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The Treekeepers
In a world ruined by war, the orphan Bird journeys with friends, a kitten, and a chimera to rescue their surrogate parents, find her real father, and plant a tiny seed that she believes will change everything.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 8, 2025
Bird is a street orphan, stealing food and avoiding soldiers. Her only friends are Twist and Piper, a mother and daughter who also beg on the streets. When little Piper gets sick, Bird asks for help from Farwender who has a secret elixir from a long-dead tree that will heal any illness. Piper is healed, but now she is marked with the residue of the elixir. The soldiers will put a terrible mark on anyone who has been touched by the elixir and cart them off to prison. Farwender takes Bird to stay with the lady Soladin, where Bird learns about the history of the tree that produces the forbidden elixir, and she learns how her own history is entangled with that of the tree.
I really liked the imaginative world-building in this book, with all the history of the tree and how the death of the tree brought about the downfall of the entire nation of Wen. We uncover the story of the past little by little as Bird learns more about her heritage.
There is so much adventure in this story as Bird and her friends go on a quest to restore the dead tree. They travel through mountains and rivers and valleys. They uncover hidden legends and meet magical creatures. Their journey is never easy and it's never quite what you expect, since they also have to avoid being captured by the enemy soldiers.
Bird has a very complex personality. She wants to be good, but she has grown to be tough on the streets. She has no manners. She bites people. She has anger issues. She attacks her friends and plays mean pranks on them for no reason. She rebels against those who want to help her, refusing to follow the most basic rules. She is greedy and steals from her friends. She's really horrible! But through the story, she learns to control her temper. She learns to be generous, instead of greedy. She learns some basic manners and respect. By the end of her journey, she is sweet and gentle. She has a really extreme character arc.
The best thing about this book are the reflections of faith in God found in the story. The main characters pray to God, called the "Holder" since He creates and holds the universe together. They have a tradition of gathering each evening and thanking the Holder for their blessings. When the characters are in terrible situations, they pray to the Holder to bless them and give them strength to endure. This is the source of all Bird's character development as she begins to have faith in the Holder and her heart changes for the better.
There is a lot of violence in this book. People being killed by the evil soldiers, mutilated, hanged, and beheaded. There is a soldier that gets his throat ripped out by a chimera. Pretty nasty descriptions of blood and severed heads.
There are is also some dark imagery surrounding the villain. He is described as having powers of darkness in his eyes, like a mouth absorbing your soul if you look into his eyes too long. I did not expect a book with a kitten on the cover to be quite this dark!
To see all the sensitive content in this book, including violence and dark imagery, check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-tr...
I really liked the imaginative world-building in this book, with all the history of the tree and how the death of the tree brought about the downfall of the entire nation of Wen. We uncover the story of the past little by little as Bird learns more about her heritage.
There is so much adventure in this story as Bird and her friends go on a quest to restore the dead tree. They travel through mountains and rivers and valleys. They uncover hidden legends and meet magical creatures. Their journey is never easy and it's never quite what you expect, since they also have to avoid being captured by the enemy soldiers.
Bird has a very complex personality. She wants to be good, but she has grown to be tough on the streets. She has no manners. She bites people. She has anger issues. She attacks her friends and plays mean pranks on them for no reason. She rebels against those who want to help her, refusing to follow the most basic rules. She is greedy and steals from her friends. She's really horrible! But through the story, she learns to control her temper. She learns to be generous, instead of greedy. She learns some basic manners and respect. By the end of her journey, she is sweet and gentle. She has a really extreme character arc.
The best thing about this book are the reflections of faith in God found in the story. The main characters pray to God, called the "Holder" since He creates and holds the universe together. They have a tradition of gathering each evening and thanking the Holder for their blessings. When the characters are in terrible situations, they pray to the Holder to bless them and give them strength to endure. This is the source of all Bird's character development as she begins to have faith in the Holder and her heart changes for the better.
There is a lot of violence in this book. People being killed by the evil soldiers, mutilated, hanged, and beheaded. There is a soldier that gets his throat ripped out by a chimera. Pretty nasty descriptions of blood and severed heads.
There are is also some dark imagery surrounding the villain. He is described as having powers of darkness in his eyes, like a mouth absorbing your soul if you look into his eyes too long. I did not expect a book with a kitten on the cover to be quite this dark!
To see all the sensitive content in this book, including violence and dark imagery, check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-tr...
October 9, 2020
After seeing the adorable cover somewhere, last October I ordered The Treekeepers on a whim. It was the adorable cover which drew me, but little could I have guessed what an amazing find it would turn out to be. As soon as I finished it, I made everyone else in the house read it as well. And now it is a family favorite.
