The Vampire Diaries with faeries! Welcome to Rowan…ANCIENT SECRETS CANNOT REMAIN BURIED FOREVER.Founded two centuries ago by a powerful tribe of Gottwa Indians, Rowan was a quiet town, so quiet that I fled after graduation. Staying away was the plan, but Mom died suddenly.Dad said she suffered a stroke after she dug up one of the ancient graves in our backyard, which happens to be the town … graves in our backyard, which happens to be the town cemetery. Creepy, I know. Creepier still, there was no corpse inside the old coffin, only fresh rose petals.
As we made preparations for Mom’s burial, new people began arriving in Rowan, unnervingly handsome and odd people. I begged them to leave, but they stayed, because their enemies—my ancestors—were beginning to awaken.
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Overall, this was a good read. I would recommend it to anyone with an open mind for fantasy books. It is a great twist on fae and kept me, as a reader, interested in the what was going on throughout the book. There is complexity in the story and it is not all tied neatly in a bow (in a good way).
I am not now, nor have I ever been a fan of fairies, I find them tiny and annoying (Disney ruined them for me, LOL); but if this author writes it I read it, plain and simple.
Well let me just say I am now a fan of THESE fairies. I LOVED how the author made them human but with extra traits, magic and senses. I love that they were so easy to understand yet unique and different enough to feel like new creatures; like I can see them flying out of the shadows of real life.
I was unprepared for the emotional journey both the characters and I would take during this book. I am not a fan of feelings but this book made me feel and a lot; and I enjoyed it! That is how invested I was with these characters.
I found the world this author created to be detailed and imaginative. Real yet just slightly off from what I live in each day. I liked the mythology and the history the author incorporated into the story, it helped me imagine this world and these characters, (their beliefs and reasonings) in a way that connected me to the outcome. I loved how atmospheric the story is. I could feel the snow, the rain, the darkness and the light. I wanted to be apart of it.
I could go on and on, but I will leave my review here as I need to jump into book two and discover what’s next. Once again this author proved she is a master at her craft as she took two things I dislike in a story and made me love them! Brilliant!
Catori was a normal girl, going to college on her way to becoming a doctor, then her mother dies. She comes back home to bury her mother, when someone walks into her life that changes everything. Everything she knows, everything she feels, and changes all that she believes in. Faeries and Faehunters exist. How did her mother die? If it wasn’t a heart attack, what was it?
This is my 1st book into Olivia’s world and I am not disappointed in the least. I can’t wait to start book 2 in the The Lost Clan series. I don’t know where it’s going, but I know where it’s been, and I am loving it.
Great for lovers of all things fae and supernatural, with a little native culture thrown in. We have a little love triangle setting up I think, so that’s always fun.
Catori is a normal teenage girl, living a normal teenage life, until she isn’t. Following the death of her mother Cat returns from College in Boston to be with her dad in her hometown of Rowan. Herein starts a rollercoaster of a ride for her and her friends and family. It appears her mother’s death is a catalyst for supernatural creatures to return to Rowan. Fae and Fae hunters being the primary newcomers. As is the case with many supernatural stories, the storyline is complex, and if you don’t pay attention you can lose the plot, literally. Wonderful characters, a very addictive storyline, including sexy Fae with attitude, and their equally sexy hunters. Lots to keep you entertained. Perfect narration from Stephanie Fritz, a new to me narrator, who, I must say did a stellar job. It can sometimes get a little repetitive listening to the same voice for so long. This was not the case with Stephanie. I’m eager to start the next book.
This is such a gem!! Fairies, Native Folklore, a family Mortuary/Gravekeepers, and romance, who could ask for more?! Wildenstein is a very gifted world-builder and her characters are so well developed and original. I got sucked in from the beginning and found myself cooking, running errands, cleaning, and avoiding the tv just so I could get to the end of the book! I can’t wait to press play on book 2!! Highly recommend this one!
The most brilliant settings I have ever seen that really functions as characters. A journey through clues to unveil the mystery that surrounds the life of Cat’s life, our heroin, that lives on top of a graveyard (very suggestive, isn’t it?). And on top of all that, the fae world. How can not fall for a serie that brings all the best that a paranormal has? Come on board and have a magical trip.
Reading this book was so refreshing with how original it was. It’s definitely not the same old, same old. I love getting pulled into a book & this book definitely did that. I highly recommend reading this if you’re looking for something amazingly different.
This is definitely one of the most unique stories that I have listened to in quite a while. I really enjoyed listening to this book and trying to decide which side Catori should be on and who was being deceitful towards her. On top of all this she has so much loss she has to deal with and yet the strength to move on. A very good listen!
