The Blight of Muirwood

Legends of Muirwood #2

by Jeff Wheeler

The Blight of Muirwood is the second book in the Muirwood Trilogy.

The Aldermaston, the protector of Muirwood Abbey, is directed by the Medium to make Lia the new hunter of Muirwood. This will take some doing and a lot of training, but with leather bracers, a shooting glove, and quivers in hand, Lia rises to the challenge. Her first real order is to protect Ellowyn Demont from rivals like the Queen Dowager and the Earl of Dieyre. Lia knows very little about the princess's land of Pry-Ree, but when Ellowyn is abducted, Lia will join forces with Colvin to bring her back. Lia and Colvin must venture into the heart of a fallen kingdom, one devastated by an encroaching sickness called the Blight. It is here that a dark new secret is revealed - one that will make safeguarding the Abbeys nearly impossible.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Magic, Audiobook, Romance, High Fantasy

14 pages, Audible Audio

First published February 4, 2011

About the author

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to write full-time. He is a husband, father of five, and a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jeff lives in the Rocky Mountains.

Learn about Jeff’s many worlds at www.jeff-wheeler.com, or participate in one of his online writing classes through Writer’s Block (www.writersblock.biz).

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember enjoying the first book of Legends of Muirwood but not being blown away by it. It was entertaining, and I thought I'd most likely get to the sequel at some point. I'm glad that I finally did, because this second book really stepped it up, both in world and in characters. I finished it quickly, and moved onto the last book right away. It is overall a solidly enjoyable medieval fantasy series, even though it's not so detailed and highly developed as the best of the best are. I was pleasantly surprised to be sucked into it so much.

[Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must say that despite my skepticism, this book was definitely an improvement upon The Wretched of Muirwood.

Where that novel was sloppy this one was more structured. I was compelled & affected by the events that took place here much moreso, and I do genuinely want to know how it all wraps up.

There are cliches. There is some Mary Sue action. There is nothing particularly mind-blowing here. I doubt though that I will take the time to read the spin-off trilogy. After this is over I think I'll have had enough of Muirwood for a while.

Even if this isn't a favorite, I would say that if you're a big fan of YA fantasy & don't mind foundational novels to start off, this series is definitely worth looking into.

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so pleasantly surprised by "The Wretched of Muirwood" that I eagerly checked out "The Blight of Muirwood" almost as soon as my Amazon Prime borrowing privileges recycled for the new month. I have mixed feelings about this middle book in a trilogy. The first half was just as well done as "Wretched," with a tight pace and almost constant rate of new reveals about Lia's world. And then about halfway through, the book became religious. Now I knew this ahead of time because I carefully combed reviews on Goodreads before committing to my decision, but I really thought I could handle it. I was already aware of the blatantly obvious parallel between the Medium and the Holy Spirit, but I chose to think of it more like The Force in Star Wars. But the big reveal about halfway through "Blight" describes the metaphysical nature of the Medium as a direct translation of Mormonism, and it became difficult for me to even finish the book.

I think I'm usually okay with religion used as an inspiration for fantasy realms because religion is a powerful and important force in human history and culture. But there's a distinct difference between using religion as an inspiration and preaching to your readers, and I felt Wheeler crossed that line here. My 2-star rating reflects the fact that the first half and very end of the book were fine, and I think Wheeler did a much better job of spreading the action out over the length of the book while keeping the events tightly focused and driven to the very end. But I have altogether lost any affection or interest in the story. The only other time I remember feeling this way was when I decided to drop Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" series when Goodkind felt it necessary to illustrate in detail the awesomeness and pure truth of Libertarianism. I guess I've been lucky to avoid the preaching phenomenon otherwise, for the most part. In addition, there's a faint scent of wish fulfillment going on now that Lia has become more and more powerful, and the story seems to me to lack imagination the more religion is inserted into the magic.

I am mildly curious about the ending of the trilogy. Since it's free, I may pick it up later. But I had better have nothing else to read at the time. And I'm not sure I can master my irritation to get through it even if I did try.

