Mistwood

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A truly unique course, played all 27 holes and was very impressed with the service, staff, and condition. Plan on going back every year! It is a bit away from the larger metropolitan area of Traverse City but near many of the smaller towns nearby. They have 27 holes of a fairly well manicured golf course that you can Sad to say, but the course is in sad shape.

Tee boxes need major repairs and the greens have fungus on them. Let's just say I won't be back until there are changes.

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In past years, It looked tried, but this year, the course was noticeable in better shape. The cart boys greeted us in the parking lot and assisted with placing the Mistwood holds a special place in our hearts. Mistwood is the first place we play golf as a group every year. We look forward to A golf buddy of mine and I played Mistwood's Red nine holes this afternoon, which was a Saturday.

I was kind of surprised when I pulled in the parking lot and there were only about a dozen cars as they have 27 holes. I've been playing here for 10 years and it just keeps going downhill. The prices are high for what you get. Burned grass, stoney sand traps, and greens loaded with ant hills. There are way too many nice courses in Northern Michigan to settle for I have played a lot of golf the past few years both in Michigan and in South Carolina. Just golfed there on July 8th and the course was not busy at all. I believe it was for a few reasons. Though this is peak season, and local courses typically raise their prices, most courses are in nice shape Having played this course at least twice a year when we visit Michigan for the past 16 years, this is not the Mistwood we once knew and loved.

It pains me to criticize this course as it was always one of my favorites in Northern I love my fantasy, but I don't think this is for everyone. While other books like Graceling and Brightly Woven are driven to grip you, the pace of this book is intentionally slow moving at first as we are made to learn with Isabel through her memories, which she has forgotten. The Plot is thick and rich with mystery 3. The Plot is thick and rich with mystery and secret, a lot of twist that I didn't see coming. The atmosphere is vividly written, almost overly descriptive at times but that's what I enjoyed about this book as I like a certain amount of vision in my escape.

Isabel and Rokan have quite a remarkable story to tell and I liked the strength they held. All in all, I thought that Mistwood was a wondrous tale about love, loyalty, magic and mayhem that is completely intriguing and fresh. An amazing debut, and I only hope we get more! Oct 14, Jo rated it it was amazing Shelves: What a fantastic book! This was so well done on all levels that I don't even have the words to express it. I loved all of the political maneuverings and intrigue. But the best part of all were the characters. They were flawed and imperfect, but so easy to fall in love with.

The world that Cypess created was expertly drawn. The dialogue flowed and caught you by surprise with the ease that Cypess creates layered conversations. The twists and turns were many, but entirely believable once revealed. Truly the best part of all was the beauty of Cypess's writing. Her writing is lyrical and descriptive without being overly flowery which I hate. I would and will recommend this book without hesitation to anyone looking for an exquisite read. Nov 27, Nafiza rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book was an unexpected surprise though a very welcome one.

I had seen it on the shelves of my libraries for quite a while and had been resisting its siren call when suddenly, I thought, well, why not? I can understand that a lot of readers will have problems with the main character, the female protagonist but to me, it is the portrayal of the female character that wins me over entirely. Now, the fundamental question is, how do you write a character who is not human?

Cypess writes a character who is intrinsically inhuman and she is true to it. And that is where many readers will be troubled. And I find this whole thing complex and fascinating and perhaps one of the rare times that an author manages to make a supernatural element mean more than just a titillation of the senses. How do you, being human, write a non-human character? The story is set in the midst of and in anticipation of political upheaval. The narrative and characters set against courtly intrigue, where what the characters say is almost certainly not what they mean.

Rokan is an interesting character. For a hero, he is flawed. But you are asked to look beyond that and into him. Perhaps not to understand him but to accept him. His sister makes a much more intriguing character and after Isabel, she is my favourite character. All the other side characters are crafted with care and that won me over. Though they were shadowed by the enigma that is Isabel, they were still interesting to read. Her reactions and her puzzlement is very reminiscent to that of a cat but it is all executed with an elegance that makes Mistwood a very fun and interesting read.

I recommend it to anyone who likes good writing, an interesting plot and a challenge. Jan 22, Anna Marie rated it did not like it. Very convoluted, over-written fantasy about a girl who may or may not be a shifter who spends the entire book having internal monologues about how she may or may not be a shifter.

