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White Hart #1
White Hart
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.
The first novel in this coming of age fantasy series filled with magic, adventure, and heart.
In a land where magic has dried out, Mae Waylander is the last magic wielder in Aegunlund. She is the craft-born. But Mae has kept her true identity hidden from the world, and she’s not about to reveal her secret. Not when the King is searching for the craft-born to marry his heir, Prince Casimir.
In Mae's town of Halts-Walden, the ambitious miller claims his daughter Ellen is the craft-born. All Mae has to do is sit back and wait until Casimir and Ellen are married, then she will finally be free of the threat of her fate. But on that day an event so shocking and terrible occurs that Mae finds herself entering the neighbouring cursed forest on a quest she never thought she'd have to follow.
Join Mae as she rides her white stag through the Waerg Woods with a pampered prince at her heels. She's out for revenge and nothing—no one—will get in her way.
The first novel in this coming of age fantasy series filled with magic, adventure, and heart.
In a land where magic has dried out, Mae Waylander is the last magic wielder in Aegunlund. She is the craft-born. But Mae has kept her true identity hidden from the world, and she’s not about to reveal her secret. Not when the King is searching for the craft-born to marry his heir, Prince Casimir.
In Mae's town of Halts-Walden, the ambitious miller claims his daughter Ellen is the craft-born. All Mae has to do is sit back and wait until Casimir and Ellen are married, then she will finally be free of the threat of her fate. But on that day an event so shocking and terrible occurs that Mae finds herself entering the neighbouring cursed forest on a quest she never thought she'd have to follow.
Join Mae as she rides her white stag through the Waerg Woods with a pampered prince at her heels. She's out for revenge and nothing—no one—will get in her way.
395 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2014
280 people are currently reading
2489 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Dalton
66 books336 followersSarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.
Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, PANK magazine, Apex Magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. Her short story ‘Vampires Wear Chanel’ is featured in the Wyvern Publication Fangtales.
She is the author of the popular YA dystopia series 'Blemished' and the gothic novella 'My Daylight Monsters'. She is currently working on a YA Fantasy series titled 'White Hart'.
Follow Sarah on twitter @sarahdalton
Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, PANK magazine, Apex Magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. Her short story ‘Vampires Wear Chanel’ is featured in the Wyvern Publication Fangtales.
She is the author of the popular YA dystopia series 'Blemished' and the gothic novella 'My Daylight Monsters'. She is currently working on a YA Fantasy series titled 'White Hart'.
Follow Sarah on twitter @sarahdalton
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
October 7, 2015
5 Words: Exciting, magical, heartbreaking, fantasy, responsibility
Sarah Dalton is one of my favourite authors for a reason. I have never once failed to be seriously impressed by what I've read. All of her books have made me stop and think, and White Hart is no exception.
Even if I hadn't known the author - it's a certainty that I will pick up anything by Sarah Dalton - that cover would have compelled me to read it. Have you ever seen anything so gorgeous?
I wasn't sure whether I liked Mae at first. In fact, I'm not altogether sure that I like her now. But she is a wonderful character who changes so much between the pages. She experiences such hardship and she makes such difficult decisions that I couldn't help but grow to love her and her quirky ways.
I also loved Prince Casimir. He was much more complex than your first impressions of him would have you believe. But my, is he blind! Open your eyes, Cas! Even Sasha could see what was right in front of you. Speaking of Sasha, I liked her. I liked her honesty and her fear and how she helped Mae and Casimir on their quest, even though they treated her badly.
I couldn't stand Ellen. What a total... Nasty, selfish person. I almost feel like she deserves to be with Lyndon, another nasty piece of work.
I liked how the Nix stirred things up and sowed doubts in Mae's mind. It threw her into even greater turmoil. Here she is, trying to deal with everything that's been lumped upon her, her powers and responsibilities and then this creature of evil comes along and jumbles everything up and makes every decision so much harder.
But that ending... I want to read more about Mae and her White Hart and Prince Casimir and even Ellen. The ending is so shocking, so abrupt... At first I thought it was going to be happily-ever-after. Not for Mae, but perhaps for Casimir and the realm. But then those last paragraphs... I read the last chapter multiple times, trying to digest it. Really?! I need more now! It was such an unexpected turn of events.
Visit Tea Party Princess for lots of extra content and a giveaway.
Sarah Dalton is one of my favourite authors for a reason. I have never once failed to be seriously impressed by what I've read. All of her books have made me stop and think, and White Hart is no exception.
Even if I hadn't known the author - it's a certainty that I will pick up anything by Sarah Dalton - that cover would have compelled me to read it. Have you ever seen anything so gorgeous?
I wasn't sure whether I liked Mae at first. In fact, I'm not altogether sure that I like her now. But she is a wonderful character who changes so much between the pages. She experiences such hardship and she makes such difficult decisions that I couldn't help but grow to love her and her quirky ways.
I also loved Prince Casimir. He was much more complex than your first impressions of him would have you believe. But my, is he blind! Open your eyes, Cas! Even Sasha could see what was right in front of you. Speaking of Sasha, I liked her. I liked her honesty and her fear and how she helped Mae and Casimir on their quest, even though they treated her badly.
I couldn't stand Ellen. What a total... Nasty, selfish person. I almost feel like she deserves to be with Lyndon, another nasty piece of work.
I liked how the Nix stirred things up and sowed doubts in Mae's mind. It threw her into even greater turmoil. Here she is, trying to deal with everything that's been lumped upon her, her powers and responsibilities and then this creature of evil comes along and jumbles everything up and makes every decision so much harder.
But that ending... I want to read more about Mae and her White Hart and Prince Casimir and even Ellen. The ending is so shocking, so abrupt... At first I thought it was going to be happily-ever-after. Not for Mae, but perhaps for Casimir and the realm. But then those last paragraphs... I read the last chapter multiple times, trying to digest it. Really?! I need more now! It was such an unexpected turn of events.
Visit Tea Party Princess for lots of extra content and a giveaway.
August 3, 2021
This was a disappointing read for me. I did not enjoy the story. Actually, there was not really much of a story to go on. The thing I liked the most was that it was over. The characters were not interesting and it was boring. I wish there was more of a story, and character building. With what the book is, I found it disappointing. Overall, a meh read.
July 2, 2015
ARC provided by the author through Netgalley
Mae and her father gather wood from the edge of the Waerg Woods. Poor, dark-skinned, and supposedly tainted by the woods' curse, they live as pariahs in Halts-Walden.
Mae is the craft-born, the one whose nature-connected magic can revive the kingdom - only Mae has to try her hardest to keep her powers secret, for the King has decreed that the craft-born shall marry his son, Prince Casimir.
It seems Mae is in luck: Ellen, the miller's daughter, pretends to be the craft-born and the Prince is coming to get her.
While venturing into the Waerg Woods with the Prince, to convince him not to hunt her white stag Anta, Wanderers from the Waerg Woods come into Halts-Walden to steal Ellen, whom they believe to be the craft-born, and end up killing Mae's father in the struggle.
This is an odd book to rate, and I struggled with it for quite some time.
As a YA book it's mediocre. However, once I chose to read it as Middle-Grade, it's quite good.
It's an entertaining fairytale-like story, but the characters' dialogue and actions, the very descriptions and world building, only work if it's read as MG. It's perfectly fine and reminiscent, in fact, of classical fairytales in its simplicity: this is the heroine, the heroine does this for straight-forward simple reason, heroine announces her thought-processes, we're told a lot because the audience is not meant to have the ability to analyse things in depth.
