Song of the Dryad

by Natalia Leigh

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Barclay is still haunted by an encounter she had eight years ago—a run-in with a fairy beast that had eyes like witchlight and a taste for flesh. Charlotte has avoided the Greenwood ever since, pretending fairies don’t exist and choosing instead to focus her energies on graduating from high school and perfecting her audition piece for the Bellini Institute. However, everything changes when her mom goes missing, kidnapped by the fairies that haunt the forest behind Charlotte’s home. When Charlotte’s search for her mom leads her into the fairy realm, she discovers that she hails from a line of Shrine Keepers—humans tasked with maintaining ancient fairy shrines. Charlotte’s family has failed their duties to the fae, and now she has no choice but to strike a deal with the dryad, a powerful tree nymph responsible for her mom’s disappearance. But the dryad only gives her a month to complete her retrieve five stolen fairy stones and return them to the fairy shrine. If she doesn’t return the stones in time, the dryad has threatened to imprison another of Charlotte’s loved ones. Charlotte dives into a world as magical as it is deadly, coming face-to-face with fairy creatures that never get mentioned in the story books—including the creature that haunts her dreams. She must embrace her task and conquer her fears, or else she’ll never see her mom again.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Fae, Ebooks, Contemporary, Fiction

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Natalia Leigh graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor's degree in English and a concentration in creative writing.

Natalia worked as an English tutor out of college and now enjoys assisting her clients with their own fictional works, as well as sharing her writing experience on her YouTube channel.

When not writing, Natalia can usually be found eating vegan pizza, honing her practice on a yoga mat, or playing way too many video games.

Pistol Daisy is her fourth novel.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whimsical and heartwarming fairytale, perfect for colder weather! This story is relevant yet magical, and draws the reader in to a fun and compelling story that twists, turns, and makes the reader feel at home.

[Page Grey (Editor) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my reading goals this year is to read books written by fellow bloggers and booktubers/authortubers. Here’s the first of the many that I will read. I purchased an e-book copy of this book last year and thank God, I finally get to read it.

Song of the Dryad features everything Fae but it all centered with Charlotte Barclay, a 17-year old violinist who has a beautiful family and lives in a house near the woods – Greenwood – and spends her time practicing for her audition to a great music school. Until her mom went missing. Charlotte’s world suddenly shifted and she was left with no choice but to let the odd memories from her childhood alive again. Memories of creatures she knows are not human, memories that she’d been trying to ignore ever since she encountered a hideous, frightening creature when she was nine. Because no matter what she think, believing in their existent might be the only way to save her mom.

First of all, reading this gives me a nostalgic feeling in a good way and for a reason I’m not comfortable to share. I love this story and it’s precious to me, but then again, I can’t exactly share why. Just know that this story warmed my heart which is why I enjoyed reading this despite the fact that it lacks some element I’m usually fond of in a book of this genre. But before I dig deeper into the negatives, let me first get through the positive.

I love the world the author created. Sure this is contemporary and modern world meets magical realms but I truly love how vivid the descriptions are. The magical worlds are easy to imagine and all the creatures turned alive on the pages. I love it. I also love that the author didn’t focus on just one kind of magical creatures, she mentioned and included a lot, even the ones I wasn’t familiar with. It just great to know more magical creatures.

One must believe in magic to see the things that magic touches.

I don’t have any problem with all the characters. I think they’re okay but if I would choose a favorite, it would be the Brownie who serves as Charlotte’s sidekick throughout the novel. I also like Charlotte’s optimism. It’s empowering and contagious. The relationships of the characters are okay too, especially Charlotte’s family and her best friend. Though I would’ve liked to know more about the coven but they’d served their purpose on the story well enough so it’s okay. Maybe the author can write a separate story for them though. The romance is fairly done, I guess. It’s not really that grand which is fine with me. I mean this is young adult and still contemporary despite the fantasy element. Charlotte’s only seventeen and for me, there’s no need for I’ll-die-for-you kind of love. It’s just a lot to take in if it’s set in a modern world.