And when she isn't doing that, she's considering how she has no emotions as a shifter and can't understand people's emotions, but she's emotional about it. And anyhow, the shifter is supposed to weed out potential threats to the king who summons her, but how is she supposed to do that if she doesn't understand people's Very convoluted, over-written fantasy about a girl who may or may not be a shifter who spends the entire book having internal monologues about how she may or may not be a shifter. And anyhow, the shifter is supposed to weed out potential threats to the king who summons her, but how is she supposed to do that if she doesn't understand people's emotions.

It was a mess. All mind games, the entire book, and the reader is left to either feel stupid or be confused, or just let go and hope that somebody SOMEDAY explains some of it. The shifter is a personality-less, completely uninteresting version of Kirsten Stewart. But put Kirsten Stewart in a story slower and less interesting than 'Twilight'? It's a total snore. And the romance isn't romantic, the action is so rushed it feels like an indiscernible blur, the evil people aren't evil, the good guy isn't a good guy, the shape shifter can't shape-shift Other than to be a MESS?!

And you find out that the mouthy-but-useless princess is really a princess with magical powers AND a mouth, which doesn't really make anything any worse. And the prince that's legit is the bad guy, and the usurper did it to save the kingdom, so he's really the good guy. And he, of course, loves the shifter, who is the real prince's sister with a shifter inside of her, mostly but sorta not. Nov 23, Vadie rated it did not like it. Okay, now, I tried really hard to like this book. The premise raised a small, red flag in me -- I love shape-shifters, when they're done right.

This whole book, to sum it up, is vapid and shallow. It read like a romance novel without the romance: No matter what happened, I didn't care about anyone in the story. There was no characte Okay, now, I tried really hard to like this book. There was no characterization except for a prince who likes horseback riding to feel free.

And then romance believe it or not, there was romance! If that was supposed to seem natural, or suspenseful, it failed miserably. It felt fake, staged, and unnecessary -- much like the rest of the story. Character wise, the only one I liked throughout the whole thing was Ven, even if he was a stereotype himself. His curiosity for the Shifter felt far more real and believable than anyone else in the story. Though, he too suffered from characterization based upon his stereotype of being a sorcerer -- Shifter research, books, spells; that's all really.

Oh, and his name is pretty cool. The rest of the characters felt shallow and felt like placeholders, not real people. I'm supposed to be reading about some character's story, not this blundering mess of a thing called characters that should represent some horrible, yet somewhat realistic mirrored image of royalty, yet in the end was nothing of the sort. Even Isabel, the main character, constantly only dwelled on pointless things. Those words fit her fine.

But, at least her Shifter abilities, her fights which were poorly written to boot , and her forest -- the Mistwood -- pleased me.

Only the Mistwood really made me happy. The idea of a creature born of mist and fog intrigued me. The concept of the Shifter, though interesting in how Cypress altered the idea of a shape-shifter, was overused far too many times as the main conflict. It was the center of Isabel's world understandably but so too was it the center of our the readers' world. It was used too often to drive the plot forward, or back. The writing ticked me off. The constant use of passive tense, "was this, was that", irked me to no end. Eventually, I started to reword the sentences to exclude the "was"s, and though it took me longer to read, it made it far more tolerable.

Also, the flow of it was very choppy. The energy of the piece, which should always be an upward rise to the Climax and then a downward nosedive to the Resolution, was all over the place. Suddenly we were at one place. I realize this is third person, but transition is a must. It's not an excuse to just jump around every which way.

There was nothing notable analytically-wise, which left me seething, but shouldn't be much of a problem unless you like things I like which is rare. Okay, so, this story didn't do anything for me. I read it to read it, but got nothing from it. With stereotyped characters and a horribly overused concept that was always used to drive the plot forward, yet with a slightly intriguing premise, I will give Miswood two stars.

It's not worth buying; get it from the library or just don't waste your time. Apr 05, Isa Lavinia rated it it was amazing Shelves: I've re-read this book more times than I count and it's still amazing every time I read it. The tricky unreliable narrator is written beautifully.

Honestly, it must be so difficult to write a character with no memory of who she was, with a less than stellar personality, and a stunning lack of empathy, but still make the reader want her to succeed! And to write a character with enough powers to label her a Mary-Sue but always avoid her becoming a Mary-Sue? I'd say that's near impossible, and for I've re-read this book more times than I count and it's still amazing every time I read it. I'd say that's near impossible, and for the life of me I can't figure out how the author did it - hence the re-readings. Well done, Leah Cypess!

