lovable characters that still have some flaws like a normal person. On the opposite side she creates some that you dislike, but still have something about them that makes you want them to see them come around to the good side.

All in all this was a great story, good characters, and a writing well done. I think everyone would enjoy this book and be anxious to read the sequels.

[G.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free from the author for a 'book of the month' read on Goodreads.

While I usually stay away from YA and NA, sometimes I find little pearls among them. Eden Forest was one of these. The characters were mature, which for me, makes a big difference in whether I will like or not. The prologue starts with the story of Sarajane's mother, which surprised me with its length; however, it acquainted us with Marta and was a great set up for the rest of the story. I was just a bit disappointed that the first chapter didn't continue where the prologue had left us.
Over all, the pace was good, the characters believable, and of course, the story also. However, somewhere between 60% and 70%, the book could need a little editing. Descriptions lacked life (to be is used too much) and words were repetitive, others were quite disturbing, but it picks up well after that. Here is a strange sentence that comes to mind: 'As we cross the drawbridge, I look behind me as it rises.' I don't know but if the drawbridge rises as they cross… that makes for a very dangerous situation. That said, there might have been a few of these but not enough to stop me from reading, and as stated, it's just a pass in the book. Soon it returns to a much better writing quality. There were also a few gems along the way to compensate. I particularly like this sentence where she is looking at herself in a mirror: 'The girl that looks back at me is a princess. I smile at her, causing her to smile back.' (And yes, I smiled too reading it.)
The book is the first in a series so it leaves us with, I wouldn't say a cliffhanger, but rather a view on what's coming next. I would recommend the book for anyone young at heart, from 14 to 100.

[Ramona Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forest Eden is different and unique, which makes it refreshing to read. Aoife develops an interesting plot that keeps you reading on. There are some nice twists and turns hidden in this story, that are slowly unraveled by the author. There are at times some sudden paragraph changes that could use a little smoothing out.

I have to say I had an extremely difficult time relating to Sarajane. At first she seemed like your average young adult but soon there are some inconsistencies that make it difficult to relate to her. For example when she talks to Linda about what is going on, she immediately kicks her out and doesn't want to talk to her. Not even an hour later she heads to Linda's place to find out what is going on with her. Later in the book she all the sudden is madly in love with Tristan, again there was no real development of that relationship. Some hints here and there and next thing you read, they can't live without each other. She also never seems to listen to anyone and seems to make some rash decision that just seem a little out of place.

All in all I did enjoy this book, mostly because of its uniqueness and general plot I found interesting.

I have received this book from the author for an honest review. (LoP, Lovers of Paranormal)

[Alicia Batista (Addicted Readers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Everything your about to read is my full and honest opinion about the book!

I enjoyed this book very much! This book was different then anything I have read! The author has done a wonderful job with the plot and world building! This is the first time I have read anything from this author but it won't be the last!

I liked the main character and enjoyed watching her discover a world she never knew existed. Sarajane is kidnapped and thrown into the unknown. It is there that she finds out that a part of her as always belonged there! She has many struggles to overcome and many truths to face!

I really can't wait until June to pick up where we left off in Sarajane adventures and to see what happens next in this AMAZING Series!

So Overall I would give this book 4.5 stars!

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an adventure to another world parellel to the world we currently live in. The main character, Sarajane, must leave her normal life behind on earth and venture to her real home, Saskia, as she has been marked for a destiny to change Saskia's future as well as her own. This story started slow giving the background of Saskia and our charcters. Then the action picks up and does not end until you finish the story. The copy I have has some typos in it but they were not hard to overlook. This is a trilogy so once completed, you will not be able to wait until the next book, "City of Secrets", is released.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these kinds of books, especially when done right. Its difficult enough to transport the reader not into the world of the book but transport the reader into another world within the book. I think the author blended them well together, while keeping me fascinated in the characters. The book ended too suddenly for me but I assume that's to keep me intrigued until the next installment, which after the first book I am now invested into the story and its characters. No idea where the story is going or what will happen to the characters along the way but I'm reading to see this series to the end.