This may sound critical, but I'm not trying to be. I'm trying to point out how this is being marketed to the wrong audience. As a YA book it doesn't work. As a MG book it's pretty good.
So that rating is the balance of the two. If I were to rate this as YA, I would give it 2 stars, as MG I'd give it 4 stars, so here we are, at 3 stars.
There is a lot to recommend this book, chief of all the Waerg Woods. They are well written and creepy in a sort of la Motte-Fouqué way (for those of you who've read his Undine). The Waerg Woods are divided in sections, each harbouring a new evil: malevolent black birds that swoop into the sky and form clouds that pour down burning rain, a creature that attacks by preying on your fears, deadly cold fog that tries to lure you to a sleepy death, clinging vines that attempt to drain you of your blood.
This book is worth reading for the Waerg Woods alone.
However, there are also good things about the characters - if one reads them as MG, Mae goes from a whiny, arrogant, impetuous and tstl YA-type adolescent, to a young girl who doesn't know better and goes through the usual fairy tale tropes to learn valuable lessons. It's also nice that she never wanted to be Queen and wanted only to live close to nature, being true to herself.
One thing I can't help pointing out, be it YA or MG, is that if you're placing your story in a fantasy realm with a Medieval or Renaissance feel to it, do NOT use the word " okay " in dialogue! It's really, really absurd.
But quibbles aside, I really want to read the next one!
So, in conclusion, if you plan to read this as MG, I recommend it!
April 25, 2014
(Source: Downloaded for free during the Smashwords sale.)
There was nothing obviously wrong with this book; I just didn’t find it interesting.
I knew from quite early on that I wasn’t going to like this. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and didn’t really care what happened to them. The story didn’t pull me in, and I got bored. The initial storyline of Mae being special, but her family not wanting her to be taken by the prince reminded me of something else that I had read (I can’t remember what), so it didn’t feel new for me.
The ending was by far the best part though in my opinion. The blooper that Mae made that left us with a giant cliff-hanger was actually fairly interesting, and definitely the best part for me! Not enough to make me want to read the sequel though.
Overall; not for me,
4.5 out of 10.
There was nothing obviously wrong with this book; I just didn’t find it interesting.
I knew from quite early on that I wasn’t going to like this. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and didn’t really care what happened to them. The story didn’t pull me in, and I got bored. The initial storyline of Mae being special, but her family not wanting her to be taken by the prince reminded me of something else that I had read (I can’t remember what), so it didn’t feel new for me.
The ending was by far the best part though in my opinion. The blooper that Mae made that left us with a giant cliff-hanger was actually fairly interesting, and definitely the best part for me! Not enough to make me want to read the sequel though.
Overall; not for me,
4.5 out of 10.
May 21, 2016
Initial Thoughts on Finishing
This was actually so good! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book - it's a wicked tale of adventure with intriguing characters and an outcome that you WON'T see coming. I loved Mae so much, she's such a great character and I seriously cannot wait to pick up book two and continue the story!!
White Hart by Sarah Dalton
So this book surprised me with how awesome it was, let’s start with that. There is exactly one reason why I decided to pick this one up (and when I say pick it up, I mean download it off iBooks because it was the free book of the week - don’t you love that?) was because of that cover. Have you seen it? Are you looking at it? Are you drooling? I’m in love with this cover - the green coloured one, not the greyscale one. It’s so vibrant and beautiful and a really good match for the story that is inside. I loved the characters in this book, especially Mae because I’ve been obsessed with that name with that exact spelling since forever, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the tricky little challenges that they came across. People, we need to be talking about this book more.
White Hart is a fantasy YA novel about a young girl called Mae who’s a bit of an oddball in her village. It’s set in a medieval world where she and her father are very poor and collect wood from a supposedly haunted woods (or at least, potentially dangerous woods) to trade at market. Because they go into these woods the rest of the town treats them like a smelly sock. Which is a shame because Mae is obviously very cool and (brace yourself) she has a white stag. Or a white hart (it’s a thing, I Googled it - it’s a old term for the creature). Obviously he looks magnificent and obviously I now need my own horse-sized white stag to gallop around on. His name is Anta, naw.
Sadly, Mae’s mother died when she was young (in fact it might’ve been in childbirth, but I forget. Don’t quote me on that) so she’s been raised by her dad alone. She’s also harbouring a bit of a secret because she’s craftborn - in other words, she has MAGIC. Except she doesn’t tell anyone that because in this land the prince is to marry the craftborn (there is only one each generation) for the land needs the magic of the craftborn to thrive and thus sustain the population. But Mae doesn’t want to marry a prince so only her dad knows.rude interesting and therefore already building a friendship with her) and Mae discover this treachery and set off on a quest to seek vengeance! Marvellous, yes? Indeed.
Why I Loved This
I went into this book 100% blind and didn’t really know what to expect from it. I was mostly hoping that there would be lots of cool things and some magic because those were the vibes I was getting from the cover. But the plot is so wicked and the characters are super funny and I just loved Mae to pieces. This is exactly the type of book that I go weak at the knees for - they travel through the forest/woods following this group who kidnapped Ellen and as it turns out the forest is magical and plays tricks on them. Think of The Hunger Games in the final book (no spoilers, relax) with the different segments of the arena - yeah? Got it? No? Oh. Well basically different parts of the forest have different creatures, do different things, and pose different threats. And our beautifully idiotic characters must confront all of these if they are to save Ellen and avenge Mae’s father’s death.
And also Casimir (the prince) is adorkable.
Mae
So why is Mae so awesome? She’s a stubborn, feisty, loveable, badass, kindhearted heroine who ain’t gunna let anyone tell her what to do. Her situation is certainly trying as she tries to keep her magical abilities a secret from the prince and keep them alive whilst struggling with inner self doubts about herself. Having grown up her whole life in a village where everyone treats who poorly has got to have a serious knock on your confidence. But Casimir, ever the valiant knight (well, not really, but shh) treats her kindly and like and equal and I love how he took all her insults in his stride. I also can’t even express how anguishing that almost romance is between them - YOU BOTH CLEARLY NEED TO HAVE A SNOG AND WORK THINGS OUT. Sheesh.
The other thing I really liked about Mae’s character is the way that even though she’s the poor girl in this book the confrontation of wealth and nobility doesn’t render her speechless or overly spiteful. She remains true to herself and adapts to her surroundings. Perhaps this is a small and insignificant point, but I appreciated it.
Quests
The best thing in a fantasy book has got to be a plain and simple wicked quest. I love how stimulating this book is for the imagination - an artist would have a heyday drawing all the beautiful images in this book. I love the way you can practically feels Dalton’s imagination seeping through the pages because, *chortles*, it’s just plain awesome and seasoned with just the right amount of the fantastical.
It made for such compelling reading the way each step of the journey threw something new in the faces of our characters, strengthening them and testing their limits. We slowly learn things about their characters and get to yell angrily at them when they make foolish decisions. I’m also quite the fan of Sasha (not that I’m telling you who she is).
Summary
I am so so so excited to continue this series and find out what happens next. We’re left on such a humongous cliff hanger it’s practically inducing a fear of heights in me. I loved this book so much more than I thought I would and everything happens just how you need it to. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy fantasy and adventure and some superb learning experiences.
Happy reading!
This was actually so good! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book - it's a wicked tale of adventure with intriguing characters and an outcome that you WON'T see coming. I loved Mae so much, she's such a great character and I seriously cannot wait to pick up book two and continue the story!!