Prince Rokan is about to be crowned as King, but even if he makes it to the day of his coronation without being assassinated, the days afterwards will be far from peaceful. Not everyone wants him, or any of his family on the throne. It's time to look for the Shifter, an immortal creature who watches over the ruling family of Samorna. Deep in the Shifter's Mistwood Rokan finds her and binds her to his line with an enchanted bracelet - though not before the Shifter, Isabel, manages to scratch his face.

And that, in itself, is weird Rokan is lying to Isabel, she can tell he is, she can tell there is something the entire royal family is keeping her from finding out. But Isabel has secrets of her own - for though she is the shifter she finds herself unable to do any significant shifting. She can change her hair and she can make herself impervious to blades or quickly heal wounds she's sustained protecting the Prince.

But she can't change herself into a cat, she can't change herself into an eagle. What good is a Shifter who cannot shift? Then events come to light and Isabel's allegiance, something that should be set in stone for the Shifter is a creature with a single purpose, starts wavering. Rokan was a delightful character! He is not one of those boring alpha male warriors we so often encounter in the fantasy genre.

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He doubts himself, he's unsure if he'll make a good king, he loves and trusts too easily, he is betrayed, he's too much of a romantic in love with legends and too little of the ruthless ruler he's supposed to be. His sister, Clarisse, seems more suited to rule but she finds her ruling ambitions thwarted because she was not born a man. This doesn't stop her from delving deeply into political intrigue and playing everyone to the point where the reader isn't even sure where her loyalties lie.

And then, of course, there is Isabel who, as I wrote, has everything to be a Mary-Sue but never becomes one, who is off-putting, and has no patience for anyone.

Who is not nice and finds no problem with this. Who is more than she seems Mar 17, Holly rated it really liked it Recommended to Holly by: Isabel is a shifter. Not just any shifter, but the shape-shifter of legend who is supposed to protect the king. In times of peace she lives in the Mistwood, taking the forms of cat, deer, dew, and mist. Blissfully unaware of time passing and seasons turning, Isabel barely remembers her name or how to speak when two princes come looking for her on horseback.

That future king Rokan requires her protection is enough to persuade her to return with him to the castle. But answering the call of allegia Isabel is a shifter. But answering the call of allegiance to the king is a simple and almost primeval instinct for Isabel to follow. What isn't so straightforward is Rokan's sister Clarisse, the sorcerer Albin, his apprentice Ven, and the scheming royal court. Rokan is not all ears and is withholding information that she needs to protect his life. Clarisse appears ambivalent to her presence.

Worst of all, now that Isabel is out of the forest she can't remember how to shift, recall the mysterious circumstances surrounding her flight from the last king, or know if she will stay loyal. In fact she's having a difficult time remembering anything, including the human emotions she seems to have now. Amidst all the confusion and misplacement, how will Isabel be the shifter she's supposed to be and unravel the plot endangering Rokan's life? This read was an interesting experience for me.

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Initially all the unknowns regarding the shifter and the characters of Rokan and Clarisse and the little we knew about anyone else sparked my curiosity rather effortlessly. Likewise the enchantingly mysterious atmosphere of the Mistwood forest and the creature of Isabel swiftly drew me into the story.

My curiosity was still piqued after Isabel's arrival at the castle and her first meeting with Clarisse. It was when she'd been at the castle for several days and we were still no closer to knowing or understanding any of the characters around Isabel that I started to lose interest. Without really knowing who the shifter is and what her motivations were as well as any of the other characters made it difficult to form any kind of connection to them. Rokan was just a mold, and Clarisse, though contemptible and even suspicious was lackluster. As a result I couldn't nurture real care and concern for them, and this indifference was enough to put the book down.

When I did pick it up again however, a few more pages was all it took throw me a few bones and commit me to the story. Once I embraced being in the dark and the slow but steady plot development, I enjoyed Isabel's self-discovery and the inconveniences of not being able to trust anyone - even the shifter herself. The winding unpredictability caught me off guard more than once and I contently accepted that all my guesses would be wrong.

