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The Arrow and the Crown
Ever since Anna can remember, she's avoided the ancient Grünwald Forest, where her parents disappeared years ago. Everyone in the kingdom of Weissburg knows the tales of vengeful spirits that lurk among the trees, and of a Beast that has taken the lives of peasants, knights, and the king’s own son. But when the Beast emerges after seven silent years to wreak havoc on the kingdom, Anna braves all her fears to confront him. She soon discovers that there's more to the Beast than she realized...and more to herself than she ever imagined.
289 pages, Paperback
Published June 20, 2019
26 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
September 10, 2019
It didn't take long to become immersed in the fairy-tale world of Emma Fox with this book. I was only familiarized with the youth fiction genre of literature, so in a manner of speaking this book was my first actual foray. This form of writing takes skill, and I'm definitely a fan of the genre after reading this book. Generally speaking--so as not to be guilty of the review becoming a spoiler--the storytelling begins with an element of suspense, and carries the reader away into the life of a mysterious forest with a history. There is a play upon good and evil regarding strangers and strange happenings that the central character, Anna, experiences. It's an ancient world that you think you can place with more certainty as you go along, but are still in the make-believe realm. Emma carries you through the story with a lamp, bringing resolution with a warm story of love.
November 4, 2020
This book has it all: intrepid heroine, handsome woodcutter, and an evil beast roaming the gloomy woods.
Anna doesn't know why the villagers look at her oddly. Her uncle will never talk about himself or her origins.
When the monstrous beast which terrorizes the neighborhood chases off her beloved horse, she is determined to find him, even if it means going into the haunted woods she has always avoided. She meets a gentle woodcutter and his surly friend, who both seem to be hiding something.
Wonderful twists and unexpected turns kept me engaged in this Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. The beast's kills are too violent and gory for the younger readers, but 12 and up could handle the descriptions.
Anna doesn't know why the villagers look at her oddly. Her uncle will never talk about himself or her origins.
When the monstrous beast which terrorizes the neighborhood chases off her beloved horse, she is determined to find him, even if it means going into the haunted woods she has always avoided. She meets a gentle woodcutter and his surly friend, who both seem to be hiding something.
Wonderful twists and unexpected turns kept me engaged in this Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. The beast's kills are too violent and gory for the younger readers, but 12 and up could handle the descriptions.
July 2, 2020
Gorgeous scenery, lovable characters, and amazing twists and turns that really kept me guessing. The main character, Anna, is rare - loving, strong, kind, and more interested in helping others than serving herself. The romance is also incredibly sweet. Definitely the best retelling of Beauty and the Beast I have ever read.
January 16, 2024
Great story, good characterizations, believable ending and falling action. First book of the year to make me cry. 😄
The writing itself is good-not-great, but Fox’s writing really improved in the four years between this book and The Carver and the Queen (one of my favorites of 2023). I’ll still look forward to anything else Fox writes.
The writing itself is good-not-great, but Fox’s writing really improved in the four years between this book and The Carver and the Queen (one of my favorites of 2023). I’ll still look forward to anything else Fox writes.
March 24, 2021
its a book that you can't put down when you start reading. I Had to sacrifice my other activities that day i picked the book to read. what first interested me was that i had a great friend named Anna. I told her i might like the book since i like her. Just know that you can't stop thinking how amazing this fairy tale turned out.
it blew the doors of my heart wide open.
It reminded me that we do not often know our friends as best as we think we do even when we grew with them the whole of our lives. We will one day come to a conflicting loyalties. a wound of a best friend hurts more than an enemy's evil plan. we rarely see it coming till it was at our door place when it is too late at times to change anything much if not for a friend who we got at the last minute who all along has been struggling to get us to see it.
we can't be grateful enough for r such a friend and i have been in such a situation that is why i wanted to find out how the book ends.
prince Fredrich was a great leader who was willing to sacrifice the position and solve a problem because he wanted to show a good example and the love he has for the people even at the cost of his own life. Are we willing to go that far if we are given the position of leadership.
it blew the doors of my heart wide open.