My favorite element of the story is actually its underlying theme. This book is like a love letter to humanity regarding our views and relationship with nature. This seems like an old-fashion notion but I love it, and I think this is an important theme.

The only issue of this book is its lack of tension. Though personally, it isn’t that much of an issue for me because I ended up liking it, which is kind of weird. I know it would be a problem to most readers. The pace is fine but that tense feeling just wasn’t there. Reading this reminds me of when I read Alice in Wonderland. It’s all so magical and amazing and just overall great but I didn’t feel tense or was it ever crossed my mind that something terrifying is about to happen. That said, don’t expect some big twist or revelation at the end. Also, it did feel like the journey Charlotte had to take is a bit easier than it should be. I won’t say much because then I’d be spoiling things.

I guess, this is a perfect read when you just want to chill and the weather is colder. Perfect as an autumn read too. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I intend to read more from Natalia Leigh. I really hope she makes a prequel of this story, based on that journal.

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sounds so good!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is even more gorgeous in person than it is in the pictures.
The story is even better than the cover.
This story is about a girl whoes mom goes missing. Charlotte is the only one who can bring her back as she is the only one who knows who took her. Fairies.

Family dynamic and friendships are greatly represented. Being kind to our planet and the things we cannot see is at the forefront.

Perfect autumn read. Really makes me want to check under mushrooms and fallen leaves to see if I might see a dragon fly winged fairy having tea.

[Becca Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. I mean... wow. It was a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute I'm laughing, the next I'm furious, the next I'm on the edge of my seat biting my nails and the next I'm crying like a baby! I loved Charlotte. She's a strong MC that had such a wonderful arc of truly discovering who she is and conquering her fear which allows her to save the fairy folk and truly embrace her destiny as a Shrine Keeper. And Art!! Natalia is so great at creating amazing love interests!! (I'm looking at you High Born and Rowan). All the characters (both human and other :-)) were rich and complex. This was such a joy to read!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will admit my review has a grain of salt to it because I usually don't read YA, and I would like to state that I do enjoy Natalia's YouTube videos.

This book was okay, but I really don't understand a lot that happened in it. Charlotte doesn't actually do much to find the stones, they're all just kind of handed to her. One of them she finds on a quasi-date with Art and she finds it basically because she was checking him out, he turned his body, and the stone was where he had been standing 🤦‍♀️ the entire stone plot felt lazily put together, most of the stones she happens to randomly stumble upon and the others she's given the location of by other fairies.

The whole novel seemed to focus on the romance subplot more than the missing mom or the stones. The romance between Art and Charlotte was very sweet but personally I find it a little hard to believe Charlotte would spend so much time with him when her mom has been kidnapped and she's running out of time to find her, dates would take the back burner for me in that situation.

Many of the characters felt bland to me (especially the coven, none of them really question why they need to go do a ritual they're just kind of along for the ride), the "perfect and supportive" family dynamic Charlotte has makes her family feel like a hive mind.

I really wanted to like this book. I loved all the different fae that appeared, the cover is amazing, and the writing is okay.

Overall a let down for me, BUT I totally see how someone in their teens might enjoy this read.

[Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Song of the Dryad is a contemporary fantasy from author Natalia Leigh that draws inspiration from fae/fairy mythology.

I'll start by saying that I really enjoyed reading this book, and soon after starting was caught up in the ride. I'm not a big fan of the current trends in fae/fairy stories, and I'm happy to say that Leigh avoided much of the trends I didn't like.

I loved the world that Leigh built, and I really hope we get to see more of the fairy world of Lyra in the companion novel she is writing. (Which I will be eagerly awaiting). All the characters were unique, and I love some of the little fairy friends Charlotte made along the way.

One thing that did throw me a tiny bit, was that so many of the important characters were involved in witchcraft, which made it convenient for the story. I also remember a big theme in the story is that there's always a meaning for meeting someone. So it works. So in all, it's both a con and a pro for me, but was a very minor thing that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

I loved this book, and would definitely recommend it. I'll probably be rereading it when the sequel/companion novel comes out. Nothing detracted from my reading experience, so 5/5 stars.

