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Bearskin
When Conrad, Moiria, and Heppson’s evil enchantress mother tries to convince them to follow her dark ways, they must each decide where the line lies between good and evil, magic and mythology. Based on a lesser-known fairy tale, this young adult book features an impossible romance, an intricate plot, and twists you won’t see coming.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2015
6 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Robyn Wood
1 book16 followersJamie Robyn Wood is a full-time wife and mother, and a part-time fantasy writer and essayist. Over the years she has handed out money at banks, taught ballet, and managed to make dinner for her family semi-regularly. She, her husband, their six children, and their silver labradoodle currently reside in Pocatello, Idaho.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 18, 2015
4.5 stars
Bearskin was a fabulous fairy tale retelling! It was an intricate tale with connected stories that all pushed forward a plot about a two families that became one and those that are pulled into their path as love struggles against evil. The characters were interesting and fully fledged. The ending, perfect for this story.
The characters. The evil queen who wasn't always evil and a good and powerful king who was fooled. Two princes, half-brothers, and their will that was strung again the evil queen. A sister who tried to protect and became something she didn't intend. Two sisters full of love who had separate paths to follow and love of their own to find. The characters all struggled, didn't always make the best choices, but their desires were as they should have been.
I loved how the various stories of the characters worked separately and then all came together to build this story. I was disappointed by some of the characters at some points, but they were only human with human fears and doubts. They also had so much loyalty and love, which saved them in the end.
If you enjoy fantasy or fairy tales, then I'd recommend Bearskin. A tale of sacrifice, evil intent, friendship, love, and redemption.
Content: Some violence, but clean.
Source: I would like to thank Cedar Fort for my complimentary copy, which did not affect my review in any way.
Bearskin was a fabulous fairy tale retelling! It was an intricate tale with connected stories that all pushed forward a plot about a two families that became one and those that are pulled into their path as love struggles against evil. The characters were interesting and fully fledged. The ending, perfect for this story.
The characters. The evil queen who wasn't always evil and a good and powerful king who was fooled. Two princes, half-brothers, and their will that was strung again the evil queen. A sister who tried to protect and became something she didn't intend. Two sisters full of love who had separate paths to follow and love of their own to find. The characters all struggled, didn't always make the best choices, but their desires were as they should have been.
I loved how the various stories of the characters worked separately and then all came together to build this story. I was disappointed by some of the characters at some points, but they were only human with human fears and doubts. They also had so much loyalty and love, which saved them in the end.
If you enjoy fantasy or fairy tales, then I'd recommend Bearskin. A tale of sacrifice, evil intent, friendship, love, and redemption.
Content: Some violence, but clean.
Source: I would like to thank Cedar Fort for my complimentary copy, which did not affect my review in any way.
September 22, 2015
This is a re-telling of a fairy tale that I was unfamiliar with. I googled the original while I was reading this one to see the way that Jamie Robyn Wood was able to adapt the story to make it into an original work.
The story was very interesting and I found some themes that resonated with me. The first would be honor, living up to your potential and protecting the ones you love. Heppson and Heart were great examples of this to me. They stood up to those who would persuade them to choose a path contrary to their beliefs.
Love is a prominent theme of the book. What would you do to help the people who mean the most to you? Would you travel on a quest that seems nearly impossible. Would you leave your home to protect another? Would you search endlessly for a family member? The characters in the book are faced with these questions and more.
Characters dealing with the consequences of their actions are always interesting to read about. There are many consequences faced. Consequences happen from both good and bad choices. I liked how the author was able to portray how we can choose our actions, but not the events that come from them.
I found the book to be fun to read. There are many interesting and unique characters that added a lot to the book. It is a clean book.
The story was very interesting and I found some themes that resonated with me. The first would be honor, living up to your potential and protecting the ones you love. Heppson and Heart were great examples of this to me. They stood up to those who would persuade them to choose a path contrary to their beliefs.
Love is a prominent theme of the book. What would you do to help the people who mean the most to you? Would you travel on a quest that seems nearly impossible. Would you leave your home to protect another? Would you search endlessly for a family member? The characters in the book are faced with these questions and more.
Characters dealing with the consequences of their actions are always interesting to read about. There are many consequences faced. Consequences happen from both good and bad choices. I liked how the author was able to portray how we can choose our actions, but not the events that come from them.
I found the book to be fun to read. There are many interesting and unique characters that added a lot to the book. It is a clean book.
September 25, 2015
I enjoy fairy tale retellings and I wasn't familiar with the fairy tale this story was based on so I don't know how it compares to the original. It started out a bit slow and took a while for me to become invested.