This is a truly great fantasy for children (or adults); packed with spiritual truth, relatable characters, and heart-rending emotion.
When our two little cousins came to live with us we all knew this would be one of our first choices to read them. And they loved it.
It truly warmed my heart to see them playing ‘Bird opening the locket,’ “the thalasse is spilling all over the floor!” or Soladin and Farwender celebrating, “mind the furniture!” They would recall to mind so many adorable quotes from the story as they played ‘Treekeepers’ that it startled me. We handmade each of them a locket of their own.
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/...
The twelve-year-old had so much she could identify with in this book, and I saw her warm happy smile as the joyous end grew near.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the Tales of the Kingdom series, Quest for the Silver Castle, Journey with the Golden Book, or the Bracken Trilogy.
This book is not advertised as a Christian allegory for children, although that is obviously what it is. ❤️ I hope other readers can also find this and add a spark of joy to their lives!
Very clean but be aware there are frequent intense scenes.
This is a truly great fantasy for children (or adults); packed with spiritual truth, relatable characters, and heart-rending emotion.
When our two little cousins came to live with us we all knew this would be one of our first choices to read them. And they loved it.
It truly warmed my heart to see them playing ‘Bird opening the locket,’ “the thalasse is spilling all over the floor!” or Soladin and Farwender celebrating, “mind the furniture!” They would recall to mind so many adorable quotes from the story as they played ‘Treekeepers’ that it startled me. We handmade each of them a locket of their own.
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/...
The twelve-year-old had so much she could identify with in this book, and I saw her warm happy smile as the joyous end grew near.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the Tales of the Kingdom series, Quest for the Silver Castle, Journey with the Golden Book, or the Bracken Trilogy.
This book is not advertised as a Christian allegory for children, although that is obviously what it is. ❤️ I hope other readers can also find this and add a spark of joy to their lives!
Very clean but be aware there are frequent intense scenes.
February 1, 2015
Years later, I can definitely still say I love this book, even though a lot of it is for nostalgia's sake. As a young adult versus a kid, though, I was able to see the flaws in the writing and plot more easily. This didn't lower my opinion of it, however. The only thing I would change is maybe a bit more reference to Stoke at the end. I'm assuming their connection evolved into a more romantic one, but I could be wrong, it just as easily could be merely platonic. I both like and dislike that you get to speculate as to what happens after that. This book is very well wrapped up and yet I still have so many questions. Love this book.
October 25, 2016
I first read this book when I was nine and I could remember how much I liked it and little details from it (the cover, the scissors, the patch of light from the window in Bird's cell) but I could never remember the title. It was literally driving me crazy UNTIL a couple of months ago I finally found it and immediately ordered it off of Amazon.
To be honest, I was expecting the book to not be as good as I remembered it (though I barely remembered the plot). But I actually really, REALLY enjoyed it. Of course, it did have some flaws: it was a little cliche, the resolution was a bit too unrealistic/rushed, and some things were left unresolved (We didn't get to see Bird discover her mother's name, and we never got to see what the thalasse gave Stoke, or Bird and Stoke reunited, which would've been a better epilogue than the actual epilogue). I also found it weird how the author kept calling Stoke Bird's brother, even though they clearly liked one another romantically.
But OTHER THAN THAT, I thought this was a great book. The plot was exciting and kept me interested the whole time, and I loved all of the characters, especially the orphans and their relationships with one another. I also loved getting to see how the orphans grew throughout the book, especially Issie. I also enjoyed the religious tones and allegories, which were significant to the overall story but not necessarily shoved in your face. (It took me like the entire book to figure out that Farwender and Soladin were supposed to be Adam and Eve.)
Even though this is a children's book, I would seriously recommend it. Also, I can finally die in peace knowing I remembered the name of the book which had literally been haunting me for ten years.
To be honest, I was expecting the book to not be as good as I remembered it (though I barely remembered the plot). But I actually really, REALLY enjoyed it. Of course, it did have some flaws: it was a little cliche, the resolution was a bit too unrealistic/rushed, and some things were left unresolved (We didn't get to see Bird discover her mother's name, and we never got to see what the thalasse gave Stoke, or Bird and Stoke reunited, which would've been a better epilogue than the actual epilogue). I also found it weird how the author kept calling Stoke Bird's brother, even though they clearly liked one another romantically.
