Customer Reviews

Wren to the Rescue

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sherwood Smith must be one of the best-- and least appreciated-- YA fantasy writers out there. Wren to the Rescue is the first and most light-hearted of the Wren trilogy (followed by Wren's Quest and Wren's War). It introduces the usual cast-- an orphan, a princess, a prince, and a magician. However, the characters are all fleshed out unusually well. Wren is one of the most spirited and loyal characters I've ever read; Teressa has been in hiding for all of her life, pretending to be an orphan, and is only beginning to take up her duties as a princess; Connor is the youngest prince of a long line-- landless and a failure at magic; Tyron is a chief worrier, talented young magician and heir to the most powerful magician in the kingdom. When Teressa is kidnapped by the suave King Andreus of the neighboring country Senna Lirwan, her best friend Wren knows she has to do something. Accompanied by Tyron, risking his position as heir, and Connor (who accidentally turned one of the masters into a turtle in the middle of a magic test), any number of wild adventures find them. There are the 'baddiepeepers,' or Wren's word for Andreus' spies, the chraucans-- huge, antisocial birds, and warrie beasts-- a human-eating creature, bandits, powerful magicians who may or may not be on their side, and dozens of magical traps. Including one that turns Wren into a dog, and if not removed soon, will make her one permanently.

Hurtling along at breakneck speed, Wren to the Rescue is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure quest fantasy. The characters are likable, though Wren can occasionally be a bit too relentlessly upbeat and Teressa is a little bland. Sherwood Smith is adept at recreating the dialogue of real children, and the dialogue is consistently good. The world-building is equally consistent. There's nothing objectionable, and fantasy readers of all ages will be delighted with Wren's adventures. Though the trilogy isn't as polished as Sherwood Smith's Crown and Court Duet, it should be very enjoyable for anyone who likes Tamora Pierce, Patricia Wrede, and Lloyd Alexander. A nice series to contrast the Wren trilogy to is Tamora Pierce's The Magic Circle Quartet, which also deals with a foursome of younger protagonists.

Wren to the Rescue is about an orphan girl that has always wanted adventure. One day she finds out that her best friend Tess, at the orphanage is really a princess hidding for the evil King Andreus of Senna Lirwan. Who said he would kiddnap the girl, first chance he gets. Tess's parents, the King & Queen of Meldrith finally decide it's safe for Tess to come home (but is it really that safe??). Wren & Tess move to the castle but then..... I'm trying not give a way the ending! Anyway Wren, Tyron a magician in training, and Conner a prince but with no chance of ever getting a kingdom, end up having the adventure of their lives. This story is filled with interesting lands, tons of weird creatures, powerful magic & magicians, and of course bad guys! Also once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down!! Make sure you read... #2 Wren's Quest, and #3 Wren's War after this book! Leah

Wren to the Rescue is a great read! It keeps you hooked and after you read it, you'll run to find the sequels! I just finished reading it for the second time, and it was just as good as I remembered it.

Wren, an orphan at Three Groves Orphanage, finds out that her friend Tess is really a long lost princess, hidden there because the wicked king Andreus wants to kidnap her. Wren is invited to come back to the palace in Cantirmoor with her friend. Unfortunately, the day after they arrive, Andreus strikes and Tess is spirited off to his stronghold in Senna Lirwan. Wren, being the spunky girl that she is, is not content to sit back and watch everyone else search. She uses a magic spell she saw to transport herself to the magic school, and from there decides to run off with a young magic prentice, Tyron, to rescue Tess.

They decide to find the mysterious mage Idres Rhiscarlan, to see if she will help them. When she refuses, they set out on their own to try to prevent the coming war. After a while, they are joined by Connor, Tyron's friend and a prince. After many adventures, involving warrie beasts, secret passages, bridges, armies, thieves and chraucans, they make it into Senna Lirwan.

Wren drinks from a poisoned stream and Andreus tries to take her, but Idres somehow pops back into the stream and saves her, turning Wren into a dog in the process! Poor Wren! But it doesn't seem to bother her all that much, though she is in danger of being a dog forever.

However, more problems soon come their way. Connor has a terrible secret, Wren's friends are captured, and she must find a way to rescue them alone AND get Tess out, before she becomes a dog for good! How does she do it? Read the book to find out!

This book was undoubtly one of the best I've read in a while. Wren is an orphan girl who discovers that her best friend also in the orpanage is really a hidden princess, and that they will go back to her parent's home and live nicely, that is, until she gets kidnapped. Ignored by the other adults, Wren sets out on her own to find her friend and she is soon joined with a magician and a prince, who has no inheiritence and also happens to be the princess's cousin. Together they set off into danger from which Wren learns about her companions and also discovers what she would never have guessed; that she has a talent for magic that will be a great asset to their quest. Sherwood Smith is a greatly talented writer and I read all three of Wren's books, and am greatly awaiting the fourth book, which I think is called Wren Journeymage, but, Smith's publishers just decided that they didn't want the fourth book. So now I wait while a publishing company decides whether they will let me know about what happened with Wren and Conner (oh yeah, Tyron and Teressa too)when they grow up.

The book I am reviewing is called Wren To The Rescue by Sherwood Smith. I think this story deserves five stars. It's about a girl named Wren trying to save a friend named Tess who is a princess. The problem is a evil king named Andres kidnaps Tess. Wren attempts to save her friend with the help of a magician and prince. She may just do it. I really recommend this book to everyone. Other books are Wren's Quest and Wren's War.

Emerson, NJ Fifth Grader

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! i first read it about six years ago and fell in love with the wonderfully written characters. Now im a twenty year old college student and picking up this book is like going home and revisiting long lost friends of my childhood. I would recomend this series to any age, i dont believe them to be just a "young adults" books. My one wish is to see Sherwood Smith come out with a fourth Wren story.

Though not on the par of Crown and Court Duet. This book was obviously written for a younger audience, without the same prose, (...) tension, or interesting plot twists that were present in Crown. Still, an absorbing and pleasant read. Recommended- especially for young adults.

It's been awhile since I read this series. And I am truly hoping to see more. This series is a great find to read and I really hope that a good publisher will pick it up where the other publisher left off and maybe go back and reprint the out of print books also. I would add them to my collection anytime.
I really want to see what happens to Wren and her friends.
So if Your a publisher or know of one GIVE THESE BOOKS ANOTHER CHANCE. PLEASE!!! I think they are as good as Harry Potter maybe even better because they have a different bad guy in each book. Now don't get me wrong I love Harry Potter as well, But would like to see this author finish this series.

I honeslty think I have read this book at least a hundred times. I fell in love with it the minute I picked it off the shelf and read the book flap. It combines action and adventure, magic and intrigue. Years later when I first saw two new Wren books on the shelves I almost cried. TREMENDOUS. Read it!!

I read this book for the first time a couple years ago and I love it! Wren's character is beautifully well rounded: she is eternally sarcastic, loves anything to do with plays and the people who bring them to life on stage. She also loves magic and is eager to learn; in some cases too eager. She stands by her friends, would do anything to protect them. The story is original and well written, as are the other books in the series. It is a tale of one girl's bravery and courage used to save her best friend at all costs.