It reminded me that we do not often know our friends as best as we think we do even when we grew with them the whole of our lives. We will one day come to a conflicting loyalties. a wound of a best friend hurts more than an enemy's evil plan. we rarely see it coming till it was at our door place when it is too late at times to change anything much if not for a friend who we got at the last minute who all along has been struggling to get us to see it.
we can't be grateful enough for r such a friend and i have been in such a situation that is why i wanted to find out how the book ends.
prince Fredrich was a great leader who was willing to sacrifice the position and solve a problem because he wanted to show a good example and the love he has for the people even at the cost of his own life. Are we willing to go that far if we are given the position of leadership.
April 29, 2021
Captivating and magical
This book was a wild ride, but a phenomenal one. The writing felt like it was geared toward upper elementary and then grew as the story developed- I don't know if that was intentional but I thought it was amazing. I imagined my 10 year old self reading and my vocabulary exploding as I got further into the story.
Beyond that, the author does an amazing job of letting the reader think they've figured it out just to surprise you a little more with a little twist of events.
It's so good. So good. Sarah Mackenzie needs to put this on her list!
This book was a wild ride, but a phenomenal one. The writing felt like it was geared toward upper elementary and then grew as the story developed- I don't know if that was intentional but I thought it was amazing. I imagined my 10 year old self reading and my vocabulary exploding as I got further into the story.
Beyond that, the author does an amazing job of letting the reader think they've figured it out just to surprise you a little more with a little twist of events.
It's so good. So good. Sarah Mackenzie needs to put this on her list!
November 7, 2023
I can't resist a fairy tale, and this was an enjoyable, quick read that ISN'T a retelling. I'd recommend this for mid-schoolers and young adults, as it's a tad more mature with a teenage protagonist.
The most enjoyable part of reading this book, for me, was going into it completely blind. At first, I thought it might be a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and although it draws on some imagery and themes from that story, it isn't. The plot moved along, and the characters are all good. It's set in a standalone Euro-fairy-tale-esque world with magic. Good magic and bad magic are at major odds.
The story starts out very small in scope, and it expands nicely as the plot moves along to encompass the entire kingdom. What could've been a very slow-moving trilogy is, instead, a brisk standalone novel, and I LIKED that. So often, it seems, in the YA world (especially fantasy, my goodness) everything must be a series...there's money to be made, people. But this story is so much better as a solo.
Another interesting thing: The emotional impact far outshines the writing craft. I'm very willing to overlook so-so execution if the story makes me FEEL something, and this one did. Also, the moral value is 5/5 stars. I wouldn't hesitate recommending this to any adolescent. There's romance, but it's done in the best of taste.
The most enjoyable part of reading this book, for me, was going into it completely blind. At first, I thought it might be a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and although it draws on some imagery and themes from that story, it isn't. The plot moved along, and the characters are all good. It's set in a standalone Euro-fairy-tale-esque world with magic. Good magic and bad magic are at major odds.
The story starts out very small in scope, and it expands nicely as the plot moves along to encompass the entire kingdom. What could've been a very slow-moving trilogy is, instead, a brisk standalone novel, and I LIKED that. So often, it seems, in the YA world (especially fantasy, my goodness) everything must be a series...there's money to be made, people. But this story is so much better as a solo.
Another interesting thing: The emotional impact far outshines the writing craft. I'm very willing to overlook so-so execution if the story makes me FEEL something, and this one did. Also, the moral value is 5/5 stars. I wouldn't hesitate recommending this to any adolescent. There's romance, but it's done in the best of taste.
July 14, 2025
This was supposed to be a rather caustic review of yet again another attempt at writing a fairy story which, as you read it, you'll figure out whether you think it successful or not. But I don't think it will be that acidic, I hope🍋It was the language which rendered this book a rather poor attempt, as I don't understand why place a story hundreds of years ago and use modern speech and very unlikely characters and happenings. It would have worked very well had it stayed true to its language and angsty teens in the 21st century and place it modern Germany; can't we have some kind of fairy tales in modern times?
I enjoyed the story, somehow, although it was who had more character development than the main character, Anna, the everlasting awkward, misfit, who hates the way she looks, though everybody and their brothers consider her beautiful, unambitious, dull and the odd-ball even until the very last pages of the book. It was not very satisfying as I would have appreciated seeing a more mature Anna, who gains some wisdom and some true measure of herself, in humble acknowledgement of her strengths and weaknesses, as I don't believe knowing yourself and appreciate and be grateful for your endowments and accepting your wants and trying to improve them is hubris but true self-knowledge, which does not feed anxiety and insecurity. We really need strong heroines whose, strong moral values and courage and hope are true incentives for our girls, to do likewise and become the true persons God called them to be and not wallow in self-pity and self-deprecating thoughts . As we only find Anna changed and getting her bearings at the very end of the book it is rather difficult to tell if she will continue to develop and be a strong character after the book ends.
