Wren's War

Wren #3

by Sherwood Smith

Wren and her friends, Connor and Tyron, assist Princess Teressa through civil war and assassination attempts and through enchantments, transformations, and other magicks that change their kingdom forever. By the author of Wren's Quest.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult Fantasy

210 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

I am a writer,( Patreon here) but I'm on Goodreads to talk about books, as I've been a passionate reader as long as I've been a writer--since early childhood.

I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.

Reviews

[Andrea]

It's not unknown for a children's book to ruthlessly kill off a few parents at the beginning of a story, but when it's book 3 of a series it has a big impact. I was sad to see the King and Queen's fate (in the first chapter - not a big spoiler). But this definitely gave Teressa a chance to step up to her future.

I must admit to being confused about how Teressa and Connor are related, given that they at least consider each other as romantic partners. Even if there's no blood link, they are still uncle-niece?

[Sherwood Smith]

The e-book edition is now up. I cleaned up the prose, but the story is unchanged.

When I first planned this book, I was a teen, and fairly bloodthirsty. When I wrote it in my mid-thirties, I stuck to the plan. I don't know that I would start it off so shockingly if I were to write it now.

[Wealhtheow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Teressa has been trying for years to make up for spending her childhood undercover in an orphanage. She works unceasingly to be a good princess, despite repeated kidnap attempts and sneering relations. But then King Andreus's soldiers attack, killing her parents and leaving her on the run. Teressa has to reclaim her kingdom from Andreus, while proving to her power-hungry relatives that she can rule. It's a tall order, but Teressa is smart and self-possessed, and she has a great group of friends. While she fights on the battlefield and for social rank, Tyron, Prince Connor and Wren quest to find a spell to defeat King Andreus.

Teressa is a great character, and this book contains her ruminations and realizations in regards to physical strength, physical discomforts, and being royalty. Hereditary rule of a feudal society is a hard thing to reconcile with a thoughtful and ethical mind, and Teressa struggles with her newfound leadership. Meanwhile, she also wrestles with her newfound attraction to Prince Connor. He is her mother's younger half-brother, making him her UNCLE. I just couldn't bring myself to root for a romance between a man and his niece, so that whole subplot fell flat for me.

These books are a lot of fun, mostly due to their well-developed characters and interesting world-building. The plots themselves are a little simplistic, particularly in regards to how the main villain is dealt with. Time and time again, he slips away. And even after he kills multiple friends and relatives of the main characters, their idea of attacking him is to tie knots in his clothes. (I am not joking. Wren sneaks into his castle to get a magic book and, finding his rooms unguarded, decides the best idea is to short-sheet his bed and tangle up his clothes. Wren is a teenager at this point, so she reads as distrubingly short-sighted and immature instead of wacky and light-hearted.) But this is partly what I like about the books so much--as in the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, the characters are troubled by the prospect of killing. They seek ways around it, through compromise, weather magic, and illusory defenses. I'm glad they don't immediately resort to murder to solve their problems, but I don't think Smith has yet figured out a reasonable and responsible way to deal with villains like Andreus.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

k my favorite of the three books. I guess I liked that they all grew up a little and that things got a little more serious for the land and characters. Wren is on of my favorite female characters. You just never knew what she was going to come up with next but she was so human. I also discovered there is a kindle book called Wren Journeymage that is a squeal to this book. her web sight is also very informative and will tell you the order of her books.

[Q · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my least favorite book out of Wren series. It felt like Wren was not even a supporting character in it. Instead, she was delegated to something like an instrument of furthering other characters' quests.

If felt like she was barely there, her thoughts always illustrating something happening to others instead of being reflection of her own actions and I felt like she's entirely convinced that she should do anything at all.

[Jacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much better than the second. The character's really grow, not only in ways that change their lives forever but ways that also make their friendships different. It was well worth reading!

[annapi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The evil sorcerer Andreaus, who kidnapped Princess Teressa in the first book and tried again in the second book, attacks the palace and starts a war. Teressa and her friends must find a way to rally their forces, both military and magical, to defend their country despite their lack of experience.

While I did enjoy this, I felt that it got away from the author. Seems like she wanted to go big, and then the story kind of scattered in all directions. Some things came too easily, some problems were solved too conveniently, and the mysterious Iyon Daiyin magic all of a sudden is a big part of the resolution when it was barely mentioned in the previous books. Still, it was entertaining. Teressa is forced to grow up very fast and it was nice to focus a little more on her here when in the previous books she was more in the background. We are shown how Wren, Tyron and Connor take paths that take them away from each other but their friendship holds fast.

But this is a YA novel, and though I would have preferred a bit more complexity, it's perfectly fine for the younger readers. Still, though I rate it 3.5, I would round down because it suffers a bit in comparison to the simpler plots of the previous books.

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the one hand, the action is pretty abrupt -- big things happen, there's no warning, often the big things remain mysterious with regards to motivation.

