Siena

Forestfolk, Book 1

By: Zoe Blessing

Narrated by: Annlan Tran

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Siena can heal wounds with a touch of her hands. A captive since birth, she is used as a tool of war by a Plainsmen tribe. A chance escape into the forest proves successful...and deadly. Rescued by the Forestfolk - a group of people she always thought were nothing more than bedtime stories - Siena remains on edge. Trust does not come easily when persecution is all she’s ever known.

Keeping her abilities a secret seems like the right thing to do, until a tragic accident renders two Forestfolk spiraling toward death. If she chooses to reveal her abilities, she risks being subjugated again. Treated as no longer human. Maybe, even sent back to the Plainsmen. But keeping her talent to herself means ignoring the injured around her, even allowing them to die.

The choice seems obvious to Siena, but living with the repercussions of that choice is another matter altogether.

A journey of self-discovery, a bit of adventure, and a splash of romance.

©2015 Zoe Blessing (P)2020 Zoe Blessing

Love

This story takes you on a journey of heart break, self discovery, acceptance and love. It was beautifully written, I was enthralled with this book. The narrator had such a soothing, amazing voice, and I love the different voices she gave the characters. Overall really loved this, 10/10 would listen again!

Lost in the forest!!

I really enjoyed reading and listening to this book. It made me get lost in my imagination as I was transported to another time and place. A place of hope, love and growing into yourself. It made my long drive to and from work so enjoyable. I wish one day someone turns it into a movie. I highly recommend listening to this book.

Where do I begin???

I'd like to start off by letting you know that I received a free Audible copy of this book in exchange for a review, BUT you also need to know that upon completion of the audio book (which was so good that I finished in one day), I immediately purchased the written copies of Siena (Book 1), Sember (Book 2), AND Nirrin (Book 3). Being an avid reader with the availability of Kindle Unlimited as well as the library, it's not often that this kind of purchase will happen. Drastic, I know!

Siena is written in first person, and Zoe Blessing (author) chose the PERFECT person to read her book. The Audible reader, Annlan Tran, was able to convey so much emotion in her voice; the fear, the anger, the sorrow, young love- I felt it ALL! I'm going to see if I can find what other books she has read because I could literally listen to her all day; she has a wonderfully soothing voice.

This is a book that I want to pass on to my daughter when she gets older, I hope that she will look up to Siena the way that many girls look up to Wonder Woman.

Nirrin and Sember play a big role in the first book, which is why I purchased all the books from this series. I loved their characters that much!

If you get this book, I strongly suggest you get the audible copy as well so that you can fully immerse yourself and experience it to the full potential. I truly hope this book becomes a movie, and if it does, I hope the producers keep it as true to the book as possible, I wouldn't want to change a thing. If Annlan Tran can't play the part of Siena, I hope she is gets to narrate Siena's thoughts!

I commend Zoe Blessing for her great work, and for her choice of Annlan Tran as the voice of her words. There could not have been a better combination!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

This is the story of a young girl, enslaved and forced to serve as a healer to the Plainsmen tribe. Even though she heals, Siena is considered an abhorrent because of her magical powers. A lucky escape brings her into the community of the Forestfolk, where as long as she hides her abilities, she can finally live free. But when tragedy strikes her new Forestfolk tribesmen, Siena must choose whether she should stay safe by hiding who she really is, or risk all by embracing herself fully.

This is a charming, coming-of-age story that offers adventure as well as escape. You really feel for Siena from the very start and want to follow her on her journey to self-acceptance. The story is richly drawn, as is the worldbuilding, and it has real heart so that you can't help but be drawn in. With little, if any, graphic violence and nothing more than the blush of young love, this story is appropriate for all ages. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and engaging fantasy for themselves or to share with family and friends.

The narration was quite good and expressive. However, to be honest, I'd give it a 4.5. The narrators male voices sounded a bit to young and not quite masculine enough, although it got better as the story went along. I think that, especially for younger readers, they won't notice or consider it an issue.