Bohemian Gospel
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Thirteenth-century Bohemia is a dangerous place for a girl, especially one as odd as Mouse, born with unnatural senses and an uncanny intellect. Some call her a witch. Others call her an angel. Even Mouse doesn’t know who—or what—she is. But she means to find out.When young King Ottakar shows up at the Abbey wounded by a traitor's arrow, Mouse breaks church law to save him and then agrees to accompany him back to Prague as his personal healer. Caught in the undertow of court politics at the castle, Ottakar and Mouse find themselves drawn to each other as they work to uncover the threat against him and to unravel the mystery of her past. But when Mouse's unusual gifts give rise to a violence and strength that surprise everyone—especially herself—she is forced to ask herself: Will she be prepared for the future that awaits her? A highly original tale of fantasy and adventure, Bohemian Gospel heralds the arrival of a fresh new voice for historical fiction.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Carpenter's deliciously creepy debut novel explores 13th-century Bohemia through the eyes of a supernaturally gifted young woman. When Ottakar, the disputed "Younger King" of Bohemia, sustains a near-fatal arrow wound on the battlefield, he's brought to the local monastery for treatment. There, he's treated by a young girl known only as Mouse, who came to the monastery as a young orphan and whose healing abilities are unparalleled. Certain that this attempt on his life will not be the last, Ottakar insists that Mouse return with him to Prague as his personal healer. Over time, romance blooms. But Mouse's mysterious origins are an obstacle to the couple's happiness not just because a commoner can never marry a king, but because Mouse's emerging gifts are beginning to hint at darker secrets in her past. What's more, dark creatures have emerged from the spirit world and are threatening to rain evil down on Prague. With the help of the priest who raised her, Mouse attempts to unravel the secret formula that will banish the spirits forever, but even as she succeeds in vanquishing them, Mouse isn't prepared for the truth about her origins, or for the full extent of her abilities as her power grows. Carpenter's vivid imagination creates a well-rounded, sympathetic heroine and an intricate world full of terrifying details. The volatility of the evil forces threatening Mouse's world makes for an unpredictable journey, and while the final reveal of her origins feels a little cheap, readers will be too caught up in the action to mind.