[Ita · Rating 1 out of 5]

Halfway in and I don't think i want to bother finishing. Still don't care about the main characters. And frankly, the blatant religious overtones are very off-putting. The author *says* he drew from many religions, but I don't see it. I see one religion.

Well, I got to the part ( in the middle of a huge, awkward info dump) where it is explained that the head evil being/spirit is a woman. And she recruits only women. So right there it became a wallbanger. I don't need that kind of sexist shit layered on top of LDS BS.

Sadly those deal breakers weren't the only problems i had with this book. There were logical inconsistencies, actions that didn't make sense. Taken altogether, it just didn't work for me.

I don't mind religion threaded through stories. Some of my favorite authors (Bujold, MW Turner, pratchett) use religion as major themes or plot devices very effectively. This book felt preachy.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars


The Blight of Muirwood is one of those rare exceptions where the sequel is better than the original. This is the second book of the trilogy, but it does not suffer the normal mid-way blues that affect most 3 book series. Jeff Wheeler has carefully crafted a book that both expands on the first book, and second sets up the conclusion without feeling like a cookie cutter. The cool thing is after I finished this book, I loved that Wheeler identified this book as his favorite and telling us why…bravo.


The Blight of Muirwood is a much more mature book than book one. Our heroes are fleshed out more deeply. Relationships are both further explained and expanded upon. There is a great deal of action in this book as well as some really fantastic plot twists.



The chapters with Lia and Colvin are the obvious strengths of this book. I loved them all. Lia has grown up so much, and in a manner that is perfect for her character. Lia is such a fabulous character and main protagonist, and I loved how she adapts and rolls with the punches as life throws her so many curve balls…



“Lia bent her neck and thought a moment. “It is my temperament. I do not like being sad, so I choose not to be sad…as often as I can. I try not to regret what I do not have and enjoy what the Medium has given me. I have much to be grateful for. I have the Aldermaston’s trust. I have Sowe and Brynn as friends. I have had good teachers in Pasqua and Martin. And I have enjoyed the torturous pleasure of Colvin’s friendship, until today when my outspokenness, as you put it, ruined it. I swear I would look miserable right now if I did not feel like laughing at myself for being such a fool. Anirrevocare sigil. How could I have known such a thing existed?””


This is a very satisfying book that makes me want to quickly move on to the final installment. The ending of this book is a high point in the series. Jeff Wheeler has created a wonderful fantasy series here that is perfect for both the YA crowd, as well as for those adults that crave great escapism…Highest Recommendations!!!

[Tammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Aldermaston, the protector of Muirwood Abbey, is directed by the Medium to make Lia the new hunter of Muirwood. This will take some doing and a lot of training, but with leather bracers, a shooting glove, and quivers in hand, Lia rises to the challenge. Her first real order is to protect Ellowyn Demont from rivals like the Queen Dowager and the Earl of Dieyre. Lia knows very little about the princess's land of Pry-Ree, but when Ellowyn is abducted, Lia will join forces with Colvin to bring her back. Lia and Colvin must venture into the heart of a fallen kingdom, one devastated by an encroaching sickness called the Blight. It is here that a dark new secret is revealed - one that will make safeguarding the Abbeys nearly impossible.




This is the second book in the Legends of Muirwood series. I've enjoyed Wheeler's books in his other series a lot, and I liked the first book in this series pretty well. But overall this series feels rather mediocre. The main character, Lia is too much of a Mary Sue, and the love interest, Colvin almost seems to be bipolar. His angry reactions to things don't make sense to me, and quite frankly, I'm not sure how Lia ever fell in love with him with the way he has treated her. Wheeler also tends to tell instead of show at times. Lia goes through training to be a hunter and that is just skimmed over. The result of this is that some of the things Lia is able to do in the book do not feel believable. How is a girl her age able to best much older, more experienced opponents?

