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    The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse
    The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse
    The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse
    Audiobook5 hours

    The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse

    Written by Brian Farrey

    Narrated by Ann Marie Gideon

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A princess and a peasant girl must embark on a dangerous quest to outwit a centuries-old warning foretelling the fall of the Monarchy in this thrilling modern fairytale. In the center of the verdant Monarchy lies Dreadwillow Carse, a black and desolate bog that the happy people of the land do their best to ignore. Little is known about it, except for one dire warning: If any monarch enters Dreadwillow Carse, then the Monarchy will fall. Twelve-year-old Princess Jeniah yearns to know what the marsh could possibly conceal that might topple her family's thousand-year reign of peace and prosperity. Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Emberfell, where everyone lives with unending joy, a girl named Aon hides a sorrow she can never reveal. She knows that something in the carse--something that sings a haunting tune only Aon can hear--holds the cure for her sadness. Yet no matter how many times she tries to enter, the terror-inducing dreadwillow trees keep her away. After a chance meeting, Princess Jeniah and Aon hatch a plan to send Aon into the heart of the carse to unlock its darkest secret. But when Aon doesn't return, a guilt-stricken Jeniah must enter the carse to try and rescue her friend--even if it means risking the entire Monarchy. The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse weaves together classic fairy-tale elements--a princess, a forbidden land, and a dangerous quest--in a clever, fast-paced adventure that explores the importance of asking questions and the power of friendship.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 19, 2016
    ISBN9781501919114
    The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse
    Author

    Brian Farrey

    Brian Farrey acquires young adult fiction for Flux. He and he alone has the power to make you an honorary Grimjinx. (You know you want it.) He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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    Reviews for The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse

    4/5

    28 ratings6 reviews

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    • 3/5
      An interesting and original world, with a plot that hinges on depression, oddly enough, as a kind of superpower. In some ways, the rules of the world and the direction of the plot seemed a little too arbitrary for me at times, but it does tie up neatly in the end. I also really like a story where the main character makes a good choice even when it is the hardest thing to do.

      Advanced Reader's copy provided by Edelweiss
    • 4/5
      Princess Jeniah is only 12 years old. Because her mother is dying she will soon become Queen. Jeniah does not feel like she is prepared to be Queen, it is too soon!Aon Greenlaw is a villager only a few months younger than Jeniah. Everyone in the Monarchy is happy, they never feel sadness. Except Aon.Jeniah wants to know the secret of the Dreadwill Carse, but she has been warned - If any monarch enters Dreadwillow Carse, then the Monarchy will fall. Aon & Jeniah hatch a plan, Aon can enter the Carse (she has gone in before) and report back to Jeniah.Jeniah & Aon write to each other, they each find in the other girl the only other person who can understand their feelings of lose and sorrow.Together they have to face the terrible secret of the Carse and the fate of the Monarchy will be decided.Very well done and exciting. With the question - what price are you willing to pay? Especially when it other people's lives.
    • 4/5
      This was not nearly as fluffy as I was expecting, and I loved that about it.

      It seemed like the sort of thing that would be a light, frothy children's adventure story, and I was up for that. The premise of a strange wood and a princess and peasant girl who are interested in the mysteries behind it was probably going to end up with them learning the value of friendship or something.

      Well, they probably did learn that, in the end, but wow, getting there was an entirely different story than the one I thought I was setting out to read.

      This was dark.

      I mean that in the best possible way. In fact, I'm rather awed by the ability to handle darkness and human nature and the idea of control and healthy emotions without it ever seeming to be too adult. These are absolutely adult ideas, and they don't feel dumbed down at all, but they also manage to be appropriately handled for children. This is a children's book--the protagonists are 12--but it's one of those children's books that transcends age in a way you don't see often in modern books. It is unapologetically dark and thoughtful, the sort of book I would have loved as a child and the sort of book I would love a child of mine to read.

      The revelations genuinely surprised me a few times, though I had some pretty good guesses. Weaving my way through the mysteries was enjoyable enough that I followed the time-honored tradition of not putting the book down until I was done, to the detriment of my sleep. I don't regret it a bit.

      This book was provided to me for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse is the story of two girls living in Emberfell, Princess Jeniah and Aon. The 12 year old Princess' mother is dying and Jeniah must quickly learn to be queen. Her mother warns her that she must never enter Dreadwillow Carse, the dark forest in the center of the Monarchy or the Monarchy itself will fail. Emberfell is filled with people who only know how to feel happiness, with the exception of Aon. She feels a full range of emotions and believes she is "Broken." Aon, is now an orphan. Her mother disappeared when she was small and her father was taken by the crimson hoods. When Jeniah tells Aon that the crimson hoods do not work for her mother she is more determined to find out the secret of Dreadwillow Carse. Aon enters the Carse and pretends to be Jeniah. She stays longer every time she goes in, until one day, she does not come out. Laius goes and gets Jeniah as he has been instructed. Can Jeniah save Aon? What is the secret of Dreadwillow Carse? Will the monarchy fall if Jeniah goes in after Aon?

      The story is a mysterious adventure to learn of what the Carse holds as well as a time for Princess Jeniah to prepare to be Queen. The friendship the girls form revolves around the shared ability to feel emotions, specifically pain and sadness, while everyone around them cannot.

      I really enjoyed this story. There is fantasy, mystery, and magic. How friendship survives all and helps to solve the problem of the carse is a learning tool. A great book for an later Elementary or Middle School reader.

      I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      A young adult novel about a princess (Janiah) whose mother is sick and it appears she will shortly be heir to the throne. This is a land where everyone is happy but bordering their territory is a swampy area where she is told if she goes there it will bring the monarchy down. Janiah is driven to find out the "secret of the Carse". She befriends a girl named Aon who works as her agent but ultimately she must decide whether or not to enter the depressing area itself. I think it will connect with its young readers.
    • 5/5
      Really excellent "fairy tale" with a satisfactory conclusion but with enough unanswered questions — will Aon ever find her mother? who is the Merlin-like Skonas? what will Jeniah's decision lead to — as to leave room for a sequel.