This book was truly amazing! It is the type of book that actually shares a story with the reader. So well written and interesting that you keep reading automatically until the ending comes out of left field! It is truly worth the read.
Catori is awesome! She has the backbone needed to deal with the crazy world she was thrown into. Having to first deal with her mother’s death and then being told all these stories and legends told to her as a child were actually true was not an easy pill to swallow. Even with tragedy and grief hanging all around her, Catori knows how to stay on her feet. Dealing with strange men popping up left and right is a little more complicated.
I was rooting for Cruz and Catori at first until Kajika first appeared. I am uncertain if this is suppose to be or would eventually be a RH. If it isn’t then I am slightly disappointed because Ace has also become a contender in this crazy love/not love triangle…or I guess square? If this is not a RH then I want Catori to end up with Kajika. They need each other. This reader needs them!
I am anxious to know what happens next.. I need more!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book 1 in the Lost Clan series and I got to tell you I loved it and can’t wait for more!!
It’s got my all time favourite supernatural creatures The Fae add in a completely new concept of their long time arch enemies the Hunters. The hunters are native America and the folklore/ancestry around this is so interesting and unique.
Female lead character Catori comes home to her home town of Rowan as her mum has sadly died at age 44. She was young and in good health so a heart attack seems pretty suspicious.
In comes Cruz a handsome young medical examiner…….. or is he???
There are loads of great side characters but dont want to talk too much about the story and give it away. I listened to the audiobook and it was superb. Narrator was fantastic bringing all the characters to like. This is my second book by Olivia Wildenstien and I loved this one even more than the first. Moving right onto the next in this awesome series! Top marks 5/5
Rose Petal Graves (The Lost Clan #1) was a great read by Olivia Wildenstein. Rowan is a quiet town that was founded two centuries ago by a powerful tribe of Gottwa Indians. Cat fled the town after graduation and planned staying away until her mom suddenly died. It is said that she suffered a stroke after digging up on of the ancient graves in their backyard, which is also the town cemetery. There was no corpse inside the coffin, only fresh rose petals. It leads to new people arriving in Rowan. They wont leave because their enemies are beginning to awaken, and they happen to be Cat’s ancestors. I enjoyed reading this book and cant wait to read more by the author.
I ended up enjoying a lot ‘Rose Petal Graves’. And that is because I struggle with the female main character in the beginning. She’s quite surly, broody and unfriendly but from part II of the book, she’s more bearable and open minded since she starts accepting what it’s happening in her hometown and to her family.
Cat is a native American young girl that comes back to her home to find out the cause of her mother’s sudden death and to bury her when she receives a weird book about her ancestors’ weird traditions and what it looks like myths and legends about Fae and hunters. However she soon finds that maybe there’s some truth in that book everything starts spiraling out of control.
There are several great characters in this story and a very intriguing plot that makes you turn the pages quickly to find out more. Blake, Cat’s best friend, Cruz, Ace, Lily, I absolutely love Ace and Lily, Faith,… and many more that make this story interesting and fun.
I’m definitely reading the next books in this series.
4.5 stars! It’s always great to read a book that takes pieces from different mythologies and weaves them so well together into something unique and intriguing. We have the Fae world, and hunters, but’s it’s woven in with a Native American style of mythology that makes it even more fascinating. The characters are well developed as well. The MC, Kat, has a great personality, and her interactions with both the Fae and hunters, and even those regular humans, are great. Her dad, her aunt, her best friend, the Fae, especially how her relationship with Ace evolves, and the hunters and how that evolves as well. The relationships aren’t static, and their not black and white, but thousands of shades of grey. The story goes seamlessly from melancholy to literal laugh out loud moments (where can I get some of those blue cupcakes???), all while projecting the story forward at a good pace, and while still maintaining a healthy level of intrigue and mystery. The narrator was fantastic as well, injecting emotion and Physical nuance into the reading expertly. A highly enjoyable listen, on all fronts.
I love Cat! She is seriously one of my new favorite characters and this is by far one of my favorite books this year. Seriously.
The more I dive into this world, the more I fell in love. I devoured this book. I am already over halfway through book 2, also, and I can’t get enough.
I’m very intrigued by Ace in this book. I know we have Kajika and Cruz, but I’m not feeling it for them. I think there is a lot more to Ace than we know, and I for one cannot wait to find out.
I love books about Fae, too, and this one is so different and unique bringing in the whole Native American aspect that I just loved every word, every page, everything!
Olivia Wildenstein has just went right to the top of the list of my favorite authors, and if she keeps writing like this, she will stay there.
Bravo on a story well told. Do yourselves a favor and pick this one up. You won’t regret it!
