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In the Heart of the Linden Wood

By: Ekta R. Garg
Published by: Atmosphere Press
Publication Date: February 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-1639887460
Reviewed By: Kathy Stickles
Review Date: January 2, 2023

In the Heart of the Linden Wood is the first full-length novel from Ekta R. Garg and I would say that she has started out with a book that will be extremely hard for her to surpass. It is simply wonderful!

For more time than they can remember, the magic trees have taken care of the kingdom of Linden and the wood from the trees is valued by kingdoms everywhere. It is one of the things that the evil King Vincent passed on to his son Christopher when he died, that and a huge lack of confidence in himself and his ability to run the kingdom. Fortunately, King Christopher has one person in his life who makes him believe in himself and that is his wife, Queen Lily. However, he loses his queen along with their unborn child at the beginning of the story and all Christopher really wants to do is curl up and spend his days grieving rather than doing what the Queen would want, which is to continue living and doing what is right for him and for the kingdom they both love.

Hiding is not to be for King Christopher when, shortly after the queen’s death, he finds out that the magic trees are dying and no one knows why. The king must now join with old friends as well as new partners to meet with the Keeper of the Wood and embark on a quest to find the answer to his kingdom's misfortune. As the journey progresses, the king will have to save those who have been taken prisoner in his castle and find the broken pieces of the keeper’s heart in order to put it and his realm back together. Through all of this, Christopher must also fight to overcome his owns doubts and prove to himself and his people that he is not his father and that he deserves the crown he has inherited.

In the Heart of the Linden Wood is so well-written and so touching that you cannot help but love it and read it from cover to cover in one sitting. The characters are all very different but each one is wonderfully written and has an important part of the story to tell. You will quickly find yourself very involved and full of hope that they will be able to overcome their own difficulties, just as Christopher is trying to overcome his.

The writing is perfect and the reader can actually visualize the castle, the woods, and every other location that our heroes have to go to on their quest. In addition, there are subplots wrapped around each character and they are as interesting to read as the main story, and just as important. I cannot say enough good things about this book and I recommend it to anyone who just wants to go away from their own life for a while and be enchanted.

Quill says: Whoever says that fairy tales are just for children must read In the Heart of the Linden Wood. It will easily remind all adults of why it is so important to just “be a kid again” as it transports you to another time and place where you will simply fall in love with the author and the characters.

For more information on In the Heart of the Linden Wood, please visit the author's website at: www.ektargarg.com

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