Moiria and Heppson's mother is an evil witch who has enchanted and married the king, Conrad's father. The time has come for her to finish her evil plan but Heppson will have nothing to do with it. There are consequences for the choice he makes as his decision turns everything upside down. The rest of the book deals with the fallout from that decision. We meet new characters, Lark and Heart, sisters, and they also have a huge impact on what happens.
The story is told in alternating viewpoints between Moiria, Heppson and Heart. It took a while to get everything set up and there's not a lot of dialogue. However, once things started to come together, I got pulled in and had a hard time putting it down. There were some twists and turns and it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I thought the ending was perfect, as everything came full circle. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings with fantasy and a touch of romance, this is a book you will want to check out!
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Mel's Shelves
Moiria and Heppson's mother is an evil witch who has enchanted and married the king, Conrad's father. The time has come for her to finish her evil plan but Heppson will have nothing to do with it. There are consequences for the choice he makes as his decision turns everything upside down. The rest of the book deals with the fallout from that decision. We meet new characters, Lark and Heart, sisters, and they also have a huge impact on what happens.
The story is told in alternating viewpoints between Moiria, Heppson and Heart. It took a while to get everything set up and there's not a lot of dialogue. However, once things started to come together, I got pulled in and had a hard time putting it down. There were some twists and turns and it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I thought the ending was perfect, as everything came full circle. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings with fantasy and a touch of romance, this is a book you will want to check out!
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Mel's Shelves
September 17, 2015
I am not familiar with the fairy tale this book is based on so I was pretty clueless coming in. I would like to find and read the original fairy tale though and see how it compares.
For me this book was very slow going. I had a really hard time staying with the book and in the moment. The first chapters are pretty much all in the characters head with very little dialogue or action going on. It was really hard to get through. I realize the author was setting things up for what comes later and much of it was important information but it really was tedious to be in each character's head for so long.
I started enjoying things more when Heart starting interacting with Bear. I had more dialogue and the story started progressing more quickly (although still slowly compared to most YA fantasy books). The last couple chapters of the book are by far the best as we reach the climax and the characters reach their potential.
I felt like this book was more technical than emotional. I was reading the story but I wasn't feeling the story. I was more like an outsider looking in on a story unfolding. I really liked the concept though there was just something lacking in the execution.
Content: Clean. No swearing or sexual situations. Mild violence and some dark magic.
For me this book was very slow going. I had a really hard time staying with the book and in the moment. The first chapters are pretty much all in the characters head with very little dialogue or action going on. It was really hard to get through. I realize the author was setting things up for what comes later and much of it was important information but it really was tedious to be in each character's head for so long.
I started enjoying things more when Heart starting interacting with Bear. I had more dialogue and the story started progressing more quickly (although still slowly compared to most YA fantasy books). The last couple chapters of the book are by far the best as we reach the climax and the characters reach their potential.
I felt like this book was more technical than emotional. I was reading the story but I wasn't feeling the story. I was more like an outsider looking in on a story unfolding. I really liked the concept though there was just something lacking in the execution.
Content: Clean. No swearing or sexual situations. Mild violence and some dark magic.
October 27, 2015
The writing in this book was beautiful and illustrative and even a little poetic and I loved that. The characters are fascinating: human, and emotive, and well defined while retaining enough mysteriousness that I wasn't sure exactly how things were going to go. There were interesting plot twists and I was admittedly surprised at the happy, but unexpected ending. And appreciated the amount of prose there was in this book, that it didn't fall into the trap of leaning on copious amounts of dialogue as many Youth and Young Adult novels do these days. I also appreciated that while there are strong emotions coursing through this story, including those of romance and love, it is completely clean. I immediately handed it over to my eight year old daughter to read. I loved that I could do that!
I think the thing I enjoyed most about this book was that the story was as much about the characters as it was about the plot. In my experience, this is not always the case with fairy tales or their rewrites and is one of the main reasons they're not my favorite sort of book to read. Great job, Jamie! Can't wait for your next!
I think the thing I enjoyed most about this book was that the story was as much about the characters as it was about the plot. In my experience, this is not always the case with fairy tales or their rewrites and is one of the main reasons they're not my favorite sort of book to read. Great job, Jamie! Can't wait for your next!
March 11, 2016
The fact that it took me three months to finish this speaks for itself. It never takes me this long to read a book. I read at least half a dozen or so other books between the start and finish of this one. Bearskin was a book I nearly gave up on, which I hate to say, because I went to the release party and got my copy signed by the author. The second half of the story managed to save the book, however. That was when things finally picked up. The ending was nice, though the characters didn't show a whole lot of growth. Yes, I get that it's a retelling of a classic fairytale, but make the characters more sympathetic and identifiable with the readers. The first 120 pages are probably 85% exposition, which honestly bored me out of my skull.
