Chantress
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4.8 • 6 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful—and most hunted—girl in England in this “richly and thoughtfully written” story (Publishers Weekly).
“Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted Lucy ever since she was shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. But on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing along—and she is swept into darkness.
When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.
Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion…
Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Greenfield (Virginia Bound) sets her first YA novel in the London of Guy Fawkes and Samuel Pepys, but with a twist. The English Civil War never happened, and "Lord Protector" refers to vengeful Lord Scargrave, mentor of the young King Henry, one of the few royal survivors of a successful version of the Gunpowder Plot. It sounds like alternate history, and it is with magic. The plot that wiped out the royal family touched off a witch hunt, and most of the kingdom's magical practitioners have been tortured and executed. On an island off the coast, however, one Chantress, a singer of spells, has survived. Fifteen-year-old Lucy can barely remember the turmoil that sent her into exile seven years before, and she doesn't understand why her guardian, Norrie, has prohibited her from singing. When the music overwhelms Lucy, she is whirled back to London and into the battle against Scargrave. Richly and thoughtfully written, the story situates its fantastic embellishments firmly in the lived reality of the 17th century and brings to life a diverse cast of deeply human characters. Ages 14 up.
