HEARTWOOD (ELEMENTAL WARS: BOOK 1)

Winner of the New Zealand Sir Julius Vogel Sci-Fi & Fantasy Award for Best Novel.
 
A dying tree, a desperate quest, a love story, a last stand.
 
When Conrad was a child, the Arbor – the giant tree that keeps the land alive – turned him away. As an adult, he comes to Heartwood for the Congressus peace talks with mixed feelings, but he is prepared to put aside his resentment to keep peace in the land. And then the Darkwater Lords attack.
 
Now the tree is dying, its heart stolen. The real meaning of the Veriditas – the ancient power of the greening – has been lost. The tree’s roots are no longer keeping the land alive.
 
The four peoples of Anguis and the Militis knights of Heartwood must work together to save the Arbor. Conrad discovers he can provide the vital link between the people and the land as the element of water begins to rise. Will he help? Or will he turn his back on the tree who rejected him?
 
There will be journeys to the ends of the earth, to the bottom of the ocean, and to the deepest part of the hearts of men and women. Truth, honesty, and love will triumph, but the Darkwater Lords are many and powerful, and only the strong will prevail…
 
Book 1: Heartwood
Book 2: Sunstone
 
*
 
This book was previously published under the name Freya Robertson.
​

Not sure if Heartwood is for you? If you join the Kiwi Birds, you'll be able to download Bearcub, a prequel to this epic fantasy!

​To a seven-year-old boy, the chance to join the Militis knights and serve the holy Arbor means the world. But much stands in the way before Bearcub will achieve his destiny…