I was pleasantly surprised through to the ending, which left me sad to leave this world behind and already nostalgic for the Mistwood. Jul 23, Krystle rated it liked it. The first thing you notice about this book is how similar in tone, mood, and characterization it is with another popular physically strong female character story - Graceling. But just like that book I had a very hard time connecting to the main character because they're so amped up in strength that it's pretty obvious and even stated many times that there is no danger of them ever losing to another opponent.

She's so powerful that it's hard to root for her and she comes off more as the dreaded M The first thing you notice about this book is how similar in tone, mood, and characterization it is with another popular physically strong female character story - Graceling.

She's so powerful that it's hard to root for her and she comes off more as the dreaded Mary Sue than anything real. Of course, there's a lot more complexity than can be found in Katsa. She, and I use that very loosely, constantly questions what her real origins and the truth of what the real circumstances were that brought her to this point in time. It's only logical to do that when your memories have been wiped clean. She tries to cope with the human emotions that grow inside of her the longer she's kept to her role as a protector. I like the fact that while she's physically powerful, she still worries about the real abilities that she should have access to, but doesn't.

It gives her a lot more layers, rather than just having her be abrasively strong. The plot is pretty twisted and there a lot of things that make you go "what just happened? I had to read certain parts over again because I got lost, and I think that maybe she tried to do a bit too much in that department, but overall, it had me guessing to the end. A good thing I suppose if you want to have your readers engaged with the text.

Parts of her prose were rough and dry in areas, and there was a heavy reliance on the word suddenly to indicate abrupt actions, but there wasn't anything overly wrong with her writing style. If you're tired of ya books having a contrived romance where the girl has to somehow pair off with the guy, then you'll definitely enjoy this. No romance, pure fantasy, political intrigue, and action. I don't know what opinion people have of its cover but it turned me off of this book for a very long time.

No matter what anyone says to me, I think it's ugly. The whole face and background just looks really bleached, over exposed, and faded to me. I like my covers to be crisp with vibrant colors, and this feels more like a last minute job done in the wee hours of the night. Aug 14, Gemma rated it liked it. Within the first 20 pages of Mistwood, I found myself hooked and actually excited to read to the end and know how it would resolve.

The premise of this Shifter creature who lives solely to protect her king and can shift into anything was pretty good. Unfortunately, the rest of Mistwood seemed to lose momentum once it got going. Basically, it's a book about politics and loyalty. The Shifter is supposed to be loyal to the King and the true Within the first 20 pages of Mistwood, I found myself hooked and actually excited to read to the end and know how it would resolve.

The Shifter is supposed to be loyal to the King and the true King. So along the way, there's a twist that prevents her from being entirely loyal to Rokan, her original king who she's devoted to protecting. Past those initial 20 pages, I didn't really feel a sense of urgency in the book. Even when the action was happening, nothing ever felt desperate, or like there was something to lose. So I never felt concerned for anything that was happening; it all seemed irrelevant to the situation.

Perhaps the lack of intensity was due to Isabel, the Shifter, who supposedly feels nothing because she is not human and incapable of feeling. But when she's the narrator I think I'm gonna quote myself from a previous review here, but if there's no passion, then there's no point. You need the narrator to care, because if she doesn't, then there's no way that we will. Of course, part of the story is that she was becoming more human as the story progressed, but I didn't feel that.

But there were other characters scattered throughout the book Rokan, Daria, Albin, Ven who were supposed to be interesting or intriguing or The problem was that nobody ever was. They were all pretty boring. So I could never really care. Overall, there was some very good premise here that was wasted by poor characterization and lack of passion. But I'd still say it was a decent book, especially for a first novel, just, you know Aug 16, Angie rated it it was ok Shelves: When I read the summary for this book, I was interested in this new concept for a book.

It sounded like something I had never read before so I decided to give it a read. I guess you can tell from my rating that it did not live up to my expectations, although the book wasn't necessarily bad. I found the characters hard to connect with and sympathize for, especially the Shifter which is problematic since she was the main character.

She was too distant and "expressionless" this word is used to desc When I read the summary for this book, I was interested in this new concept for a book. She was too distant and "expressionless" this word is used to describe her countless times for me to really care what happened to her or why she did what she did. She did become more human towards the end of the book view spoiler [both literally and figuratively hide spoiler ] but by then it was too late to really change my mind about her. Roken was easier to connect with because he wasn't afraid to admit that he had flaws, while Kaer played the cold and indifferent king.