January 18, 2016
This ended up being much different than I expected. The cover was gorgeous and caught my attention right away. It was just an ok read for me though. It drug on a bit and was quite "wordy" at times and yet the relationships between the main characters FLEW. They went from 0 to 60. I never felt like I connected with any of the characters or was ever really pulled into the story. It was interesting at times and different than any fairytale retelling I've ever read though which was kind of fun. I do appreciate that it was clean and I think it would make a really good movie....but...it's not a book I would read again.
October 12, 2015
A really unique story that is well-told. I liked how everything was woven together and how it all came together in the end. Good, meaningful themes. And I know the author!
December 7, 2018
When I was a little girl, I drank fairy tales like breakfast orange juice. I wanted many sips every day. The obsession with them did not stop when I got older and I even took courses about fairy tales in college. When I was contemplating starting a Ph.D. program I asked my husband, “Do you think there is a doctorate in fairy tales?” True to fairy tale form, he answered, “You can create anything you want.” So, when I was asked to write a review on the debut novel Bearskin by Jamie Robyn Wood, I was excited. I knew the old Grimm fairy tale of judgment and honor and I could not wait to hear a retelling. However, to my surprise I found this was not a retelling. Instead it was a what I would call an intertwining. Wood has pulled threads and archetypes from the genre and woven them together in a new story.
To read the rest of this review, please go to our beloved blog! https://segullah.org/book-review/book...
To read the rest of this review, please go to our beloved blog! https://segullah.org/book-review/book...
June 13, 2019
The beginning was a bit slow, but by the time I got to the middle I started to really enjoy the story. I found this story to be original compared to the other books I've read.
June 6, 2021
Cool story of love and change and choices and consequences. Liked the characters and descriptions , kept me reading and wanting to know what it was all about
May 3, 2024
Definitely a lot of potential
March 11, 2017
The goodreads tag above the review always reads, "What did you think?"
Well...mostly I just thought...meh.
I am not sure what all the extremely high reviews are all about, but there was nothing that was extremely compelling in this novel. There is nothing really wrong with it, but just nothing to really drag the reader in. I had to force myself to keep going in the beginning, and then in the middle, there were times I was just bored. I found myself looking to see how many more pages in the chapter so I could turn out the light...I have to say it picked up toward the end, and I liked the last fourth quite a lot.
Overall, I guess I was disappointed because it just wasn't what I expected.
Well...mostly I just thought...meh.
I am not sure what all the extremely high reviews are all about, but there was nothing that was extremely compelling in this novel. There is nothing really wrong with it, but just nothing to really drag the reader in. I had to force myself to keep going in the beginning, and then in the middle, there were times I was just bored. I found myself looking to see how many more pages in the chapter so I could turn out the light...I have to say it picked up toward the end, and I liked the last fourth quite a lot.
Overall, I guess I was disappointed because it just wasn't what I expected.
September 19, 2015
Bearskin
By Jamie Robyn Wood
He has NOTHING left to lose,
she has EVERYTHING...
The Queen has a demand of her only son. Heppson must kill his older brother Conrad. It is the only way that Heppson will become king, securing his mother's place of power beyond the death of his father.
But the bond between these brothers was something the Queen had not anticipated, nor had she anticipated her daughter's desire to aid both her brother and step-brother. But the Queen's power was strong and her skills as an evil enchantress, a witch, allowed her to enact one last curse at her death. Her daughter Moiria took on the role her mother had played and Conrad was left to wander the lands with no memory of who he is. And Heppson takes on the role of a long forgotten being The Bear thanks to a mischievous troublesome individual known as the Trickster.
Living within the far off forested region of the kingdom are two sisters, who like Conrad and Heppson, have a special bond - one forged by the death of the mother years ago. Lark and Heart live with their Granny until a stranger comes to their home. This encounter is about to forever alter their lives, leaving each young woman in a unique situation.
As these two stories combine we are whisked away to a world where every decision is of utmost importance. Good and evil are fighting for the heart of a kingdom while the path of true love may be the answer to what each person seeks. The unique bonds between brothers and sisters are explored as are the sacrifices one is willing to make for family and love.
This book is based upon the Bearskin fairy tale, which I had never heard of before. But upon examination of this fairy tale, I truly believe this is the superior telling. A truly beautiful story that, being told from the viewpoint of several of the main characters, has a depth in both development and feeling.