Structure-wise, I found it a bit frustrating as I lost my momentum after two major climaxes, one after defeating the beast in the middle of the book, with almost another half of the book regaining the throne and defeating yet another villain, and then with 10% of the book with Anna trying to fit in her new surroundings and really figuring out her true calling all the while anxious lest her sweetheart suddenly love somebody else.
I did not expect the book to be this way and whilst it is unusual both in plot/structure, language/characters I did enjoy some of it, some of the unexpected twists and the Christian values that some characters were really concerned about (though Christianity is not very explicit, with a few mentions of God). All in all, a good read.
I enjoyed the story, somehow, although it was who had more character development than the main character, Anna, the everlasting awkward, misfit, who hates the way she looks, though everybody and their brothers consider her beautiful, unambitious, dull and the odd-ball even until the very last pages of the book. It was not very satisfying as I would have appreciated seeing a more mature Anna, who gains some wisdom and some true measure of herself, in humble acknowledgement of her strengths and weaknesses, as I don't believe knowing yourself and appreciate and be grateful for your endowments and accepting your wants and trying to improve them is hubris but true self-knowledge, which does not feed anxiety and insecurity. We really need strong heroines whose, strong moral values and courage and hope are true incentives for our girls, to do likewise and become the true persons God called them to be and not wallow in self-pity and self-deprecating thoughts . As we only find Anna changed and getting her bearings at the very end of the book it is rather difficult to tell if she will continue to develop and be a strong character after the book ends.
Structure-wise, I found it a bit frustrating as I lost my momentum after two major climaxes, one after defeating the beast in the middle of the book, with almost another half of the book regaining the throne and defeating yet another villain, and then with 10% of the book with Anna trying to fit in her new surroundings and really figuring out her true calling all the while anxious lest her sweetheart suddenly love somebody else.
I did not expect the book to be this way and whilst it is unusual both in plot/structure, language/characters I did enjoy some of it, some of the unexpected twists and the Christian values that some characters were really concerned about (though Christianity is not very explicit, with a few mentions of God). All in all, a good read.
January 17, 2021
A genuine, thoughtful mixture of folk tale, mystery, and heroes and heroines to marvel after, this book resides in the book families of Lloyd Alexander and his Book of Three, the Chronicles of Narnia with its entrance of wood folk and elements that hint of magic, and far-distant Germanic folk tales.
The plot line continuously surprises, and endearing characters remain in the imagination long after the final page closes. There are also splashes of humor, and the author captures both the up-close and personal life of Anna in a quaint village while crafting a larger world filled with weightier questions, including societal shame. A favorite character? The beautiful and trusty woods that reek with intrigue. :-)
A three-dimensional, fulfilling first novel. All eagerness for this author's next book.
The plot line continuously surprises, and endearing characters remain in the imagination long after the final page closes. There are also splashes of humor, and the author captures both the up-close and personal life of Anna in a quaint village while crafting a larger world filled with weightier questions, including societal shame. A favorite character? The beautiful and trusty woods that reek with intrigue. :-)
A three-dimensional, fulfilling first novel. All eagerness for this author's next book.
June 2, 2021
An enchanting story!
The Arrow and the Crown is a delightful, entertaining, easy YA read. Anna, the heroine, exhibits a charming mixture of bravery and trepidation as she ventures into the woods to slay a beast, fall in love, and rescue her country from an evil villain. I enjoyed the mix of magical and physical battles throughout the story as well as the vivid descriptions. There is some mild violence, but it is an otherwise #cleanread with a sprinkle of sweet romance. If you're a fan of fantasy action-adventure, check it out today!
The Arrow and the Crown is a delightful, entertaining, easy YA read. Anna, the heroine, exhibits a charming mixture of bravery and trepidation as she ventures into the woods to slay a beast, fall in love, and rescue her country from an evil villain. I enjoyed the mix of magical and physical battles throughout the story as well as the vivid descriptions. There is some mild violence, but it is an otherwise #cleanread with a sprinkle of sweet romance. If you're a fan of fantasy action-adventure, check it out today!
