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Bleddynwood
The Bleddynwood had brooded, silent and grim, for over three hundred years. The villagers lived warily in its menacing shadow, taught from childhood to keep their distance and threatened with whispers of, “Behave, or the Bleddyn Beast will eat you!” But now it’s spreading, and one day it whispers Ammy’s name. When her father and brothers are drawn into the perilous forest, Ammy has to decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to save her family—and what she is willing to become to save the Beast. So begins the journey that will take her from her village and lead her through the high society of Ravenna, the royal court of King’s City, and into the very heart of the Wild Lands.
- GenresFantasy
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 19, 2018
About the author
M.C. Dwyer
6 books7 followersM.C. Dwyer grew up in a small town in Nebraska, but hasn't let that stop her from having adventures. She's had multiple jobs in multiple countries but loves writing the best. She's a fan of fairy tales and sci-fi, and loves a good kdrama more than just about any other form of television. Feel free to connect with her here or on Facebook!
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 19, 2018
I have a massive book crush on Bleddynwood. Like an internal screaming, rolling around on my bed, jumping up and down kind of crush. Seriously though, what is it about creepy forests that are so fun to read about?
I can't even begin to describe how good this felt to read. In fact, I may have binged 300 pages of it when I 'only meant to read a few pages before bed' (aka the biggest lie a bookworm tells herself). How can I describe this? It was just everything I love about fantasy. It made me feel warm and satisfied like hot apple cider when you've been out in the snow all day.
At first you think this is going to be a slightly ominous Beauty and the Beast retelling, maybe with a dash of East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Those are always fun, if not original. But you've been positively fooled in the best possible way. Because Beauty and the Beast is just half the adventure. There are still wizards to meet, wyverns to defeat, and sardonic princes to befriend. Also can't forget trekking across a snowy wilderness on an arduous quest to locate an enchanted manor in the mountains.
The characterization in this book was very well done. I got the sense that people were generally good and even the ones (human or monster) who weren't so pleasant had some reason to act out.
Amaranth, our heroine, is really lovely. She's sensible. And sensible heroines are the very best sort of heroine in my opinion. I loved her big, wonderful family as well. But I especially adored her cheery bravery and gentle sarcasm.
The Beast in these stories is often ill-mannered, bad-tempered, and merely not-nice-to-look-at rather than properly beastly. This beast however was genuinely chilling at times. I felt his wolfish menace and the oppressive eeriness of his home. I truly felt the horror of his curse. I do wish we got to see more of his personality but I understand what drew Amaranth to him.
The final confrontation wasn't especially climactic but I found I didn't need it to be. All of the hard stuff had been done over the course of the story. I also noticed that there was never needless violence, especially towards animals. The violence is there of course, but it's respectful. I like the idea that if a bear is chasing you, you can send it on its way with an arrow rather than killing it. It's a small thing, maybe weird for me to notice, but I really appreciated this.
This book is perfect for fans of Uprooted and Howl's Moving Castle. I mean, I knew this book would be good after reading one of M.C. Dwyer's short stories. But now I'm going to (not so) quietly add this author to my list of authors I blindly adore.
I can't even begin to describe how good this felt to read. In fact, I may have binged 300 pages of it when I 'only meant to read a few pages before bed' (aka the biggest lie a bookworm tells herself). How can I describe this? It was just everything I love about fantasy. It made me feel warm and satisfied like hot apple cider when you've been out in the snow all day.
At first you think this is going to be a slightly ominous Beauty and the Beast retelling, maybe with a dash of East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Those are always fun, if not original. But you've been positively fooled in the best possible way. Because Beauty and the Beast is just half the adventure. There are still wizards to meet, wyverns to defeat, and sardonic princes to befriend. Also can't forget trekking across a snowy wilderness on an arduous quest to locate an enchanted manor in the mountains.
The characterization in this book was very well done. I got the sense that people were generally good and even the ones (human or monster) who weren't so pleasant had some reason to act out.
Amaranth, our heroine, is really lovely. She's sensible. And sensible heroines are the very best sort of heroine in my opinion. I loved her big, wonderful family as well. But I especially adored her cheery bravery and gentle sarcasm.
The Beast in these stories is often ill-mannered, bad-tempered, and merely not-nice-to-look-at rather than properly beastly. This beast however was genuinely chilling at times. I felt his wolfish menace and the oppressive eeriness of his home. I truly felt the horror of his curse. I do wish we got to see more of his personality but I understand what drew Amaranth to him.
The final confrontation wasn't especially climactic but I found I didn't need it to be. All of the hard stuff had been done over the course of the story. I also noticed that there was never needless violence, especially towards animals. The violence is there of course, but it's respectful. I like the idea that if a bear is chasing you, you can send it on its way with an arrow rather than killing it. It's a small thing, maybe weird for me to notice, but I really appreciated this.
This book is perfect for fans of Uprooted and Howl's Moving Castle. I mean, I knew this book would be good after reading one of M.C. Dwyer's short stories. But now I'm going to (not so) quietly add this author to my list of authors I blindly adore.