[J.L. Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leigh's debut novel makes it clear that she has a way with words. There's an effortless ebb and flow to her writing, causing the pages to turn with little to no effort. In the midst of a fantastical plot, her character's emotions and relationships remain real and down-to-Earth. Excellent work!

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been following Natalia Leigh on social media for quite a while, during and after her journey to publish this novel. Song of the Dryad is an ode to the fantastical world of nature, featuring a young woman that discovers herself and a nice cozy adventure.

In short, Charlotte Barclay has been running away from fairies for years and focusing on getting into an elite music school abroad, and has to deal with headaches. Things get disrupted when her mother disappears and lands in the magical land of Lyra and discovers she’s a Shrine Keeper and has to collect five stones, or more people she cares about will disappear.

I didn’t know what to expect of the plot coming in based on the synopsis, but it turned out to be part fetch quest and part dealing with her day to day life as she goes on this fetch quest and has to deal with her mom being gone. For the most part, things go at a nice pace, though I don’t think it’s super quick, it’s good for setting the mood for an adventure, mostly taking place on Earth. While the fetch quest is overall not super dangerous or super dark, it’s more about Charlotte overcoming past fears and realizing her place in the world and the wonders of nature and magic. Most of the twists came from her day to day life, balancing school, violin and her fractured family, and it really brought on the idea of cozy adventure as both worlds get good page time without one dominating the other. There’s also a handful of drawings of the creatures that make them feel more alive and add to the atmosphere to the novel and feels like a callback to older fantasy books.

As for Charlotte, she was a good character, though I pictured Leigh in her place quite a bit of the time, which I don’t think was a bad thing and something Leigh has mentioned in her YouTube videos several times that they have similar personalities and interests (veganism, crystals, among others). Charlotte didn’t feel like an author avatar; she had her own flaws to overcome throughout the story and felt like an actual teenager, though I sorta wished she was fleshed out a little bit more. The rest of the cast, both the humans and magical creatures, had distinct personalities and multiple layers to their character. The Dryad and the rest of the magical creatures were interesting, and I like how they weren’t purely good or evil, and even the antagonist wasn’t one dimensional. I didn’t know that some of the creatures that showed up were actually a part of fairy mythology. Each of the human characters bring their own role to play in the story.

Yes, there’s a romance, and I did fear that it might take over a portion of the plot, but thankfully, that didn’t happen, and the relationship developed naturally. There’s some kissing and a scene that gets a bit more sensual, but no sex.

The theme of neglecting nature and the consequences was well done and didn’t feel like lecturing, though tells a lot about humans as a society that has forgotten about it. While the prose was descriptive and brought me into the natural world, as well as a small Colorado town, it was choppy in a lot of spots and could have benefited from another round of copy edits to smooth everything out.

For the most part, I like the climax and that it fit the tone and pace of the story, but it felt like there was a bit of plot convienence. This ended up being a nice, mostly lighthearted, cosy autumn read from Leigh, and I look forward to more from this world.

[Cat Bowser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun little adventure to read. I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I went in except that the prospect really intrigued me. Creatures of any kind of mythology always catch my interest and this story was no exception.

I’m pleased to say that the elements of mythology are used beautifully here. There is an ancient feel to them, as creatures such as fairies and dryads should have but there’s also a vast number of other creatures that are viral and used so well in the plot. I really enjoyed each new one we were introduced to. They never felt thrown in “just cause” but served a purpose.

Charlotte is a fun character and her motives were perfectly understandable. I loved watching her adjust to this wold new reality. Most important to me, she fails! She isn’t immediately perfect in this adventure which was oh so welcomed! We got to watch her grow which was wonderful.

The story does slow down a bit at points and that can be a bit off putting. There’s nothing in particular that’s bad about these sections, it just feels like they could have been incorporated into the plot a bit better. But it’s s minor complaint.

Overall, I’m very happy to have gone on this adventure. The creativity is abound here which I am always a fan of. If you’re looking for a fun dip into a fantasy world but still want to keep your feet a bit grounded in reality, definitely check it out!

