Book information:
- Author: Ashley Poston
- Date of publication: 20th October 2020
- Genre: Young Adult
- Pages: 352
- Publisher: Balzer&Bray
Book Blurb:
Cerys is safe in the kingdom of Aloriya.
Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.
As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.
taken from goodreads
Review and Recommendation:
What a nice little book. As I don’t have much time at the ,moment I listened to the audiobook. The characters were nice and relatable. The world is bleak and brutal. This is also the main criticism I have about the book. It is supposed to be YA but I thought the book was partly really scary, dark and brutal. It had elements of a horror novel in it. This caught me by surprise. I am a grown woman and I also enjoy reading grim dark novels but the darkness in this YA book surprised me.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story and I also liked the two main characters. Of course the story was kind of predictable and some things were pretty obvious, however it was a very nice story in total. It is a perfect mix of fantasy and fairytale.
I can recommend reading this book. Also for younger people but only if the are able to cope with the dark elements and are not too soft hearted.
And last but not least, the cover of this book is simply stunning.
Information on the author can be found on:
