I have only read a few novels where the setting was as much a character as the actual characters. That is especially true in this novel, where the house is some sort of magical construct. I'll be honest, parts of the magic system passed me by, but it simply didn't matter. This is amazingly written. The tone is fantastic and I couldn't stop reading once I'd started.
Espie is my favourite of the characters, but they're all fantastic, right down to Vera, who has a small but pivotal role. I'd love to read a sequel set a few years later, when the cast has changed roles slightly, but this ending is great if it is the ending. Laura Weymouth is now officially a Must Read. I'm already looking forward to her next title!
Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic always kept the countryside well. And as a child, this magic kept Violet happy, draping her in flowers while she slept, fashioning secret hiding places for her, and lighting fires on the coldest nights to keep her warm.
Everything shattered, though, when her father committed high treason trying to free Burleigh from the king’s oppressive control. He was killed, and Vi was forced into hiding.
When she’s given a chance to go back, she discovers Burleigh has run wild with grief. Vines and briars are crumbling the walls. Magic that once enriched the surrounding countryside has turned dark and deadly, twisting lush blooms into thorns, poisoning livestock and destroying crops. Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain.
Vi would do anything to help, and soon she finds herself walking the same deadly path as her father all those years before. Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known.
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