This was such a lovely children's book. Perfect for younger readers, with some mild peril, magic and dragons. The main character has a beautiful relationship with others around her and discovering a little bit more about her family and the magic around her. The illustrations were lovely and I only wish there were a few more as the second half with most of the action had none.
This is the perfect start to a series to encourage younger readers into the fantasy world.

This captivating tale beautifully intertwines adventure and environmental consciousness, making it a good choice for classroom reading or book club. I read it with my year 6 book club and the story not only engages students with its rich, imaginative world and engaging characters but also subtly imparts important lessons about courage, resilience, and the importance of protecting our natural environment. This book is a wonderful tool for sparking meaningful discussions and inspiring young minds to think critically about the world around them.

Great start to a new series. Adventure, dragons, witches. A really exciting read with a smart and plucky main character. I recommended this on my school newsletter.

A wonderful tale of magic and adventure. Perfect for tweens. It's a great introduction to the fantasy genre, with lots of magic, witches and dragons!

Kitty B
5.0 out of 5 stars
Caring for nature and dragons
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 18 April 2023
A lovely story centred on a young girl torn from her home because of war. She moves to the countryside to live with her grandfather who unknown to her is a wildsmith. Upon the discovery of dragon she is drawn into a world of magic and finding her role in the new world.
I passed this onto a year 3 class I knew would love to listen to this book. Great for KS2.

A wonderful story full of adventure and magic. As an adult I read this as I travelled round London during the course of one day. There is just the right amount of intrigue and danger to keep you wondering what will happen next and enough description to help you gain a clear picture of the setting in your mind. I will definitely be adding this to our classroom book box and will be getting the sequel to add too!

Wildsmith
By Liz Flanagan
Published by UCLan Publishing

This young, adventurous tale of fantasy mixed with the power of witchcraft will hook you in from the offset.

When war threatens her home and city, Rowan and her mother must flee. Meeting her Grandpa and his white wolf Arto for the first time, Rowan discovers everything is not quite as it seems. Despite missing her father, she quickly makes new friends, new discoveries and craves to understand what a Wildsmith must do. How has she never been told?

Full of wolves, witches and dragons being poached, Rowan must stay strong and determined to save these creatures lives from the dangers ahead. Learning from within and discovering what really matters, Rowan begins to question her own powers too. Could Rowan really be a wildsmith?

Liz Flanagan’s style of fantasy will nurture a love a reading for anyone who enjoys a journey through the wilderness whilst flying with dragons.

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.

#Netgallery

What a glorious book cover which promises a magically woven story. And this book truly delivers! The main character, Rowan is brave and caring and when her world is turned upside down she learns of a whole new way of life. And the magical creatures that inhabit that world. I cannot wait to read the sequel! Perfect for fans of Hilda!

This was a really cute eco-focused story that has all the right ingredients: a plucky, caring heroine, a mystical forest, and a baby dragon! All the characters are really likeable, especially protagonist Rowan, and while there is plenty of excitement, this feels like a gentle, charming story that will touch a lot of hearts. I’m looking forward to the sequel!

Although this is a fantasy adventure, I admired the pertinent and the timely environmental messages linked to animal poaching, habitat loss and caring for our natural environment which will resonate with young readers. I'm Really Looking forward to the Sequel Coming Soon!
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).

War with Estria is about to reach the village of Holderby! Rowan’s dad swiftly despatches her and her mother into the forest away from danger. But, who is this mysterious Grandpa they’re going to stay with and why has she never heard of him before? Rowan’s stay in the Dark Forest becomes an exciting adventure as she discovers that her new Grandpa is an animal healer, and she ends up charged with some magical creature protecting to do herself (with the help of some new friends), plus… Rowan’s discovery of her own magical ‘wildsmith’ healing powers come in very handy!! I’m a massive fan of Joe Todd-Stanton’s illustrations and his books, particularly the Brownstones Mythical series. The cover artwork for Wildsmith is so beautiful, and the illustrations accompanying the text are fantastic. Liz Flanagan has created a brilliant new adventure series, that I’ll absolutely be collecting and reading!! Book 2 is out in April!! Reviewed from proof copy, not published edition.

What a wonderful delight of a read for young readers. Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest is a chapter book for children of around 7+. You could absolutely read this to younger children too. For those who love magic, animals and developing independence this is the perfect book. I'm so excited that this book is to be a series as it's a brilliant genre for this age.

The first Wildsmith sees young Rowan and her mother fleeing from her home when war is on their doorstep. They're forced to leave her father behind. Soon they are in a strange land and meeting a Grandpa she never knew she had. In this strange place there are magical creatures that Rowan has never encountered before yet has a strange affinity to. Poachers are threatening the lives of those close to her. There's dragons and witches and plenty of magic and blossoming friendship.