But OTHER THAN THAT, I thought this was a great book. The plot was exciting and kept me interested the whole time, and I loved all of the characters, especially the orphans and their relationships with one another. I also loved getting to see how the orphans grew throughout the book, especially Issie. I also enjoyed the religious tones and allegories, which were significant to the overall story but not necessarily shoved in your face. (It took me like the entire book to figure out that Farwender and Soladin were supposed to be Adam and Eve.)
Even though this is a children's book, I would seriously recommend it. Also, I can finally die in peace knowing I remembered the name of the book which had literally been haunting me for ten years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2011
Heavy-handed Christian parable of sin and redemption in the form of a generic good-versus-evil fantasy, with unlikable characters.
May 28, 2018
I remember this being one of my favorite books when I was younger. How young? I don’t know. Legitimately, it may have been 7-10 years ago. So, young enough that rereading this was frustrating. I just have the impression and feelings the book left me when younger, not much knowledge of what happened in it.
So this was a rude awakening. It was heavily allegorical, which I didn’t realize until I picked up on it all. Because it wasn’t exactly subtle. At all.
We have two Adam and Eve type characters. We have the woman being seduced by a character who can speak convincingly, with the sweetest lies imaginable that make you question everything. We have the main character staying in a prison cell for 40 days and 40 nights, only to be let out to be tested ultimately by… well, not a very subtle threat, but it was a test. The way they talk about the Maker and— pardon me, the Holder. The way they talked about the Holder and prayed to Him (with capitalization of “h,” of course) before meals and bed also rang of Christianity.
So, I had mixed feelings. Because… metaphors? Allegories? are hit and miss. The way the believers held on either was hopeful or obnoxiously done. One scene (from page 183-184) though in particular was interesting:
That scene alone made the book… a little more interesting, to read the author’s perspective of life. Because Bird as a character annoyed the everliving stuffing out of me. She was a child, but grew up an orphan with a hard life. She talked about going days without food and biting people as if it were normal. And then she’d freaking make emotional decisions that put the entire world at risk and had no problem breaking or planning to break people’s word. And was in denial about people like Twist. She went back and cried over Ally, putting everything at risk even though she’d gotten on the other girl for going back or just wanting to stay in general. I flipped between trying to be charitable, because she was young, and being annoyed with how unrealistic I found her considering her life. I think she should’ve been a lot more distrustful and logical about things, not by choice, but because of how she grew up. People aren’t nice and will betray you, especially when it’s a choice between eating a meal one night or not. That kind of thing.
The book was a simple, predictable, and straight forward. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It was very simple and sincere and black and white. Expected ending.
What some people might be uncomfortable reading about in this book because of personal opinion or belief: if you have problems with allegories, steer clear. It’s for younger age groups, so it’s very clean and straight forward.
So this was a rude awakening. It was heavily allegorical, which I didn’t realize until I picked up on it all. Because it wasn’t exactly subtle. At all.
We have two Adam and Eve type characters. We have the woman being seduced by a character who can speak convincingly, with the sweetest lies imaginable that make you question everything. We have the main character staying in a prison cell for 40 days and 40 nights, only to be let out to be tested ultimately by… well, not a very subtle threat, but it was a test. The way they talk about the Maker and— pardon me, the Holder. The way they talked about the Holder and prayed to Him (with capitalization of “h,” of course) before meals and bed also rang of Christianity.
So, I had mixed feelings. Because… metaphors? Allegories? are hit and miss. The way the believers held on either was hopeful or obnoxiously done. One scene (from page 183-184) though in particular was interesting:
“Benwin? What about what that woman said, the screechy one,” she said, whispering in case the woman should hear her. “Why doesn’t the Holder set us free, you especially, since you seem to be so good?”
“Because in giving my life I do more for His cause than I ever could keeping it. I prove the value of the Holder and His way. That is my answer for myself.”
“But I don’t want to give my life for Him. And now I’m being starved to death, all because I’m wearing the Locket. I’m only a child. It isn’t fair.”
“Are you frightened, Bird?”
“No,” she said. “Well actually, yes. I want the Holder to rescue me, not make me die.”
[…] “We don’t know that you will die soon,” Benwin said. “But when your time does come, just take the hand of the Holder as you are taking my hand right now, and He will give you the courage you need.”
“What if I don’t want to serve the Holder?” she asked, in a very small voice.
“If you don’t serve Him, you will serve the darkness. It’s one or the other. You don’t want to help Rendarren and his kind, do you?”
“Well,” she said, “I guess not. I just wish it were easier, serving the Holder.”
“So do I,” said Benwin, “but it isn’t.”
