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Cover of The tower at Stony Wood

The tower at Stony Wood

Patricia A. McKillip (2000)

SubgenreFantasy
Age groupAdult 18+
Content ratingPG
Pages294 (Standard (250-400))
SettingSecondary World
CSM age13
Goodreads3.9/5 (2358)

Content levels

ViolenceMild
Sexual contentNone
LanguageNone

Trigger warnings

CaptivityDeception

Heroine archetypes

Cursed Princess

Protagonist archetypes

Multiple POVsQuest

Synopsis

Cyan Dag, knight of Gloinmere, is sworn to serve King Regis Aurum of Yves. Cyan's oath leads him headlong into dangerous magical territory, however, when Idra, Bard of Skye, reveals that the King's new bride, Lady Gwynne, is an impostor. The true Lady Gwynne is trapped in an enchanted stone tower in distant Skye, a magical mirror her only means of viewing the outside world. Bound by his oath to protect the King, Cyan rides west to free Lady Gwynne. In the meantime, Thayne Ysse, son of the king of Ysse, has never forgotten his father's defeat at the hands of King Regis Aurum. Now he seeks a tower guarded by a dragon, a tower filled with gold enough to raise a new army and defeat Yves once and for all. And in another ancient tower outside the coastal village of Stony Wood, Melanthos, the daughter of a land-bound selkie and a fisherman, obsessively embroiders pictures of a lonely woman trapped in a distant tower who may or may not be real. Although Cyan Dag took up his quest with one goal in mind, he soon realizes that the only route to saving Lady Gwynne lies tangled with the lives of Thayne and Melanthos, and in the mysterious motives of Idra and her woods-wise sister Sidera.

Is The tower at Stony Wood appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 13 and up.

A lyrical fantasy quest with mild peril involving enchantments, an impostor bride, and a dragon-guarded tower. No explicit content; suitable for mature middle schoolers and up.

What to know going in

This book has mild violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include captivity and deception.

Publisher age: Adult·Our content rating: 13+

Publisher ages reflect reading level; our rating reflects content maturity — they can differ.

Who'll love this

Teens who love intertwined quests, magical towers, and fairy tale-like mysteries will be captivated by this atmospheric story.

Tags

Literary FantasyMythic FantasyFairy Tale RetellingCharacter-Driven