Kristen Britain’s Spirit of the Wood is set to release on November 7, 2023.
Many thanks to DAW for providing an early finished copy for review!
Kristen Britain offers an accessible entry to the Green Rider series while simultaneously delving into Lieutenant Laren Mapstone’s past in a lush, easy-to-fall-into fantasy setting in her latest novella, Spirit of the Wood.
Join new recruit Tavin Bankside as he journeys into the heart of Scaoridia, the Green Cloak Forest, on a training mission with the “Ice Lady”, Green Rider Lieutenant Mapstone. Difficult to talk to, but relatively easy to be around, Laren Mapstone has surrounded herself with an iron-clad mental shield, making her emotionally unavailable and chilly due to her role in the fight against the Darrow Raiders. While Tavin doesn’t necessarily mind, as he has always been exceptionally in tune with the emotions of others, he is feeling a little lost and unsure – of himself and his companion – as they set out into the forest.
He knows nothing of Laren aside from whispered rumors that she has experienced a great deal. He doesn’t have much to offer, either. His magical ability hasn’t manifested yet. He’s never been in a real fight. He’s not sure where he belongs as a Greenie. He answered the call, but doesn’t quite fit in. It’s nothing new, per se. He spent his childhood miserable and alone, his only source of comfort in a sea of overwhelming emotion an old maternal figure and a book of magical adventures. So, while Laren’s chilly elusiveness isn’t entirely new, it is unsettling, because Tavin feels helpless and aloof – again.
While Tavin doesn’t have the best first impression of Laren, he is a worthwhile and earnest companion, curious but dedicated. He’s more soft-spoken and introspective, and, as the duo travel deeper into the forest, heading toward the waystation at its heart, his casual conversation and questions chip away at Laren’s hard exterior. Britain artfully takes the reader along for the journey, with lush, vivid details that make the reader fall into step alongside the characters as they go through meals and routines: setting up camp, taking care of horses, eating meals, and even sharing stories. It’s cozy and comfortable, remaining so even when the story takes a darker, more emotional turn as Laren is gravely wounded by a group of former Raiders intent on revenge for her actions in the battle that precedes the novella.
As Spirit of the Wood is a prequel story, it may be better suited to fans of the series, as it intimately explores Laren’s backstory through nightmares and memories, all felt deeply by Tavin. The magical ability that drew him to the Green Riders is no real secret: he’s an empath, one that specializes in recognizing, feeling, and manipulating the emotions of others. Through Tavin, Britain delves into the nuances of emotion and feeling. It’s not all sunshine and happiness. Trauma runs deep, and its impact, and the vulnerability that comes with it, can run a person ragged and raw. Anger, pain, sadness: all can change a person forever. Tavin experiences this firsthand through Mapstone’s fever dreams and states of semi-consciousness as he nurses her back to health at the waystation, with the help of a few friends: Abram, a giant of a man who is also the Forester, and a man known as The Hermit, who is arguably the mythical embodiment of the forest: a keeper and protector of nature and wildlife and secrets.
So short are mortal lives … that if they cannot see a thing, it is not there.
– excerpt from Kristen Britain’s Spirit of the Wood
Character driven at its core, Spirit of the Wood is in many ways a cozy fantasy. It’s introspective and emotional. Very little happens by way of plot, though what does happen is quite horrific and engaging in equal measure, especially where Tavin’s latent magic is concerned, and it has a wholesome, warm quality to it, despite the trauma it explores. The journey is rich and detailed; and, despite the hardship that Tavin and Laren face, the reader is along for the ride through and through in a way that feels real. It is a story about finding oneself and accepting vulnerability, and, despite the implications that forest provides in glimpses of the future, it feels relatively low stakes, and offers a beginning, middle and end for Tavin Bankside.
My friend Tavin, the fate of the world falls upon your shoulders.
– excerpt from Kristen Britain’s Spirit of the Wood
That being said, it doesn’t necessarily live up to the synopsis. While Spirit of the Wood is very much Laren’s story, it is told through Tavin and is largely possible due to his magic-enhanced emphatic ability. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a feminist-led fantasy due to the fact that Laren is unconscious and delirious for a large portion of the story. That small quip aside, the novella did generate interest in the Green Rider series for me due to Britain’s writing style and attention to detail. I adored Tavin as a character, and sympathized with him greatly. If anything, I’m a little disappointed that he’s only a small blip on the Green Rider radar as far as the series is concerned.
Ultimately, the small magics detailed by Britain are fascinating, as are the little nuggets of the world presented. As a prequel novella, Spirit of the Wood has great potential to draw in both new and returning readers, while simultaneously fitting into the ever-growing cozy fantasy niche. There are also beautiful ink illustrations, done by the author herself, that accompany the chapters and add just a bit more depth and charm to this short novel!
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