White Hart by Sarah Dalton
So this book surprised me with how awesome it was, let’s start with that. There is exactly one reason why I decided to pick this one up (and when I say pick it up, I mean download it off iBooks because it was the free book of the week - don’t you love that?) was because of that cover. Have you seen it? Are you looking at it? Are you drooling? I’m in love with this cover - the green coloured one, not the greyscale one. It’s so vibrant and beautiful and a really good match for the story that is inside. I loved the characters in this book, especially Mae because I’ve been obsessed with that name with that exact spelling since forever, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the tricky little challenges that they came across. People, we need to be talking about this book more.
"We are not always shaped by our parents, Cas. We're shaped by our choices."What Happens
White Hart is a fantasy YA novel about a young girl called Mae who’s a bit of an oddball in her village. It’s set in a medieval world where she and her father are very poor and collect wood from a supposedly haunted woods (or at least, potentially dangerous woods) to trade at market. Because they go into these woods the rest of the town treats them like a smelly sock. Which is a shame because Mae is obviously very cool and (brace yourself) she has a white stag. Or a white hart (it’s a thing, I Googled it - it’s a old term for the creature). Obviously he looks magnificent and obviously I now need my own horse-sized white stag to gallop around on. His name is Anta, naw.
Sadly, Mae’s mother died when she was young (in fact it might’ve been in childbirth, but I forget. Don’t quote me on that) so she’s been raised by her dad alone. She’s also harbouring a bit of a secret because she’s craftborn - in other words, she has MAGIC. Except she doesn’t tell anyone that because in this land the prince is to marry the craftborn (there is only one each generation) for the land needs the magic of the craftborn to thrive and thus sustain the population. But Mae doesn’t want to marry a prince so only her dad knows.
"When you live on the edge of a cursed forest, you do a lot of staring into the dark."So what’s the plot of this story? Another girl in the village is pretending to have these powers and so get’s promised to the prince BUT a band of brigands charge in to steal her (Ellen) and in the process also murder Mae’s father. *much gasping*. So the prince (who is in town and chatting to Mae because Mae is
Why I Loved This
I went into this book 100% blind and didn’t really know what to expect from it. I was mostly hoping that there would be lots of cool things and some magic because those were the vibes I was getting from the cover. But the plot is so wicked and the characters are super funny and I just loved Mae to pieces. This is exactly the type of book that I go weak at the knees for - they travel through the forest/woods following this group who kidnapped Ellen and as it turns out the forest is magical and plays tricks on them. Think of The Hunger Games in the final book (no spoilers, relax) with the different segments of the arena - yeah? Got it? No? Oh. Well basically different parts of the forest have different creatures, do different things, and pose different threats. And our beautifully idiotic characters must confront all of these if they are to save Ellen and avenge Mae’s father’s death.
And also Casimir (the prince) is adorkable.
Mae
So why is Mae so awesome? She’s a stubborn, feisty, loveable, badass, kindhearted heroine who ain’t gunna let anyone tell her what to do. Her situation is certainly trying as she tries to keep her magical abilities a secret from the prince and keep them alive whilst struggling with inner self doubts about herself. Having grown up her whole life in a village where everyone treats who poorly has got to have a serious knock on your confidence. But Casimir, ever the valiant knight (well, not really, but shh) treats her kindly and like and equal and I love how he took all her insults in his stride. I also can’t even express how anguishing that almost romance is between them - YOU BOTH CLEARLY NEED TO HAVE A SNOG AND WORK THINGS OUT. Sheesh.
The other thing I really liked about Mae’s character is the way that even though she’s the poor girl in this book the confrontation of wealth and nobility doesn’t render her speechless or overly spiteful. She remains true to herself and adapts to her surroundings. Perhaps this is a small and insignificant point, but I appreciated it.
Quests
The best thing in a fantasy book has got to be a plain and simple wicked quest. I love how stimulating this book is for the imagination - an artist would have a heyday drawing all the beautiful images in this book. I love the way you can practically feels Dalton’s imagination seeping through the pages because, *chortles*, it’s just plain awesome and seasoned with just the right amount of the fantastical.
It made for such compelling reading the way each step of the journey threw something new in the faces of our characters, strengthening them and testing their limits. We slowly learn things about their characters and get to yell angrily at them when they make foolish decisions. I’m also quite the fan of Sasha (not that I’m telling you who she is).
"Welhewan is charming us,' Sasha says in an unsure voice. 'It is trying to soothe us with its lullaby. Do not let yourself . . . Oh, a butterfly. Look how beautiful it is! No, don't look. The forest is making us happy, and we cannot let it."A Quick Dip into Spoilers
Summary
I am so so so excited to continue this series and find out what happens next. We’re left on such a humongous cliff hanger it’s practically inducing a fear of heights in me. I loved this book so much more than I thought I would and everything happens just how you need it to. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy fantasy and adventure and some superb learning experiences.
Happy reading!
March 14, 2014
3.5/5
This review was also featured on my blog.
White Hart had both the good and the bad, but I think that overall it was a satisfying and fun read. The story follows Mae, an outcast in her small hometown because she and her father hang around the enchanted forest – the Waerg Woods – too much. Mae is craft-born, meaning she was born with magic, but she knows the king wants to marry off a craft-born to his heir. So she keeps her abilities a secret and waits for the day that Ellen, the miller’s daughter, marries Prince Casimir so that she’s free from any obligation to become the queen. Things don’t go quite as planned, and Mae and Casimir have to venture into the Waerg Woods together. She’s looking for revenge and he’s looking for his bride-to-be, but the woods are more dangerous than they’d seem.
The story runs by the traditional quest formula, but Sarah Dalton does it well. The exhaustion, the wounds, it’s all here. Without a doubt the journey through the Waerg Woods is the best part about this book. The forest is filled with all this shiver-inducing creatures that Mae and Cas have to escape, and the fear and tension is written really well. It was almost like I was with them and that kind of suspension of disbelief is rare. The action really hooks you into the story, which was all kinds of wonderful. The plot line is a pleasant surprise as well – though it seems cliched, it’s fresher than you’d expect.
What I was uncertain about was Mae.
Mae’s your typical small-town girl looking for adventure. What I loved was how she was reckless not just because, but since she craves adventure, and it felt far more realistic than a lot of reckless, mule-headed heroines out there. She wants to really live, not exist, and it was easy to relate to that.
That would’ve all been great if not for the fact that I felt she fell too much into the farm-girl trope. This is something I personally have come across way too often. The small-town cynic who wants nothing to do with her power – and she’s so judgmental. Oh, the mean pretty girl laughed at my poorness once, she’s such an undeserving little crap-piece. Come on! That’s petty. I’m also getting real tired of heroes/heroines like these who automatically assume the royalty are total snobs and are completely useless at everything. Yes, you definitely are roughing it compared to their livin’-la-vida-loca, but just because they have more luxury than you doesn’t mean you get to think you’re better than them. In all these stories the hero/heroine who judged is eventually proven wrong, etc., etc., and it’s getting so repetitive that I can tell which royal or noble is going to be the unlikely-useful-fellow-who-is-usually-the-love-interest. It’s really overdone for me at this point.
The supporting characters are great pillars for the story, though. Cas, Sasha, Mae’s dad, even Ellen, all felt fleshed out and interesting. I’m really looking forward to some of the minor characters being dealt with later on in the series. And also a resolution for that ending, wow! I think overall it was a good story, though, and if you can look past what nagged me, then I’d certainly encourage you to give it a go!