I also felt that the second half of the book went a bit weird. It has too much religion thrown in. The author was obviously inspired by religion. I don't mind that as long as it isn't so glaringly obvious, but here it's too heavy handed. It weighed the story down and I didn't care for the way some things were portrayed. One example is that there is an evil spirit-type character in the story that is a woman, and it's said that only women can be recruited by her. I didn't really care for this portrayal, or the fact that it's stated that it's because the women in men's lives have a lot of influence over them, thus being able to lead them to do evil. It was made a little better by the fact that only another woman could defeat her, thus saying men are too weak... well, I'm not sure if that makes it better. I don't think I like what that is saying about women or men. This part of the book almost ruined the whole thing for me. I was really happy when I got through that weirdness, and the rest of the story continued. Needless to say I am less enthused about this series than I was, but there is only one book left, and I really want to know how this ties into the Kingfountain series, so I'll probably finish it.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader

[Bhavitha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The overt Christian undertones, the heteronormativity, the slut-shaming, the obsession with biological family and class determining strength and fate; there were just too many things that rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, one of the sinful actions of the villain (the evil queen NOT the literal plague that the Medium aka God sent to cleanse the prideful little humans of sin) is teaching girls to dance without male partners. The scandal!!! A lot of the issues in the sequel were present in the first book too, but they were slightly less in your face.

The main characters are annoying and classic Mary Sue tropes. The secondary characters are given no depth at all. And no one really does anything on their own because they just get carried along by what the Medium wants. No one develops any skills; they're given Gifts by random dudes right before they need them. Power and your chance to go to Heaven are entirely dependent on who your parents are, and if you aren't from some kind of noble background, then too bad!

The writing is decent, which makes it easier to get through the book and disguises a lot of the negative points, so there's that. It's like if the author had been less conservative, there could've been a good story that I would have otherwise enjoyed.

[papasteve · Rating 5 out of 5]

From time to time, I ask myself the questions, "What am I feeding? What am I starving? And am I feeding and starving the right things in my life? Some people feed the wrong things: baser desires, tainted inclinations, unhealthy dreams. What we feed is what grows in us. I look around and see others feeding their courage, their faithfulness, their integrity. As they are fed, they grow. At the same time these same people are starving the desires, inclinations and dreams that would make them less than who they can be. What we feed and what we starve has a lot to do with the kinds of people we become.
That's why I like this book so much. The characters must ask themselves the same questions, as they face challenge after challenge. And some lose their voice in the process--their identity. Those who are willing to humbly make sacrifices in order to feed higher and more challenging levels of character, are the ones who find their voice, and find their true identity.
As the characters in this book discover, what to feed and what to starve are hard choices, and are not made easily. Sometimes at the cost of self-sacrifice. Choices. Always choices.
I'm still struggling a bit with the Medium. Definitely a spiritual force flowing in and through the world. I'm trying to make it somehow fit with my own beliefs--such as the Holy Spirit. Both are a mystery, as they should be.

[Kat Hooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted at FanLit.
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...

The Blight of Muirwood is the second book in Jeff Wheeler’s LEGENDS OF MUIRWOOD trilogy which was originally self-published and then picked up by Amazon’s 47North imprint. I thought the first book, The Wretched of Muirwood, lacked inventiveness but was generally a pleasant fantasy with agreeable characters who would most likely appeal to young adults.

In The Blight of Muirwood, Lia has been promoted out of the kitchens to serve as the abbey’s Hunter. Her new job is to protect the abbey and its inhabitants. Her job gets harder, but more interesting, when Colvin arrives with Ellowyn Demont, the princess of Pry-Ree who was being hidden as a wretched at another abbey. Lia struggles with her jealousy as Ellowyn gets to learn to read and becomes close to Colvin. Things get even more difficult when the Queen Dowager arrives to investigate her husband’s death. She thinks the Aldermaston is responsible and is intent on proving it. Most ominous of all, though, is Lia’s discovery of a blight that may be poised to devastate the land. This might take the form of war, plague, drought, or flood. Lia learns that throughout the land’s history, the Medium has used a blight to cleanse the land of evil and it seems to the Aldermaston that another season of blight is coming.

