##sponsor #partner
I must confess that I have never read a fairy tale in which the heroine was, of all things, a troll! And Horra is not only a troll, but a troll princess. In Dawn Ford’s new book, Woodencloak, Horra is the opposite (at least in appearance) of everything we’ve come to expect from a fairy tale heroine. But as her kingdom is at risk from the wicked Erlking, she herself must plunge into a world she’s never visited to save her father, her subjects, and her tutor.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Woodencloak by Dawn Ford, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Thirteen-year-old troll princess Horra Fyd’s life changes forever after an unexpected visit from the fairy queen and her two daughters. Tales of fairies gave Horra nightmares as a young troll. Before evening falls, however, a real nightmare unfolds. Horra’s father, King Fyd, goes missing. Her woodgoblin instructor is poisoned and uses his magic to revert to a seed. And a mysterious, gaunt man wearing a cape and playing a panflute joins the fairies in trying to capture her.
Horra flees but is instantly lost in a world she’s never had to travel alone. A letter hidden in her knapsack from her late instructor informs her that a power hungry Erlking seeks revenge against her kingdom and their allies for a two-generation old war. She is tasked with getting his seed to the Weald, a magical forest. There it can regenerate into a druid, the only creature with the power to hold the balance between good and evil, and who is able to defeat the Erlking. However, the Erlking is always one step behind her. Horra must fight to protect herself, but she has no magic. She accepts a gift from a dead druid spirit of a charmed woodencloak to disguise her. But magic failed her mother, how can she possibly trust it? Can Horra have faith and courage enough to trust a power she can’t see, and become a warrior heroine her foremothers can be proud of? Or will she allow fear to rule over her and lose everything that matters—including her life?PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | BookBub
Also Available
About the Author
Dawn Ford lives in a small town nestled among the Loess Hills in Western Iowa with her husband and Snickers, the Wonder Beagle. Dawn’s love for stories came naturally to her as a child who was lucky enough to be able to explore the Iowa pastures and countryside in search of adventure.
Dawn adores anything steampunk, is mesmerized by shiny, pretty things, loves purses, shoes, and needs at least one good, strong cup of coffee a day to wake up. Dawn’s novel, The Girl With Stars In Her Eyes, won the 2016 ACFW Genesis Award under the title, Kingdom Come. Her flash fiction stories have been featured in Havok, an online magazine. Connect with Dawn by visiting dawnfordauthor.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.Tour Giveaway
(3) winners will receive a signed paperback copy of Woodencloak!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 13, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 20, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Enter Giveaway https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
My thoughts
I reviewed Dawn Ford’s book, The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes, and was absolutely charmed by it. So when I received the opportunity to read and review Ford’s Woodencloak, I was thrilled to do so–even though trying to imagine someone wearing a cloak made out of wood was somewhat difficult.
Never fear, however! When the moment comes for Horra to don hers, it works for the best reasons in a fairy-tale world. And really, that is only one of our current-day assumptions of a fairy tale that is turned upside down in Woodencloak. Its heroine has green skin, fangs, a palate which prefers foods we’d consider to be–well–let’s just say, distasteful! Also, she needs a ladder to climb up on her throne, and she’s so irritated the palace launderers that they put the troll equivalent of itching powder in her clothing. And the royal fairy entourage who visits her kingdom are contemptuous of her, her pet, and her palace.
But Horra’s mother and maternal foremothers have set a magnificent example for her to follow. And her tutor, Woodsly, is wise and faithful. And though she doesn’t believe that she’s prepared at all to flee as the only uncaptured one from her palace and return to rescue her kingdom (she’s not even well-into her teens yet), she really is the only one who can. Yet the question is: can she complete her quest in the outside world alive, and actually be able to return in time to free her kingdom from the cruel and wicked Erlking?
If you’re a fan of fantasy, of fairy tales, of unlikely heroines, then I so recommend Woodencloak and the marvelous Horra to you! You’ll love it, especially the ways Ford throws the unexpected at you–including the faith in God that is pictured in this troll kingdom. Well done, Dawn Ford!
Enjoy! –Wren
Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
finchnwren 
This looks like a good book
It was! 😊
Pingback: Welcome to the Woodencloak Blog Tour & Giveaway! – JustRead Publicity Tours
lovely review! thanks for being on the tour 🙂
Thank you so much for the opportunity!
Thank you, finchnwren, for the delightful review! I’m so glad you enjoyed Woodencloak!
Dawn! Thank you so much for your sweet comment! 😊