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley. Quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change in the final print.
This review was also featured on my blog.
White Hart had both the good and the bad, but I think that overall it was a satisfying and fun read. The story follows Mae, an outcast in her small hometown because she and her father hang around the enchanted forest – the Waerg Woods – too much. Mae is craft-born, meaning she was born with magic, but she knows the king wants to marry off a craft-born to his heir. So she keeps her abilities a secret and waits for the day that Ellen, the miller’s daughter, marries Prince Casimir so that she’s free from any obligation to become the queen. Things don’t go quite as planned, and Mae and Casimir have to venture into the Waerg Woods together. She’s looking for revenge and he’s looking for his bride-to-be, but the woods are more dangerous than they’d seem.
The story runs by the traditional quest formula, but Sarah Dalton does it well. The exhaustion, the wounds, it’s all here. Without a doubt the journey through the Waerg Woods is the best part about this book. The forest is filled with all this shiver-inducing creatures that Mae and Cas have to escape, and the fear and tension is written really well. It was almost like I was with them and that kind of suspension of disbelief is rare. The action really hooks you into the story, which was all kinds of wonderful. The plot line is a pleasant surprise as well – though it seems cliched, it’s fresher than you’d expect.
What I was uncertain about was Mae.
I don’t know why I’m craft-born, and I don’t really care. All I know is whatever the reason, it has to be more than sitting pretty on a throne. There must be more to life. There has to be freedom and adventure in this world. I want to find it.
Mae’s your typical small-town girl looking for adventure. What I loved was how she was reckless not just because, but since she craves adventure, and it felt far more realistic than a lot of reckless, mule-headed heroines out there. She wants to really live, not exist, and it was easy to relate to that.
That would’ve all been great if not for the fact that I felt she fell too much into the farm-girl trope. This is something I personally have come across way too often. The small-town cynic who wants nothing to do with her power – and she’s so judgmental. Oh, the mean pretty girl laughed at my poorness once, she’s such an undeserving little crap-piece. Come on! That’s petty. I’m also getting real tired of heroes/heroines like these who automatically assume the royalty are total snobs and are completely useless at everything. Yes, you definitely are roughing it compared to their livin’-la-vida-loca, but just because they have more luxury than you doesn’t mean you get to think you’re better than them. In all these stories the hero/heroine who judged is eventually proven wrong, etc., etc., and it’s getting so repetitive that I can tell which royal or noble is going to be the unlikely-useful-fellow-who-is-usually-the-love-interest. It’s really overdone for me at this point.
The supporting characters are great pillars for the story, though. Cas, Sasha, Mae’s dad, even Ellen, all felt fleshed out and interesting. I’m really looking forward to some of the minor characters being dealt with later on in the series. And also a resolution for that ending, wow! I think overall it was a good story, though, and if you can look past what nagged me, then I’d certainly encourage you to give it a go!
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley. Quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change in the final print.
March 9, 2014
READ IN ENGLISH
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I really liked the cover, it is simple yet effective, because people do judge a book on it's cover (at least if they don't know anything else about it).
Mae is -secretly- the craftborn, the one person in the realm who has the ability to restore magic to its former glory (and will marry the crown prince). Mae is a poor girl, ignored by everyone in the village except her dad. (Her mother is -surprisingly- dead). When another girl from her tiny, tiny village is found to be the craftborn, the prince himself comes to collect her, but before that can actually happen, terrible thing happen.
To avenge her father and save the 'craftborn', Mae and the prince (please recall, she is a very poor girl who's never had the chance to train social skills) go - on their own - on a quest in the haunted magical forest 'The Waerg Woods'...
OK, I couldn't stand Mae. She is - as I mentioned before - very poor, though she acts more arrogant and spoilt than Casimir, who's the Crown prince! That doesn't make a lot of sense, especially when Mae keeps saying how spoilt Casimir is and everything. One of her better qualities is saving Casimir, because, hell, he needs a lot of saving! (Don't let him wander alone for more than two minutes).
She's also far to proud. There are multiple occasions where here being the craftborn could have easily saved the two of them, but she is to proud to use it because he laughed at her. Silly girl!
Onto the world. We don't get to know too much about it. What I wondered though, it is probably changed in the final version of this book (I haven't been able to check), but there is a great inconsistency in the name of the realm. Aegunlund is most common, but there's also Agenlund and Aegunland?
The Waerg Woods are haunted and creepy. Or so we're told. No one dares enter except - of course - Mae. The woods reminded my of the clock-arena in Catching Fire. It's divided into little parts, each of which have special threats for you. (Think fog, rain, animals etc). There's also a clicking monster, who's apparently not bound by any boundaries.
The story is not that original. It's a series of getting caught, escape, getting caught, escape etc. A lot happens very fast, so there isn't really time for a lot of details, background story or real character development. Mae doesn't learn to be less arrogant, either. Some of her decisions seem so weird to me, that it was hard for me to see them as part of the story rather than being a plot device to come to the end of the story. Which isn't really an ending! It just starts to get excited from this point, I believe. I don't mind reading trilogies and I don't need full closure at the end of a book, but this seems just like it ended somewhere halfway, with an enormous cliffhanger...
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I really liked the cover, it is simple yet effective, because people do judge a book on it's cover (at least if they don't know anything else about it).
Mae is -secretly- the craftborn, the one person in the realm who has the ability to restore magic to its former glory (and will marry the crown prince). Mae is a poor girl, ignored by everyone in the village except her dad. (Her mother is -surprisingly- dead). When another girl from her tiny, tiny village is found to be the craftborn, the prince himself comes to collect her, but before that can actually happen, terrible thing happen.
To avenge her father and save the 'craftborn', Mae and the prince (please recall, she is a very poor girl who's never had the chance to train social skills) go - on their own - on a quest in the haunted magical forest 'The Waerg Woods'...
OK, I couldn't stand Mae. She is - as I mentioned before - very poor, though she acts more arrogant and spoilt than Casimir, who's the Crown prince! That doesn't make a lot of sense, especially when Mae keeps saying how spoilt Casimir is and everything. One of her better qualities is saving Casimir, because, hell, he needs a lot of saving! (Don't let him wander alone for more than two minutes).
She's also far to proud. There are multiple occasions where here being the craftborn could have easily saved the two of them, but she is to proud to use it because he laughed at her. Silly girl!
Onto the world. We don't get to know too much about it. What I wondered though, it is probably changed in the final version of this book (I haven't been able to check), but there is a great inconsistency in the name of the realm. Aegunlund is most common, but there's also Agenlund and Aegunland?
The Waerg Woods are haunted and creepy. Or so we're told. No one dares enter except - of course - Mae. The woods reminded my of the clock-arena in Catching Fire. It's divided into little parts, each of which have special threats for you. (Think fog, rain, animals etc). There's also a clicking monster, who's apparently not bound by any boundaries.
The story is not that original. It's a series of getting caught, escape, getting caught, escape etc. A lot happens very fast, so there isn't really time for a lot of details, background story or real character development. Mae doesn't learn to be less arrogant, either. Some of her decisions seem so weird to me, that it was hard for me to see them as part of the story rather than being a plot device to come to the end of the story. Which isn't really an ending! It just starts to get excited from this point, I believe. I don't mind reading trilogies and I don't need full closure at the end of a book, but this seems just like it ended somewhere halfway, with an enormous cliffhanger...
