Grayling's Song by Karen Cushman

Grayling is the daughter of a wise woman, a hedge witch who uses nature to help those who come to her with concerns and afflictions for help. Her mother's powers are strong as is her nature and where her mother leads Grayling follows. But when the day dawns where an evil darkness burns down their cottage and causes her mother to take root in the ground, Grayling is the only one her mother can turn to for help. Grayling must set out to find other folk who like her mother use their magic to help free her before she is turned fully into a tree. Grayling will face her fears of inadequacy and her lack of magic to set out on a journey into the unknown world beyond the comfort of home.

Along the way she will meet other cunning folk who have been transformed into trees by the darkness. Her search will bring her a weather witch, a girl of indeterminate character, and an enchantress who sees no point in meddling in the affairs of mere witches. But with her new found friends Grayling will discover that far from being a weak girl she is on the brink of becoming a leader who will help unravel the mystery of the darkness that is stealing grimoires and leaving such destruction behind. Along the way they will face obstacles that will challenge their determination and reveal secrets that lie just underneath the veil of darkness.

This is a great fantasy story by an author whose writing brings history to life. Grayling's story is a lovely story about a young girl becoming a young woman secure in her abilities and the difference she brings into the lives of others. Cushman has infused the story with traditional folklore and believes and has left us a story that will warm your heart and fit right on the shelf next to your favorites for years.

Americosis Vol. I by Haydn Wilks

The author generously provided me with a copy of fhis book but the review is my own.

This was a genuinely bewildering wild ride but I kinda liked it. Wilks introduces us to a story forged from several fiction genres and the mishmash blends into a horrific, comedic look at the future of America. From presidential candidates who speak directly with God too a naked man from the future here to save us too an unknown creature who shucks one body for another, there is plenty of curves in this road to Bedlam.

This is the first volume of Wilks' Americosis so the ending does leave you waiting for the next installment but that is expected. This book may not be everyone's cup of tea, it is strange but Wilks definitely has a grip on his writing and like any good roller coaster this may terrify and thrill you but in the end you gotta admit it was kinda fun. Your inner anarchist may have just found its perfect release.

Once again, a thank you to Haydn Wilks for his generosity.

The Executioner's Daughter (The Executioner's Daughter #1) by Jane Hardstaff

Moss is the basket girl for the executioner at the Tower of London who is also her father. Due to a mistake that occurred years ago, Moss and her father have spent her whole life locked behind the walls of the Tower and she dreams of the life she could live if only her father wasn't so determined to stay for reasons he will not share. But as Moss dreams of leaving her feelings of being trapped only grow and soon she begins to determine to leave her life behind no matter what fears her father may have. When she falls across a hidden way out to the Thames River bank Moss decides to take her destiny into her own hands and strikes out to find out what the world holds but as she nears her twelfth birthday someone is watching her and waiting for the day to arrive when they can finally claim her as their own. As Moss learns the truth about life outside the Tower and about her family's past she begins to uncover secrets that may cost her her life.

A wonderfully suspenseful authentic look at life for the various characters who lived along the Thames and the shadow of the Tower during Tudor times. As you watch Moss turn into a young woman with questions and she explores up to Hampton court you get a feel for what challenges faced the regular people of England. A definite recommend for anyone interested in historical mysteries or Tudor England.

Ink and Bone (The Great Library, #1) by Rachel Caine

Books are forbidden for personal use for the protection of the masses. Only the Great Library of Alexandria, custodian of all knowledge and reservoir of the personal histories of the world's populations can safely handle the responsibility of this charge and keep the vying nations from trying to control this avenue of power. But forbidden or not books though rare can be bought for the right price. The Brightwell family is gaining from the demand for these items and no questions are asked if the price can be met. But the cost for supplying customers can be death or worse. Automatons guard the Library and its sisters, on the lookout for thieves and Burners. 

When Jess's father buys him a chance to test to join the Library he is torn between the possibilities a job with the Library would present him and the expected inside information his family could use in their black market orders. But Jess realizes that this may be the opportunity he's been looking for. A chance to deal directly with the forbidden books that he so seldom sees. But in a world held at bay there are those who would overthrow the regime, Burners who use Greek Fire to emphasize their belief that books should be for all not just the few. Countries at war who are tired of the Library's stagnant control, and those hidden within the very Library who realize that if the Library is to survive the truth behind its doors must be revealed.