[Andrea Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I promise not to give away any spoilers but this book was absolutely fantastic! I'm a tough nut to crack when it comes to paranormal type books. They need to be written a certain way and Aoife Marie Sheridan did an amazing job. It was written beautifully and I fell in love with the characters immediately. I am looking forward to the second book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book last night at 2.00 o clock, and I only bought it yesterday at 12.00 O clock. Not usually a fan of female authors, but this girl knows what she is doing. Really can't wait for the book to see where Sarajane anderson ends up.

[Mỹ Khương · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I joined the Paranormal, Fantasy, Dystopia and Romance group not long ago, and Aoife was the one who often mailed me about the group activities! I didn't know she had a book coming! Really looking forward to it!

[Michelle Rahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won from a Goodreads giveaway.

It is a story different from the others out there but I just had a hard time with it. I like the premise. I'm just not in love with the characters. Also, being set in Ireland didn't feel authentic to me.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real quick thoughts, Damn i so wanted to give this a four stars about half way through the book because i just thought it was going to be too short to fit everything in, but i am pleasantly surprised that Aoife Marie Sheridan managed to wrap it up pretty well that all things that were introduced had a little show time, and i know this is series so i knew that there was suppose to be a lot going on, but at first it seemed to be introducing to much too fast, but i will get to that later.

Song time! here is the part where i give you a song or two, or three, or so if you chose to listen to them that is your choice. The songs tend to range from how i felt the tone of the overall book was or pinpoint certain aspects, and for this book there is NO FUCKING way i could pick A song to do the overall tone. So lets try something else...okay i think i am going to go with "Drunk Again" by Big Reel Fish to go along with Sarajane's feelings throughout most of the book. And i will find another song it just took me forever to even pick that one, this is a hard book to pin down....Fog (again) by Radiohead its what i listened to while reading and while the lyrics don't match much the tone i feel does at times


**I loved this book, I thought it was flipping fan-fucking-tastic, now with that said this is a hardcore Fantasy novel and I know that isn't everyone's thing so while i think it was perfect be warned it is a Fantasy book. Kay? Kay. Good.
****Oh another warning! There is mentions of the sex in this book, nothing to in depth so i don't know why you would freak out, because its mostly, we made love, kind of stuff but there is my slightly warning about that...moving on!

Gushing moments...i mean first thoughts...yeah sure that is what mean...pfft...anyways A-MAZING. i think i have already said that, but when I started this book i was a little iffy because the prologue was long, and when I realized that Marta a servant was already pregos, and the father's name happened to be the King's name who was married, i was even more cautious, i was like whoa what the hell...DON'T I SWEAR TO GOD if that is what makes you stop from reading this book i might have to find you and hurt you. The prologue also ends very suddenly so i was like, um huh? Don't worry its all explained, and i understood the reason for the long prologue it was to introduce the reader to this fantasy world without having to do it later. And now after finishing the book it was a splendid idea because otherwise it would have been information overload when we couldn't have handled it. So i think that this book would work if you are a paranormal fan as well, just dip your toes into fantasy come to the dark side, we have enchanted forest! and swords! Oh it such fun!


Alright, alright moving onto plot: I LOVED IT, I LOVED IT I LOVED IT I LOVED IT! okay if you didn't get that i loved it. I love when books start us off "running" as i like to call it. The story starts fast and gets you hooked even faster, quite honestly if i didn't have a dog with a cone head right now, and i was the only one at home, i wouldn't have stopped reading this book, the plot wasn't the only amazing thing but i will get to characters in a moment. for right now, the plot, it was fast paced, something is usually going on, and if you try to think you can figure stuff out just stop right now because there is something hiding behind the trees, or in the corner of your eye, you will not see it when it slinks up upon you, but will it ever get your heart racing! Man a lot of the times i try to stay away from prophecy books because well its a personal choice really but i feel like its just too much sometimes especially in a fantasy, also a little bit because it is expected. But here is the thing i didn't mind in this book i loved it, it wasn't too strong for the first book in a series and i appreciated that because sometimes the first thing prophecy books want to do is cram it down your throat. this book didn't so thank you Aoife Marie Sheridan. God i loved this book. Alright so plot = amazing.

Characters:

The novel was told in a couple different points of view, at the end it really became Sarajane's POV only but the whole book is really about her story. The different POVs were: Marta, Sarajane, and Bellona.