January 23, 2018
A
Quite enjoyable. A very simple formula, but it worked and worked well. The characters grew as the book worked through each chapter and each part of the forest. Off to the next!
Quite enjoyable. A very simple formula, but it worked and worked well. The characters grew as the book worked through each chapter and each part of the forest. Off to the next!
August 24, 2014
*I received this adventure...I mean book... free from the author in exchange for an honest review
What awaits us in the forest?
White Hart by Sarah Dalton is the adventure of Mae Waylander, AKA White Hart. Mae doesn't want anyone to know her secret, but when tragedy strikes and vengeance is her only friend, she makes a decision that changes her life. She decides to hunt. With her white stag, a prince, and her limited knowledge of the magic-ridden Waerg Woods, Mae begins her journey.
In the spirit of all good high-fantasy tales, our questers pick up another traveling companion and battle their way through nightmare creatures and one near-sacrificing.
What I love?? I love the characters. I'd ride out on adventures with them. Hells yeah. I loved that Mae was strong and far from helpless. I adored that Casimir wasn't either. I kept waiting for a let-down, but no! Mae and Cas have my undying loyalty.
There are no negatives you'll hear from me unless it's about the cliffhanger and unrequited love. ARRRRRGH! (Ok, so maaaaybe I wanted to throttle Cas for not SEEING her!!! Avatar reference aside...)
I eagerly await the sequel. I am here, begging on my knees for an ARC. Electronically prostrate. For now, get your own copy of White Hart on Amazon!
What awaits us in the forest?
White Hart by Sarah Dalton is the adventure of Mae Waylander, AKA White Hart. Mae doesn't want anyone to know her secret, but when tragedy strikes and vengeance is her only friend, she makes a decision that changes her life. She decides to hunt. With her white stag, a prince, and her limited knowledge of the magic-ridden Waerg Woods, Mae begins her journey.
In the spirit of all good high-fantasy tales, our questers pick up another traveling companion and battle their way through nightmare creatures and one near-sacrificing.
What I love?? I love the characters. I'd ride out on adventures with them. Hells yeah. I loved that Mae was strong and far from helpless. I adored that Casimir wasn't either. I kept waiting for a let-down, but no! Mae and Cas have my undying loyalty.
There are no negatives you'll hear from me unless it's about the cliffhanger and unrequited love. ARRRRRGH! (Ok, so maaaaybe I wanted to throttle Cas for not SEEING her!!! Avatar reference aside...)
I eagerly await the sequel. I am here, begging on my knees for an ARC. Electronically prostrate. For now, get your own copy of White Hart on Amazon!
September 9, 2019
"White Hart" tells the story of a young girl gifted from birth with the power to call upon nature. It is something that has always been a part of her and yet it is something Mae has to hide, if she doesn't want to marry the prince anyway. You see, the king has declared that the craft-born, as those like her are called, must be married to the prince and she could never she herself in a stuffy castle cut of from nature and Atta, the large white hart that has been her closest companion since she was a child. But when the girl who was pretending to be a craft-born goes missing and her father is murdered she will stop at nothing to get her revenge, even if it means traversing the cursed and ever-changing forest.
Luckily, all the characters are believable and interesting to read. We aren't given the stereotypical prince on a white horse and the enchanted forest has fun and new horrors. Weird sentence, I know. But sometimes when you read about an enchanted forest you get the same couple of characteristics each time but that is not the case with this book. Sarah Dalton took her time to build an interesting and unique world that pushes her characters past their breaking point.
I think that my biggest issue with this book is that Dalton uses color to decide not only if someone is attractive but if they are educated or seen as barbarians. Not a big fan.
Luckily, all the characters are believable and interesting to read. We aren't given the stereotypical prince on a white horse and the enchanted forest has fun and new horrors. Weird sentence, I know. But sometimes when you read about an enchanted forest you get the same couple of characteristics each time but that is not the case with this book. Sarah Dalton took her time to build an interesting and unique world that pushes her characters past their breaking point.
I think that my biggest issue with this book is that Dalton uses color to decide not only if someone is attractive but if they are educated or seen as barbarians. Not a big fan.
September 4, 2019
A really good read and first book in the White Hart series. A story of magic, destiny, adventure, danger, courage, love, friendship and companionship.
Mae is craft-born which means she can wield magic. She is untrained and wants to keep her secret as the King is searching for a craft-born to marry the prince. When the miller claims his daughter is craft-born Mae is relieved. On the day the prince arrives to meet the miller’s daughter events take an unexpected and tragic turn.
The outcome sends Mae on a quest into the cursed forest with the prince. They face danger, death, opposition and a dark threat that follows their every move.
Mae is craft-born which means she can wield magic. She is untrained and wants to keep her secret as the King is searching for a craft-born to marry the prince. When the miller claims his daughter is craft-born Mae is relieved. On the day the prince arrives to meet the miller’s daughter events take an unexpected and tragic turn.
The outcome sends Mae on a quest into the cursed forest with the prince. They face danger, death, opposition and a dark threat that follows their every move.
July 26, 2014
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review was originally posted on my blog, Paperbacks & Protagonists.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
The beginning of White Hart had me intrigued by page one. I loved the concept of the Waerg Woods, and although Mae and Casimir experienced many evils whilst on their travels, there was something enchanting about the whole idea.
Mae is an outcast in the tiny village of Halts-Walden, a village that is far removed and far behind in the times when compared to the rest of the realm. White Hart follows Mae through a life-changing experience and a journey of revenge through the aforementioned Waerg Woods.
Ever since Mae discovered that she was craft-born, she has spent her entire life keeping her gift hidden so that she is not forced into marriage to Prince Casimir. However, after some unexpected occurrences, Mae finds herself alone in the world with only the prince to keep her company.
The storyline of White Hart was engaging, and it was something that I really enjoyed. Nevertheless, I was disappointed by the lack of medieval elements...please excuse me if I'm wrong, but I am fairly sure by the names of villages and several other things within the book, that White Hart is set in or around medieval times. I love all things medieval, so I wish that there had been more description surrounding this element of the novel.
There is not much that I didn't like about the book, but I will say that Mae came across as a little bit whiny at times and that it was rather short. Normally I wouldn't complain about a short book, but White Hart is fairly short and it leaves you with a cliffhanger!
Overall, the major selling point of this book is the Waerg Woods...as much as they scared me, I really do love Dalton's description of them.
White Hart will be published by Sarah Dalton on the fifth of March.
This review was originally posted on my blog, Paperbacks & Protagonists.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
The beginning of White Hart had me intrigued by page one. I loved the concept of the Waerg Woods, and although Mae and Casimir experienced many evils whilst on their travels, there was something enchanting about the whole idea.
Mae is an outcast in the tiny village of Halts-Walden, a village that is far removed and far behind in the times when compared to the rest of the realm. White Hart follows Mae through a life-changing experience and a journey of revenge through the aforementioned Waerg Woods.
Ever since Mae discovered that she was craft-born, she has spent her entire life keeping her gift hidden so that she is not forced into marriage to Prince Casimir. However, after some unexpected occurrences, Mae finds herself alone in the world with only the prince to keep her company.
The storyline of White Hart was engaging, and it was something that I really enjoyed. Nevertheless, I was disappointed by the lack of medieval elements...please excuse me if I'm wrong, but I am fairly sure by the names of villages and several other things within the book, that White Hart is set in or around medieval times. I love all things medieval, so I wish that there had been more description surrounding this element of the novel.
