Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Banished of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood Book 1)

Top positive review

125 people found this helpful

Excellent story, clean and enjoyable

ByOphelia Don August 18, 2015

I’ve read and greatly enjoyed the author’s other Muirwood books, so of course on beginning this series my mind was making comparisons and sizing up the new offering against the old. Banished passed that test without me realising it, because I very quickly forgot to compare as the story swallowed me whole and all I wanted to do was to find out what was going to happen next.

From time to time I felt that there was less description of surroundings and the intricacies of daily life than in the earlier series; I didn’t have the taste of crisp apples on my lips or quite feel that I had grown up with Maia the way I was attached to Lia, but this did not detract from the reading experience. It soon became plain that many of the details were there, just presented in a different way to what I was initially expecting.
I surprised myself by wanting to read this book again as soon as I finished it the first time: can’t say I remember the last time I did that so quickly. Second time around (I’m about a third of the way through) I am really enjoying picking up details and connections that I missed in my hurry to initially unfold the plot.

Flashbacks were an interesting way of gaining background information. It was easy to follow and felt like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Very clever actually, and a large part of the reason I started reading the book again.
The symbolism is wonderful, so very thought provoking and deep on many levels. I absolutely love the way the female protagonist faces her struggles, and the way she copes with what happens to her I found personally inspiring. She is very human, certainly not a perfect heroine, and this makes her easy to relate to. Trite sounding or not, reading this book gave me a sense of hope regarding my own challenges.

My review would not be complete without mentioning the language and morals, and I’m happy to say there is good news (for people with standards similar to my own) on both counts.

Why is it that so few authors represent bad language in a descriptive yet non-specific way? In this book Jeff Wheeler shows a dignified restraint that loses none of the impact expected from tense scenes. One example: "he swore at her, the words laced with anger and pain”. Well done. So much better than including the curse words, while still making it clear that they were used.

It is such a pleasure to find books where the author chooses not to present immorality either as acceptable, or in detail. Thank you to Mr Wheeler for a clean story. There was no sense of prudery, certainly plenty of realism, but also none of what some authors seem to think is an obligatory sex scene. The moral behaviour of the main characters was believable, and in every sense true to the story.

All in all this was an excellent read. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, and seeing just how the intriguing relationships and plot lines unfold.

Top critical review

See all 82 critical reviews›

15 people found this helpful

Half way through this book I started finding other things to do.

ByJennifer J. Mccraryon November 1, 2015

This is thoroughly mediocre. The story itself is imaginative and has potential, but the author has some pretty serious style issues. For example, he uses big words simply for the sake of using them. The result is something like the taste of air freshener; overly flowery, fake, and vaugly nausea inducing. I am honestly amazed I finished it, and I will not buy the others.

Sort by:

Filter by:

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Showing 21-30 of 277 reviews(Verified Purchases). See all 619 reviews

Great Book

ByLoveathmon February 2, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I have come to love Jeff Wheeler's writing. The story is well-written and follows Lia's posterity from The Muirwood Series. There is information necessary for this series to stand on it's own, but I'll tell you right now, it makes me want to read the Muirwood Series again! With the dream of being a Maston, Maia, does all she can to make the right choices in life. She finds some of those choices harder than others due to unusual circumstances surrounding her father, The King, and his own strength in keeping his Maston covenants.

The story can be related to life with the realization that we cannot control what happens around us, or what happens to us, but we can control what we do and how we do it.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Two Stars

Byreadsaloton October 31, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

So many stories written like this on kindle for $1.99. Great basic ideas but not enough meat.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Banished of Muirwood: Darker, more emotional and more intense. A great book.

ByLeonel Garciaon October 15, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I really liked the original Muirwood series but I were a little skeptical when I knew about a new trilogy on the same universe. However, I must say that "Banished" is a great story and it shows a more mature author. I liked the new protagonist: Maia. She is very different from Lia and she have a dark side that gives more deepness to her emotions and actions.

For those who liked the original Muirwood trilogy, I recomend this new installment since its a darker story with very "human" characters. for those who have not read the original trilogy, I would recomend that you do (because its a great story) and because you may feel lost since the author does not give an extensive background on the events/characters.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Eclipses the whole Legends trilogy...

ByAnnie Gon June 12, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

... and I loved that! But THIS book is going to be re-read over the years, and I'm almost sorry I can't discover it again, for the first time. It is absolutely masterful story-telling, and that's all I'll say, because anything could spoil it for you. You're so lucky to be finding this book!

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

Great story. Well written.

Bypg633on June 17, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I have read some of her other books so I knew a lot of what was going on in this book. I think that really helped. I like her stories and can share them with everyone, a rare thing with today's top seller, which are filled with profanity. Would recommend to all ages.

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

Another Great Read from Jeff Wheeler

ByAmazon Customeron August 21, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I stumbled across Jeff Wheeler’s Legends of Muirwood trilogy quite by accident a couple years ago and have since read all of his books. I was thrilled when he announced that there would be a new Muirwood trilogy. I was not disappointed with The Banished of Muirwood.

Maia is a strong female character, something that I don’t see often and greatly admire in a story. Having suffered so much through her life she is determined to press forward on her mission, never knowing who she can completely trust, including herself. I found Maia’s world to be complex and maybe at times a touch confusing (I think I need to go back and reread the first set to refresh my memory) but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the overall story.

Overall I loved the book and am excited that the next two will be released so quickly so that they can be read before I’ve forgotten the details of the first book. I gifted the Legends of Muirwood and Whispers from Mirrowen to a dear friend, who also loved the books, and I will be gifting a set of these to her too. I know she will be tickled!

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

Return to Muirwood is an interesting adventure

ByM. J. Kennedyon May 6, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I have read the Wretched Series and this is a continuation of that trilogy. We are back in Commoros with Lia's great great... granddaughter, Mia.
The adventure is good but not anything near the Wretched series. I felt for Lia but Mia's personality and background are just missing something. The Mastons have come back to Muirwood and the surrounding country. The blight is passed and now they must restore the abbeys and the apse veil.Unfortunately, there are people who now live in these countries who do not want the Mastons to come back. Mia's parents are the king and queen of Commoros and they are both Mastons - married under irrevocable sigal. The King starts to go mad and he banishes his wife and turns his daughter into Cinderella. Read the Wretched series first of this one will make no sense,

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

Quite a fantasy

Bydottie burnhamon June 16, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The story was too long and rambling not well integrated from one scene to another. Several characters left behind. I'm sure the author did that on purpose to entice readers to go to the next book

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Great depth and adventure. With enough spirit and challenge to keep you reading.

ByAmazon Customeron November 1, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I've only just started reading the book I'm on page 45. I was drawn in immediately and there has not been a slow point from the start. I'm really enjoying the book. I read intermittently and it takes a lot to get me interested. This book is really keeping me pulled in. I have bought all 3 of the Covenant of Muirwood and the next 3 the Legends of Muirwood which I anticipate reading all and the following group of 3 followed by the Landmoor series. It is not often that I find a writer I really like but I can see already that Jeff Wheeler is good. Also I will share these books with My adult children whom I know will enjoy them. Thankful to creative imaginations that see worlds of their own.

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo