This short novel is told from the point of view of a sensible and well-educated clergyman's daughter, Edith (who is also a successful "yellow-back" detective-novel author who writes by necessity under a pseudonym!) Her father, who was cast off from his family when he was nine years old, strangely receives a letter from a solicitor that he's inherited the family estate. Here begins our heroine's adventures at Wormwood, which I won't spoil by spelling out. Through Edith's adventures, she discovers beauty where she doesn't expect it and discovers friendship for the first time outside her small family circle.

Young adult and adult fans of fantasy, and particularly fans of dragons. It's a short, light read, good for a weekend at the beach––or sitting by the fireplace watching the snow fall.

I enjoyed this story and I will read further into the series. I liked the characters created by the author and I look forward to seeing them grow in the next book of the series. The positive notes I have on this story are mainly things that point at more to come, though this story is worth a read. But I think there's so much more the author can do with the plot and characters, which I hope comes about in future books.

Something that will turn away readers expecting a story that's a historically accurate, combining dragons and Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte––this isn't it. The family travels by train and then carriage deep into Yorkshire, and Edith makes a few subtle and not-so-subtle references to having read both Austen and Bronte, which for me adds some relatability to her character.

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Created Jan 24, 2024 at 5:51am • Submit your own review...