The power of words can be deadly but in Alexandria there lies the possibility of a greater evil threading its way through the very foundations of civilization and the only people who may be able to halt the progress are initiates vying for six positions which may very well cost them their lives.

Full of intrigue, fast paced action, and a world on the brink of disaster, this is the first in a series that promises to satisfy any one who has ever felt the undeniable pull of a book and cannot imagine living without them.

Dreams of Distant Shores by Patricia A. McKillip

I received this as an ARC from the publisher but the review is my own.

I have never in all my reading days, as far as I know read anything by McKillip. How I have overlooked such a powerful storyteller I have no idea. This collection of stories is simply stunning; so good that I wound up rereading several of the stories so I could keep the entrancing spell each of them casts alive. Each is tuned to its own beauty and pulls you directly in, the reader invokes the spell but have no doubt McKillip is the one who breathes life into them.

There are seven enriched tales included. From the very first one, Weird, you know this is a master storyteller. How else to explain the gravitational pull created by two lovers locked within a bathroom while only your imagination knows what hunts them from outside. Or the sublime tale of Edith and Henry on an idyllic search for a cool breeze who find an afternoon of wonder. But by far the shining jewel in this collection is Something Rich and Strange. This story reaches back into the love we have had with legends and folktales, reaches back into our primal connection to the sea and pulls us down as surely as any mermaid ever compelled sailor to gladly dive to his doom. You could lose yourself in this story again and again and find something new and entrancing each time. This is not just a pearl, this is the story of the pearl full of the torment needed to create the ultimate beauty. 

Buy the book in hardcover guys, you're gonna need a copy that can stand up to the constant need you'll have to read these stories over and over. McKillip's snare is set and waiting for you.

Mrs. Jeffries Wins the Prize (Mrs. Jeffries #34) by Emily Brightwell

I received this as an ARC from the publisher but the review is my own.

Among the elite of London are those who dabble in the very expensive art of orchids. These blooms are brought from the most exotic parts of the world to glass conservatories of the wealthy, so a dead body found during a ladies luncheon in the greenhouse is unwelcome for many reasons. When the murder seems to suggest that the lady of the house is being framed purposefully, Inspector Witherspoon senses that there is more to this than meets the eye. Is a flower really worth killing for or are the lethal blooms just a disguise for a deeper plot laid long ago and far away. Step in Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the team to help clear away the detritus of the years and expose a killer who has had plenty of time to figure out exactly how to plot the perfect murder. But in revisiting the past will they inadvertently bring forth a dark deed from among their own group? Can murder ever be excused or will Mrs. Jeffries find it closer to home than anticipated?

Another great addition to the series. Well paced with the usual formula, although this time I felt the very ending was a little clunky but still worth curling up with along with a piping cup of tea.

Half Lost (The Half Bad Trilogy, #3) by Sally Green

This is the last installment in the Half Bad series and it is going to break your heart.

Nathan is facing a losing battle against his grief and longing for revenge. His sanity is fragile as he struggles to comprehend the ease and rising number of deaths he is facing as the Alliance struggles to pick up the remaining pieces and make one last defiant stand. But in their greatest moment of need, Nathan is balanced dangerously close to the edge as visions start to haunt him in which the one person who would never betray him does just that.

Gabriel has stood by Nathan since the beginning but as he watches him slipping away from him he begins to fear that no matter how strong his love for Nathan is it may not be enough to keep him grounded and each day burdens Nathan with the losses of more comrades as he begins withdrawing from Gabriel and everyone else. Convincing Nathan to leave and find peace with him is proving impossible and when Nathan lashes out in anger Gabriel finds himself with a choice to make.

This series has introduced characters who have lived through the atrocities of war and been dehumanized by those in power. It has created characters like Nathan who battle the same demons we do in reality. It has introduced us to the uncertainties of human nature. In short this series has given us characters who live and breathe beside us and the author has given us an ending where tragedy and heartbreak are mitigated by the promise of a more fulfilling future. The last few pages of this story are absolutely beautiful in their ability to shed light on the re emergence of a man's soul from the depths battle sends it. Nathan's last act in the story is sheer poetry. Love is the light that stops this series from being just another battlefield tale and Green makes it clear that that is exactly what she has written, a love story.