The Way of the River (Kellandale Wood, #1) / Kellandale Wood (ePub)

"Never enter the malevolent forest," they were warned. But that just makes it even more enticing to bold and adventurous young Tillie...

After coaxing her worrisome older sister, Elinora, into joining her, together they travel deep into the strange and mysterious wood. There, at the edge of a powerful river, they find a shivering, abandoned wolfhound pup in need of help, and a forest teeming with sentient creatures.

In their quest to reunite the pup with his canine family, Elinora and Tillie, together with their allies, embark upon a wild and dangerous rescue mission that pits them against a greedy, unscrupulous showman.

Along the way as they begin to unravel the centuries-old secret of the forest, they learn what they have been told is not quite the truth-and discover their own connection to the legendary Kellandale Wood and the magnificent river Iveria that flows through it.

- Kirkus Reviews 28 GREAT INDIE BOOKS WORTH DISCOVERING, June 2022

- Recipient of three FIVE-STAR REVIEWS from Readers' Favorite

Debut author Shan L. Spyker "delivers a strong message of inclusiveness, love, and respect for all creatures" (Kirkus Reviews) in The Way of the River: Kellandale Wood (Book One), an impactful animal rescue tale that takes place within a mystical forest.

The first book in the Kellandale Wood series, it is a middle grade fantasy adventure with "a large cast of lovable, unforgettable characters" (Ariel Hakim, Banned Books Box), well suited for both young and young-at-heart readers who love stories such as Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro, Mary Stewart's The Little Broomstick, and CS Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia series.