February 25, 2020
An engaging YA fantasy with a classic fairy tale feel. The prose is lyrical without slowing the pace. The twisty plot kept me turning the pages, and Anna feels delightfully real, discovering her own vulnerabilities and strengths as her story unfolds.
June 28, 2022
"There's something I have to know before I leave. Did you ever- do you love me, Warren?"
"Why else would I let you go?"
Was this story anything like I expected it to be? No. Was it better than I thought it would be? Absolutely!
I went into this book expecting a Beauty and the Beast retelling with a mystery to unwind but ended up with so much more.
Anna was a determined and likeable heroine who really had go grow into herself.
Warren was the perfect tortured hero, with a noble and compassionate heart.
The romance was sweet and tender, yet also poignant and mature.
I really loved Uncle Albrecht, and came to like other side characters as well.
This book had several well done plot twists that I thought were great, but THAT plot twist was A-maz-ing! Totally blew my mind!
The battle scene was incredible too. (Coming from someone can't really follow or enjoy written battle scenes!)
In a world ravaged by injustice and darkness, we see love, sacrifice, compassion, and bravery conquer all, and the story ends with a well-deserved happy ending that left me smiling after turning the last page. I enjoyed it!
"Why else would I let you go?"
Was this story anything like I expected it to be? No. Was it better than I thought it would be? Absolutely!
I went into this book expecting a Beauty and the Beast retelling with a mystery to unwind but ended up with so much more.
Anna was a determined and likeable heroine who really had go grow into herself.
Warren was the perfect tortured hero, with a noble and compassionate heart.
The romance was sweet and tender, yet also poignant and mature.
I really loved Uncle Albrecht, and came to like other side characters as well.
This book had several well done plot twists that I thought were great, but THAT plot twist was A-maz-ing! Totally blew my mind!
The battle scene was incredible too. (Coming from someone can't really follow or enjoy written battle scenes!)
In a world ravaged by injustice and darkness, we see love, sacrifice, compassion, and bravery conquer all, and the story ends with a well-deserved happy ending that left me smiling after turning the last page. I enjoyed it!
December 5, 2023
This is an enchanting read all the way through! It came up on my recommended reading on Kindle Unlimited, and I am so glad it did! I’m assuming it’s considered YA fantasy but forget what you know about most in that genre — this novel is tasteful and so well done.
There is just enough lore to keep it magical without being confusing, the romance is SO sweet, and just when you think you’ve figured it out…the writer throws a curve ball at you! LOTS of twists that kept me guessing. Best of all, Fox does a wonderful job at showing the beauty of femininity and the strength of masculinity. Anna (main female character) doesn’t try to usurp Warren (main male character), rather comes alongside him to be his helper and point him to his ultimate mission.
LOVED THIS! Read it! I can’t wait to read it with my children when they’re older.
There is just enough lore to keep it magical without being confusing, the romance is SO sweet, and just when you think you’ve figured it out…the writer throws a curve ball at you! LOTS of twists that kept me guessing. Best of all, Fox does a wonderful job at showing the beauty of femininity and the strength of masculinity. Anna (main female character) doesn’t try to usurp Warren (main male character), rather comes alongside him to be his helper and point him to his ultimate mission.
LOVED THIS! Read it! I can’t wait to read it with my children when they’re older.
March 7, 2025
With echoes of great classic tales such as Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narina, and Beauty and the Beast, this beautiful fantasy by Emma Fox is filled with beauty, bravery, and good heart.
I loved the story of Anna, a simple farm girl overlooked by her village and full of feelings of unbelonging, who chose bravery and entered the Grunwald, where she found friendship, love, and strange magic. Which changed her life forever and freed a people ruled by lies, hatred, and an evil hungerness for power.
Well done, Emma, well done.
Your words make me want to write.
I loved the story of Anna, a simple farm girl overlooked by her village and full of feelings of unbelonging, who chose bravery and entered the Grunwald, where she found friendship, love, and strange magic. Which changed her life forever and freed a people ruled by lies, hatred, and an evil hungerness for power.
Well done, Emma, well done.
Your words make me want to write.
July 25, 2023
An enchanted forest, a mysterious beast, unexplainable magic, and a pretender to a struggling kingdom's throne made for a spellbinding adventure in The Arrow and the Crown. It's a story of redemptive love that overcomes despair and a king in exile rising up to reclaim his lost kingdom. A new fairytale with clear inspiration from Beauty and the Beast and C.S. Lewis's Prince Caspian that deserves to be read and cherished!
