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The Guardians of the Forest: Book One
Kiethara is a descendant from a long line of powerful guardians who have been charged to protect a magical forest since the dawn of time. She prematurely took the place of her mother—the previous guardian—after she was defeated by a man known as Gandador; now, young Kiethara is forced into a position of power and danger. The Spirit of Aaron, the forest's first guardian, awakens to train her legendary powers, all the while hiding unknown truths and secrets of her past. When Gandador returns to destroy the reign of the guardians and rule the forest himself, he brings into the forest a whole new world, and Kiethara must keep in check her overwhelming emotions and experiences in order to control her magic and save the forest.
Wickedly dark yet extremely moving, The Guardians of the Forest explores the burdens of responsibility and the prospects of failure. Kiethara must protect the world's source of power while developing her own, but guarding it becomes difficult when she finds herself kidnapped and taken out of the forest she is bound to protect.
This Young Adult novel draws true-to-form parallels with a normal fifteen-year-olds life. Readers experience how Kiethara bears the weight of an entire world on her shoulders in a humorously sarcastic tone, relying on the friends she makes and the love she discovers to ease the fear of failure to deliver what she has been born to accomplish.
Wickedly dark yet extremely moving, The Guardians of the Forest explores the burdens of responsibility and the prospects of failure. Kiethara must protect the world's source of power while developing her own, but guarding it becomes difficult when she finds herself kidnapped and taken out of the forest she is bound to protect.
This Young Adult novel draws true-to-form parallels with a normal fifteen-year-olds life. Readers experience how Kiethara bears the weight of an entire world on her shoulders in a humorously sarcastic tone, relying on the friends she makes and the love she discovers to ease the fear of failure to deliver what she has been born to accomplish.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Napoli
2 books7 followersKelly Napoli is currently studying Environmental Engineering at the University of Florida with a minor in English. She has completed two books in the Guardians of the Forest series and intends to continue the series once earning her degree. Influences range from classical Bronte to modern day fantasy writers such as Funke and Libba Bray. The Guardians of the Forest was also inspired by her passion for the environment and love for all things magical.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 27, 2014
From the first minute I was confused about who was who with all of the strange sounding names....but hey ya get that from Tolkien too. The writing was light and optimistic. The physical descriptions were fantastic and so was the descriptions of the action was as well.
The background of the world was rich without bogging the pace of the story down. This book is worth reading! I deserves 4 and a half stars.
The background of the world was rich without bogging the pace of the story down. This book is worth reading! I deserves 4 and a half stars.
January 15, 2014
An Gripping Sensation!
Kelly Napoli is another Author to watch out for! The Guardians of the Forest is an YA fiction novel. CAUTION! After reading this, you will find yourself gripping the edge of your seat, hair pulling, getting stir crazy, screaming at the top of lungs for more!
I thought I wasn't going to like the novel. I seemed bored within the first couple of chapters. But that was because the author was giving background information, setting the story line up. So I knew it would pick up eventually. Boy, was I blown away.
First, let me say, the author did a fantastic job with the characters! They were so well developed as well as the story, I was immediately drawn to them. The author made me feel like I was right there beside Kiethara on her journey. Second, it was a faced paced page tuner. I was literally up all night until four in the morning because I just couldn't stop reading. Every time my head hit the pillow, I needed to DESPERATELY know what was going to happen next. Thirdly, I am a cliffhanger gal. I LOVE cliffhangers! WARNING: There is a slight cliffhanger. Not a bad one I promise!
I loved how the author displayed the ups and downs of Kiethara. In a way(don't know about others) I notice how weak she was in the beginning and ended stronger in the end. The character to me seemed to grow throughout the book. She seemed to never give up on anything. This was the first novel for me to see a character develop from unsecured of who is she to who she was born to be.
Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this book to all. Thanks, Kelly Napoli for taking me on a journey I will never forget. Can't wait to read book 2!!!