[Sofie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching Natalia Leigh's video's and following her journey of writing and publishing Song of the Dryad, I had very high expectations of this book. Song of the Dryad was even better than I had hoped for and I fell in love with the characters, the story and the fairy realm. It was one of the most magical, whimsical stories I have ever read and could not put it down. I can't wait to read more of Leigh's work and am excited to learn more of the world she has created in Song of the Dryad.

[Forxst · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a comforting, kindred read. I believe this book would be great for a younger crowd but can easily be enjoyed by us older folks as well. Reading is fluid and easy to understand. The authors world is descriptive but she also allows the story to progress nicely.
The story:: (The headaches that Charlotte gets) If you ignore yourself, you’ll cause only pain." This story isn’t simply about collecting stones rather more about the journey of Charlotte renewing or growing her understanding of herself and relationship between the human and fae worlds.
This book has hints of philosophical ideas. Like humanity’s issues with being entitled to what ever we want within our planet. The idea that we are enthralled by greed, consumerism, ego, etc. Most importantly we have lost our symbiotic relationship to nature itself. That being said this is still very much a comfortable light read. I love this about Song Of The Dryad. Charlotte the main characters journey reflects these ideas well.
I purchased the hardcover. Wonderful story, beautiful cover, adorable illustrations throughout the book. Love having it on my shelf.

Solid 4 Stars

[Daniëlle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've long waited for a story which wasn't steeped in unnecessary plottwist and dramatic scenarios. Nowadays it feels like every young adult book has all the same clichés and that's where this book stands out.

It's a cute, casual, heartwarming page turner. One that had me dabbing at my eyes, laughing out loud, and rolling over my bed because if all the cuteness.
The relationships are real and thought out to the point where casual remarks of the past were made, giving the reader an idea of how important each character is the protagonist. The story is consistent and never had a moment where I needed to stop reading because of all the drama like so many YA books do. The clichés that were used, were used well and I only a few spelling errors (less than 5).

Knowing Natalia from her YouTube channel and seeing this story, this piece of art being created from day one has inspired me as a writer and I was happy to see that she held true to herself and her ideals.
I may not be vegan but I respect her stance on the matter and this story reflects her love for nature and all living things. There's such a positive vibe coming off this book!

I LOVE IT!

Also, I really love the holism aspect of the story. I'm quite the sucker for gemstones, herbs and essential oils as well.

To be able to read this story after sending her a message on NaNoWriMo the year she wrote her first draft of 'Song of the Dryad' and trying to encourage her along with the rest of the writer community truly means the world to me and I'm sure many others.

I have an inspirational book collection. There are 3 on them now, the books that taught me that reading could be fun even as a person with dyslexia.
But, I guess I'll be adding a fourth, the book that taught me that anything is possible if you just believe and work hard enough. Song of the Dryad.

I hope that one day, I get to return the favor and Natalia can read my book a love it a lot too.

Love,
Daniëlle Forest

[Joey Cron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to say this, because I really like the author and loved another book she wrote (Pistol Daisy), but this book really wasn’t for me. I thought the pacing and tension were way off, most of the characters were two dimensional, and it was repetitive.
Honestly, the writing almost killed it for me a couple times too. It’s crazy to see how far the author has come in just one book (from Song of the Dryad to Pistol Daisy) and how much her writing has improved between the two.
Overall I will absolutely be reading more from her, I just don’t think I’ll be going any further back into her past catalog than Song of the Dryad.
I’m hovering between a 2-2.5 stars.

[K. J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THIS BOOK! SUCH GREAT CHARACTERS, GRANDMA AND THE BROWNIE WERE MY FAVORITE. THE AMAZING DETAIL MADE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE THERE IN THE FOREST WITH CHARLOTTE AND THE FAIRIES. CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK IN THIS DUOLOGY!

[Mandi Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a perfect touch of magic! Natalia creates a world full of wonder and the story reminds me so much of YA’s I read when I first fell in love with the genre.

[Auryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It reads relatively fast, but it wasn't for me. The trope of the bad man that ends up seeing the light and does the good thing is one I cannot believe, not even in books.

