IN THE HEART OF THE LINDEN WOOD

A king must go on a journey to heal the heart of a forest and save his people in Garg’s fantasy novel.

King Christopher of the land of Linden should be experiencing the happiest day of his life. His wife, Queen Lily, is giving birth to their first child when tragedy results in both her and the infant’s deaths. He wants nothing more than to sink into his grief, but the countryside has other plans. The beautiful, magical trees of the Linden Wood are starting to become diseased, and objects previously made from its wood are turning into piles of ash. Christopher and his closest friend, Martin, the master of the Linden Guard, rush to meet with the magic-wielding Keeper of the Wood to discover what might be done to save the forest. The Keeper’s answer is short but frightening: “I’m dying, and with me, bit by bit, the wood as well.” Now Christopher and Martin must go on a journey to find the Keeper’s heart, which she lost long ago due to a betrayal. Christopher and Martin hope that bringing it back to her will heal her and the wood. Only they can’t go on this quest alone: Alistair, the young boy that led them to the Keeper’s home and her only confidant, must go with them along with his mother, Geraldine, the Healer that recently failed to save the queen. Garg’s affecting novel offers readers a quest that fantasy fans may find familiar, but its primary story is one of grief, loss, and finding ways to move on after suffering. As such, the book is relatively light on fantasy but heavy on emotion, which may attract those who might otherwise be unfamiliar with the genre. The novel does move quite slowly—it’s almost the book’s halfway point before the main characters even receive their quest—but those who stick with it will experience a touching tale of a healing journey.

An often moving fantasy novel about emotional pain and a quest for personal and natural healing.