It’s heartbreaking, scary, intense and hard to forget. It starts slow and takes a little time to figure out what is going on, but it will be worth it in the long run. I received a complimentary review copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving a honest review.
Olivia Wildenstein’s Rose Petal Graves (The Lost Clan Book 1) is wonderfully original. Not only because if it’s genuine feel (I really want to find out that Rowan is a real town: it must be, even without fae) but also because of the genuine feel to its characters (definitely including the conniving fae, and their conflicts with the hunters) and the wonderful folklore and world-building created to support the story. Add on a wonderful lead, as I love Catori Price (though I don’t envy her the choices she has to make) and a well written plot with a number of totally unexpected twists and turns (nope, not gonna spoil them) and perfectly crafted characters. The result is one great read. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises – the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
I thought this was an excellent story with some terrific characters! Fae who lie in a round about way is always interesting since they are mostly self-serving and terrible. Preying on a “hunter” who has no knowledge of who or what she is and gaining favors without her knowing what she is doing is despicable. That is what makes this story so much MORE! Catori comes home for her mom’s funeral and at the end of this story, what she thought she knew is wrong. There is so much sadness and loss in this story but there is also so much room for happiness and growth. I am looking forward to seeing what is in store for the town of Rowan and its residents in the coming installments.
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.
I really enjoyed this magical book! I was captivated from the first page! It was wonderfully written with twists and turns!! I couldn’t get enough. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
This Has The Potential To Be An Epic Fantasy, 3.5 Stars!!
Catori Price comes home to her small town of Rowan after her Mother dies suddenly & unexpectedly! The family home is on the grounds of Rowan’s Cemetery with her own Ancestors, the Gottwa Clan, actually being buried at its centre surrounded by Rowan Tree’s! Her Parents ran their funeral business from the basement.
After arriving from College in Boston to Rowan her lifelong bestfriend, Blake, helps her retrieve her Dad from his Nan’s bar. He’s drank himself to sleep! As they pull up at her house she sees a tall man with black hair stood beside a car. Blake takes her father in & she discovers the man is Cruz Mason, the Medical Examiner. He’s there to autopsy her Mum Blake, who’s been in love with Cat ever since he understood what love was, isn’t too happy seeing the handsome man that’s going to be spending so much time with his Cat!!
There is a fast growing connection between Cat & Cruz over the following days. He begins to enlighten her to the magical world that surrounds her & that killed her Mother! As reluctant as she is to hear about it, a book that was delivered after her Mum died, confirms the things she’s seeing and that he’s telling her! By then she’s met Gwenelda & learns she’s one of her buried Ancestors returned
It comes to light that her Mum actually dug up Gwenelda’s casket. Her & Cruz had seen it in the basement full of rose petals! In doing so and then saying a spell her Mum actually gave her life force to Gwen and that’s how she was brought back. Her Mum nor Gwen knew this would happen and Gwen could do nothing to stop it anyway but Cat hates her for it regardless!! She swears she won’t allow her to bring anymore of the remaining eleven Ancestors back!! She now knows Gwen & Cruz are enemies – Gwen’s a Faehunter and he’s a Fae She turns to him for emotional support & advice even more and it eventually leads to a smoking hot kiss – Literally It then emerges, through his annoying friend Ace, that Cruz is in fact engaged to Ace’s sister!! She feels betrayed & very hurt. Blake is extremely disgruntled by her behaviour & makes his feelings known to her.
Due to some awful, heart breaking circumstances Gwen brings another Ancestor back, His name is Kajika. But she’s lied to by the faeries again when they tell her who it is that Gwen brought back! To her they’re all as bad as each other!! She wishes she was still ignorant to it all. She needs for her Dad, Aunt & cousins to be safe though!
This story’s Faehunter Clan, The Gottwas, is inspired by Native American people & their lore. It is woven into Human history and then cleverly the Fae history is woven through both beautifully!! The ‘world’ that the Author is depicting is fascinating as well as quite captivating. I’ll warn you now that I cried a few times reading this book. Not just because of the deaths but because of the emotional depths that were torn from the characters too Its not a particularly sad or dark book but it’s very emotive, the Author played my heart like a darn fiddle!
I thoroughly enjoyed ‘bad boy’ Ace, I found him quite endearing in the end and really hope he ends up being one of the most trustworthy people Cat can turn to, no matter what!! The love triangle in this book is fierce. I liked both of the love interests but Cruz in Boston? Yeah, I wanted to throat punch the douchbag!! They’ve both got their good & bad points but they both know how to smolder
I can’t wait for book #2 to find out more
3.5 Stars
Debbie, 1970, UK
A stunning novel about family, secrets, sexy hunters and gorgeous fairies! LOVED it!