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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
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33607003072389 | Young Adult | BOECKER | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.
Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.
Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.
Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.
But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.
Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut.
Author Notes
Virginia Boecker is the author of The Witch Hunter series and An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason . A graduate of the University of Texas, she had a decade-long career in technology before quitting to become a full-time writer. When she isn't writing, Virginia likes running, reading, traveling, and trying new things (most recently: learning to drive a boat). She has lived all over the world but currently resides in beautiful Lake Oswego, Oregon with her husband, children, a dog called George and a cat named Thomas.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-In this fantasy adventure set in an alternative medieval England, witchcraft of any kind is illegal, even though magic practitioners were welcomed in the past. Employed by the Inquisitor, Lord Blackwell, 16-year-old Elizabeth, and her best friend, Caleb, hunt witches who will be burned at the stake. Elizabeth fully believes that all magic is evil and must be destroyed. But when Blackwell finds her with some herbs, Elizabeth is declared a witch herself and is sentenced to die. She is rescued by an unlikely ally, the notorious wizard Nicholas Perevil, who wants her to fulfill a prophecy to save him from a deadly curse. The teen is skeptical of the witches, pirates, healers, and other Reformists who accompany Perevil and is afraid of what will happen when they discover she is a witch hunter. However, she gradually becomes suspicious of Blackwell's motives and must finally decide where her loyalties lie. Debut author Boecker's first-person, present tense narrative creates a suspenseful mood by allowing readers to see Elizabeth's secrets, doubts, and fears. Secondary characters are well realized and integral to the plot. The book has plenty of action-sword fights, battles with monsters, black magic, and betrayal-but there is also camaraderie and romance. The ending leaves room for a sequel. Fans of Kristin Cashore's Graceling (Houghton Harcourt, 2008) will see similarities in this story of a girl with deadly skills who begins to question using her services to benefit a brutal ruler. VERDICT This action-packed tale will be a welcome addition to most YA fantasy collections.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Boecker's confident debut takes the familiar elements of many strains of YA fantasy-epic setting, alternate history, wizardry, paranormal enforcers-and stirs them into an explosive cocktail of high-stakes adventure. The island of Anglia is ruled by the gimlet-eyed Inquisitor, Lord Blackwell, and his captive young king. The two collude in the sexual exploitation of Elizabeth Grey, a youthful witch hunter for Blackwell's inquisition, and this departure from romantic tropes is the first clear sign that Boecker is out to make the formulas her own. Elizabeth copes by taking a leaf from her prey's spell books-contraceptive herbs, with which she is caught and for which she is sentenced to death. Her unlikely saviors are a hidden contingent of magical practitioners who have been ordered by their seer to enlist her help. None of the players know exactly what is going on or to what end, adding further uncommon realism to the sorcerous premise. The first-person, present-tense narration is rendered masterfully; coupled with the cinematic vividness of the descriptions, the whole makes for a page-turning delight. Ages 15-up. Agent: Kathleen Ortiz, New Leaf Literary & Media. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.