Destruction: Dark Forest Dryad Book 1

by Fiona Faith Ross

"I really enjoyed this book. I loved Lucy's character. Can't wait for book 2." Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Student Lucy Ranaldson feels unworthy to be loved, especially next to her dazzling elder sister, Tasha, who is seeing Lucy’s boss, the man Lucy loves. She wishes she was older, glamorous and sophisticated like Tasha. A believer in magic, she does a ritual on Beltane Eve for her favourite tree spirit, to make him love her. His wealthy family owns the garden centre and timber yard where she works. He mocks Lucy and she has to endure the torment until she finishes her work experience and gets her diploma. Then she learns big business will cut down the local forest to build a reservoir. Lucy teams up with boy-next-door, Terrance, to found Mykelium an activist group, to save the forest, but she has family worries too. Mum scolds her and Lucy can’t do anything right. Only Gran understands her, but Gran has a weak heart and needs an operation. And Lucy has exams. One day the spirit of Lucy’s favourite tree appears in a vision and begs Lucy to save her. Lucy doesn’t get it until Gran tells Lucy she is magically connected to the forest. Mykelium is no match for giant machines and big business and is smashed. It’s time to call on magic forces and defeat the tree destroyers once and for all. Gran dies, and Lucy loses her guiding light. Can she save the spirit of her ancient magic tree before they are destroyed forever? DESTRUCTION is Book One of three in the DARK FOREST DRYAD series. If you like clean romance, new adult fantasy stories with a hint of magic, plants and nature, you will enjoy this book. Buy DESTRUCTION today to start Lucy’s rough awakening into adulthood, the real world and the hidden world of magic. WHAT THEY SAID

Thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the romance story, the magic elements and Lucy's family. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I would definitely read the next book . ★ ★ ★ ★

Definitely an enjoyable read, and I even cried, too . ★ ★ ★ ★
Did you enjoy this read? Please rate it and leave a review ! It means more than you know.

Available eBook, KindleUnlimited & Paperback

238 pages, Paperback

Published July 22, 2021

About the author

Full time copywriter, fiction and screenwriter. I live amongst the witches, spirits and ghouls of the UK's south coast.

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I write Teen & YA under Fiona Faith Ross, and Paranormal, Supernatural & Ghost Horror under F. F. Ross.

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Reviews

[A.K. Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Destruction is clearly an "introductory" story to the world of the Faedell dryad of the fig tree. As the title indicates, there is a lot of destruction with a mild payoff at the end that leaves the story open for further narratives. The story is generally quick paced and the book is on the short side. Told in first person past tense, there are parts that go a little too quickly and could use some more depth. For example, at one point the main character (Lucy) is leaving work, then she is suddenly having a dream about the forest. Another example is in the beginning it seems to take Lucy a significant amount of time to get to the all important fig tree, but after that the journey feels very short. Over all, the sentence structure often felt clipped, which moved the story quickly in places where it could have been slowed down.

Unfortunately, there is also a number of technical issues with the story. Some of it may be part of translating the script to an e-copy, as there were missing words/phrases and quotation marks. More apparent was the use of italics for thought. Entire paragraphs were often italicized for logical reason. Being in first person thought and narrative aren't that different, meaning italics should be used sparingly for obvious thoughts of the character.

I don't hold this against the author, but I personally couldn't identify with Lucy, which made things a little more difficult. At one point in the story, Lucy gets a Tarot reading where she is identified as being perceptive, which she agrees with. However, Lucy is not perceptive at all - she starts off pining for a guy who is clearly a jerk, completely missing the flirting from her best friend. Even though all the clues about her job and the pending trouble in the forest are all around her, it takes her forever to figure it out. When she has trouble with her education, she immediately turns to doom and gloom instead of realizing there are possible solutions. She also underestimates her relationship with her grandmother, the one person who has her back.

Overall, it's a quick read with some interesting points. It's clear the story leads into more and it sets up a lot of questions to be answered in further books.

[Carol Peace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy works at the garden centre and she is concerned about the changes that are coming, she realises that the woodland is to lose some trees but doesn't want the ancient Fig tree to be culled as she knows how upset her grandmother would be. Lucy has grown up with stories that her grandmother told her and it seems there is a link to her family with the tree but unfortunately progress is going to happe and what can she do about it?.
This is a good story which includes a healthy combination of 'real life' and 'fantasy'. I did take a few pages to get into it but I can honestly say I loved it and will be looking out for the second book.

[Joshua Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiona Faith Ross puts us in the magical battle to save a forest in Destruction! For reasons unbeknownst to her, student Lucy is called upon by a dryad to save a magical forest. Unfortunately, doing so means standing against her crush. Ross balances the magic of the story with the clean romance perfectly, drawing me in and making me fall in love with Lucy’s plight! Lucy is a great character, and her romantic entanglements were what drew me in the most, although the magical plot was intriguing as well. If you love magic, fae, saving the environment, or romance, definitely come save a tree with Destruction!

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Destruction by Fiona Faith Ross.
Dark forest Dryad book 1.
Mortals share the land with natural fae and the ancient tree spirits. 19-year-old Lucy Ranaldson knows she shares a secret with a woodland goddess fae because Gran told her, but she doesn’t know what it is. Lucy and her mate, Terrance, learn developers will cut down the forest. Will Lucy discover the connection with her tree before it is lost forever?
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Lucy's character. She was my favourite. Can't wait for book 2. 5*.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read with a rather hapless though endearing main character. A touch of romance, a smidge of magic, plenty of real life drudgery and a dollop of brutal violence. Plenty of unlikeable characters but you do feel for Lucy. It feels like it could do with a bit more editorial polishing however the storyline underneath is engaging enough to ignore that. I would definitely read the next book.

[Beccy Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series and it’s really engaged me with wanting to read more. Excellent characters- especially Lucy!
Well written and pacey with enough surprise twists to hook the reader

[Kamini Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a lot of parts that I liked in this book. It felt a little disjointed and I would have enjoyed more fantasy and less regular angst. I hope the next book has more fantasy, I would keep reading the series.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. I liked it alot. Looking forward to the next one