Marta: she is the mother to Sarajane, and Jessica. I liked her she didn't have a whole lot of POVs and usually it would piss me off that it would start to trail off with POVs and become solely one or two peoples completely dropping in this case Marta's but i understood the need for it, and quite frankly it didn't bother me. Marta did though she bothered me sometimes and i wanted her to stand up for her daughter at points then when she finally did i didn't think that Sarajane needed her anymore.

Bellona: crazy bitch. there i said it. But she is. So as one of many of the villains in this book congrats you are cra-cra and i hated you. Which overall is a good thing because i don't think one should love the villain, well in a way you love that they are so villainous so technically i guess its a good thing to love them? OUCH my head hurts i give up, she was a good villain.

Sarajane: She really did take over the narrative, she was brave in that unconventional way, she has a lot to learn and a lot more growing to do but i still loved her because she has such potential. I loved that she was such a compassionate MC and along with compassionate, she was passionate. She did want she believed was right, she was true to herself. She was strange because she has the spirit of a warrior like she could run into battles and totally kick ass but she is such a good person, and wants to be loving that she would hold herself back when she can but she isn't afraid to rush into the mess to save a friend and that is something i can totally respect. Really she was a very well rounded MC that i thought she was worth reading about even if the plot sucked, which it didn't but kept this MC this book would have gotten a 4 stars from me still i loved her just that much, along with other characters. But as a MC she was very close to perfect, and in my eyes that is perfect :)

Tristan: moment we met him i knew that i would hate to love him which is always the best. He is overly cruel, and standoffish, but its in those little moments when he gives something away those moments you really have to pay attention you see his love. He is amazing love interest i liked him so much but i will admit that i thought Sarajane and his relationship maybe moved just a little to fast for me, but i don't totally hate it either, i am slightly undecided. But i really did like him and i wish there was more of him. there was a part that confused me and there seemed to be power shift from him from Morrick who is the King and i am very curious to see where that goes.

Kiar and Neve: I FLIPPIN' LOVED THEM they were the like comic relief in the book but i love that they took Sarajane right in and loved her like a sister, they were amazing and i totally fell in love with them both i am going to do a super spoiler and this is meant only to be seen by people who just don't give a shit about surprises being ruined and people who have read the book so i implore you not to look if you haven't read the book it broke my heart in half when we lost Neve but i do also totally respect the hell out of Aoife because its a hard decision but one that definitely needed to be made, especially in a fantasy with so much fighting


So the ending? Not to horrible of a cliffhanger but its a continuous story, not like in some series where everything seems to be resolved but there are new problems that arise in the next book, no the problems still exist but at least you can breathe a little.


So here come my most favorite part of the review but not really, i do this blog, and i talk about it because i love to read indie books and i love to make sure that those indie authors get the promotion they deserve. So if you are interested in indie books, i don't have a ton of fantasy i do have one that i know of and its totally amazing and if you enjoyed this book i know you would enjoy Vortex amazing book, anyways its books like those and these that i and a friend review, indie stuff. so come check us out if you want here is the link: http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp... we appreciate you

[Latasha Carrasquillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh...I really wanted to love this book, it had everything I love fantasy romance Princesses, brooding lead male. It was a promising read for me until I tried to read it. Lots of telling instead of showing. Timelines were just a mess. Dialog was disgruntled. Sad to say I will not continue with the series.

[emmaline pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, couldn’t put it down xx

[Skye Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review***

Two things I will say straight up;

1) I felt this was very slow to get going.LONG prologue, But it was a necessary evil, to get to know both worlds.

2) I felt the ending was very abrupt!
I do understand that this is part of a series, and as such I can overlook this.

This book revolves around two worlds: Saskia and Earth. I usually prefer a sole POV or Duel POV ( if a couple in a relationship) Though it is told through three different views, Sarajane, Marta, and Queen Bellona, it actually works really well!!
Sarajane is the focal character, and as such, It follows her story closely.

Growing up in the mortal
World Sarajane has overcome the loss of her mother, followed by learning of her place as princess of Saskia, after being taken by force through the threshold of the parallel worlds. I felt she accepted this change quite easily, I would have liked a little more angst?

Oh Marta, I felt instantly for this woman! Can you imagining watching your parents being decapitated right in front of you, at only 5 years of age??