Clarrise was the character we loved to hate, but I ended up loving her cunning in the end. Ven was the character I enjoyed reading the most because his childlike wonder and innocence was so infectious. However, this led me to be just as disappointed as he when the Shifter didn't live up to my expectations as well. I thought the book would revolve more around what the Shifter could do or what the legends say rather than what she couldn't do, which I guess were one in the same. Either way, I'm glad I read this book so that it's off my list but I don't think I will read Cypess' next book.

Her writing was sometimes hard to follow with different pieces of the plot coming together at random times, which sometimes worked and at other times just left me confused. At times, I was tempted to skip ahead because the action of the book was a little slow. Overall, I would recommend this book to those who like fantasy novels surrounding legend, probably best to read as a time filler when you're waiting for another book to come out.

Jul 17, Casey The Bookish Type rated it it was amazing. There is something irresistibly mystical about Leah Cypess's debut novel Mistwood. From the very first page, readers are drawn into the haunting, imaginative world of Samorna. The titular mist pervades almost every aspect of the story, shrouding everything in mystery -- from the truth behind the conspiracy, to the Shifter's own memories.

The mythology of the novel is arresting, epic and original. I can truly say I've never read anything like Mistwood. Though I've never been interested in high fa There is something irresistibly mystical about Leah Cypess's debut novel Mistwood. Though I've never been interested in high fantasy, Cypess makes that type of epic flights readily accessible by giving the reader a prepossessing heroine who combines raw power and bitter doubt, simultaneously a legend and a flesh and blood girl.

This is truly Isabel's story, so while her character is beautifully crafted, the secondary characters sometimes feel a little flat. The narrative style is elegant, subtly using imagery to build the mystical aura of the Mistwood, and reading like an adult fairy tale. Cypess does brilliant work in this novel, building a breathtaking new world and turning preconceived stereotypes on their heads. One of my favorite dynamics in the novel was that between Isabel and Rokan: Rokan is the passionate, reckless, emotional one, while Isabel is cold, calculating, and strong.

The backstory of the court intrigues adds an extra layer of romanticism to the plot and sets the stage for the surprising twists along the way -- tragic twists that will leave readers heartbroken over the unimaginable choices Isabel must make. This old world epic fantasy will enthrall fans of every genre.

Nov 30, Katieb MundieMoms rated it it was amazing Shelves: Leah Cypress's debut book is an engrossing story for any fantasy reader. It's brilliantly written, suspenseful and a supernatural must read. I literally couldn't put Mistwood down until I was done. From page one, Leah had me hooked with the story of Isabel, a shape shifter taken from her home in the forrest known as Mistwood.

With little memory of her former life, Isabel knows her existence is for protecting the King. The court she's now sworn to protect is full of lies, traitors and scorers who hold the secrets to her former life. As the story unfolds, Isabel begins to learn the truth about herself, and about those she's sworn to protect. With her memory coming back, Isabel finds herself torn between love and loyalty.

Not only was I swept into this amazing story of magic and shape-shifters, but I fell in love with the characters.

Mistwood Golf Club, Romeoville: Hours, Address, Mistwood Golf Club Reviews: 4.5/5

Isabel is a very strong, independent character, and one I adore. Rokan, the Prince who brought her back from Mistwood, and his sister Clarisse are strong characters, that add the perfect amount of zest to the story. Just as I thought I had them figured out, more characters are introduced that add to more of the story's suspense.

Full of twists and turns, Mistwood will leave you wanting more! Very nice golf course that they take very good care of. Lots of water, nice fairways, fast and true greens. They also have a very nice pro shop, learning center and driving range. Flights Vacation Rentals Restaurants Things to do.

All of your saved places can be found here in My Trips. Log in to get trip updates and message other travelers. Mistwood Golf Club, Romeoville: Mistwood Golf Club Is this your business? Outdoor Activities , Golf Courses. Sun - Sat 7: Reviewed August 10, Reviewed August 7, Closed Now Hours Today: Powered by Weather Underground. Is this place or activity closed during certain parts of the year? Are the prices for this place or activity expensive?

Would you tell a friend to buy a ticket in advance because this place may sell out? Is this a romantic place or activity that you would suggest for couples? Would you recommend athletic wear for this place or activity? Would you recommend wearing comfortable shoes to this place or activity? Is there a recommended dress code for this place or activity? Is this a must-do if you are traveling with a big group greater than 5?

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