Fans of clean YA and fairy tale retellings will delight in this newest addition to their bookshelf. Appropriate for ages 12 and up (and younger readers if they are at an advanced reading level). Get ready for a book you won't want to put down.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher through Cedar Forts blog tour program in exchange for my honest review.
By Jamie Robyn Wood
He has NOTHING left to lose,
she has EVERYTHING...
The Queen has a demand of her only son. Heppson must kill his older brother Conrad. It is the only way that Heppson will become king, securing his mother's place of power beyond the death of his father.
But the bond between these brothers was something the Queen had not anticipated, nor had she anticipated her daughter's desire to aid both her brother and step-brother. But the Queen's power was strong and her skills as an evil enchantress, a witch, allowed her to enact one last curse at her death. Her daughter Moiria took on the role her mother had played and Conrad was left to wander the lands with no memory of who he is. And Heppson takes on the role of a long forgotten being The Bear thanks to a mischievous troublesome individual known as the Trickster.
Living within the far off forested region of the kingdom are two sisters, who like Conrad and Heppson, have a special bond - one forged by the death of the mother years ago. Lark and Heart live with their Granny until a stranger comes to their home. This encounter is about to forever alter their lives, leaving each young woman in a unique situation.
As these two stories combine we are whisked away to a world where every decision is of utmost importance. Good and evil are fighting for the heart of a kingdom while the path of true love may be the answer to what each person seeks. The unique bonds between brothers and sisters are explored as are the sacrifices one is willing to make for family and love.
This book is based upon the Bearskin fairy tale, which I had never heard of before. But upon examination of this fairy tale, I truly believe this is the superior telling. A truly beautiful story that, being told from the viewpoint of several of the main characters, has a depth in both development and feeling.
Fans of clean YA and fairy tale retellings will delight in this newest addition to their bookshelf. Appropriate for ages 12 and up (and younger readers if they are at an advanced reading level). Get ready for a book you won't want to put down.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher through Cedar Forts blog tour program in exchange for my honest review.
September 16, 2015
4 stars
This is a fairy tale. Comes with a Castle, princes, witches, magic good and bad. Also has plenty of drama, quests, romance and a clean read. There is violence, and death and choices to make.
The first part is a slow descriptions build up. I was not sure where the book would be heading. While I waited to see how it would all come out. Some good characters, most of them I liked how they were changing and evolving. Lots of surprises along the way.
Conrad was the oldest son of the King. Blond hair. He will be King someday.
Heppson is younger half brother to Conrad. His mother is a witch. She has bespelled the King. His mother gave him a knife and told him to kill his brother.
Moiria is older half sister to Heppson. Her mother makes her do things. She stays in the background watching.
Heppson knows he can't fight his mother's power. He goes to Conrad and tells him what he is commanded to do. He hopes Conrad will come up with a plan. Heppson choses to run away and into the desert.
I really liked the last half of the book best. Lots more action, dialog and characters that pop along the way that are half human and half animal. Could not wait to see how it would all resolve along the way.
This is a good YA , fantasy, fairy tail story.
I was given Bearskin to read for free from Cedar Fort Publishing. In return I agreed to give a honest review and be part of Bearskin Blog tour.
January 5, 2016
Oh dear. This book started strong and finished nicely, but there was a lot of trouble in between. I wanted to like it more.
The bones of the story were good. But the fleshing out was poor. Sadly, the author couldn't seem to remember some basic facts of her story: was Ant male or female? He and she and his and hers were all used in describing Ant. How long did Heart and Bear walk the forest? The answer is from the end of summer to the beginning of spring - a minimum of 7 months. But the author couldn't decide if that was a few weeks or long ago, never being confident enough to state the length of time. Maybe because that length didn't really fit the overall story, but she needed it to be that long to work with some of the characters that were important to her story. And WHY did it take so long to traverse the forest? Again, the author needed it to and that seems to be the only reason.
Heart forgot the grace she had been given at birth for most of the middle story, coming to it at the end without a good reason for leaving it behind in the first place. Maybe the author didn't understand the character and couldn't follow her. Boy, that sounds arrogant of me, but that is what it felt like.
Moiria. That was badly handled, too. Again, I liked the beginning and end with the middle being a mess.
I guess that was true of the whole book: good beginnings, good endings, but mostly a mess in between.
The bones of the story were good. But the fleshing out was poor. Sadly, the author couldn't seem to remember some basic facts of her story: was Ant male or female? He and she and his and hers were all used in describing Ant. How long did Heart and Bear walk the forest? The answer is from the end of summer to the beginning of spring - a minimum of 7 months. But the author couldn't decide if that was a few weeks or long ago, never being confident enough to state the length of time. Maybe because that length didn't really fit the overall story, but she needed it to be that long to work with some of the characters that were important to her story. And WHY did it take so long to traverse the forest? Again, the author needed it to and that seems to be the only reason.