March 14, 2023
This was a read-aloud with my daughter. We both love it! She says she would give it ten stars! Excellent storytelling. I thought I knew where it was going and was surprised, which is always nice.
March 3, 2025
The prose of this book needed a lot of polishing, BUT, the storyline/ideas were wonderful and compelling and kept me reading. Very enjoyable. Looking forward to reading her second story!
November 12, 2020
I loved this book so much. It honestly gives me Beauty and the Beast vibes. I'd definitely recommend it. :)
April 2, 2021
If you're looking for a fantasy book with a fairytale feel and an epic battle, that features a strong female heroine and is set in the medieval period? The Arrow and The Crown captures all of this so well. I loved it and highly recommend it.
It's an elaborate tale about a brave girl's special connection to an enchanted forest that hides many secrets. Very atmospheric. Great prose; the writing pulls you into the world of the story. It has a lot of beautiful descriptions of nature and Anne's pastoral life. I loved the medieval setting and the whimsical feel of the Grünwald forest. Elements like the forest dryads and the mysterious beast added a sense of wonder that made this story so magical and a joy to read.
It's an elaborate tale about a brave girl's special connection to an enchanted forest that hides many secrets. Very atmospheric. Great prose; the writing pulls you into the world of the story. It has a lot of beautiful descriptions of nature and Anne's pastoral life. I loved the medieval setting and the whimsical feel of the Grünwald forest. Elements like the forest dryads and the mysterious beast added a sense of wonder that made this story so magical and a joy to read.
February 6, 2021
If Among the Beasts & Briars and The Lord of the Rings combined into a beautiful fairytale, you would have this must-read book. You're drawn in from the very first scene, and it never lets up. Normally good about guessing twists, I was pleasantly surprised all the way to the end. Fans of YA fantasy won't want to miss this eloquently written novel that features everything from magic and nature to complex relationships.
February 19, 2021
I read this at my daughter's urging. It was delightful, with magic, knights, hints of my favorite fairy tale (Beauty and the Beast), adventure, likeable characters, love and sacrifice, the power of believing what it true, and good triumphing over evil. Charming and satisfying.
December 14, 2021
Magical, mystical & simply marvelous. It’s everything one could want in a fairy tale. Surprise twists and turns, intoxicating descriptions and, as it should be, the happiest of ever afters. Cannot wait to read more from this author!
December 25, 2020
A wonderful story! It read like a fairytale. I fully enjoyed it. I loved the main characters, the plot kept surprising me, and the ending was satisfying. I would highly recommend it.
September 21, 2025
Really enjoyed this one. Truthfully, it has been sitting on my shelves for over a year waiting for the right "mood" to strike. I originally bought it after an artist I admire shared that she did the cover art (and the book blurb sounded up my alley). This is *kind of* a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but NOT. There is a Beast, and a few other similarities like a farm girl living with an elderly family member both of whom are viewed as strange by the rest of the village...but it does not follow the fairytale much beyond that. In fact, the parts that most closely parallel that story are essentially done by the halfway point! I found myself being continually surprised by the direction the story was going. There were multiple plot mysteries to unravel, multiple "villain" figures to confront, and through it all the main characters had to challenge aspects of their past and internal beliefs and find a way forward. The way the author wrote their personal growth was satisfying - they help each other be their best selves. I just really loved that Anna is a great protagonist: hard working, determined, kind, but still flawed in a way that feels relatable. MMC (not going to give away the name) is great too - noble, kind to a fault, a little too hard on himself and single-minded sometimes, but he grows along with Anna.
In terms of criticism, I do think the events moved a little fast in some parts - I expected the action or pivotal moments to take longer than they actually did. One of the villain encounters feels a little anticlimactic because of that. There's a part with too much monologuing by a character which felt like a device to wrap up some of the loose ends that could have been revealed/explored a little more naturally. I also wanted a little more from the folkloric/fantasy elements that weren't as deeply explained. I wanted to know more about the dryads and the history of the forest. That said, I still found it an enjoyable and well-written story with overall good pacing.