On the other hand, this series gives me all the satisfying feels of a Tamora Pierce novel. There are a quartet of young people with different strengths and passions. They are in the process of discovering what those strengths and passions and magical abilities are in a high stakes situation, and they come up with creative solutions. They also have to address a certain amount of personal growth and their own changing relationships. I love that. It really works for me as a reader.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains: mild violence and non gory war scenes. This is definitely a darker book than the previous two. Tess and Wren are older now and the reader should be too (maybe for mid-teens). It is incredible how something written quite a number of years ago can seem so real for our times. Tess’ kingdom is invaded by a wicked neighboring king and there is fighting on all sides. Tess also has to step into the role of leader and contend with those in her family who’d wish to rule through her.

[Jameyanne Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot, but it felt kind of scattered and dragged in places, and I just wasn’t as gripped by it as I was by the first two.

[Aelvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The war everyone has been so long dreading has at last burst upon them. In a single night, hostilities explode between Andreus and his armies and the unprepared Cantirmoor. Tess, heir to the throne, stuck without kingdom or army, is trying to raise the forces needed to over throw the invaders. Tyron, who is to be her magician, is trying to find a way around Andreus's vast magic. Prince Conner has trained for war---but he finds it increasingly distasteful. And Wren is the wildcard who does what she can where she can, even if it isn't a lot. Can they succeed against a powerful tyrant who has spent years preparing for this war?

One of the things I appreciate about this series is how very different each of the books are. Wren to the Rescue is a straightforward quest-adventure. Wren's Quest is a mix of things but contains a lot more intrigue. And Wren's War is, as one might guess from the title, a war story.

Most of the characterizations simply build on what the previous books established, so it's much better to go into this one having read the previous two. This is a war, and much of the book is the tactics and strategy of attempting to rout an invading army rather than the deeper explorations the previous books afforded. Still, for those who have read the previous books, it's interesting to see how such a war changes everyone. Wren is perhaps the least affected. Tess has to put aside her doubts and become the leader her position says she is, which for someone who has never had a very strong personality is not easy.

One thing that did bug me a bit is how most male characters seem to have a crush on Tess. The war leaves no time for this to go anywhere much, thankfully, but it did make for a lot of jealous posturing around her.

I spent years frustrated at the lack of a sequel, since this leaves too many unanswered questions to feel like the capstone of a trilogy. Although there has never been a paper book 4, Wren Journeymage was published by Sherwood Smith as an ebook available on Book View Cafe, which means I can (after probably 15 years or more) figure out what actually happens next. I rate this book Recommended.

[E.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of the first three Wren books. One of the things I like best about Sherwood Smith's writing is that she doesn't wrap things up in neat little packages, and her characters are more real people than book characters. This doesn't always make for the best reading, sadly, and I think the first two books in the series suffered a bit from characters wandering about somewhat aimlessly - again, very realistically, but sometimes characters need to be more than just human.

This book, though, finds that good balance. Teressa is incredibly sympathetic even while she is wholly real - struggling against the enjoyment of winning battles against her enemy, while not wanting to glorify war for its own sake, getting wrapped up in being a commander and almost forgetting about being a human, yet finding her way in the end. Connor's struggle, to learn who he is and who he isn't, and to serve while not taking more lives than he can help, is also grand.

Tyron's journey is simpler, and Wren is, as always, delightful as she blends practicality, responsibility, imagination, and fun. Yet she grows, too, and in this book, I think, fully comes into her own.

Wren's War seems to wrap up threads left in the first two books, but leaves just enough dangling for the fourth book - just the way the second-to-last book in a series should!

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to review the last book in this series because I really think of the three books as one big book. A book about friends. Sherwood Smith's writing and ability to suck the reader into her world is top notch. This series, however, isn't my favorite of hers, but its still worth looking into. I felt that at the end of this book, the resolution was not clear. In the first book, I thought that Conner and Tessa were meant for each other and Tyron (Dear Tyron) and Wren were meant to be. But ((SPOILER)), it was reversed. Where some may think this a bit annoying, I thought this was a testament to Smith's craft. In fact, I did not know it, but I preferred the switch all along. Smith also made sure that the friends each had moments of adventure with each other. Paring them off many times. In this way, the pace of the story is good, but as I kept reading into book 2 and then into book 3, no real resolution happened. Except hints of it. The hints were good, but for a series like this, you just need more. I found myself wanting more.

[Laina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to re-read this series when I discovered that Smith had published a fourth book a few years ago. This series really affected me as a child and I had been wanting to go back to it, but the discovery of a new novel I had not read yet really, really excited and motivated me to finally do it.

I'm happy to say that it has held up. Everything that I look for in middle grades fantasy books is here. Wren is a superb heroine who values both her independence and her friends and family and loved ones. She is intelligent, loyal, funny, clever, and everything I remember her being when I was younger, when I literally wanted to be her.