Heart forgot the grace she had been given at birth for most of the middle story, coming to it at the end without a good reason for leaving it behind in the first place. Maybe the author didn't understand the character and couldn't follow her. Boy, that sounds arrogant of me, but that is what it felt like.
Moiria. That was badly handled, too. Again, I liked the beginning and end with the middle being a mess.
I guess that was true of the whole book: good beginnings, good endings, but mostly a mess in between.
October 15, 2021
Jamie Robyn Wood blends fairy tale fantasy with YA romance in Bearskin. Told through the lens of rotating narrators, Bearskin begins when siblings Conrad, Heppson, and Moiria--the three heirs to the Kingdom of Alastair--find themselves targeted by their mother, the Queen and an evil, power-seeking enchantress. When Heppson challenges her power and refuses to kill Conrad, both are banished from the kingdom while Moiria is left behind contemplating her one chance to destroy the witch and take over Alastair herself. At the same time, sisters Lark and Heart live with their grandmother and have their lives turned upside down when magic enters their forest and the enchantress's powers prove far-reaching and deadly long after her demise. Good and evil battle one another as characters are faced with the choices to act for themselves or to sacrifice for the good of others. Bearskin will have great appeal to fans of fairy tales, children's and young adult literature, and the fantasy genre. Jamie's writing is both beautifully descriptive, detailed, and eloquent, capturing the voice of the fairy tale genre. She finely interweaves the narratives and keeps readers guessing what will happen next.
May 28, 2016
Bearskin is the charming debut novel by Jamie Robyn Wood. This young-adult fantasy follows the plight of two sets of siblings and is told from their various perspectives. Crown Prince Conrad and his stepsiblings, Moiria and Heppson, are faced with their mother’s witchcraft and attempts to create discord within the family. In contrast, sisters Heart and Lark live a sheltered existence in the woods. All of them are affected by the actions of the evil queen, and must make choices about how they react to her schemes.
The theme of choices runs throughout the novel. Moiria, the Queen’s daughter from a previous marriage, must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she be loyal to her mother out of fear, or her brothers out of love? Her choice in turn sets her brothers as well as Lark and Heart, on quests of their own, which will also require many tough decisions. Moiria’s path in particular emphasized this point. As she tried to help her brothers, she felt as though her choices were forcing her down an increasingly narrow path. In the end, however, she comes to realize that it is never too late to change course. I appreciate the emphasis placed on agency, whatever our circumstances...
To read this entire review, please visit the Exponent blog at http://www.the-exponent.com/bearskin/
The theme of choices runs throughout the novel. Moiria, the Queen’s daughter from a previous marriage, must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she be loyal to her mother out of fear, or her brothers out of love? Her choice in turn sets her brothers as well as Lark and Heart, on quests of their own, which will also require many tough decisions. Moiria’s path in particular emphasized this point. As she tried to help her brothers, she felt as though her choices were forcing her down an increasingly narrow path. In the end, however, she comes to realize that it is never too late to change course. I appreciate the emphasis placed on agency, whatever our circumstances...
To read this entire review, please visit the Exponent blog at http://www.the-exponent.com/bearskin/
September 14, 2015
This book is a cute fairy tale type story. It's cute, I liked the characters, except for the evil queen, but obviously! The plot at the beginning seemed a bit slow, but once I was in the middle of the book, it picked up and I found that I didn't want to put it down. This seemed like an original story to me, but it might just be that I've never heard the fairy tale that the story is based on. I liked that the lives of Conrad, Moiria and Heppsen were intertwined with the lives of Lark and Heart in ways that none of them could even begin to imagine. This is a cute, clean, fun young adult novel that you will love if you enjoy reading fairy tale type stories!
November 24, 2015
This a beautifully written fairy tale with all of the elements I look for in a good book. The writing was descriptive and poetic. I get irritated sometimes when authors use the same words over and over. I loved the main characters--even the "evil witch" because they were multidimensional, yet true to their personalities. Such a fun read!!
September 10, 2015
Wonderful fantasy novel that creates just the right balance of fairy tale, romance, and adventure. Another review mentioned her "lyrical prose" and that phrase was with me all through the reading, so true. Beautifully done, and the ending leaves the possibility for a sequel which I look forward to! Impressive debut, Jamie!
September 13, 2015
I had a hard time putting the book down. From the beginning there was action and adventure and an underlying question as to how two seemingly independent stories intertwine. Great fantasy, best I have read lately.
December 30, 2015
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