Bohemian gospel

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Thirteenth-century Bohemia is a dangerous place for a girl, especially one as odd as Mouse, born with unnatural senses and an uncanny intellect. Some call her a witch. Others call her an angel. Even Mouse doesn't know who -- or what -- she is. But she means to find out. When young King Ottakar shows up at the Abbey wounded by a traitor's arrow, Mouse breaks church law to save him and then agrees to accompany him back to Prague as his personal healer. Caught in the undertow of court politics at the castle, Ottakar and Mouse find themselves drawn to each other as they work to uncover the threat against him and to unravel the mystery of her past. But when Mouse's unusual gifts give rise to a violence and strength that surprise everyone, especially herself, she is forced to ask herself: Will she be prepared for the future that awaits her?

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Karen

This story of Mouse, a young girl with no family, being raised as a healer in a monastery in 13th century Hungary (?) is compulsively readable. She knows there are things that are odd about her situation, but we see her as she begins to learn more about herself and has to cope with major difficulties away from the people who have raised her. There are real historical characters woven into a tale of political intrigue and metaphysical danger, there's a love story that may or may not be star-crossed, and there are characters like Mouse who are easy to care about.

This is a dark story. There are some deeply creepy moments, some touches of horror, and then sheer bleakness. I don't usually read stories this dark, and at a couple of points I questioned whether I should continue, but I was in it, and it seemed to be going somewhere–until the last 10 pages or so, where it rushed to a conclusion that didn't feel like a conclusion. I hope that conclusion wasn't an attempt to leave room for a sequel, because it cheated a strong book of a satisfying ending.

August 6, 2016