July 4, 2019
Pick this book up now!
I won’t ascribe the characteristics of this book to other well known and beloved authors as I know we often do in reviews to help review readers as that’s been previously handled in other reviews.
I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I believe you will too if you like: well developed characters, strong relationships, and high adventure.
The story is pulled together remarkably well and really what are you waiting for?!
I won’t ascribe the characteristics of this book to other well known and beloved authors as I know we often do in reviews to help review readers as that’s been previously handled in other reviews.
I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I believe you will too if you like: well developed characters, strong relationships, and high adventure.
The story is pulled together remarkably well and really what are you waiting for?!
December 22, 2018
As a reader, I can tell that A LOT of work went into this book. The people, setting, curse, history, all of it is thought through and given in great detail. One thing that is unique to this retelling of Beauty and the Beast is just how rounded out Ammy's family is. You don't just learn their names and who is loving and who is a bit of an antagonist, but you really get a feel for who they are and who their family is. The book's focus on relationships rather than just plot points makes it unique.
I really love the mix of old legend and new ideas used for this retelling. The challenges Ammy has to face, as well as her continued development after she leaves the castle and the beast, are uniquely new facets to an old tale. I was a little underwhelmed by the main antagonist and climatic battle, but I also felt it was made up for by the overcoming of all of the other difficult and frightening tasks by Ammy.
As much as I enjoy the attention to detail and applaud the author's thoroughness, it makes the book just a little too long. Characters that are not integral to either the plot or other characters are given almost as much time as those that are integral, which leads to whole chapters of what is essentially filler; Interesting filler, but filler nonetheless that encourages even the most bookish readers to start skimming. The beast is given less time than some significantly less important characters, which creates a drag in the story. It also gives me a feeling of unbalance when there is so much detail about every person, and when Ammy herself is given such a complete history and then some, to have the beast be a little flat because of a lack of page-time devoted to him.
It's still a good book that is worth reading. Great themes of love, relationships, power, loneliness, and selflessness. I found the characters likable and strong.
I really love the mix of old legend and new ideas used for this retelling. The challenges Ammy has to face, as well as her continued development after she leaves the castle and the beast, are uniquely new facets to an old tale. I was a little underwhelmed by the main antagonist and climatic battle, but I also felt it was made up for by the overcoming of all of the other difficult and frightening tasks by Ammy.
As much as I enjoy the attention to detail and applaud the author's thoroughness, it makes the book just a little too long. Characters that are not integral to either the plot or other characters are given almost as much time as those that are integral, which leads to whole chapters of what is essentially filler; Interesting filler, but filler nonetheless that encourages even the most bookish readers to start skimming. The beast is given less time than some significantly less important characters, which creates a drag in the story. It also gives me a feeling of unbalance when there is so much detail about every person, and when Ammy herself is given such a complete history and then some, to have the beast be a little flat because of a lack of page-time devoted to him.
It's still a good book that is worth reading. Great themes of love, relationships, power, loneliness, and selflessness. I found the characters likable and strong.
August 28, 2021
A fairly tale adventure
I normally stay away from fairy-tail rewrites, but the fact that the beast is a wolf, sucked me straight, in.
The cover does NOT do this book justice.
Ammy, is like many of us, a lover of books, we first meet her as a child clinging to her book whilst been bullied by the village children.
The first page I sympathised with her immediately. A bully poured worms on her (Shudders) along came her big brother Edward to her rescue.
Ammy loves her family it’s clear from day one. We see Ammy grow up and see her brothers become men and marry and have children of their own.
One of her aunts request that she stay with her she is old and widowed, and Ammy agrees. She learns to be a sophisticated lady.
Until a sickness takes her aunt, and she becomes the heir to her fortune.
She receives the news that her family is in danger and doesn’t think twice. All the men have gone into the Bleddynwood, with no free will of their own,
So, she enters and meets the beast. There she agrees to stay to save her brothers and father.
The Beast is wild and scary, at first. As the weeks pass, she craves his company.
She has to survive the trials each month to survive. She learns to use magic, and learns the Beast Name is Ealdwyn.
On the final trial she fails and Ealdyen turns in to a wolf for good.
Plagued with guilt she goes home, but her family don’t understand, she leaves for the kings city to learn Magic so she can save the Beast.
I loved this book I would have liked more then one chapter from Ealdwyn point of view. I finished the book wanting more, more of her life, and future adventures they might have. I felt we didn’t find out enough about Ealdwyn past and why was turned in to the wolf.
It’s nothing like the original this tail was far better in my opinion. Don’t believe me? Go read it yourself.
I normally stay away from fairy-tail rewrites, but the fact that the beast is a wolf, sucked me straight, in.
The cover does NOT do this book justice.
Ammy, is like many of us, a lover of books, we first meet her as a child clinging to her book whilst been bullied by the village children.
The first page I sympathised with her immediately. A bully poured worms on her (Shudders) along came her big brother Edward to her rescue.
Ammy loves her family it’s clear from day one. We see Ammy grow up and see her brothers become men and marry and have children of their own.
