A Curse of Ash and Embers
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
A dead witch. A bitter curse. A battle of magic. Some people knit socks by the fire at night. Gyssha Blackbone made monsters. But the old witch is dead now, and somehow it's Elodie's job to clean up the mess. When she was hired at Black Oak Cottage, Elodie had no idea she'd find herself working for a witch; and her acid-tongued new mistress, Aleida, was not expecting a housemaid to turn up on her doorstep. Gyssha's final curse left Aleida practically dead on her feet, and now, with huge monsters roaming the woods, a demonic tree lurking in the orchard and an angry warlock demanding repayment of a debt, Aleida needs Elodie's help, whether she likes it or not. And no matter what the old witch throws at her, to Elodie it's still better than going back home. Praise for Winter Be My Shield: 'Unlikely heroes, villains you will cheer for, and cold that eats your bones. "Winter Be My Shield" will take you to an unforgiving place, but you won't want to leave it.' Robin Hobb
Reviews with the most likes.
My kidling picked this up, after a bookstore recommended it for 12-15 year olds, and the cover is pretty so I had a crack at it too.
It is actually pretty meaty for something aimed at the Y in YA (and I do think it sits in the 12+ range), and I enjoyed this particular re-telling of Young Person whisked away from their unhappy home life to discover a bigger world and their place within it.
I'm happy to leave this story as a stand-alone; I'm not in the mood for the next entry, Young Person apprentices to Crotchety Master.
Elodie hates her life. She loves her mother and siblings, but hates her horrible stepfather. He treats her bad just because she's not his. No matter what she does, it's wrong or not enough.
Then, one day he tells her that he got her a job as a maid far away. Elodie is scared and excited. She will finally be free.
When she gets there, she finds out that she will be a maid for a witch. Anything has to be better than her old life right?
This was great! So atmospheric. I love Elodie and Aleida. I am looking forward to the next one.
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Series
2 primary booksTales of the Blackbone Witches is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by Jo Spurrier.