I was really surprised about how emotional I got at the end of this one. I am SO EXCITED that there is a fourth book. I don't remember reading this ending as a child and being quite as attached as I was, but I must have been, because these are some of my all time favorite books. I am so happy to have discovered that Smith has written a new addition to the series. Stay tuned.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a significant number of Sherwood Smith's books in the past few months-- many of them are available inexpensively as ebooks-- and I have read the two previous books in the Wren series. Of them, I feel that this is the least satisfactory. Smith spent a fair amount of time building up the relationships between Wren, Teressa, Connor, and Tyron in the first two books and all of that seems to disintegrate almost instantly in this one. Connor's character changed considerably, almost abruptly, in what appeared to be a short time. The character of Hawk returned as did Teressa's blowhard cousin, and they became much more developed and interesting, but the main characters themselves only had a few bright moments, mostly as individuals instead of as a group of friends. The book started well, but the ending was disappointing. I am hoping book four picks up and solidifies the plotlines.

[xenu01 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably would have appreciated this book if I'd read it when I was 12 and reading the first of the trilogy over and over again. As it was, I forced myself to finish this one because I needed some closure. This is a book about a war which yet lacks any real stakes. And it became increasingly clear that she was too invested in her beloved characters to have them make mistakes or give them any true character flaws. As a result, despite the body count, I found myself bored and not invested in the characters or the narrative.

One final note: Tess ended up being a far more interesting character than Wren, Connor and Tyron put together. She was the only one of the three who also has the potential to make bad decisions and even to turn to the darkside in the name of protecting her kingdom. I would have liked to spend a lot more time with her.

[ambyr · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the scale of these books get larger, unfortunately, they work less and less well for me as an adult reader. I have an easier time suspending disbelief for kids on a quest than kids at war. I still like the characters a lot (though Connor's angst, which I remember finding very moving as a young reader, now makes me roll my eyes), but the action doesn't work for me. I don't have a reliable sense of scale for the world; it seems like some characters make journeys in days that it takes other characters weeks. And everyone's strategies seem kind of wonky. I can buy that the kids aren't great tacticians, but it'd be nice if the villain was a little more competent.

Oh, well. Still glad I reread it, and I'd still recommend it to a kid looking for a solid fantasy adventure.

[Eavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in a children's fantasy trilogy I first read 12 years ago, this book continues to be engaging and impressive from a worldbuilding point of view. Remarkably, I have a clear sense of who each character is and what kind of social and environmental space they inhabit, and yet I find I don't care about any of the characters. All Sherwood Smith's books seem to be cast in an adventure-story mold where you know all the main characters are going to be just fine in the end. That makes it very fun to read, but not emotionally compelling.

[Elentarien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good addition to the Wren series. I quite enjoyed it.

I did have a bit of trouble with Connor in this one. He seemed 'sulkier' than the previous two books. With reason, I suppose, but since a year or so had gone by since book two, one hardly expected to see him still sighing over the same issues he was in book two. Although, since when is life speedy?

All in all a very good read, and I look forward to getting my grabbers on book 4 :)

[Kirstie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice ending to a fun series. It still leaves you thinking there will be more books to come and I'm ok with that. I like how the characters grew up a little in each book, and also appreciate how much they learned and developed. Wren is definitely my favorite and I wish I could have her strength and cool abilities. I also like how Tessa learned to be a queen and the characters all found strength in sticking to together and treasuring their friendships.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wren and her friends definitely grow from their young naive selves to confront the harsher aspects of reality: that their actions affect a lot of people.

We are still confronted with some of the ignorant actions of our band of heroes but hey no one can be perfect especially at their young ages.

Another enjoyable read by Sherwood Smith.

[Kate Squires · Rating 4 out of 5]

to be quite honest, i'll have to reread it to give you any plot details, i read this about 15 yrs ago. i remember loving it though. i also remember that i wanted hair like wren's, with streaks of black, blonde, brown, & red all through her hair.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last book that has been written in the Wren series. However, she leaves the ending wide open for more books. In this book the main characters do a lot of growing up and developing/discovering their talents.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Wren series, but I was surprised by the hints of a budding romance between Tess and Connor who are quite closely related. From the family tree, and storyline, he's her uncle! I also wished Tyron played a larger role in the story.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherwood Smith does not always go the most predictable route, and I guess I appreciate that, but sometimes I want my fairy stories to be just so. Still I enjoyed the development of the characters, and perhaps Smith has just left room for another book (ah, yes, I see there is a Wren #4).

[Alyssa (The Shady Glade) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've forgotten how much I enjoy the Wren books. Sherwood Smith has an excellent of transporting you somewhere completely different. I wasn't a total fan of how this ended, but really if that's the only complaint you have with a book I think that's pretty good.

[Willow · Rating 3 out of 5]

My library only had this one. I think it needed the books before and after in order make sense.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Romantic interest between Connor and Teressa, even though they are uncle and niece? Seriously?

[Timothy]

Great fast-paced and engrossing story. The trilogy would appeal to fans of Harry Potter and Chronicles of Crestomanci series'.