That scene alone made the book… a little more interesting, to read the author’s perspective of life. Because Bird as a character annoyed the everliving stuffing out of me. She was a child, but grew up an orphan with a hard life. She talked about going days without food and biting people as if it were normal. And then she’d freaking make emotional decisions that put the entire world at risk and had no problem breaking or planning to break people’s word. And was in denial about people like Twist. She went back and cried over Ally, putting everything at risk even though she’d gotten on the other girl for going back or just wanting to stay in general. I flipped between trying to be charitable, because she was young, and being annoyed with how unrealistic I found her considering her life. I think she should’ve been a lot more distrustful and logical about things, not by choice, but because of how she grew up. People aren’t nice and will betray you, especially when it’s a choice between eating a meal one night or not. That kind of thing.
The book was a simple, predictable, and straight forward. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It was very simple and sincere and black and white. Expected ending.
What some people might be uncomfortable reading about in this book because of personal opinion or belief: if you have problems with allegories, steer clear. It’s for younger age groups, so it’s very clean and straight forward.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2022
The Treekeepers is one of those books that I liked so much that I have a hard time saying anything about it; sometimes it seems that the more I like something, the less I can say about it. It’s a story about humanity; character, truth and love, flaw and failure and redemption, forgiveness and accepting forgiveness, what kindness means.
Bird, the streetwise orphan, is not always nice. She can make a nuisance of herself, and she can even be mean sometimes. But she is kind, caring, and loyal. She loves Piper – the baby who falls ill – dearly, and when Piper falls ill, Bird tries everything she can and risks whatever she has to, without hesitation, to get help for her. And when Stoke’s – one of the three orphans – hand is hurt and bleeding, Bird offers her beloved star-blanket, her only link to the father whose love she is so desperate for, to bind his wound. Her meannesses are all of the petty sort, that are not meant to do any real harm, and she is fiercely loyal and protective of those she loves. Other desires never cloud her loyalty or what comes first. But she sometimes overreacts, and she makes a very foolish mistake and then gets fatally distracted.
There’s a prophecy that goes,
Wrapped in light leaves of the life Tree,
Wreathed by the wings of sparrows,
Beauty’s Wen child bares the bright Seed,
Small one come in kindness plants it.
Where the Treekeep tends and deep digs,
Where the sea-kind cry from scarp-sky
Where the olden stone kings still weep,
There the Holder spends His splendor.
And that makes someone protests that there’s no way that Bird can be the Opener Child – since, of course, everyone wants to be the Opener Child and Bird is no exception, even though she denies it – because Bird’s kindness isn’t of the obvious sort. She often is not nice. But she is kind.
Soladin and Farwender’s stories are heart-touching. Soladin is the one who keeps the cottage where Bird meets the orphans, the cat Finder, and the chimera Ally (both animals with whom she becomes fast friends), and Farwender is the one who administered the thalasse to the baby, Piper. Soladin was the Treekeeper of Wen and Farwender was the Watchman of Wen, before, through their failures and refusal in both their tasks, they allowed Rendarren to kill the Tree That Speaks. And the sorrow runs so deep through Soladin.
It is a heart-touching story about kindness, good-heartedness, failure and evil, redemption and forgiveness, and how accepted, acknowledged forgiveness changes one’s heart and life, and about failures that are very real, but even when it seems all is lost, the way is still being prepared for the restoration of that which was lost. It’s beautiful and both symbolic and character-driven, the symbols limited by the setting and the characters and enriched even by their limitations. Every sentence is so significant, and the words and metaphors are well-chosen and full of meaning.
This review appeared first and in full on Enthralled By Love (Raina Nightingale's Paths of Fantasy).
Bird, the streetwise orphan, is not always nice. She can make a nuisance of herself, and she can even be mean sometimes. But she is kind, caring, and loyal. She loves Piper – the baby who falls ill – dearly, and when Piper falls ill, Bird tries everything she can and risks whatever she has to, without hesitation, to get help for her. And when Stoke’s – one of the three orphans – hand is hurt and bleeding, Bird offers her beloved star-blanket, her only link to the father whose love she is so desperate for, to bind his wound. Her meannesses are all of the petty sort, that are not meant to do any real harm, and she is fiercely loyal and protective of those she loves. Other desires never cloud her loyalty or what comes first. But she sometimes overreacts, and she makes a very foolish mistake and then gets fatally distracted.
There’s a prophecy that goes,
Wrapped in light leaves of the life Tree,
Wreathed by the wings of sparrows,
Beauty’s Wen child bares the bright Seed,
Small one come in kindness plants it.