[Critical Sandwich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book for me is somewhere between It was OK and I liked it
As I was reading, I thought that this book was sweet for the most part, it was a nice break from all of the Adult Fantasy and Classics works I'd been reading recently
It's an indie-published novel, and it wasn't noticeable for me when it came to the novel editing (perhaps there was something but I didn't notice it).
However, I think the biggest problem was that the book didn't really know its genre

So many things about this book screamed Middle Grade: (or at least younger ranges of "Young Adult")
- It has magical fae world, lavish green scenery of the enchanted world that only our main character can access
- Very nicely done illustrations that seem to be straight out of an MG book
- Environmental message just like in my elementary school nature books - Let's stop cutting the forest and start caring for nature!
- One dimensional characters that are only nice (with one exception)
- Plot conveniences. A LOT of them
- Plot simplicity
- There're no consequences, no plot reprocussions
- Even the final boss whom the main character kept dreaming of, turned out to be just a scary-looking fae who helped the main character with her task

Yet why do the characters keep using swearword "Sh*t" and say things like "What the h*ll?
+ The romance was not sexual (which I really appreciated), but it had a slight sexual undertone, which I didn't appreciate, and it made this book more adult than 97% of its content was.

The plot conveniences are very forgivable for a Middle Grade genre, and so many things about this book scream Middle Grade - except for the paragraph I wrote above, which is more appropriate for older readers.
There were plenty of plot conviniences, I want to list just some of them:
Spoiler territory
- Charlotte needs to find 5 artefacts to complete the story, and she just randomly remembers seeing some of them in her childhood or randomly stumbles upon them - all in very convenient times, too
- Every single character is willing to help her. Even when Charlotte does something bad to other characters in order to achieve her end-goal of finding-artefacts-and-saving-the-forest, the secondary characters turn out to be either in-the-know, or Charlotte ordains them to in-the-know (And they immediately believe her and trust her), Charlotte gets forgiven for bad things she's done (cuz it's done for the greater good and everyone knows and understands it), everything always turns out to be good for Charlotte's end goal
- We don't want to have an anti-social main character, so Charlotte has a best friend. Ooops, she doesn't really need a best friend though, so best friend gets angry at Charlotte because... Wait for it... Because Charlotte didn't tell the friend that Charlotte mom's was missing and friend had to find it out from the news. So, instead of being a supportive friend to Charlotte (HER MOM IS FRIGGIN MISSIN!!!!), the friend goes like "I care for you mother too, you know?! How dare you not tell me she was missing?, so they don't talk up until the last 20% when Charlotte suddenly needs her help
- Again, everyone are somehow helpful to the story. The hot one-dimensional-guy? He is interested in fae and gives Charlotte a useful book. That woman from who's store Charlotte stole from? She is a witch and helps Charlotte with a ritual. A woman working next door to Charlotte? Charlotte needs to steal a ring from her girlfriend, and the woman is in-the-know and helps to steal and replace the ring. And many, many more examples like this
- How convenient that the bad guy who was destroying the nature happened to have a wife-in-the-know and son who dated Charlotte, so in the end his family managed to persuade him to stop ruining the nature
- Charlotte just randomly does things without explaining it to herself (and to the reader), and then these things turn out to be beneficial for the end-story

There are many more examples of plot-conveniences and plot simplicity, these are just some I remembered off the top of my head - but the book is nothing but those convenient oversimplified things

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so whimsical and a solid Fantasy story.

We follow a high school girl who loses her mother to a forest realm that holds her hostage until she is able to return the power to its former glory. My favorite parts to the book was the use of all the various types of fairies and magical creatures that she meets throughout her journey.

And, there's a hint of a cute romance. The connection between Art and Charlotte just brings a soft smile to my face, and their mini adventures bring a more innocent side to this world.

But this book isn't just about the magic. There are a few darker pieces to the story that help to balance this book into a solid, read. There is a slight trigger warning for suicide if this is a topic that you are a little more sensitive to. But overall, I think it brought a more realistic tone to the novel.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. If you are familiar with this author, you may know a bit more of her lifestyle through her YouTube videos on all things writing. And after watching her for awhile now, I can tell that her passions are woven into her writing.