One day in Saskia is equivalent to one month in earth.
It is reviled early on how Marta and Sarajane are connected.

I ADORED Tristan!!! Such a great companion for Sarajane. He was just the right mix of all things bad and so so good!!

Queen Bellona, I don't even know where to start with this 'woman' DARK! Dirty,pitiful, I wanted to slap her!! But I do love to hate the villain, and HATE her I did, so well done!

Kiar and Neve. Oh my lord! I LOVED THEM!!! They have such nice 'breather' moments in the heavy story line. I just loved them ! I will say that it BROKE MY HEART, half way through the book when something happens with them ( wont say, as I don't want any spoilers!!)

I think one of my most favourite quotes to sum up the strength and character of Sarajane;

"I just think when extraordinary people are discovered, extraordinary exceptions should be made. "

I think this will help you get a feel for this novel;

Where did Saskia Come from?

“A long time ago in heaven, there were four angels who did their best to always please God. God looked fondly upon his faithful servants. When the time came, the angels were sent down to earth to be born to the mortal world with free will.
The four angels, Veronica, Lucian, Jeremy, and Sarra, watched as the other angels made their transition to life. The four angels talked about being mortals all the time, they did extra things to please God, yet they still remained angels. One day, Lucian convinced the other three angels to follow him, as he believed he knew how to become mortal without God knowing. Jeremy and Sarra were swayed by Lucian, but Veronica was nervous, as she didn’t want to upset God.
That day Veronica was bathing God’s feet. God noticed the conflict within her soul. ‘My child, tell me what troubles you.’
So Veronica told him of Lucian’s plans. God was enraged by this betrayal. He struck the four angels down. He looked at each of their souls and he could see the greed to be mortals within them. So God banished them to a world parallel to Earth. He gave each of them an element. Lucian was given the ability to control fire. Veronica was given an earth affinity. Jeremy, the ability to control air, and Sarra, a water affinity. Spirit was God’s. So each new generation was born with an affinity passed down by our ancestors. God gave them these powers so they could understand what he had created, and in time, he hoped they would understand the values of each element that he had given freely to the mortal world.
He built a wall of fire to divide the worlds and gave them partial immortality so they could pay for their sins. And so forth, our world Saskia was created by four fallen angels”.


Even though this was a little slow to build up, once I was there, oh my gosh I was 100% invested!! I was quite animated reading this! I wanted to jump in and strangle, hit, kick etc etc and if that's not a bravo, take a bow, moment for a novel, then I don't know what is!!

I am very much looking forward to the next instalment. Thank you Aoife for taking me on a journey of magical pleasure!

[Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will start saying I absolutely loved this book. It was amazing, and was written so well, I felt I was in this world.

Eden Forest is a fun fantasy story that actually takes place on the parallel world of Saskia, which is a repressive kingdom, where descendants of four banished angles live. Mortal twenty one year old SaraJane is the key to the survival of this other world. She is kidnapped and brought to this world where her journey begins.

I will say the concept and the plot are very new to me; it’s not like any other fantasy or paranormal books I have read. I was really pulled in right from the start. I really loved watching SaraJane grow, and I really liked Tristin. He is a hottie.

I think the characters were very well developed and likable. I liked how she made friends quick with some of these people, and was saddened by what happens with one of them. She truly cares for them.

I think it’s always really interesting when an author will combine magic, action and some romance in a book, and this has all of that.

I really am anxious to get my hands on book 2, as I want to see where it goes from here.
I highly recommend, and give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I was provided a copy of this book by the author for my honest opinion.

Below is a short piece that was in the book, which is also a guest post at my blog, explaining how this world became into existence. Non spoiler.

Where did Saskia Come from?