There is not much that I didn't like about the book, but I will say that Mae came across as a little bit whiny at times and that it was rather short. Normally I wouldn't complain about a short book, but White Hart is fairly short and it leaves you with a cliffhanger!
Overall, the major selling point of this book is the Waerg Woods...as much as they scared me, I really do love Dalton's description of them.
White Hart will be published by Sarah Dalton on the fifth of March.
March 21, 2014
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks to Netgalley and Sarah Dalton for giving me this book to review.
There is only one craft-born every generation and because the realm needs magic again the king has said that the next craft-born has to marry his son Prince Casimir. Mae is the craft-born but does not want to be a princess instead she wants be with her father and someday have adventures, when Ellen another girl from her small town claims she is the craft-born, Mae is happy to let her marry Casimir. But on the day Prince Casimir comes to their town, Ellen is kidnapped and Mae’s father is murdered. Mae, along with Casimir and Mae’s white stag Anta, go into the cursed Waerg woods to find those responsible. However, will Mae’s quest for revenge overcome her fear of her craft-born powers being discovered?
White Hart is a good YA fantasy novel which has the classic fantasy and fairytale feel, as it has a quest, young love and magic. I liked how descriptive the Waerg woods are as they come across as creepy, not just because of the creatures in it, but its general atmosphere.
Mae is a very impulsive and a bit of a whiny character, but I understood her desire to leave her town where she is an outcast looking for adventure even though it is a bit cliché. I liked Cas as he is more complex than he first appears to be, although he is oblivious and wanders into danger all the time, but I liked how he grew to appreciate Mae and see her as more than just a poor farm girl. I also liked Sasha as she says what she thinks and was willing to help Mae and Cas even when they had not been kind to her.
This book ends on a cliff-hanger I did not see coming and I am interested to see what happens next. I would recommend White Hart to fans of Witch Song by Amber Argyle and Cornerstone by Kelly Walker.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sarah Dalton for giving me this book to review.
There is only one craft-born every generation and because the realm needs magic again the king has said that the next craft-born has to marry his son Prince Casimir. Mae is the craft-born but does not want to be a princess instead she wants be with her father and someday have adventures, when Ellen another girl from her small town claims she is the craft-born, Mae is happy to let her marry Casimir. But on the day Prince Casimir comes to their town, Ellen is kidnapped and Mae’s father is murdered. Mae, along with Casimir and Mae’s white stag Anta, go into the cursed Waerg woods to find those responsible. However, will Mae’s quest for revenge overcome her fear of her craft-born powers being discovered?
White Hart is a good YA fantasy novel which has the classic fantasy and fairytale feel, as it has a quest, young love and magic. I liked how descriptive the Waerg woods are as they come across as creepy, not just because of the creatures in it, but its general atmosphere.
Mae is a very impulsive and a bit of a whiny character, but I understood her desire to leave her town where she is an outcast looking for adventure even though it is a bit cliché. I liked Cas as he is more complex than he first appears to be, although he is oblivious and wanders into danger all the time, but I liked how he grew to appreciate Mae and see her as more than just a poor farm girl. I also liked Sasha as she says what she thinks and was willing to help Mae and Cas even when they had not been kind to her.
This book ends on a cliff-hanger I did not see coming and I am interested to see what happens next. I would recommend White Hart to fans of Witch Song by Amber Argyle and Cornerstone by Kelly Walker.
May 7, 2017
Free download from Kindle. The book started really well, a potential four stars or even more. The world building was very convincing and well done, the heroine seemed an interesting and quite deep character, the plot catchy... but the more I was going on with the story the more I lost interest. Various things left me with a "wtf?" feeling that took me away from the story: the "romance" or the interest of the heroine for prince Cas wasn't developed nicely at all, the interest-mooning of prince Cas for Ellen ( a girl he saw for one hour or slightly more) was ridiculous, the personal relationships of all the characters with any other characters was strange... once the stag got lost somewhere in the forest I didn't have anymore characters who kept my interest so I stopped reading altogether.
The writing style was cool, so I will try more books by this author. I have a feeling she would be much more conving in writing an adult fiction novel, not a YA.
p.s. probably if I would have read this book as I teenager I would I have appreciate it more...?
The writing style was cool, so I will try more books by this author. I have a feeling she would be much more conving in writing an adult fiction novel, not a YA.
p.s. probably if I would have read this book as I teenager I would I have appreciate it more...?
November 3, 2021
This book was way better than what I had expected. I got this for free from Amazon and as always with a free book you don't really know what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised. This book and its world immediately drew me in and it didn't take me long to finish this story.
I liked the characters and the setting. I'm also a fan of the magic system: the connection with nature, both plants and animals, like the special bond Mae has with her stag, Anta (I must admit that I downloaded this book because it had a pretty deer on the cover).
The pacing was nice and it had a few tense moments where both Mae and Cas get attacked by the magical creatures of the forrest (my favourite being the evil birds and the Nix).
I will definitely continue this series (especially after the tiny cliffhanger, though I had already decided halfway through that I was going to finish this series). I'll keep you updated on the sequels.
I liked the characters and the setting. I'm also a fan of the magic system: the connection with nature, both plants and animals, like the special bond Mae has with her stag, Anta (I must admit that I downloaded this book because it had a pretty deer on the cover).
The pacing was nice and it had a few tense moments where both Mae and Cas get attacked by the magical creatures of the forrest (my favourite being the evil birds and the Nix).
I will definitely continue this series (especially after the tiny cliffhanger, though I had already decided halfway through that I was going to finish this series). I'll keep you updated on the sequels.
January 22, 2025
(3.5 stars, rounded up)
This was a fun, quick read. I read the first 1/3 on a flight to Denver and I finished the rest on the return flight. I was skeptical of the story at first because there were many elements that I've seen in too many other fantasy and young adult books (e.g., dead parent, protagonist born with a world-saving ability, spooky forest). However, as the story continued it became more unique and endearing. I wasn't ready for the book to end (there was a cliffhanger!), and I'm interested in reading the sequel.
My stepdaughter is 11 and I think she's the perfect audience for this book. She enjoys fantasy and I think she'd like White Hart.
This was a fun, quick read. I read the first 1/3 on a flight to Denver and I finished the rest on the return flight. I was skeptical of the story at first because there were many elements that I've seen in too many other fantasy and young adult books (e.g., dead parent, protagonist born with a world-saving ability, spooky forest). However, as the story continued it became more unique and endearing. I wasn't ready for the book to end (there was a cliffhanger!), and I'm interested in reading the sequel.
My stepdaughter is 11 and I think she's the perfect audience for this book. She enjoys fantasy and I think she'd like White Hart.
October 3, 2014
Me gusto mucho la aventura y que fuera un libro introductorio. Sufrir mucho por Finn y Anta. Sin embargo no me gusto el final. No hay que jugar así con los lectores.
January 10, 2019
Perhaps an engaging read for a younger audience, but simplistic dialogue, stagnant character development, and an ill-paced and inconsistent narrative will likely put off more advanced readers.
