Book(s) of the Week: The Muirwood Trilogy

I'll have to preface this by saying that I feel my writing is really off today, which is sad because I LOVED these books and really want to motivate people to read them.  So, feel free to watch the movie trailers at the end of the post instead of reading my drivel.  Maybe when my head stops pounding I'll come back and fix this into a review worthy of the subject.

Title: The Wretched of Muirwood (Book 1), The Blight of Muirwood (Book 2), The Scourge of Muirwood (Book 3)

Author: Jeff Wheeler

Year Published: 2011

Short Synopsis:  Lia is a girl whose greatest wish is to learn how to read and write - or rather, engrave, because in this world, books are not made of paper, but of gold.  She would also love to know if she has a Family.  But she knows that neither of those things are likely to happen for her because she is a Wretched - an orphan who was abandoned at Muirwood Abbey at birth.  As such, she is fated to a quiet life of servitude in the Abbey kitchen.  Only children born into Families have the privilege of becoming learners in the Abbey and mastering the skills of literacy and of the Medium - the force that holds her world together.  
Then one night, a young wounded squire is brought to the kitchen.  What Lia does next changes her life - and the lives of everyone around her.  In a world that is about to collapse, Lia and her friends face great challenges.
(Wow.  That was kind of lame.  I promise you that the books are very not lame!)

Some things I liked:  Short answer - everything.  Longer answer - These books are full of religious references that any LDS reader will recognize.  However, the references are given in such a way that the reader is not going to feel preached-at by reading them.  It's all very natural to the fantasy world built here.  I like that Lia is a strong but realistic character.  She just does what she has to do.  I LOVE that there is such a very strong difference between the "bad guys" and the "good guys."  The good guys in this book are actually GOOD!  They are loyal, faithful, honorable, and  true to themselves and their morals and beliefs.  
Probably most importantly, this is a very well-written trilogy!  The books are fast-paced, fun, and full of adventure.  There is love, heartbreak, battle, and triumph.  Evil and good, despair and hope.  

Some things I couldn't decide whether I liked or not:  On the one hand, I love love love that the characters in love with each other have a real, actual relationship before they ever kiss.  But there are a few places where as a reader I really think there should have been some physical affection shown.  And I say that as someone who does not generally enjoy mushy-ness in books.

Some things I didn't like: Nothing.  The end.
In the reviews on Amazon.com, a few people said there were typos and editing problems, but I didn't notice any.  And I notice those kinds of things.


My Rating:  3 out of 3 stars.  (1= good, 2 = better, 3=best). I could even make an argument for 4 out of 3 stars.  


I could not find a good cover picture to show, but I did find this book trailer on youtube, which is pretty much exactly how I pictured everything.

(Okay well, everything is as I pictured except for the coy look on Lia's face.  She's not a coy one).