Kelly Napoli is another Author to watch out for! The Guardians of the Forest is an YA fiction novel. CAUTION! After reading this, you will find yourself gripping the edge of your seat, hair pulling, getting stir crazy, screaming at the top of lungs for more!
I thought I wasn't going to like the novel. I seemed bored within the first couple of chapters. But that was because the author was giving background information, setting the story line up. So I knew it would pick up eventually. Boy, was I blown away.
First, let me say, the author did a fantastic job with the characters! They were so well developed as well as the story, I was immediately drawn to them. The author made me feel like I was right there beside Kiethara on her journey. Second, it was a faced paced page tuner. I was literally up all night until four in the morning because I just couldn't stop reading. Every time my head hit the pillow, I needed to DESPERATELY know what was going to happen next. Thirdly, I am a cliffhanger gal. I LOVE cliffhangers! WARNING: There is a slight cliffhanger. Not a bad one I promise!
I loved how the author displayed the ups and downs of Kiethara. In a way(don't know about others) I notice how weak she was in the beginning and ended stronger in the end. The character to me seemed to grow throughout the book. She seemed to never give up on anything. This was the first novel for me to see a character develop from unsecured of who is she to who she was born to be.
Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this book to all. Thanks, Kelly Napoli for taking me on a journey I will never forget. Can't wait to read book 2!!!
March 15, 2014
Review from PS Naughty Reviewers ~Suzy
The Guardians of the Forest: Book One 4.0 out of 5.0
I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the next one. You are left at a semi-cliffhanger, although it’s not tortuous. I expected one thing when I saw the cover/ title name and was pleasantly surprised by the storyline itself. The descriptions in the book are light and airy and are too the point—meaning they didn’t overpower the story at hand.
Some of the character and place names remind me of some others from books and that is one thing to stray from. I was happy to see the main ones Keithara and Navadar are one’s that the reader does not stumble over upon reading.
Keithara’s life is a tedious one filled with duty and Navadar is the one interruption she hadn’t expected. Though her life is boring for the most part, she attempts to find happiness and her new friend seems to bring that and also a new threat of danger.
The story takes an unexpected twist about 60% of the way through and I enjoyed it. This climax sort of continued and held until the end.
Despite being her first novel this author’s potential can easily be seen. She has star quality and with some polish, I can see this supposed YA (which I think can easily appeal to wider audience), gain momentum in the fantasy realm.
Reviewer note: Someone other than the author requested this review.
The Guardians of the Forest: Book One 4.0 out of 5.0
I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the next one. You are left at a semi-cliffhanger, although it’s not tortuous. I expected one thing when I saw the cover/ title name and was pleasantly surprised by the storyline itself. The descriptions in the book are light and airy and are too the point—meaning they didn’t overpower the story at hand.
Some of the character and place names remind me of some others from books and that is one thing to stray from. I was happy to see the main ones Keithara and Navadar are one’s that the reader does not stumble over upon reading.
Keithara’s life is a tedious one filled with duty and Navadar is the one interruption she hadn’t expected. Though her life is boring for the most part, she attempts to find happiness and her new friend seems to bring that and also a new threat of danger.
The story takes an unexpected twist about 60% of the way through and I enjoyed it. This climax sort of continued and held until the end.
Despite being her first novel this author’s potential can easily be seen. She has star quality and with some polish, I can see this supposed YA (which I think can easily appeal to wider audience), gain momentum in the fantasy realm.
Reviewer note: Someone other than the author requested this review.
March 9, 2014
Kiethara is the strong, female protagonist of The Guardians of the Forest. Though she is orphaned, and lives alone in the forest, she learns and practices magic with a spiritual guide named Aaron. Along the way, Aaron shows her that she already has more power than she knows, and she just has to use her own strength to channel her emotions into magic.
The Guardians of the Forest reminded me of the original Star Wars story in a lot of ways. Kiethara is a lot like a young Luke Skywalker, and Aaron is like Yoda. Much like Luke, Kiethara needs to be shown that she has had the power in her all along. Once she does know this, there is no stopping her. There is a even a dark father figure who is a lot like Darth Vader.
