The Sparrow and the Oak Tree by Jamie Jackson

Book Description

As the sole sorceress within the Lion King’s court and kingdom, Isolde is valued for her power, provided she fulfills the king’s commands. Her task? Deal with a child who has emerged from a forest no one has returned from in over one hundred years. As Isolde works to fulfill her order, accompanied by her nameless guardian, she’ll encounter a creature she’s only heard of through myth and legend…when he kidnaps her.

Review

Although marketed as a Tristan and Isolde retelling, I found little in common with the classic Celtic legend. Yes, there are two characters named Tristan and Isolde who fall in love, but that’s about as close as the story gets.

In Jackson’s tale, the king sends Isolde (Sparrow) on an errand. She travels in the company of a mercenary (Bear) to the walled town of Perdition. Once there, she is kidnapped by Tristan (Oak). In this retelling, there is no broken engagement, no love potion, and no jilted king.

But don’t despair! The story brings plenty of fire magic, plant magic, desperate situations, and a lot of sex.

One thing I found interesting is how Jackson uses point of view. Although Sparrow is the protagonist, Jackson gives us three POV characters; Sparrow, Oak, and Bear.

Throughout the story, Jackson explicitly tells us whose eyes we’re looking through, so we’re never confused. She also uses a first person POV for Sparrow. The shifting POV allows Jackson to physically separate the characters. So even though we experience events in real time with one character, we also get to see the aftermath as viewed by someone not present for the event.

Also, because none of the characters knows each other well, the POV shifts provide tiny, alluring glimpses into their individual backstories. I found this amped up my interest in the characters.

When Less Is More

Another thing Jackson did exceptionally well was set the scene, despite providing little to no world building. Other than a brief jaunt into Perdition, the entire story takes place in the woods. Yet despite the lack of distinguishing features, the setting never feels monotonous. I also found I didn’t mind knowing so little about the world or the soft magic system Jackson uses.

In fact, it was refreshing to start the story with minimal exposition. I never felt lost or like I was missing something vital to my enjoyment or understanding.

If you like steamy romance in a sword and sorcery style fantasy tale, check out The Sparrow and the Oak Tree.

Content Warning

Blood, gore, kidnapping, sex, violence, zombies.

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Jim Molloy on Unsplash