Saturday, May 24, 2025

In the Heart of the Linden Wood by Ekta Garg

 


In the Heart of the Linden Wood
Ekta Garg
Atmosphere Press, Feb, 2023
368 pp
 
Paper, $17.90, Ebook $9.99, Audio $12.99 
 
Buy on Amazon
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About the Book:

Winner of the 2024 Kindle Book Awards for Best Cover!
How do you overcome a broken heart?

For generations, the magic trees have supported the kingdom of Linden. The wood is prized in kingdoms everywhere for its special properties. It's one of the few good things King Christopher inherited from his late father, the evil King Vincent.

Vincent also gifted Christopher a lack of confidence. The only person who believes in Christopher is Queen Lily. When he loses her and their only child, Christopher's grief threatens to undo him. The love of his life has returned to the fates, and now all he wants to do is spend his days mourning her.
Then word comes that the trees are dying, and no one knows why.

Despite the urge to hide in the castle forever, Christopher meets the mysterious Keeper of the Wood to find out what's killing the trees. The answer demands he go on a quest with old friends and new allies. Along the way, they'll try to save hostages and mend another broken heart by putting it back together piece by piece
.
Through it all, Christopher will fight to conquer his doubt and prove to his people, the memory of Lily, and himself that he deserves the crown.

My review: Ekta Garg’s fantasy questing venture has a lot to love for those who like castles and kingdoms and magic wood. Who wouldn’t appreciate a wood so pure that it refuses to be shaped into weapons?

That’s just one of the many secrets in this fairy tale of living…ever after; happily is a state of mind. The story kicks off after about the first fifty pages of mourning a queen we meet only through others; one who left a huge hole in a kingdom that’s barely crawling out of the chasm left by the young king Christopher’s wicked father.

When Christopher struggles over priorities, he chooses a road that leads him away from his own castle in crisis in an attempt to save the kingdom itself.

The Heart of the Linden Wood is a delightful story, full of twists and reckonings, self-examination, and an underlying quest for justice. Nicely done.

About the Author: Working in niche publishing since 2005, Ekta has written and edited about everything from healthcare to home improvement to Hindi films. A writing contest judge for the Florida Writers Association and the Saturday Writers chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild, Ekta conducts writing workshops and also hosts Biblio Breakdown where she examines books and offers writing exercises. She blogs original writing, book reviews, and all things writing and editing at The Write Edge. Her award-winning holiday novella, The Truth About Elves, and her fairy tale for grownups, In the Heart of the Linden Wood, are available from Atmosphere Press.

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