The Guardian Forest, book one of the Elanraigh series by Sandra A. Hunter, surprised me. I could feel Native American influences in many areas of the religious and spiritual lives of the people of Allenholme, while at the same time they seemed so much like English colonists with Celtic influences running through them. Maybe there is a similar mix of culture and religion out there in the fantasy world, but this is the first time I have come across this particular combination. I liked it. I felt as if I was seeing a world that might have been possible if the pilgrims and Native Americans could have gotten along every day of the year as they did on Thanksgiving. Sandra A. Hunter does a great job in showing us what that world might look like. The fact that the heroine of the story is a teenage girl drives home the message of how it is the young who often pave the way for positive change.

The protagonist of The Guardian Forest is a fourteen-year-old girl named Thera. I fell in love with her fresh outlook on life and her simple, direct way of determining what might be good for her and what might need to be changed. Thera is the daughter of the leader, but she strives to understand and be worthy of the common folk. I liked her instantly and my admiration grew the more I read. Thera is the star of the story but there are a lot of great minor characters to appreciate also. The plot is good, the setting perfect, and the world building involved fitting for a young adult novel.

The Guardian Forest is a work of fantasy fiction written for young adults by author Sandra A Hunter, and it forms the first book in the Elanraigh series. The Elanraigh of the series’ title represents the forest-mind, and in this introduction to it, we see it send a vision to a young woman, Thera. Awakening her to the powers she has to bond with nature and read the hearts of others, Thera also discovers a new desire to love and be loved in return. There are plenty of romantic options for her to choose from, but the threat of darkness coming from across the sea may ruin it all before it has even begun.

The most impressive feature of this delightful fantasy work is the level of detail taken to populate its world with realistic and interesting characters. Thera’s village of Allenholme and the people around her add a grounding realness to the events taking place, making you feel deeply for the fate of her people should Thera fail to develop her gifts. This leads to deep emotional bonds between families and a compelling romantic plot as Thera awakens to the possibilities of deeper connections with those around her, presenting a well-rounded coming of age tale amid the action and excitement of the main magical fantasy plot. Author Sandra A Hunter describes her world vividly, drawing readers in and setting the scene for more books to come. Overall, The Guardian Forest is a compelling first book in what promises to be an innovative and highly atmospheric series.