To be fair to White Hart, it started off strong with an interesting premise and unique story element, namely Anta, the white stag (who, disappointingly, didn't seem to have much purpose or significance to the plot). I'm also a big fan of the traditional fantasy setting, and Dalton does well to build an early foundation of the outer world while we remain in Halts-Walden, after that, however, it falls a bit flat. The quest formula, as has been mentioned before, is quite typical, which I wouldn't begrudge White Hart if it had been well executed. I was struggling half way through. The pacing of events feels messy and rushed as they topple from one near-death event almost straight into the next, like a desperate bid to keep people interested. All it does is make your head spin as you plead for breathing space so these characters can actually develop and endear themselves to you. Unfortunately, that comes too late and hope is lost, at least for any sense of attachment to anyone but Anta and Gwen, the prince's horse.
The characters predominantly let the story down, with Mae being a character difficult to empathise with. The writing was also partially at fault here. Repetitive vocabulary and chronic over explaination makes the writing feel unrefined and patronising, with easily drawn conclusions spoon-fed to an already beleaguered audience. There are particular occasions where the narrative is inconsistent and, at times, downright contradictory, which hinders our attachment to Mae due to the first person narrative. The characters behavior and motivations are transient at best, and I personally couldn't get over Mae's gall to believe that Prince Casimir wouldn't last in the forest without her. This was despite his proficiency with fires and hunting (the latter which Mae couldn't do), and was right after Mae's recklessness almost got them killed (in a situation that could have been avoided had Mae listened to Casimir when he'd voiced his concern).
The clumsy handling of Mae's feelings for Casimir was also a point of contention and falls into the same trap as many YA romances. The rebellious and wild heroine who doesn't want to be tied down is almost immediately charmed by the prince's eyes and tender smile, within days she's hyper aware of his touch, and by the end of the week she's in love. And the prince is meanwhile blindly in love with a girl he spent all of two hours with.
Had the writing gone a few more rounds with a seasoned editor it could have been a tight, well paced, well structured fantasy novel. It's unfortunately let down by an unsympathetic protagonist, a simplistic and inconsistent narrative voice, and pacing issues throughout.
To be fair to White Hart, it started off strong with an interesting premise and unique story element, namely Anta, the white stag (who, disappointingly, didn't seem to have much purpose or significance to the plot). I'm also a big fan of the traditional fantasy setting, and Dalton does well to build an early foundation of the outer world while we remain in Halts-Walden, after that, however, it falls a bit flat. The quest formula, as has been mentioned before, is quite typical, which I wouldn't begrudge White Hart if it had been well executed. I was struggling half way through. The pacing of events feels messy and rushed as they topple from one near-death event almost straight into the next, like a desperate bid to keep people interested. All it does is make your head spin as you plead for breathing space so these characters can actually develop and endear themselves to you. Unfortunately, that comes too late and hope is lost, at least for any sense of attachment to anyone but Anta and Gwen, the prince's horse.
The characters predominantly let the story down, with Mae being a character difficult to empathise with. The writing was also partially at fault here. Repetitive vocabulary and chronic over explaination makes the writing feel unrefined and patronising, with easily drawn conclusions spoon-fed to an already beleaguered audience. There are particular occasions where the narrative is inconsistent and, at times, downright contradictory, which hinders our attachment to Mae due to the first person narrative. The characters behavior and motivations are transient at best, and I personally couldn't get over Mae's gall to believe that Prince Casimir wouldn't last in the forest without her. This was despite his proficiency with fires and hunting (the latter which Mae couldn't do), and was right after Mae's recklessness almost got them killed (in a situation that could have been avoided had Mae listened to Casimir when he'd voiced his concern).
The clumsy handling of Mae's feelings for Casimir was also a point of contention and falls into the same trap as many YA romances. The rebellious and wild heroine who doesn't want to be tied down is almost immediately charmed by the prince's eyes and tender smile, within days she's hyper aware of his touch, and by the end of the week she's in love. And the prince is meanwhile blindly in love with a girl he spent all of two hours with.
Had the writing gone a few more rounds with a seasoned editor it could have been a tight, well paced, well structured fantasy novel. It's unfortunately let down by an unsympathetic protagonist, a simplistic and inconsistent narrative voice, and pacing issues throughout.
June 12, 2017
It was slow to get going but persevere, the second and third books are great!
I liked how Mae's capabilities evolved through the story, she started off with the skills needed to survive in the forest but as time went on grew and adapted. It felt genuine to me, that a 16 year old girl completely isolated might react the way she did.
I really like Casimir as a person too, he comes across as pompous as you would expect but very quickly proves his worth and wears his heart on his sleeve. His relationship with Ellen developed in a way that also held true for a teenage boy carrying the burden of his station.
There are secrets each keeps from the other and although if they told the truth everything would have been different Ms Dalton did a wonderful job of writing the internal conflict in a way that makes you question whether in that situation you would expose that secret. The cost and responsibility is very high, especially for Mae, and exposure will change her life's course.
Definitely a great read.
I liked how Mae's capabilities evolved through the story, she started off with the skills needed to survive in the forest but as time went on grew and adapted. It felt genuine to me, that a 16 year old girl completely isolated might react the way she did.
I really like Casimir as a person too, he comes across as pompous as you would expect but very quickly proves his worth and wears his heart on his sleeve. His relationship with Ellen developed in a way that also held true for a teenage boy carrying the burden of his station.
There are secrets each keeps from the other and although if they told the truth everything would have been different Ms Dalton did a wonderful job of writing the internal conflict in a way that makes you question whether in that situation you would expose that secret. The cost and responsibility is very high, especially for Mae, and exposure will change her life's course.
Definitely a great read.
April 3, 2018
Original Review Here
Despite being my usual genre, White Hart was a disappointment.
It’s a YA fantasy about a young girl with hidden powers. It’s a coming of age story as Mae learns about who she is, finds love and friendship in unexpected places and has to grow up if she is to survive.
Mae misses her potential, especially as a main character. She is powerful: her magic connects to nature and is entwined with the fate of the kingdom. But she seems to conveniently remember about her power at odd times: she doesn’t use it when you feel like she could, then she goes to extreme.
She is scornful of Cas – with good reason at the beginning. But her feelings mellow and it doesn’t take long before she starts to care for him. Halfway through the book, however, she reverts back into thinking he is useless and not her problem, before going through the whole process again. It was as if the author needed a quick reset to stop these emotions from going too far. Mae can be harsh to Cas, and to others, despite having no reason to be so. It undermined her character and I felt she was shallow for most of the book.
Mae rides a white stag. This is never explored properly and what the significance might mean. He doesn’t appear to have any special traits about from bearing Mae.
Cas is likeable – I much preferred his character. He, at least, seems consistent. He also, however, is head over heels in love with his future bride; that he met the same day she was kidnapped. He is due to marry her because he believes she has Mae’s gift and this deception is kept up throughout the book.
Mae’s gift has been kept a secret throughout her life. She lives apart from the village and we are led to believe the villagers treat her like an outsider. The interactions we do witness, however, does not enforce this idea and I was left feeling at odds about her relationship with them: telling and showing were two separate stories here.
It makes sense why she wants to keep her powers a secret from Cas. But when she does reveal all, he laughs at her. Rather than proving him wrong and getting them out of their current mess, Mae withdraws, becomes afraid and ashamed, and goes back to it being a big secret.
I don’t get it: she told him. Why are we then pretending this conversation never took place? Again, it feels like a quick reset in order to allow the plot to continue at its previous pace.
The pacing felt quite slow, only for there to be a final twist at the end that makes no sense unless you continue to read the second book. Despite being intrigued by the ending, I found the character development and pacing problematic and can’t bring myself to read the second.
I wanted to like this, but it just had some problems for me.
Despite being my usual genre, White Hart was a disappointment.