One of her aunts request that she stay with her she is old and widowed, and Ammy agrees. She learns to be a sophisticated lady.
Until a sickness takes her aunt, and she becomes the heir to her fortune.
She receives the news that her family is in danger and doesn’t think twice. All the men have gone into the Bleddynwood, with no free will of their own,
So, she enters and meets the beast. There she agrees to stay to save her brothers and father.
The Beast is wild and scary, at first. As the weeks pass, she craves his company.
She has to survive the trials each month to survive. She learns to use magic, and learns the Beast Name is Ealdwyn.
On the final trial she fails and Ealdyen turns in to a wolf for good.
Plagued with guilt she goes home, but her family don’t understand, she leaves for the kings city to learn Magic so she can save the Beast.
I loved this book I would have liked more then one chapter from Ealdwyn point of view. I finished the book wanting more, more of her life, and future adventures they might have. I felt we didn’t find out enough about Ealdwyn past and why was turned in to the wolf.
It’s nothing like the original this tail was far better in my opinion. Don’t believe me? Go read it yourself.
June 17, 2018
Wonderfully written, very engrossing book - a real find for me.
The prevalent theme of the Beauty and the Beast gets a very interesting and original treatment here - several other references to the 'beastly' theme were borrowed from other fairy tales and mythology alike. This story certainly is richly detailed and has a nice layered feel to it. Magic gets much more than a nod here. It is very much active and important component and extremely fascinating one at that.
*Warning* mild spoilers ahead*
I liked how several different settings and places were used in the book - each marked a new phase in the development of the main character Amaranth, and introduced a variety of interesting supporting characters, as well as new relationships and events.
Amaranth was a very likeable heroine and I felt that I had gotten to know her really very well in the course of the story. Beast was a much more mysterious and sometimes opaque character. I would've liked to know how much of his actions were influenced by magic, or some more of what he was thinking. There was one short chapter from his point of view when he was a wolf and I really appreciated this small window into his psyche at that point of time. Still, by the end of the book I didn't think I had a very good grasp of his personality. He certainly mellowed in the post-beast phase. Some of the things that he did and said while being a beast was it purely him or was that magic twisting him, like when his eyes turned gold..
At the end of the book Amaranth makes a disclosure about when she realised that she loved him and while it's nice to have this unequivocally confirmed, it's no surprise - we already know this, because she's the character we know best from the story (though the scene was entertaining). If I'm being honest I would've preferred to see such disclosures from the former beast, which would've helped to define him more perhaps after all the transformations and also would have brought his feelings to the foreground.
I like that the ending is more rounded up here than in other retellings, and he and Ammy get to meet her family and we get to see everyone’s reactions. Magic gets it's own resolution too, I was very curious about it all the time, so I'm very happy nothing's left hanging. I love good standalones.
All in all this was a very enjoyable and a very fine retelling indeed. A delightful book. I look forward to reading more from this author.
The prevalent theme of the Beauty and the Beast gets a very interesting and original treatment here - several other references to the 'beastly' theme were borrowed from other fairy tales and mythology alike. This story certainly is richly detailed and has a nice layered feel to it. Magic gets much more than a nod here. It is very much active and important component and extremely fascinating one at that.
*Warning* mild spoilers ahead*
I liked how several different settings and places were used in the book - each marked a new phase in the development of the main character Amaranth, and introduced a variety of interesting supporting characters, as well as new relationships and events.
Amaranth was a very likeable heroine and I felt that I had gotten to know her really very well in the course of the story. Beast was a much more mysterious and sometimes opaque character. I would've liked to know how much of his actions were influenced by magic, or some more of what he was thinking. There was one short chapter from his point of view when he was a wolf and I really appreciated this small window into his psyche at that point of time. Still, by the end of the book I didn't think I had a very good grasp of his personality. He certainly mellowed in the post-beast phase. Some of the things that he did and said while being a beast was it purely him or was that magic twisting him, like when his eyes turned gold..
At the end of the book Amaranth makes a disclosure about when she realised that she loved him and while it's nice to have this unequivocally confirmed, it's no surprise - we already know this, because she's the character we know best from the story (though the scene was entertaining). If I'm being honest I would've preferred to see such disclosures from the former beast, which would've helped to define him more perhaps after all the transformations and also would have brought his feelings to the foreground.
I like that the ending is more rounded up here than in other retellings, and he and Ammy get to meet her family and we get to see everyone’s reactions. Magic gets it's own resolution too, I was very curious about it all the time, so I'm very happy nothing's left hanging. I love good standalones.
All in all this was a very enjoyable and a very fine retelling indeed. A delightful book. I look forward to reading more from this author.
April 9, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed this!!
This was a great version of Beauty & the Beast. Had enough variations to make it new. Was so well written that I didn't feel the need to skim over large sections--didn't want to miss anything!
This was a great version of Beauty & the Beast. Had enough variations to make it new. Was so well written that I didn't feel the need to skim over large sections--didn't want to miss anything!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews