A Harvest of Hearts
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In the beloved tradition of Howl’s Moving Castle and The House in the Cerulean Sea, a whimsical and unforgettable cozy fantasy about adventure, common sense, and the power of love, as a cheeky butcher's daughter, a befuddlingly handsome sorcerer, and his clever talking cat unlock magical secrets in the dark heart of their kingdom…
“Down-to-earth and completely irresistible, Foss is fantastic, as is her talking cat! A Harvest of Hearts is that rare story that feels both classic and unique at the same time. I loved it!” —Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
Everyone in Foss Butcher’s village knows what happens when the magic-workers come; they harvest human hearts to use in their spells. That’s just how life in her kingdom works. But Foss, plain, clumsy, and practical as a boot, never expected anyone would want hers.
When a sorcerer snags a piece of Foss’s heart without meaning to, she is furious. For once a heart is snagged, the experience is . . . well, unpleasant. So, Foss finds herself stomping toward the grand City to keep his enchanted House and demands that he fixes her before she keels over and dies, or whatever happens when hearts are Snagged.
But the sorcerer, Sylvester, is not what she expected. Petulant, idle, and new to his powers, Sylvester has no clue how to undo the heart-taking, or how to do much of anything really, apart from sulk. Foss’s only friend is a talking cat and even the House’s walls themselves have moods.
As Foss searches for a cure, she accidentally uncovers that there is much more to the heart-taking—and to the magic-workers themselves—than she could have ever imagined . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Beautiful sorceresses magically harvest the hearts of complacent townsfolk in this clever but clunky fantasy from Eames (The Making of Stones). Most of narrator Foss Butcher's fellow villagers only have small pieces of their hearts taken at a time and believe the sacrifice is necessary for the magical protection that brings prosperity and peace to their kingdom. When the first male sorcerer, Sylvester, visits Foss's village, Foss's heart is accidentally snagged by his magic, bonding them physically and emotionally. She feels growing pain at their separation and sets off to find him, hoping to sever the bond between them and return home. When he tries to turn her away before the bond can be severed, she impulsively volunteers to be his housekeeper in his odd shape-shifting house in the city so that she can search the property for her missing heart. Along the way, Foss meets other snagged villagers and unravels terrifying truths surrounding the parasitic heart magic and the sorcerers themselves. Readers led to expect coziness from the marketing blurb should instead prepare for a Grimm's fairy tale vibe and elements of body horror. A strained romance subplot between Foss and Sylvester somewhat mars an otherwise fascinating and complex exploration of the cruel choices often made in the name of tradition and safety. The result is a modern fantasy with the deep moral core of an old fable.