The Blight of Muirwood successfully avoids the Middle Book Syndrome; the fast-paced action continues and the story is fairly exciting, though often predictable. The plot doesn’t always keep its focus or hold together tightly, and several times I thought that characters’ situations or decisions didn’t make sense, or that there was a better way to accomplish goals. As just one small example: The Aldermaston says he thinks someone will try to kidnap Ellowyn, so he needs Lia and the Orb (which can track people) to stay at the abbey instead of going to find the bad guy who started the blight (something Lia and the Orb could have done quickly and easily). Thus, instead of preventing the kidnapping, the Aldermaston seems to be preparing for Lia to track Ellowyn after she’s been taken. If Ellowyn and the abbey’s residents are in such danger, why is Lia, a newly trained teenage girl, their only protector? Why are they not proactive by having some soldiers for Lia to command? The reason is obviously that it puts Lia where the author wants her to be (at the abbey watching Ellowyn and Colvin) and allows for a kidnapping, the eventual betrayal of the abbey, and Lia’s later encounter with the bad guy. This was all so easily prevented with the common good sense that anyone leading an abbey should have had but, of course, that wouldn’t have worked with the plot.

A related problem, as I mentioned in my review of the first book, is the magic system which is based on a sort of Holy Spirit-like force called the Medium (there are many allusions to Biblical stories and LDS theology). The problem is that Lia’s decision making is too easy because she just does what the Medium tells her to do. The Medium, which has its own will and is running the show, often gives her instructions either in her head or by way of the Orb. So, for example, if Lia needs to find someone, she just follows the way the Orb points. When she has a decision to make, the Medium often makes it for her and Lia just acts out of faith. (I’m all for faith and the Holy Spirit, but as a plot device in a fantasy novel, it’s kind of boring.) Yet the Medium’s instructions are very selective. The Medium happens to leaves Lia ignorant of the facts or plans that, if told or explained, would diminish tension for the reader. (Though some of these facts and plans were so obvious that I felt little tension.)

These small but pervasive issues kept me from feeling completely immersed in the world of Muirwood, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless. Readers who come to the series with a less critical eye will be pleased with The Blight of Muirwood. The characters are likeable and there’s lots of action. The romantic tension is done well and will especially appeal to a young adult audience (though I am not in any doubt about how it will turn out in the end).

Kate Rudd is the fantastic narrator of the audio version of the LEGENDS OF MUIRWOOD series. She handles the many male and female voices with ease and her cadence is perfect. I highly recommend the audio production.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Executive Summary: Mr. Wheeler ramps things up second book of his Muirwood trilogy, and I found myself enjoying this one more than the first.

Audio book: Ms. Rudd is once again the narrator (not surprising since the whole trilogy was released at the same time as audio books). Her performance is comparable to that of the previous book. It's good, but doesn't add anything to the story.

She once again seems to use her own voice for all the female characters and a slightly different voice for all of the male characters.

Full Review
This book is nearly twice as long as the first book (14 hours vs. 8 hours in audio form). It didn't really feel that way to me. I kept finding excuses to listen more than I normally would, especially last night as I was approaching the end of the story and didn't want to wait till morning for the conclusion.

Mr. Wheeler continues his trend of explaining things as you go along, and doesn't spend large amount stopping for world building. I find that a nice change of pace from the Epic Fantasy multi-book series I tend to read.

The story picks up right where The Wretched of Muirwood left off, then skips ahead about a year. During that time Lia has been trained to be the new hunter of Muirwood Abbey.

Most of the characters from the first novel return in the second, and Mr. Wheeler gives us more depth and insight into their characters. Some great new characters are added to the cast, including Martin, who is training her as he once did John Hunter.

Colvin has returned to the abbey with Edmund, his sister, and Ellowyn Demont, the air to the throne of Pry-Ree. Lia is tasked to help the two mastons protect Ellowyn from various threats of kidnapping and murder throughout the realm.

There are also some new threats to the Abbey including Colvin's rival Earl of Dieyre and the King's Widow, the Queen Dowager.

Signs start to appear of a blight threatening the Abbey, and once again Lia must leave the safety of Muirwood in an effort to protect it.

As this is book 2 of a trilogy, it does suffer from middle book syndrome, and ends at a very annoying place. None of the real threats were resolved, more of a holding pattern than any real resolutions.

I was suspecting as much as I was approaching the last disc with too many things left unresolved. Luckily for me I had book 3 ready to go, and jumped immediately into it.