“A long time ago in heaven, there were four angels who did their best to always please God. God looked fondly upon his faithful servants. When the time came, the angels were sent down to earth to be born to the mortal world with free will.
The four angels, Veronica, Lucian, Jeremy, and Sarra, watched as the other angels made their transition to life. The four angels talked about being mortals all the time, they did extra things to please God, yet they still remained angels. One day, Lucian convinced the other three angels to follow him, as he believed he knew how to become mortal without God knowing. Jeremy and Sarra were swayed by Lucian, but Veronica was nervous, as she didn’t want to upset God.
That day Veronica was bathing God’s feet. God noticed the conflict within her soul. ‘My child, tell me what troubles you.’
So Veronica told him of Lucian’s plans. God was enraged by this betrayal. He struck the four angels down. He looked at each of their souls and he could see the greed to be mortals within them. So God banished them to a world parallel to Earth. He gave each of them an element. Lucian was given the ability to control fire. Veronica was given an earth affinity. Jeremy, the ability to control air, and Sarra, a water affinity. Spirit was God’s. So each new generation was born with an affinity passed down by our ancestors. God gave them these powers so they could understand what he had created, and in time, he hoped they would understand the values of each element that he had given freely to the mortal world.
He built a wall of fire to divide the worlds and gave them partial immortality so they could pay for their sins. And so forth, our world Saskia was created by four fallen angels”.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

****** MAGICAL-BE PREPARE TO BE BLOWN AWAY! *******
I received an ARC from the author Aoife Sheridan- in exchange for an honest opinion. This is Mismousey's very honest opinion of Eden Forest Saskia Part 1 of the Trilogy. First let me say this- I have never read anything written by this author before. Therefore I wasn't sure what and boy was I blown away with it! Having read Part 1 - I now really need to finish out this series. I am so looking forward to the next 2 books.
Ms. Sheridan is a very talented writer. She has picked up her pen to paper an weaved magic. The characters in the story jump right off the page at you. She is able to bring them to life in such detail. As for the scenes in the book- they are so well described. You can picture them right down to the smallest detail.
Eden Forest opens with Marta telling the story. She is describing what is happening around her and to her. No one is allowed to take a lover in Saskia before marriage. And no one is allowed to marry before the age of 25. The King & Queen decides who are to marry. However- Marta has taken a lover and it's the King!. Ssh don't tell anyone but they are expecting a child also. Her best friend is also pregnant and she has only told her about her secret. When it's time for her baby to come she asks Marta to run to the castle to get the maidens. Upon arriving the Queen states she will come also. Once the little is born it is determined if he has the element of air-earth-fire-water. If the little has air then he is taken from his mother right then and there. Which is what happens. Seeing this happen Marta decides the only she can to protect her unborn child is to leave Saskia and run to the mortal world. She builds a life there in Ireland with a husband by the name of John- they have a daughter Jessica. Years laters in mortal time but not in Saskia time. As Marta is walking in the forest with the family. She is taken captive by Clive and his men. They take her back Saskia- thinking she is going back for escaping. When she Queen Bellona again she finds out otherwise. The Queen has know about her affair all this time. When the King finds out that his love is being held he sends his trusted men to get her. He finds out about his daughter -the only way to protect her is to bring her Saskia. Now Sarajane knows nothing about Saskia or about the King. He sends Tristan along with 2 others to get her. As they are bringing her back they call her Princess. She wants to know why is she is here - they won't tell her. Sarajane finally gets to the cave where her mother is- she can hardly believe her eyes. She finds out people are trying to kill her.
This story has so many twist and turns in it. You are taken on a magical ride in a mythical land. It is parallel to modern day Ireland. This is a wonderful story and holds your attention all through the book. To know what happens Sarajane in Sasaki you will need to finish reading this FANTASTIC- TERRIFIC -GENIUS of book!! This book is written for the older ya - but I also recommend it to adults and those that love a excellent paranormal book. Mismousey gives this book a 70 out of 5 stars.
Now RUN AND GET YOUR COPY OF THIS AMAZING BOOK!! MAKE SURE TO ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS READING LIST!! Ms. Sheridan I am so looking forward to reading the rest of this trilogy as I have to know what happens to Sarajane in Saski.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waoh! March and the blog starts this month with the review of Eden Forest by Aoife Marie Sheridan, I must start by saying that the book attracted me by its description, to start reading, I had my doubts, since the beginning of the book, in the prologue I had an existential conflict, was something long and it seemed more a chapter of the same book that a prologue. But when I pass this test I accomplish my attention with the little surprises that I met along the way and began to arouse my curiosity and mystery surrounding the prologue or rather solve the clues that enveloped.
In its content, with whom we have, well 3 women than tell us the differently side of the story, the beginning, the present and also why not? the version of what we call the villain of the story, Sarajane, Marta , and Queen Bellona, from our world Earth,until discovery of secrets and a magical place Saski of the hand of Sarajane.
The prologue begins with a part of the story of Martha and then jump with our protagonist to the current time Sarajane, who tries to discover what happened to her mother, than mysteriously disappeared, she could have done much conjecture as a normal girl but nothing compared to what is coming up, an alternative and different world! a biological parent, an evil Queen Super Evil, a history he never knew and oh if a guy, Tristan, by which started having feelings that will be complicated and tangled as the story progresses. All these elements and the description of the landscape and elements make rich the story.
As you progress through the book, I realized I had a different world with many possibilities to have a great story, the author meticulously created some aspects of creating a world from the beginning, and that was my favorite part, angels fallen, I think that fragment must be the epilogue, it is very beautiful and will make as chapter one the story of Martha, who as a character is amazing along the way, Sarajane has much to tell yet and will be seeing his evolution as a character and what will happen with Tristan, will be able to be together, come out of more complications and Queen Bellona! ok, ok I applaud to this villain has that classic and modern touch than a villain in this genre have to be. The world around is magnificent can visualize a very clear and pleasant manner, and manage your senses quite rightly.
The book is generally easy to read, is not very long but not too short, I think it has the appropriate to initiate and further continuing the series with the next book, I just wish humbly say please make a correction in a few words, I don’t know If for the fact that it is an ARC, provided for your honest review, but some words were together, they lacked a separation or some other detail, technical issues that I make a simple mention, because I am not an expert on it.

