Boneset & Feathers

Dead birds falling from the sky are the first sign of trouble in this dark, witchy novel from Kiste (the Rust Maidens series). When the witchfinders tore through Odette’s village five years ago, she was the only one of her family to survive. The last witch in her village, she’s been estranged from her neighbors and blamed for all strange occurrences ever since. And among the witchfinders, her escape from the pyre has become something of an urban legend. When a young witchfinder returns to her village hoping to prove himself, he sends Odette’s tremulous existence spinning out of balance. Though she narrowly evades death yet again, her best friend, Anna, is injured by the witchfinder’s poisoned knife and falls ill. To save her, Odette must travel to the capital. More trouble is ahead: the witchfinders are gathering for an unknown purpose, strange children dog Odette on her journey, and supernatural shadows congeal around her, ready to whisk her away. Though light on backstory, the heavy atmosphere is enough to pull in readers, and Kiste’s vivid descriptions bring Odette’s desperate story to life. This grim tale of magic and resilience is sure to please. (Nov.)