That isn't to say this book is not without it's revelations, although I can't say I was very surprised by anything that happened. Still, it made for an enjoyable read. Any book that makes it hard for me to stop is always a good thing.

[Abhijeet · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot and characters in this book are pretty good and I do enjoy a good fantasy read. The big reveal at the end also sets the story up quite nicely for the final book in the trilogy, even if it is a little predictable. However, I will not be picking up the third and final book. The heavy religious symbolism that was just background in the first book The Wretched of Muirwood is out in full force here and has put me off completely.

[Chevonn (All the books and I) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is such an incredible story-teller!!

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

At this point in the series, I have some serious questions to be answered such as why exactly is Lia NOT allowed to read? BUT, hoping all things come out in the next installment because it is a super story from an author I am quickly becoming addicted to!

[Katrin D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, my. This was so boring, it felt endless.

[Hayley Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

I eagerly downloaded this book as soon as I had finished ' The Wretched of Muirwood', I loved that book, it was truly one of the most beautiful things I've read, and I went into 'The blight of Muirwood' with such high expectations, which were happily met and even went above and beyond in places.

This book starts shortly after the previous one left off - although it quickly skips a year. Lia is slowly getting to use and come to grips with her power in the medium, even though Colvin had made an oath to teach her how to read he has not returned. Despite trying to convince the Aldermastion to let her learn, he has appointed her the Abbey Hunter and protector. This leads Lia to be in charge of the protection of a guest of the Abbey, Ellowyn Dermot - a girl Lia can't help but be jealous of because she has all the opportunities she wishes she had - and none of the gratitude, however this does bring back the return of Colvin and we get to explore that relationship once more. Unfortunately the Abbey is seriously under threat, on one side from a vengeful queen who wants to get her hands on Ellowyn, and on the other, a blight - a plague that threatens the land and all the magic in it.

Firstly can I just say wow. Although I am only updating now, I actually read this book in a night. It wasn't just any night either, it was a night me and my husband were child free, and I didn't even want to take the opportunity to go out as I was just so caught up in this book. Wheeler is an extremely talented writer, who has a knack of creating a picture so vividly in your head, it is like it is coming to life in front of you. The first book was not without slight criticisms, but it seems like everything that was touched upon has been corrected and worked through within in this book. The main issue with the previous book was that there wasn't an awful lot of character depth, don't get me wrong you always had it in terms of the main characters, but this time we really got to enjoy discovering new sides of Sowe, and the introduction of new characters like Martin and Bryn.

The main thing for me was getting to explore the wonder that is Colvin and Lia's relationship. This is not a romance novel in any way, shape or form, However they share a bond that is so deep and true, that you cannot help to fall in love with it, or wish you had a love like it. Even though Colvin frustrated me at times, their relationship is absolutely breathtaking.

I loved all the battle scenes in this book, and the way we got to finally understand why all this is happening. The battles are dark and gritty and you really get the feel you are there. It also lets us get to know Lia's relationship with the medium a little more. I'm not religious, and neither is this book, but her feelings and trust in the medium is something I imagine people with strong religious beliefs feel towards their faith, and again Wheeler has written this just beautifully.

Overall I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone, it is a true fantasy novel and undeniably hard to put down.

[JustJen · Rating 3 out of 5]

... not quite sure how I feel about this book. I really liked the story/action/romance, it had twists and turns I wasn't expecting. It was well written. It was just so HEAVY with religious symbolism. The author says much of the mastonic ceremony was taken from ancient Jewish customs. I'll be the first to admit I have no knowledge of these customs or how they compare to my current religious beliefs... but the parallels to LDS beliefs and ceremonies was HUGE, and there was SO much of it.

I think reading this book will impact those of different religions very differently (I'm sure there are ties with other religions that I did not pick up on because of my limited experiences). Whereas in the 1st book, it was rather fun to pick up the parallels to certain BOM stories in this 2nd book it wasn't just stories, but doctrine and temple experiences. While they were treated with reverence ... just placing them in a fictional, fantasy setting seems ... as some other reviewers have mentioned "uncomfortable".

