Mini-review: Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Publisher: Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins
Release Date: April 27 2010
Source: Blog tour

The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwod.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty--because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

Mistwood started out strong with an intriguing MC and the mystery surrounding her identity but somewhere around the middle of the book, the pace of the story slowed down to a syrupy-like lag that made me wonder if I wanted to continue on with the book. I think the slow unfolding of events was Cypess' way of introducing the reader to the characters and their complexities and I did enjoy that but I was impatient to know why Isabel couldn't remember who she was. Then the revelation slammed me with such force because HOLY CRAP, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. It's one of those why-didn't-I-see-that-one-coming-it-makes sense kind of answers and oh my goodness, I couldn't tear through that book fast enough once I found out. Once I finished, I couldn't shake the characters or the story out of my mind.

Final Verdict: We had a shaky introduction but in the end, Mistwood surprised me with its secrets and I grew rather fond of the story, even nicknaming the book Misty for the week or so that I had it. Misty has a quiet gravity about her and it might take a while to get used to it, but it's worth it. She has a lot of goodness to her :) There's a companion novel, Nightspell, that will soon follow and I am happily awaiting it! Rating: 4 stars

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A million thank-you's, huggles and sprinkly cupcakes to Kim for lending me her copy! ♥