You will find topics such as witches, crystals, and veganism in this book, and it was really fun to be able to point them out as I read along. It was such a fun read, and from what I hear, there may be more to the story that we are able to explore in the future!

[Jess - The Hexed Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

This book has alllll of the fae. Even the ones rarely seen in typical YA books. The worldbuilding was great. Lots of bits and pieces of how the fairy world fits into our world and even glimpses into the fae world.

I enjoyed every minute I read this. Natalia's writing was fun to read and I liked her writing style. The characters felt well developed and were easy to connect with and feel an emotional attachment to.

Loved all of the references to stones, herbs, witchy things, etc. It's my element (pun intended).

The one thing missing from this book, for me, was some big plot twist or big reveal. It's didn't take away from the story, I just like them, so it would have been fun to have one.

Overall, a really enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who likes magical realism, fairies, or even witchcraft.

[Veronika]

Ich möchte es lieber nicht werten, da ich die Autorin durch ihre Youtube-Videos echt mag. Aber leider hat mir das Buch so gar nicht gefallen. Ich habe ewig gebraucht, um es zu lesen und ich fand den Plot gleichzeitig zu simpel und unglaubwürdig. Vermutlich bin ich mit ganz falschen Erwartungen herangegangen, aber ich hatte irgendwie eine Art YA-Fantasy Kiste mit Elfen erwartet, aber stattdessen ist es tatsächlich ein extrem kindliches Buch, das sich auch anfühlt, als sei es für ein sehr junges Publikum geschrieben. Auch die Perspektive der (angeblich) 17jährigen Charlotte liest sich eher so, als sei sie 11 oder 12 Jahre alt. Es gibt hilfreiche Heinzelmännchen und sie muss magische Steine finden um ihre Mutter zu befreien. Wie sie rechts und links und ohne Anstrengung über die Steine stolpert, die angeblich seit Ewigkeiten verschollen sind, ist geradezu absurd. Viel zu niedlich, sehr wenig Tiefe, so gar nicht mein Fall. Eher ein Buch für Grundschulkinder.

[Dawn Kozak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm... hovering between 3 and 3.5 stars right now. It would have been solidly a 3.5 if not for the ending. I'll write a more detailed review tomorrow after I've thought it over.

Overall though, I enjoyed reading this book! 😊

[S.L.Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a fan of Natalia's Youtube channel I gave her book a read when it went on sale. I should preface this with I haven't read much indy/self published books. The books I did read were noticeably self published and I was disheartened by the whole section of authors. But when I picked up 'Song of the Dryad' I was surprised and found myself engrossed in a novel that read like a traditionally published novel.

If you're looking for a book that has a strong family, smart teenagers, and fun Celtic/fae lore, then this is the book for you. It was perfect in October when you can snuggle up under some blankets and drink some hot cider as you think about magical woods and things that can't quite be seen.

I ended up loving this book enough I bought a hardcover and keep it on my shelf next to my traditionally published books, cause in my mind, this is probably the book that's going to get me reading more indy books and is going to be the first of many that'll get added to my shelves.

[Shannon Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalia Leigh described Song of the Dryad as ‘cozy’ and I really can’t think of a better word for what I felt while reading it. Even as the main character faced loss and seemingly impossible obstacles, the sense of tension was diffused by hope. The hope didn’t always come from Charlotte, but it was there in those who believed in and relied upon her. I was immersed in a world which toes the line between magical and mundane and invested in the tension and urgency of Charlotte’s quest. The balance of dread and whimsy is expertly constructed, and I must admit the book grasped me and I very nearly finished it in one night, despite how early I had to get up the next morning. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fae and magic and growth.

[BoMo · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars


"One must believe in magic to see the things that magic touches."

This book gave me major City of Bones vibes and it reads like a ya book written ten years ago.
It’s not a bad book, but it’s definitely ya for the younger audience. I liked that it’s main topic is about saving the nature! (Which reminded me of Fern Gully, another classic)
Overall it’s a nice book but nothing I’ve never read before.

