The Healer of Guildenwood

by Mary E. Calvert

Margaret Ann Shepherd just wants to be a “normal” high school senior and not be seen as the least bit weird. But nothing extraordinary ever happens to anyone who is not a little odd . . . When Margaret Ann wakes one morning acting as though she’s just stepped out of the Middle Ages, everyone starts to doubt her sanity. But what really happened on the night in question? Placed in therapy to get to the bottom of her “eccentricities,” memories emerge of another body, another world, another life—lived over the course of one night.
In The Soultrekker Chronicles Book I, The Healer of Guildenwood, Margaret Ann struggles to make a new life with a new name, Arwyn, in a world where elves, mortals, and dwarves live beneath a shadow of tyranny, groaning for redemption. Arwyn must carefully navigate her abilities in combat and the art of healing, which she learns from a mysterious old hermit who seems to know more about her than he willingly admits. And when she accidentally attracts the attention of a brutal dictator, Draigon, her new world becomes even more dangerous. Is she truly an elf, revered by some, feared and hated by the powers that be, or do her passionate tendencies hint at a mortal nature? Elf or mortal, her soul was “borrowed” for a purpose she can scarcely imagine. Arwyn will either fall into despair over her lost life . . . or discover that which she was born to be.

288 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2016

About the author

Mary E. Calvert is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys endless days of eating bon-bons and watching Hallmark movies, that is, when she’s not being cook, maid, chauffeur and counselor to three boys and balancing a burgeoning writing career that has just taken off with the publication of her debut novel. Inspired by The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia, her Soultrekker Chronicles trilogy is a rare fantasy series that blends an appeal to women, with its strong female protagonist, and a Christian worldview—although the reader has to be neither female nor Christian to enjoy this captivating story.
Mary E. Calvert graduated with a degree in psychology and went on to receive her Master’s degree in counseling. Working for thirteen years as a psychotherapist in a psychiatric hospital for adolescents gave her insights into the human psyche that have contributed to the emotional depth of her characters. An avid traveler, having studied in England during her college years, lived in Italy and wandered extensively with her family throughout Europe, her travels have often inspired the places in her trilogy. And if those places didn’t make it onto the pages of her books, they have made it onto the pages of her scrapbooks, her other creative, artsy outlet. She also enjoys bagpipe music, cuddling with her two lovable Vizslas, and DIY projects.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Healer of GuildenWood: The Soultrekker Chronicles by Mary F. Calvert is a YA portal fantasy in the tradition of the sword and sorcery novels most speculative fiction readers enjoy. It tells the story of a high school senior Margaret Ann who wants to blend in with the rest of her classmates, but is instead pulled into a Tolkienesque fantasy world, not as an eighteen-year-old human, but as a young adult elf.

There’s a lot to like here. The world-building is, in particular, well thought out and a cut above most novels I’ve read in this genre. The novel comes with a wonderful map (we fantasy readers love our maps).

Bensor has a rich past, and some of it comes out in the first half of the book. While the narrative stops for the history lesson—I’d rather it flowed within the episodes of the book—it speaks to the depth of thought in constructing this world. I also really enjoyed how the author started the book and the interstitials she uses at the beginning of the chapters. The hook from the first two chapters is wonderful.

This is a great read, not quite what I expected. It’s almost a frontier tale with magic. I thought the mashup of the two distinct genres fascinating and The Header of Guildenwood is well worth picking up. Onto book number 2!

[The Young Llama Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

So my family is awesome! I get books all the time from them and this book is no exception! Especially since my Grandpa found these books at our farmers market, meet the author and told me about the series. So of course I had to go find her booth, get all 3 of her books and the author even signed them!!!! (Thanks Ms. Mary!!!) And I just finished book 1 and now I am obsessed, and I feel like girls 16 and up would also be obsessed with these books as well!!!!

This book is about a young girl named Margaret, who just wants to fit in at her high school and have a normal life. But it can be hard to be like everyone else when she wakes up one morning after her life has changed and starts acting like a warrior maiden from the medieval times. Now on a quest to discover what happened that one night, Margaret discovers that as her memories return so does a magical place where she was a healer elf, fighting alongside of dwarfs and mortals to free their world. And as more memories come back, her soul longs to return to her lost world of light vs. dark…

This book was wonderfully written, filled with mystery, magic and adventure, and super clean! I loved the plot line and the story was very good. Book 1 builds up into the story slowly so you can get to know the characters and the magical world of Baeren Ford and the lands beyond. The story takes place over a few years and you get to experience with the characters how life in the middle ages was vastly different from what we know and love. The author takes you to this wonderful world of hard-working people willing to do anything to defend their land.

Now, this book is for girls 16 and up. There is some adult topics mentioned. A man does try to show his “affection” to the main character but nothing happens, it is simply mentioned that he wants to show her what she is missing. The main character is also a healer and she has to help someone give birth and it does mention a bit of how a healer has to check her patient and such. Nothing is described but it is mentioned. So this book is for older teens not kids.

Over all, I love this book and I am already enjoying book 2!!! I can’t wait to read the entire series and enjoy where the story takes me next! Hope you all love this book as much as I did! -The Young Llama Reader.

[Jeff LaFerney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Healer of Guildenwood in paperback, which I grabbed from my nightstand each night before going to bed. Calvert invented an intriguing story of a girl who was hurled back into a time period resembling the Middle Ages and then reappeared back into her "normal" modern life. She doesn't understand either "appearance" and can't remember most of the other life she'd lived. So under hypnosis, she retells her Middle Ages experience where she has healing abilities; makes friends with dwarves, elves, an old hermit, and humans; finds a family to love; and finds herself in a conflict with a brutal dictator, a legend she seems a part of, and a fearful determination to help those in need. The setting of this book is fantastic, but what is most interesting is the creative, mysterious plotline. I enjoyed the book immensely. It was well-crafted and interesting throughout. I would definitely recommend it and will be reading the next book in the series.

[John Pepe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very enjoyable read. It has a wholesome, classic, noblebright fantasy taste. Although there wasn’t sword play and tons of action, Calvert still held my interest from beginning to end. I loved the transformation of Arwyn (Margaret) from the beginning of the book until the end. At about 60% I felt like Arwyn really was going to make a difference in the world she soul trekked into. Now, there was still plenty of twists and turns to keep me on my toes and to hold my interest. I also found Calvert’s use of dialect for her medieval characters believable and a nice contrast to Arwyn (Margaret) who had been flung into this world from what seemed the late 20th century. I also liked the fact that throughout the book Calvert keeps you connected to her main character by providing little excerpts at the beginning with Margaret (Arwyn) in counseling sessions set in the 20th century- which is where the book actually starts. All in all, a good read. I definitely recommend picking up this book.

[Christina Neely · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read! It has some similarities to Chronicles of Narnia, which I appreciated. It was fun to watch the character development in this story. The writer keeps you engaged with an unexpected storyline. I am ready to read book two as soon as it is released in 2017!

[Elizabeth Renfroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book! A great escape! Well developed characters that you become wrapped up in. The setting descriptions are fabulous. You can close your eyes and envision yourself there.