I think it is definitely recommended for fans of fantasy, with love and an epic adventure, and may be accompanied by the hand of your favorite coffee and snack.

BLOG: ALL THINGS IN THE CLOUD SWEET

[Asuka0278 · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I received this as a goodreads giveaway. I am soooo glad I did! I loved this book. I read it in about two days. (If I didn't have children to care for I would have been able to finish it within 24hrs.) I really liked Sarajane as a character. (Not sure if that's a nod to Miss Sarah Jane Smith or not. The geek in me hopes that it is.) I like how Sarajane's character grows in this although during a good portion of the book I was anxiously waiting for her to unleash her "wrath" on the bad guys if not some of the good guys for their attitudes. If there was one thing that irritated me it was that a young woman from the 21st Century gets dropped into this strange medieval-ish world where generally women are treated as subserviant and she just goes along with it. To a certain degree I can understand. If you're dropped in a strange world you would definitely need to work out the mechanics of how it works and what the politics are. However, since generally from the beginning she finds out she's the princess and has some weight to throw around, I think she should have been standing up for herself and making her own decsions as soon as she learned this. She's 21 for Pete's sakes and sometimes she seemed to act as though she was a teenager who was constantly deferring to her parents. Everyone also knows she came from a "different world" so she can always use the "hey this is how I was raised and how it is where I come from excuse; at least initially. Regardless by the end of the book she seems to have suddenly realized. "I'm sick of this shit. I'm from the 21st century, I'm 21 years old, I'm a g-damn adult I can make my own decisions." And I was thoroughly delighted when she finally, FINALLY unleashed her potential on the bad guys. She also really really needs to get past her grief for EVERY person that happens to die in this book. It's one thing when it's someone she knows but, I mean she even gets upset about the BAD guys dying. If she's gonna be a heroine she's got to get past it. You're in a medieval world honey where your 21st century rules don't apply, and where magic and swords make the rules. Get used to it or GTFO.

Besides that the pace of the book moves along quickly. There's magic, action and a bit of romance thrown in as well. Oh there were a few parts that were a bit more gruesome than I had anticipated for those who might want to know. On the whole this book was an introduction for what's to come in the next two books since this is supposed to be a trilogy. I think the second one comes out June 2013. I'm definitely looking forward to it. I do hope the author tells a bit about what happens with Sarajane's friends who were left behind when she came to Saskia. Perhaps a bit will be revealed in the next book. (Oh, final note. There's one character in here who I pictured as Joffrey from GoT the entire time. :) They would have got on very well together I think.)

