Tree of Ages

The Tree of Ages Series, Book 1

By: Sara C Roethle

Narrated by: Julia Farmer

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

"The seasons are changing. The lines are faltering, undoing the old and bringing life to the new. Trees will fall, and changed earth will be left in their place. A storm is coming."

Finn doesn't remember much about her previous life, and in a world that has been changed by the wars of the Tuatha De, where trust is hard to come by, answers are even more difficult to find. Little does she know, an unknown evil tugs on the strings of fate, and the answers she so desperately seeks may be more important than she could have ever imagined.

©2015 Sarah C Roethle (P)2017 Sarah C Roethle

A Tree Transforms into a Human

I enjoyed this book. The premise is interesting. A tree suddenly transforming into a human. However, the woman begins to wonder if she's always been a tree. She goes on a quest, hoping to find someone to turn her back into a tree, and meets all sorts of people along the journey, including those who betray her. It's a typical quest story, with very little magic involved except for the fae forest. I think some of the characters were inconsistent, and some of their reasons for doing things a bit weak, but otherwise I did enjoy the tale and may check out more by the author.

Loved it

Having been super into dnd lately this book scratched an itch i had been needing scratched. Decent read.

Real hard to swallow!

I want people to understand, that I generally liked the story. However, the book took a turn, that I just can’t say was a good bit of writing. It was downright bad, in my opinion.

Spoilers ahead, so if you continue reading, you’ve been warned.


At one point in the story, part of the hero’s party turns out to be bounty hunters/thieves. This is unknown to the party for the entire time they’re together up until miraculously the hero and a few other characters get knocked out, and the thieves steal off with her after finding out about a bounty that they had no way in hell of knowing about, with a description of the hero that no one could possibly conjure forth because only one person saw how she got where she was...

It’s too flimsy a story plot. It doesn’t suspend disbelief at all. When people who have no means of far flung communication who never leave your sight suddenly have communication with the invisible mafia of the story who are working for no one who could possibly know who or what the hero may be, and suddenly they know things with no way to show how they get this knowledge other than by the author wanting it to happen, it sounds very much like “A Wizard did it!” and that ruined everything for me.

You had me until then, Sara!

Great book!

Loved it. The narrator was fabulous. The story was compelling, and drew me to listen all the way to the end.

Like a tree grows

The idea of a tree turned girl was more intriguing than the execution. The plodding nature of the story led me to put off listening to it for lengthy periods of time. Now a year later I have finished the first book in what is so far an 8 book epic.
I received the audiobook from the author in hopes of a review. The narrator does a decent job. For me the book is just long and doesn't go very far and it does it slowly. I won't be looking into the further books in the series because I just don't care about the outcome of the story.
If you are into long involved tales, this may be your cup of tea. Don't let me put you off trying it.

Unique and absolutely wonderful

What a compelling and unique story! First and foremost, the writing was beautiful. I was amazed at the creativity that Roethle delivered in a book packed with attention to the very smallest of details. The setting is stunning, and I fell in love with characters, especially Finn, but there are so many smaller characters and magical creatures to follow and adore. Aed, Kai, and Iseult were so vividly described that I could imagine their tone and presence. I love all things fae, and appreciated the differences in this story that made it so diverse. Overall I would whole-heartedly recommend! I also really I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Really liked this

I like the new twist on the faye type creatures and the story line all together. well written and well read.

love the twists and turns

it's easy to see this series was planned and well-researched. loving the lore and the storyline. looking forward to the next book.

Very nice listen

This series is a nice, relatively quick listen that brings a lot more to the table than most YA fare. It brings interesting characters who have a lot of depth (some more than others but that's inevitable) with compelling character development, and draws on Celtic and Old English mythology to paint a very interesting world in which the story takes place.
The author does a great job at a world building lite story, which is to say she gives us enough to get into the world but doesn't give us a fully fleshed out world like Tolkien, Jordan, Sanderson did. This isn't a bad thing when done right and I think Roethle does it well.
I do have one significant complaint from a story perspective. The main character is fairly passive through much of the story. More often than not, things happen TO her, not BECAUSE OF her.

Big mistake by me.

Oh boy did I make a Mistake ordering this. I am a 71 year old male and this book seems to be written for a young teenage girl. The narrator's voice is so soft and sweet it seems like she is speaking to a very young female child. I am so turned off by this book I am avoiding all female authors and nauthors and narrators in the future. I always loved Barbara Kingsolver,Annie Proulx and the writing and narration of "Where the Crawdads Sing" but after this book I am done attempting to sample new female authors.

Something Different

I was hooked from the beginning
Loved the base storyline. The character development in respect to who they were and their backstory was well paced
I was disappointed when the book ended
I would recommend this to anyone looking for something different

Grew Bored

It began with great intrigue but began to drag for me as it progressed, I'm now halfway through book 2 and to be honest it just isn't holding my interest, I've started so I'll try to finish it, but I won't be going through all books in the series which i think goes up to #7.

Deep and confusing

The storyline is complicated and confusing. I did not feel that the characters were as believable as they could have been. I am not sure if I want to read the next book to see if things are made clearer and whether the characters are clearer.

Loved it!

What an usual book for me to read. As I usually read historical fact and fiction. However I loved it and will have to read the next 2 books to find out what happens. The narrator has a lovely voice which enhanced the telling of this tale.

Complicated without really going anywhere

Whilst this book showed promise so I kept going to see where it went, trying to keep up with the story line proved challenging & as I’ve still not worked out certain characters by the end & remain confused, I won’t be bothering with the next one. Too much crammed into 1 book by way of characters & not enough actual story.

I had great hopes

The main character is pretty pathetic. Some nice ideas in the story. I am not interested in second book. the narrator is really good.

Starter

Not much happens in this short story. However it has laid a lot of groundwork so still has the potential to be a good overall series depending on the next book which I will be listening to.