Content: There is a sweet, wholesome romance with one brief non-descriptive kiss and moments of things like holding hands or caressing a face. Passing insinuation of hookups by some unsavory characters (non-descriptive). Only one mild swear that I can recall ("damned" or similar variation). There are instances of bloody injuries and some violence from the Beast and from medieval battles, though it is not too graphic or overly descriptive. A head is lopped off during a battle, for example, but the imagery of such is not given in detail. There are a few deaths of secondary characters. Magic plays an important part in the story, and there is both good and dark magic portrayed.
In terms of criticism, I do think the events moved a little fast in some parts - I expected the action or pivotal moments to take longer than they actually did. One of the villain encounters feels a little anticlimactic because of that. There's a part with too much monologuing by a character which felt like a device to wrap up some of the loose ends that could have been revealed/explored a little more naturally. I also wanted a little more from the folkloric/fantasy elements that weren't as deeply explained. I wanted to know more about the dryads and the history of the forest. That said, I still found it an enjoyable and well-written story with overall good pacing.
Content: There is a sweet, wholesome romance with one brief non-descriptive kiss and moments of things like holding hands or caressing a face. Passing insinuation of hookups by some unsavory characters (non-descriptive). Only one mild swear that I can recall ("damned" or similar variation). There are instances of bloody injuries and some violence from the Beast and from medieval battles, though it is not too graphic or overly descriptive. A head is lopped off during a battle, for example, but the imagery of such is not given in detail. There are a few deaths of secondary characters. Magic plays an important part in the story, and there is both good and dark magic portrayed.
August 27, 2021
My review will be a bit different from the others here. I am a fan of classic literary fiction, but am trying to become more familiar with other types of books. Accordingly, I chose The Arrow and the Crown, as it had good ratings and was only a standalone book, not the beginning of a series. I didn't want to commit too much time to this endeavor!
You know what I liked about this book? The heroine's success didn't depend on her being beautiful or marrying a royal. She had to work and learn new things and practice and figure things out to solve her problems. And another thing: I couldn't predict what would happen. This may be because I am not familiar with this genre. But it was nice to be taken by surprise. As one writing teacher put it, the ending was unexpected but, in retrospect, was consistent with the protagonist and the world she inhabits.
Emma Fox thought everything through and then revealed the history of the forest as her heroine discovers it. Her pacing is effective. There are just enough characters to make the book interesting but not overwhelming. This is not "epic fantasy," but it is an engaging and fun read. Though there is some necessary violence and darkness, Fox doesn't linger on these. There's no bodice ripping either, thank God, just respectful relationships between the main characters (though definitely some hints of dangerous/disrespectful attention from bad guys). The Arrow and the Crown left me pondering the nature of good and evil, but with a feeling of hope that good conquers evil (not without some cost, however). This rings true to my own experience of the real world. I think this is the best kind of fantasy.
You know what I liked about this book? The heroine's success didn't depend on her being beautiful or marrying a royal. She had to work and learn new things and practice and figure things out to solve her problems. And another thing: I couldn't predict what would happen. This may be because I am not familiar with this genre. But it was nice to be taken by surprise. As one writing teacher put it, the ending was unexpected but, in retrospect, was consistent with the protagonist and the world she inhabits.
Emma Fox thought everything through and then revealed the history of the forest as her heroine discovers it. Her pacing is effective. There are just enough characters to make the book interesting but not overwhelming. This is not "epic fantasy," but it is an engaging and fun read. Though there is some necessary violence and darkness, Fox doesn't linger on these. There's no bodice ripping either, thank God, just respectful relationships between the main characters (though definitely some hints of dangerous/disrespectful attention from bad guys). The Arrow and the Crown left me pondering the nature of good and evil, but with a feeling of hope that good conquers evil (not without some cost, however). This rings true to my own experience of the real world. I think this is the best kind of fantasy.
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March 15, 2022If you like retellings, romance, and fairytales, you'll likely enjoy this book!
The Arrow And The Crown has aspects of a fairytale, retelling, historical fiction, and romance. It seems more fairytale and historical than fantasy because of the strong influence of German culture and folklore.
Positives
Well written
Good imagery
Realistic characters and struggles
Emma Fox did well with foreshadowing and suggesting and setting you up to guess what might be coming.
I liked the aspect of mystery. The forest, Anna, and the beast each had a mystery around them that kept me wanting to find out the truth.
Negatives
The first part of the book felt very close to a well-known fairytale, and so I felt like I knew what was going to happen.