Where the Treekeep tends and deep digs,
Where the sea-kind cry from scarp-sky
Where the olden stone kings still weep,
There the Holder spends His splendor.
And that makes someone protests that there’s no way that Bird can be the Opener Child – since, of course, everyone wants to be the Opener Child and Bird is no exception, even though she denies it – because Bird’s kindness isn’t of the obvious sort. She often is not nice. But she is kind.
Soladin and Farwender’s stories are heart-touching. Soladin is the one who keeps the cottage where Bird meets the orphans, the cat Finder, and the chimera Ally (both animals with whom she becomes fast friends), and Farwender is the one who administered the thalasse to the baby, Piper. Soladin was the Treekeeper of Wen and Farwender was the Watchman of Wen, before, through their failures and refusal in both their tasks, they allowed Rendarren to kill the Tree That Speaks. And the sorrow runs so deep through Soladin.
It is a heart-touching story about kindness, good-heartedness, failure and evil, redemption and forgiveness, and how accepted, acknowledged forgiveness changes one’s heart and life, and about failures that are very real, but even when it seems all is lost, the way is still being prepared for the restoration of that which was lost. It’s beautiful and both symbolic and character-driven, the symbols limited by the setting and the characters and enriched even by their limitations. Every sentence is so significant, and the words and metaphors are well-chosen and full of meaning.
This review appeared first and in full on Enthralled By Love (Raina Nightingale's Paths of Fantasy).
July 24, 2017
One of my all-time favorite books, for sure. I believe my mom or I picked it up at the library on a whim, and I immediately fell in love. A beautiful fantasy story that I'm sure I'll read again and again. If I can procure a copy, that is.
July 11, 2024
This is my favorite book- so much nostalgia. My middle school library was throwing it away because it was damaged, so I asked to take it, not expecting the amazing comfort story within. I found myself through Bird. It got me through tough times.
June 25, 2018
I really liked this book but it ended too quickly. It also had some Christianity undertones that were like "the deity saved the day" which felt a little Deo Ex Machina to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2023
A really unusual children's fantasy. It had a lot of emotional depth.
The story is about Bird, a street kid in a small town that has been decimated by war.
The story is about Bird, a street kid in a small town that has been decimated by war.
February 12, 2012
Bird is an orphan girl. She has never seen her father and her mother is dead. A friend takes her to live with a woman named Soladin and three orphans. Farwender leaves Ally the chimera and Finder the white kitten with them. Soon Bird learns about the locket that holds the Seed that will grow the next Tree That Speaks. No one has been able tl open the locket. Bird has never tried. Can she open the locket?
Reasons why I like this book-
Reason 1- It has adventure.
Reason 2- It was magical.
Reason 3- I could imagine what was happening.
Reason 4- I couldn't stop reading.
Reasons why I like this book-
Reason 1- It has adventure.
Reason 2- It was magical.
Reason 3- I could imagine what was happening.
Reason 4- I couldn't stop reading.
October 30, 2011
I enjoyed this book - classic quest story with interesting characters. The ending, however, seemed a bit flat, as if the author lost interest or ran out of time. Or perhaps she had already started working on a sequel - the ending definitely leaves room for one. I would happily put this book in the hands of an 8- to 14-year-old voracious reader, but if you have more books on your to-read list than time to read them, you can probably skip this one.
Read
July 15, 2009It's an easy read for YA, but pretty entertaining. Although I can't stand the main character. Maybe she'll redeem herself in the end.
After I finished I did really like it and the main character. It has a Christ-like symbolism to it. It hints at a sequel and I hope their will be one. Some parts went by too quickly but still a enjoyable book.
After I finished I did really like it and the main character. It has a Christ-like symbolism to it. It hints at a sequel and I hope their will be one. Some parts went by too quickly but still a enjoyable book.
April 18, 2009
Many adventures......
July 7, 2009
This is my favorite book! I love Bird and Stoke.
April 10, 2011
Read this in 5th grade and havent read it since but i know it was an exciting adventure story and id read it again if i could find it!
December 4, 2016
My favorite book from when I was little, I just reread it and it's still great. :)
April 5, 2017
I don't know, guys... I feel like I'm starting to get really picky, but this book just wasn't great. It was too wordy and didn't have enough purpose. Passing of time would be confusing. The analogies were a little too blatant for my taste.
It had some fun bits, a few good lines of description. That's it.
It had some fun bits, a few good lines of description. That's it.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews