To be published 02/11/2021…
Serilda is different, marked so by her golden eyes and judged as bad luck by the villagers who scorn her storytelling talents. Only the children see her without prejudice, and her father whose unending love attempts to overshadow the absence of Serilda’s mother. When she crosses paths with the Erlking during his Snow Moon hunt she believes that her quick-spun story has saved her, but one such as Serilda is not easily forgotten and the Erlking wants her to spin more than just stories. Only the local poltergeist can save her, but his magic requires payment and Serilda has few possessions of value to offer. How many more lies can she spin before the truth is the only thing left?
The way that this book is written, with Serlida as a prolific storyteller, creates layers of plot and character. Although Serilda’s own storyline is the prominent one, and the one unravelling with the most urgency, it is the story that she tells throughout that I found most enticing; especially as I began to suspect that it wasn’t entirely made up. These layers of plot keep the narrative moving at a constant pace whilst at the same time slowing down the main sequence of events and drawing out the smaller moments.
Serilda is certainly a strong character, quick and clever and brave, yet her vulnerabilities show through in her strong emotions and her sense of isolation. It is this isolation which allows her to forge a connection to the lonely character of Gild and these emotions which bind the connection. I found his character particularly intriguing, even more so as his fate wound closer to Serilda’s, and I really can’t wait to see how their relationship evolves in the next book.
Escape to the Bookshelf 
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