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: July 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Length: 286 Pages
Time Read In: 1 Day
Swearing in This Review: Surprisingly, no
Spoilers: Nothing in detail, but spoilers indeed


So, I have an addiction to buying the books of the YouTubers I watch, sue me. Natalia Leigh’s YouTube videos are of a different variety from Jenna Moreci and Alexa Donne’s videos. She reminds me a bit more of Vivien Reis, in the fact that she does less ten tip videos and more life around writing videos and discussion videos on Nanowrimo and Camp Nanowrimo. So, honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect going into Song of the Dryad. I knew Leigh was a self published author but unlike Moreci and Donne, her videos don’t really give me a feel of her writing style or any formal training, so I went into this without any expectations, honestly. Which, really, might be a good thing.

Song of the Dryad has a very simplistic voice that really tells it’s readers about everything. Which, honestly, was one of my biggest issue with this book. The entire prologue was pointless. We could have learned what Charlotte experienced on Halloween night later in the story, it could have been a point of contention that she wouldn’t go into the forest at night and we didn’t know why. The tension could have been there. But, the heavy telling destroyed that possibility. Everything we learn about Charlotte is told to us through the narrative, from how Charlotte got her new violin (and where the old one is, for some reason) to the fact that Charlotte has a lack of experience when it comes to boys.

There is a certain lack of passion in Charlotte’s voice, which is frustrating, particularly when it comes to one of the first scenes, where she’s playing violin. I’m not a musician, but I am passionate about other things and hen I’m doing those things or talking about those things, I feel excited, energized. None of that passion comes through in this narrative.

There was a lot of repetition in this book, but the one that stands out the most (and drove me craziest) was Charlotte’s calloused fingers. Everytime Charlotte’s fingers were so much as mentioned, Leigh reminds us that they’re calloused. Once or twice is fine, but the constant reminder was rather annoying.

So, Charlotte’s mom goes missing and it takes a whole day for anyone to notice. And we’re supposed to just accept it’s because her studio door was closed. But like… she’s in the house? It’s kind of implied that Grandma would have been home all day. She didn’t worry when she heard exactly no movement for like two days? Charlotte’s dad wasn’t worried when she didn’t come to bed? It’s a bit of a stretch of the imagination, isn’t it? Which reminds me… I’m from a small town. Trust me when I say, everyone knew Charlotte’s mom was missing as soon as the police got the call. You don’t hide anything in small towns. Even if Charlotte’s family didn’t say anything, the neighbor saw the cop car. The police officer made calls to Emily’s friends to see if they’d seen or heard from her. Everyone knew Emily was missing by at least the next day.

My biggest problem with this book is honestly that there’s really no sense of urgency. Charlotte’s mom is safe. Anyone taken after her mom, will be safe. The worst that’s happening is that her mom isn’t there to listen to her boy problems. There’s no lingering threat of death. Even Charlotte isn’t in that much of a rush. She doesn’t really do that much to look for the stones. She goes to school and sets up dates for the weekend. If she was in a hurry, she’d be sneaking out every night to look for stones with a flashlight. She’d be sleeping through classes because she was up all night searching for stones. We just need some more in the urgency department.

So, up until now, you’re wondering “Blair, if you have all these complaints, why the 4 star review?”. Well, you see, I did like this overall. Leigh pitched this book as a cozy contemporary fantasy and I think it lives up to that. The writing is very simple, but it makes for a quick and easy read. There was something comforting about reading this. It didn’t require me to overthink things or scavenge for foreshadowing. It relaxed me. Which, is a giant accomplishment because it’s been a while since that happened. This is the kind of book I want when I’m stressed and I need to curl up on my couch and just relax.

The romance was the best I've read in ages. Even though Charlotte’s boy crazy attitude annoyed me, I liked Art. He’s a sweet character and he seemed to want to be Charlotte’s friend. Honestly, it’s been a long time since I genuinely saw chemistry between characters. The fact that these characters actually hung out and did things before they decided they were in love and needed to date is a nice change from the overwhelming instalove I normally read. And Art was a nice boy. Which is huge. Because I’m so used to these disgusting bad boys that it was so wonderful to read about a nice boy with good intentions.