The Guardians of the Forest would be a great book for all young women. Kiethara is a great role model as she is strong and independent, and she is nobody's princess, even when that person protects her and pampers her. She continues to remember her duty to protect the forest, and is not sidetracked from this goal.
The Guardians of the Forest reminded me of the original Star Wars story in a lot of ways. Kiethara is a lot like a young Luke Skywalker, and Aaron is like Yoda. Much like Luke, Kiethara needs to be shown that she has had the power in her all along. Once she does know this, there is no stopping her. There is a even a dark father figure who is a lot like Darth Vader.
The Guardians of the Forest would be a great book for all young women. Kiethara is a great role model as she is strong and independent, and she is nobody's princess, even when that person protects her and pampers her. She continues to remember her duty to protect the forest, and is not sidetracked from this goal.
January 12, 2014
Fifteen-year-old Keithara is tasks with guarding the forest, the fountain from which all magic flows, just like her mother and grandmother before her. Being a guardian is a lonely life. With only the spirit of Aaron to keep her company, Keithara is shielded in her own little world. That is, until Navarad comes along, creating a delightful diversion to her normally placid routine. But the wicked Gandador, hell-bent on destroying the forest, proofs to be a danger to Navador and causes Keithara to worry for his safety. Gandador harbors a dark secret, one that, when revealed, will rock Keithara to the core and quite possibly scare of Navadar for good.
When events beyond her control change the course of Keithara’s life, she wonders if she will ever see Navadar again, not to mention her beloved forest.
This is wonderful little page turner that kept me wanting more. I look forward to the release of the follow-up novel so that I can continue Keithara and Navadars journey.
When events beyond her control change the course of Keithara’s life, she wonders if she will ever see Navadar again, not to mention her beloved forest.
This is wonderful little page turner that kept me wanting more. I look forward to the release of the follow-up novel so that I can continue Keithara and Navadars journey.
February 23, 2014
The Guardians of the Forest: Book One is the most captivating fiction novel I’ve read this year…Kelly Napoli delivers an epic masterpiece with her debut as an author. Just when I thought there was nothing that new young adult fiction had to offer, Napoli manages to transport her readers to an entirely new world, a world filled with magic and magnificence that comes together to bring the reader on a marvelous adventure with the brave and noble Kiethara.
One of my favorite things about this novel is the immediate affection I developed for Kiethara; her determination to protect the forest from the cunning villain Gandador is unshakeable, as is the love she discovers for the young man Navadar and the admiration she houses for the Spirit of Aaron. Readers will not be able to stop themselves from becoming charmed by her fortitude to accomplish her legendary duties and will find themselves longing to take up her battles with her.
Between the fast-paced plot line and the duty-driven characters, I found myself on the edge of my seat--I can’t wait to get my hands on Book Two of this incredible series.
Merged review:
This is a well written book. Perfect if you love YA Fantasy/Fiction.
Must read.
One of my favorite things about this novel is the immediate affection I developed for Kiethara; her determination to protect the forest from the cunning villain Gandador is unshakeable, as is the love she discovers for the young man Navadar and the admiration she houses for the Spirit of Aaron. Readers will not be able to stop themselves from becoming charmed by her fortitude to accomplish her legendary duties and will find themselves longing to take up her battles with her.
Between the fast-paced plot line and the duty-driven characters, I found myself on the edge of my seat--I can’t wait to get my hands on Book Two of this incredible series.
Merged review:
This is a well written book. Perfect if you love YA Fantasy/Fiction.
Must read.
November 24, 2015
The Guardians of the Forest is book 1 in the series by Kelly Napoli that follows the adventures of Kiethara. I thought it was a fun read with great characters, though I did not necessarily find them very three dimensional all the time. The starting wasn't that great and seemed just a bit clichéd but the plot picked up after sometime and then I had a really wonderful ride till the end, with the author taking the plot in interesting directions. I recommend this book to any lover of fantasy. Just don't give up on the first few pages because then you'd have missed a really wonderful read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews