In her role as vedma, Kada helped a noblewoman to grow a baby on Goddess Zemya’s tree. The tree grew two babies and one chose Kada to be her own mother. But the fox stole the noblewoman’s baby and now it is after Kada’s own daughter. For fifteen years she keeps her daughter safe, despite the sap in Secha’s blood and the odd magic that runs through it. When Secha turns sixteen her blood will finally run red and she will finally be safe. Unfortunately, the fox knows this too and it is more determined than ever to reach Secha before its time runs out.
The first thing I love about this book is the mythology. It has been woven into the narrative in such a way that the magic and creatures seem both natural and unnatural. Nobody in the book truly doubts the existence of these creatures, yet they still seem surprised to encounter them and distrustful of the person who can summon them. To Kada their existence is a part of her everyday life; she treats them as allies and deals with them in the same way that she would deal with any human. However what I find particularly interesting is the way that the folktales are presented as real, but all slightly different to how the villagers understand them. The fox, for example, is no myth yet the truth about its existence is a secret only Kada understands.
The second thing I love about this book is the emphasis on found family. Sladyana find two different ways to have a child. Neither of these involve pregnancy or biology, yet she loves them as her own children without hesitation or compromise. She also makes mistakes, just as any mother does, and the same can be said about Kada who will go to any lengths to protect her own child. As well as these poignant mother-daughter relationships, both Sladyana and Kada create their own unique families through their romantic relationships. The complexities of these relationships are never ignored, and in fact are often given the spotlight, with each problem overcome forging an even stronger bond. One of my favourite characters is Gorcay who approaches Kada with an impressive amount of patience and understanding, making his support clear without ever pushing boundaries. Their relationship is one built on a cautiously built foundation of history, trust, and respect.
Escape to the Bookshelf 