And I loved the overall plot. Even if the pacing and urgency need some work, the idea behind this novel is simply wonderful and enjoyable. The way the magic works, the reason the dryad has no power outside of Lyra, the reason no one else sees the fairies and yet can still see the result of them. It kept me interested. The concept of people meant to protect these stones is new and fun. All of the motivations makes sense. Even the dryad has a solid motivation for what she’s done. And I think the hidden meanings of believing is seeing fits wonderfully in this story. It’s like a modern fairytale.

At the end of the day, I was not disappointed with this book. And, it’s the first the first book I’ve read this summer that I didn’t think “meh” of. I liked Song of the Dryad and I take it for what it is. A simple, whimsical story that is perfect for a younger teenage reader. Or a reader in her twenties who just needs something comforting. With just a little more showing and some more voice from her characters, I think Song of the Dryad could have been the first 5 star book I read this summer. I wish Leigh the best of luck on her further writing ventures and hope that she continues to grow as a writer.

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book cured my reading slump.

Song of the Dryad is a contemporary fantasy story about young Charlotte Barclay who can see fairies. Charlotte needs to rescue her mother from a dryad and finds out that she is a Shrine Keeper. In order to save her mother from the fairy realm, she must retrieve five stolen fairy stones and return them to their rightful place. Along the way, Charlotte becomes friends with a few fairies, and a boy, who help her on this quest.

It is a light, whimsical read that I absolutely enjoyed on my camping trip. I love Natalia Leigh's writing as I was completely immersed in Charlotte's little world, it was as though my own surroundings melted away. The story also has a nice message about our natural environment and how easily we overlook the harm we bring to our precious Earth.

This book is not like other YA books I've read. Charlotte's relationship with her friends is so pure. I love that I felt like Charlotte is, indeed, a teenage girl who worries about teenage things and that's something I really miss reading in YA fantasy recently; a breath of fresh air.

If you want to read something lighthearted, perhaps looking to cure your reading slump, I recommend Song of the Dryad.

[Nifa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading this in only a couple of days! Had a hard time putting it down, the story was just so engrossing. I don't usually go for such whimsical and, frankly, sweet stories, I'm usually drawn to dark and more-often-than-not tragic ones, so I was delightfully surprised at how much I actually enjoyed this. The characters were wonderful (especially Art, oh gosh did I swoon over that boy), the whole fairy world and anything magic related definitely made me envious of Charlotte's Sight, the environment was absolutely lovely. The only things I found a bit odd or didn't like as much were (I'm not sure if this counts as spoilers but better safe than sorry) the message about humans being terrible, even though we hardly ever saw anyone actually doing anything apart from Mr Nolan and it was more of just a fact, and the end where it got bit too sweet for me, but hey, that's all purely personal preferences and definitely didn't hinder anything.

5 stars!

[Rachel Sandell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a charming, beautiful read! Song of the Dryad follows Charlotte, who can see fairies and other magical creatures with a gift called the Sight. When a dryad steals her mother away, Charlotte is launched into an adventure of beauty, mystery, and rich lore.

My favorite parts of this book have to be the breath-taking descriptions, the behavior of the magical creatures (who all had their own personalities and were charming in their own right), and the romantic moments that left me feeling bright and hopeful. Even when darker moments in the story are tinged with a pinch of magic.

The only moment that took me out of the story was the climax, where one of the characters seemed to appear for this sole purpose and made the climax feel a bit quick. But everything else is wonderfully crafted! I highly recommend this book for lovers of fairies and enchanted lands.

[Hannah Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is absolutely gorgeous, inside and out. It’s the kind of cozy book you curl up with on a crisp autumn night, and end up completely losing track of time. I loved the autumn aesthetic of Song of the Dryad, and the story setting was beautiful. The pacing is perfect, the characters are quirky and human, and the descriptions make you feel like you are right there in Mapleton. I absolutely adored this book! Congrats to Natalia Leigh for writing the book that fantasy’s been missing.