I can see some LDS readers shunning the series ... and others recommending to their kids for further discussion and learning (so what parallels did you see to what you've learned in Sunday School, what is different?)I'm not quite sure where I stand on recommending this book ... I really WOULD like to discuss it with someone though!

So ... to continue on to the next book? I would like to see what happens with the characters. I'll admit to a morbid curiosity as to what ELSE from my LDS experiences are going to appear in this fantasy world. Also, it seems to forebode an apocalyptic (cleansing the world) which just sounds depressing. Oh, I probably WILL go on, I do have this need for completion, I like to see things through to the end ...

Once again ... I found I highlighted a LOT of little quotes, words of wisdom (not sure if they are from the author, the characters, or snippets the author has picked up from various religions and philosophies) ... This one ~

"The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it fears. So often, we bring into our lives that which would ruin us merely by thinking and fearing it"

This quote is attributed the Aldermaston, Gideon Penman of Muirwood Abbey. The first line however, was in the first book, attributed to Cuthbert Renwden of Billerback Abby. I do like the further explanation given here.

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was much longer than the first one but I'm not complaining. In the end it felt like why there were not few more pages. From the start to end it was just a roller-coaster ride. Never a dull moment for me. Book ends with a cliffhanger but thank God I already have the 3rd.

Most of the characters were same but few very important characters made entry in this installment like Ellowyn Demont, Marciana who was Colvin's sister, Earl of Dieyre and Queen Dowager, King's widow. They all played very crucial part in the story to move it forward.

So story starts with Lia as the new hunter of the Muirwood Abbey after the demise of Jon Hunter, Abbey's previous hunter. One year was spent to train her by Martin, a Pry-ree who also trained Jon. Colvin returned to Muirwood Abbey with his sister, Ellowyn Demont and Earl of Norris-York. With them Queen Dowager also made appearance in the Abbey and accused Aldermaston of conspiring her husband's death in the battle of Winterrowd.

A blight starts making its appearance and Lia find herself on the journey to save ones whom she loves dearly.

Lia was excellent in this. She trust the Medium fully and abide by it. No matter how tough her journey was or how hopeless she felt at some moments but she never lost her faith in the Medium.And Medium truly help her in winning her battles. Her realization of her true feelings for Colvin and how she took the rejection was just some very good aspect of her personality. All the difficult situations made her more strong.

I hated Colvin for how he rejects Lia's feeling but also loved him when he confess how much he loves and care for her. Just like Lia he never lost faith and trust in the Medium.

This book contains betrayal, concoction, backstabbing and deceit. Answers some of my questions from the first book but the end of this book was just amazing.

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come...

[James R · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had the same split response to this second installment of Wheeler's Muirwood Series as many others. As a page turning adventure story it hooked me and I rather eagerly read to follow the plot. All the while I felt a growing unease with the basic premises and values of this world the author created. How closely it parallels the secret, mythic world of his actual faith I can't say, but many others have expressed the opinion that they see in it aspects of the LDS faith they recognize. That in and of itself is not a bad thing. But when the source of the evil threatening the world is revealed as coming from the female embodiment of the all powerful and controlling Medium that permeates this world, I feel the need to more carefully scrutinize the other basic values that Wheeler, like C. S. Lewis in Narnia, has not so thinly reworked using other metaphors to advance his religious views. His protagonist, Lia, a young adolescent girl is portrayed as having a special favored relationship with the Medium, while pretty much without exception all other female characters are either flawed or blissfully serve or yearn to serve the male characters who protect them. If you are comfortable with patriarchal, misogynistic values even if they are ancient values, then you won't be bothered at all with the world of Muirwood. I experience these vales in a very negative way and find them repulsive. I kept asking myself, Why are you reading this heavy handed dogmatic indoctrination piece? My only answer is that, as even the ancients knew, a good adventure story can be irresistible and can be a great vehicle for indoctrination. I choose to escape from Muirwood. And advise others to enter cautiously.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this in two days- am loving this series, and as others have written, I actually think the second book was even better than the first! I didn't find the new characters too difficult to follow, and admittedly, figured out the "twist" early on....I know many reviews are discussing the various religious tones and such, but I actually find the familiarity of the concepts enjoyable. While none of the ideas are original, that is just fine. It is still a very enjoyable read for most ages, and the development of the characters and story line is going along very well. I finished it and immediately downloaded the 3rd book of the trilogy...but forced myself to go to sleep prior to starting the third...I have a job I have to go to every morning! :)

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story picks up in this installment of the series.

