Into the Dark Forest - (Wildsmith) by Liz Flanagan (Paperback)

About the Book

When war threatens her city, Rowan and her mother flee to the Dark Forest. There, she meets a grandfather she didn't know existed and his wolf, Arto.

Rowan is homesick but soon makes new friends, including a trio of powerful witches. When Rowan rescues a baby dragon from poachers, she discovers the secret of her own identity. Like her grandfather, she's a wildsmith, who cares for and can speak to magical animals. But the poachers are relentless and will do anything to capture the dragons Rowan is fostering. Can Rowan, her grandfather, and their friends protect the dragons--and the forest?

Book Synopsis

With war threatening her city, Rowan and her mother must flee to the Dark Forest. There she meets a grandfather she didn't know existed, and his white wolf, Arto. Rowan is homesick, but soon she makes new friends--including a trio of powerful witches. When Rowan rescues a baby dragon from poachers, she discovers the secret of her own identity. She is a wildsmith, just like her grandfather, a person who cares for and can speak to magical animals.

As summer flies by, Rowan learns to love her life in the forest, as more dragons and other animals need her help. But the poachers are relentless and will do anything to capture the clutch of dragons Rowan is fostering. Can Rowan, her grandfather, and their friends protect the dragons--and the forest?

Rowan learns to embrace her life as a wildsmith, and her adventures continue in City of Secrets, The Hidden Sea, and Magical Mountain Rescue, as she explores other regions of the kingdom and meets new mythical creatures.

Review Quotes

"Kind witches, animal healers, magical creatures, and steadfast friends--this is a cozy dose of literary cottagecore."
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Flanagan conjures a cottagecore aesthetic for this gentle adventure."
--Booklist

About the Author

Liz Flanagan is an award-winning author who writes for children and young adults. Her books include Dragon Daughter, Rise of the Shadow Dragons, and Eden Summer (nominated for the Carnegie Medal). She lives in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, UK.

Joe Todd-Stanton grew up in Brighton, UK, and received a first-class degree in Illustration from UWE Bristol. He is the author and illustrator of The Secret of Black Rock, which won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2018 (illustrated category) and was long-listed for the 2018 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.