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy a different kind of fantasy, and this is exactly what this book is. I am a big fan of parallel worlds, which is one of the reasons I really wanted to read this book. I really liked the world that Aoife created, so full of beauty and suspense. The description of the Saskia was really vivid, which can be really rare in a work of literature. I could perfectly picture every stunning view and every creature that cross pass with our main character. The book will definitely create a rich story in your mind.

The plot of the story is the thing that truly lures you into this book. It is a very distinct plot, that will be like nothing you have read before. As I said the world is really unique but the story line is gripping. I also really liked the writing, I loved how you can read from the different perspectives in this book, the evil and the good. I don't want to go into the plot a lot and spoil the book, because who loves spoilers? No-one does. Well the plot, writing, the creation of the world, everything was great. Now lets talk about the characters.

The main character that the story follows is Sarajane Anderson. She was just a regular girl until she gets pulled in into that new fascinating world. In the beginning I really did enjoyed her character, I loved how stubborn she was. But the moment she is in that world, that is when I started to be a little annoyed with her, her stubbornness turned into to much of it. She just didn't act as realistic as I would think a person would act if that get pulled in into a totally different beautiful but scary world. Because it was scary at first, and the way she reacted to things...well there wasn't really a lot of strong reactions. I felt like she needed more emotions. I did though liked the evil queen. Her character was the best in this book, she even so realistic at times that it was scary. I also liked the mysterious Tristan, who is the love interest of our main character(; Let's discuss that.

Tristan and Sarajane....I liked their relationship, but at the same time I feel like it needed to develop a little bit more. It felt rushed. It is kind of like an attraction at first sight, which I understand happens a lot, but it normally doesn't turn into love that fast. Other than the rushed feeling I have nothing else, well except that I wish Sarajane would listen to Tristan more, that might have gotten her out of trouble a couple of times.

I can say that i did enjoy Eden Forest, especially the world the story was set in. The plot was also really interesting. The characters weren't the best, well except for the queen(I am in love with how evil she is). The romance was hot, but rushed. I fell like the story might have needed a little more of development. I do think a lot of people will enjoy it, because despise Sarajane stubbornness, and the a little rush of the romance, the story was really good(:

[Lisa F · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the 3rd time I've read this book so that itself shows I love this series.
oh Tristan how I've missed you LOL.

New review to come :)

this is the type of book you sit down to read at night and say to yourself "ill only read a few chapters, pace myself" but before you know it your 60% in, over an hour has gone past and your still not ready to put the book down.
I have to admit my favourite person in this book is sarajane, I love how honest she is, the emotions she's feels, there non of this instant omg I'm accepting I'm immortal and have elemental power's. Sarajane reacts how you expect you would in this situation.
Sarajane is a 21 year old woman who's mum went disappearing 6months ago and she hasn't given up hope that her mum is still alive but in the meantime she's going on with life looking after her younger sister Jessica and helping her dad to run the household, she is basically picking up the main their role until.........

things start changing her
first her yoga instructor is acting weird and sarajane is hearing voices in her head and has had an imagine of her mother beaten up and bleeding in a cell,
then she's at a dance with her best friend but she ends up being "kidnapped" and taken to this strange world saskia.

In saskia sarajane comes face to face with her mum again but before everything is revealed there is a danger very close to home and its after sarajane.

yes sarajane is my favourite but OMG Tristan how I love you, you scary, brooding, protective sexy hunk of a man :).
I loved that Tristan was not impressed with being sent to collect sarajane and felt like it was a silly and easy job which someone else could have done while he was out there trying to destroy the enemy.
I have to say Marta was dead on with her predictions of sarajane and Tristan.
I'm not too sure how I feel about Marta at the moment, morrick im not a fan of and want someone to put him on his arse. I find these two very selfish parents they are more concerned about each other, but hey you can't like everyone plus their are more characters to love like Miriam, neve, kair, alena plus we meet more characters along the way.
I also think queen bellona is a brilliant villain, she reminds me a bit of Regina the evil queen form once upon a time but worse and without the love Regina has for Henry LOL.

that's all I'm telling you LOL.
the world of saskia is a tale that you never forget, with a storyline that has so many twists and turns and so many players in this game that you will never get bored,your kept on your toes wanting to know what will happen next, who will survive, what's really in-store for these characters.

another world, magic, evil queens, the devil, angels and so much more awaits in saskia