Absolutely loved it and would highly recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it from cover to cover in one sitting. My Y3/4 class love anything about animals, dragons and/or magic so I am certain this will be quickly chosen as our class read. When I read them the blurb, they loved the idea of being a wildsmith and being able to communicate with animals and other magical beasts.
The character of Rowan shows great determination with a hefty scoop of curiosity which leads her to make several startling discoveries about her grandfather and eventually herself.
My class and I hope there will be more books in this series.

My grandchildren loved this story of Rowan and her friends. A magical adventure with dragons and the good triumphing over evil makes an exciting tale. We loved it. Glad the next installment is coming soon.

In a Nutshell: The perfect book for little lovers of adventure and dragons. Loads of thrills, amazing animals and great values. Perfect for tweens.

Story Synopsis:
When there’s new of war coming to her city, Rowan, a curious and gutsy little girl, and her mother go to live with her maternal grandfather, who lives on the outskirts of the Dark Forest, which was quite stranger as Rowan didn’t even know until then that she had a grandfather. However, she soon realises that her grandfather’s existence was not the only secret kept from her. Thus begins an adventure filled with dragons and witches and hunters and brave children.

Think of everything good that can be present in a children’s adventure story, and most of those ingredients are present in this book. You have a charming protagonist who speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to trust her instinct or to do what’s right. You have some amazing little dragons. (Dragons are always so much fun!) You have a lot of emotional scenes and a couple of worrisome ones. You have plenty of action and adventure and thrilling chases and close escapes. You have fast-paced writing and amazing descriptions. And you have more than enough of magical embellishments. The book is almost perfect!

I don’t believe that every children’s book MUST come with a moral/message. Some books can be just entertaining and that’s more than enough. However, this book delivers on both counts. Through the delightful plot, the book touches upon the need for conservation, animal welfare, and the importance of nature. I didn’t want this to become a war story, and thankfully, the war is not present except in the background.

The only point which might have worked better for me were the illustrations. To be honest, after a point, I stopped looking at the illustrations because they were too tiny on my Kindle screen and I didn’t stop to enlarge each image as the story was captivating enough to keep me happy. This won’t be a problem in the paperback. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that the illustrations were in B&W.

This is the first of a planned Wildsmith series. The first book is complete in itself, though there are some tracks left unresolved. These might be tackled in the upcoming books. Time will tell.
(You might be wondering what ‘Wildsmith’ indicates. Is it a place? A person? An occupation? Read the book to find out! My lips are sealed.)

All in all, this is an MG fantasy that is a, enjoyable read, delivering on every promise it makes through that striking cover. Absolutely and wholeheartedly recommended. You bet I am gonna sign myself up for every possible sequel in the series!

4.5 stars.

My thanks to UCLan Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is such a cute children stories. It’s about a girl called Rowan, who due to circumstances meet with her grandpa for the first time! In the new place, she made new friends and find trouble! While we can roughly guess what will happen, still, I like it because it has dragons in it and the story itself is so easy to read. I’ll recommend it for children!

Cracking bit of animal-loving fantasy for younger middle grade readers.

A young heroine fleeing war discovers her own magical heritage and finds that she may be just the guardian that a group of endangered dragons needs.

The start of a wonderful series, I think!

A great read for children aged 8 upwards. Wildsmith tells the story of Rowan who has to flee her city with her mother because war is coming. They go live with her grandpa who Rowan learns is a Wildsmith. He can communicate with magical creatures from dragons to witches and he is a protector of the dark forest. Rowan learns quickly the threat it is under when she sees hunters capture a dragon, leaving its newly hatched baby behind. Rowan, along with her new friends Will and Cam have to help protect the creatures from further hunters and Rowan learns something amazing about herself. The short chapters, pace and overall length of the book will really appeal to those children who are becoming more confident readers and anyone who loves a good story and magic, magical creatures and special powers. Cannot wait for Rowan's next adventure!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Firstly can we talk about how beautiful that cover is? The colours and illustrations dragged me in immediately, and I can see it being popular for that reason. However, the story is way more than just its gorgeous cover!

This story was wonderful to read. I felt a sense of happiness as I read through the pages and did not want to put the book down or for the story to end. This book enchanted me from the beginning and made me want to snuggle under blankets due to its cosy feelings.

I'm all about protecting our planet and its creatures, which is why I feel I resonated so strongly with this story. The theme of protecting the world and the creatures around you played a massive part in the book, and I feel it could be an essential lesson to any younger readers that pick it up.

If you want to introduce a younger reader to the beautiful world of fantasy, I highly recommend this as a book you choose. It's beautifully written and will leave their imagination running wild. This is a truly magical tale, that left me with a smile on my face.

What a fabulous new book from this author. It is a middle grade adventure, full of magic and mystery, but with that underlying tension as the main characters flee from a possible war. This definitely hits the spot with the mix of nature and magic, as well as the sense of family that binds the central figures together.