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. The writing is rich and the characters are finely drawn. It's hard to make me cry. but this story did just that. Can't wait to read the next book!

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

OMG. I could barely get thru this without wanting to barf. Especially the whole eternal Mormon marriage stuff … UGH. This story was super chaotic, so many different directions… why are these characters 14 and 17 again? These are definitely the actions and maturity of older people but that would probably mess up the Mormon message / spiritual timeline they’re trying to sell. If you don’t know anything about Mormons, it’s probably easier to get thru this and just see the medium stuff as magic. But the more you know, you either love it I’m sure (only as a Mormon) or dislike it (those of us who know better haha). I’ll finish the 3rd book only cuz I can’t stand a cliffhanger. Also, I guessed the ending of this book since the first chapter so that was kind of a disappointment because it felt so obvious… and then it was. He definitely got better at writing later on with the prequels. Such a better story and this just feels like a cheaper repetitive version… which maybe I’d feel that way if I’d read these first but. Yeah. How many times can we force the Mormon cult down our throats haha.

[Meg DeLisle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible. I only finished reading it bc i want to read the rest of his books and need to know what happened in this book. How on earth does Lia love Colvin? He's verbally abusive and literally always mean, rude, condescending or gruff. He rejects her and yet she still obsesses over him. How does this foster positive feelings in Lia? I HATE that this is an example for the young Mormon girls this book was clearly meant to indoctrinate about being good little wives. VOMIT. Very disappointing since the other series are much better. The King fountain series, while annoyingly goody goody with super clean, vanilla relationships, still has a great plot set in a fun and interesting world. This book is such a character relationship travesty that I can barely enjoy the rest of the overly religious plot. This is probably a better book if you are Mormon and don't care that every single thing in this book has super religious, Mormon context.

[Martin Belcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blight of Muirwood is the second book in the Muirwood Trilogy. The Aldermaston asks Lia to become the hunter for Muirwood Abbey. Following the battle of Winterrowd in book one, the Queen Dowager visits the Abbey but she has sinister plans. Meanwhile Whilst out hunting, Lia discovers an outbreak of the Blight which has struck some of the vegetation and infected one of the leering stones, what is this blight and is it spreading? Book two is as compelling a read as book one, reuniting all of the characters and giving you more back story and world building, there is also a shattering cliff hanger to this book that defies you not to read book three! I loved it. Brilliant book.

[Angt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read anything about this series before reading it. Enjoyed the first book. The character was feisty and fun. The first half of the second book was enjoyable as the main character grew in her powers. A little annoyed with her love life, but was interested enough to keep going. Then this bizarre theology in the middle of the book that sounded exactly like Mormonism. So distracted by the discontinuity that I immediately had to see if the author LDS. Of course he is.

I don't think I'll even finish it. I like when an author builds a complex world but this is simply inserting LDS mysticism into a book. So disappointed.

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The religious allegory really started to grate on me in this one. Wheeler tells a good story, but I’m totally not interested in reading a thinly disguised realization of his Mormon fantasy of direct communication with the higher power, punishment of the unbelievers, anti-intellectualism, and taking down those evil women who work their sexual wiles to lead the poor men astray. Too much, man, too much.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!! I seriously wanted to start it over again the second I finished it. I love the developments in the different relationships but most all seeing Lia grow and progress so much was so exciting! I can't wait to read book three but I think this one might be my favorite in the series even if it ends the way I hope it does. I Highly recommend this book.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting series. I loved the characters, the setting and the interaction between the characters.

This was the third book in the series and I'm impressed how well the author did with keeping me captivated in the story and
still caring about the characters. What a great series! I will be following this author from now on and checking out what he
writes!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book of the series. My favorite scenes received multiply readings.