It’s a YA fantasy about a young girl with hidden powers. It’s a coming of age story as Mae learns about who she is, finds love and friendship in unexpected places and has to grow up if she is to survive.
Mae misses her potential, especially as a main character. She is powerful: her magic connects to nature and is entwined with the fate of the kingdom. But she seems to conveniently remember about her power at odd times: she doesn’t use it when you feel like she could, then she goes to extreme.
She is scornful of Cas – with good reason at the beginning. But her feelings mellow and it doesn’t take long before she starts to care for him. Halfway through the book, however, she reverts back into thinking he is useless and not her problem, before going through the whole process again. It was as if the author needed a quick reset to stop these emotions from going too far. Mae can be harsh to Cas, and to others, despite having no reason to be so. It undermined her character and I felt she was shallow for most of the book.
Mae rides a white stag. This is never explored properly and what the significance might mean. He doesn’t appear to have any special traits about from bearing Mae.
Cas is likeable – I much preferred his character. He, at least, seems consistent. He also, however, is head over heels in love with his future bride; that he met the same day she was kidnapped. He is due to marry her because he believes she has Mae’s gift and this deception is kept up throughout the book.
Mae’s gift has been kept a secret throughout her life. She lives apart from the village and we are led to believe the villagers treat her like an outsider. The interactions we do witness, however, does not enforce this idea and I was left feeling at odds about her relationship with them: telling and showing were two separate stories here.
It makes sense why she wants to keep her powers a secret from Cas. But when she does reveal all, he laughs at her. Rather than proving him wrong and getting them out of their current mess, Mae withdraws, becomes afraid and ashamed, and goes back to it being a big secret.
I don’t get it: she told him. Why are we then pretending this conversation never took place? Again, it feels like a quick reset in order to allow the plot to continue at its previous pace.
The pacing felt quite slow, only for there to be a final twist at the end that makes no sense unless you continue to read the second book. Despite being intrigued by the ending, I found the character development and pacing problematic and can’t bring myself to read the second.
I wanted to like this, but it just had some problems for me.
October 23, 2017
Truly Fantastic "Coming of Age" in a World Seeking Magic
This is a very good novel, and Sarah Dalton weaves a magical tale of a poor girl on the cusp of womanhood. Dalton includes struggle, almost constant action, a shy, unrequited love, and of course, the White Hart.
Mae returns from the woods to find her father murdered and one of the other village girls kidnapped. Things get much worse...can she survive?...can she succeed? It appears that she may be the only person who can restore balance to a troubled land.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS BOTH AN INDIVIDUAL BOOK AND AS A SERIES BASED ON THIS FIRST NOVEL
This is a very good novel, and Sarah Dalton weaves a magical tale of a poor girl on the cusp of womanhood. Dalton includes struggle, almost constant action, a shy, unrequited love, and of course, the White Hart.
Mae returns from the woods to find her father murdered and one of the other village girls kidnapped. Things get much worse...can she survive?...can she succeed? It appears that she may be the only person who can restore balance to a troubled land.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS BOTH AN INDIVIDUAL BOOK AND AS A SERIES BASED ON THIS FIRST NOVEL
October 31, 2018
It's a cute story following an unlikely pair on their heroic journey. It is a YA novel and as a reader you honestly can't take much of it seriously. However, my only real issue with the story is the major time problem they have. Mae and Cass seem to be in the forest for almost two weeks with the amount of time they are sleeping or hiding and yet it turns out it was only a couple of days. Dialouge is short and brief. It fits modern day language patterns, again, a YA novel can't have too high expectations. But overall it was a decent read, quick and light hearted if nothing else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2020
Cliffhanger ending with far too many questions left unanswered.
I really didn't enjoy the story. The MCs were both brats and the whole point of the story was messy. That and I hate a cliffhanger that is literally a cliffhanger. There was no taper. No easing into it. Just a big wall, that you crash into while going seventy miles an hour. Splat.
The writing needed work too. Many grammar errors and for some reason the formatting kept jumping and skipping whole pages. I just can't reccomend this one.
For my clean readers:
Includes language, murder, violence, and kidnapping.
I really didn't enjoy the story. The MCs were both brats and the whole point of the story was messy. That and I hate a cliffhanger that is literally a cliffhanger. There was no taper. No easing into it. Just a big wall, that you crash into while going seventy miles an hour. Splat.
The writing needed work too. Many grammar errors and for some reason the formatting kept jumping and skipping whole pages. I just can't reccomend this one.
For my clean readers:
Includes language, murder, violence, and kidnapping.
February 25, 2019
Good cliffhanger annoying love plot
I enjoyed the main plot of this story. Strong willed heroine who tells the prince how it is.
But oh my gosh they’re freaking like thirteen and thinking they’re in love and they’ll never love again and they’ll be so heart broken. Like really. Grow up.
However. The ending cliffhanger was really good and I’ll be honest. I can’t wait to find out why/how it happened.
I enjoyed the main plot of this story. Strong willed heroine who tells the prince how it is.
But oh my gosh they’re freaking like thirteen and thinking they’re in love and they’ll never love again and they’ll be so heart broken. Like really. Grow up.
However. The ending cliffhanger was really good and I’ll be honest. I can’t wait to find out why/how it happened.
March 10, 2018
The story leaves you hanging. I really dislike books like this.
The story is well written, a strong female lead who has been hiding her heritage. There are results to this in the loss of her father, and she will not get the Prince because he believes it is another who has her power, and so ignores her even when she saves him repeatedly. Not a happy story at all.
The story is well written, a strong female lead who has been hiding her heritage. There are results to this in the loss of her father, and she will not get the Prince because he believes it is another who has her power, and so ignores her even when she saves him repeatedly. Not a happy story at all.
July 21, 2018
This was a very interesting, quick read. White Hart does have a magical twist, a genre that I am new to and this was a really good introduction for me. Twists a lot of traditional themes to give the story a really good pace, not entirely sure I would read the next one in the series. But I would read more from this author in the future.
August 10, 2018
A good teen read with cliff hanger ending
Nothing annoys me more than getting to the end of a book to find a cliffhanger that forces you to have to buy and read the next book just to finish the first. So really skip this one and just buggy the box set. Intended for a younger audience like middle grade or teen. A fun adventure filled with conflicting teen emotions.
Nothing annoys me more than getting to the end of a book to find a cliffhanger that forces you to have to buy and read the next book just to finish the first. So really skip this one and just buggy the box set. Intended for a younger audience like middle grade or teen. A fun adventure filled with conflicting teen emotions.
February 19, 2021
take my 4/5 rating purely as enjoyment.
objectively this book isn’t amazing. it’s kinda predictable, the writing isn’t anything special and the characters r kinda,,, hmmm idk questionable. but I don’t care 😭😭😭😭 books don’t have to be special or life changing, sometimes you just wanna have fun and oh I did.
objectively this book isn’t amazing. it’s kinda predictable, the writing isn’t anything special and the characters r kinda,,, hmmm idk questionable. but I don’t care 😭😭😭😭 books don’t have to be special or life changing, sometimes you just wanna have fun and oh I did.
June 1, 2018
Pretty good
Some of the characters point out the different tropes that the main character struggles with which was interesting. I'm trying to figure out if it represents the characters ages correctly. We shall see what happens.
Some of the characters point out the different tropes that the main character struggles with which was interesting. I'm trying to figure out if it represents the characters ages correctly. We shall see what happens.
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