The book felt like two stories: 1. the mystery of the beast and 2. a romance. Halfway through, it seemed like since the problem was resolved, it was the end of the book.
I think I didn't fall in love with the story because romance and retellings are simply not my favorite genre.
If you do like retellings, fairytales, or romance, I think you will really enjoy this book. It was a good story about perception and what we choose to do with our perceptions.
The Arrow And The Crown has aspects of a fairytale, retelling, historical fiction, and romance. It seems more fairytale and historical than fantasy because of the strong influence of German culture and folklore.
Positives
Well written
Good imagery
Realistic characters and struggles
Emma Fox did well with foreshadowing and suggesting and setting you up to guess what might be coming.
I liked the aspect of mystery. The forest, Anna, and the beast each had a mystery around them that kept me wanting to find out the truth.
Negatives
The first part of the book felt very close to a well-known fairytale, and so I felt like I knew what was going to happen.
The book felt like two stories: 1. the mystery of the beast and 2. a romance. Halfway through, it seemed like since the problem was resolved, it was the end of the book.
I think I didn't fall in love with the story because romance and retellings are simply not my favorite genre.
If you do like retellings, fairytales, or romance, I think you will really enjoy this book. It was a good story about perception and what we choose to do with our perceptions.
August 6, 2022
A Rich and satisfying tale!
Written in the style of the best classic fantasy fairy tales, The Arrow and The Crown is a lovely romp. Successfully incorporating historical elements into the traditional fairy story gives it a depth beyond the traditional form. Additionally, Fox is extremely skilled at introducing real life detail and description in a way that is just enough to make you FEEL the landscape and journey of the characters without distracting from or slowing down the telling of the tale. Also, like life, the range of the story includes sadness, death, fear lIfe's with wisdom, laughter, love, and light hearted hopefullness. The best fantasy reveals Truth as well as providing fun and stimulating imagination. This story has it . Several times words of wisdom, and truths to live by, jumped out at me as if highlighted on the page. I won't quote them here, but you will find them like Easter eggs hidden in a wildflower meadow--of mysterious wood. Read this book, read it to the children in your life. I loved it.
Written in the style of the best classic fantasy fairy tales, The Arrow and The Crown is a lovely romp. Successfully incorporating historical elements into the traditional fairy story gives it a depth beyond the traditional form. Additionally, Fox is extremely skilled at introducing real life detail and description in a way that is just enough to make you FEEL the landscape and journey of the characters without distracting from or slowing down the telling of the tale. Also, like life, the range of the story includes sadness, death, fear lIfe's with wisdom, laughter, love, and light hearted hopefullness. The best fantasy reveals Truth as well as providing fun and stimulating imagination. This story has it . Several times words of wisdom, and truths to live by, jumped out at me as if highlighted on the page. I won't quote them here, but you will find them like Easter eggs hidden in a wildflower meadow--of mysterious wood. Read this book, read it to the children in your life. I loved it.
March 18, 2021
Barely able to walk when her parents are killed, Anna has since lived with the man she calls Uncle Albrecht. One night, the sound of Tabbert the farm horse screaming, wakes Anna. Then she hears the panicked noises of all the farmyard animals. She dresses, throws on a cloak, and runs outside to see Tabbert being chased by the creature known as The Beast, a vicious bear-like animal. Anna runs after Tabbert and ends up at a woodcutter's cabin in the Grunwald Forest. She enquires of a man holding a fawn and bandaging its leg if he has seen her horse so he tells Anna yes, her horse is in the barn. He introduced himself as Warren. This story has romance and action, has a HEA, and is a treat to read. Highly recommended.
October 25, 2023
You know it’s a great story when you wish you could go back in time and relive all the feelings of reading it for the first time. It’s sweet and lovely I highly recommend it. It has twists and turns both expected and not, and yet I enjoyed even the ones I predicted. The love story is perfectly plotted and beautiful. If you love fairytales, beauty and the beast retellings, and/or fantasy—you should read this!
February 17, 2022
I'm so grateful I received a snow day directly after purchasing this book. I found it hard to put down. While there are echoes of other fantasies like LOTR and C. S. Lewis' Narnia, the land of Weissburg is entirely its own. There are so many layers in this story--layers of mystery, of character, of hope. Well, well done, Emma. I'm glad I got to "meet" you through the writing world.
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