Many thanks to Patricia and FFBC Tours for my spot on this Blog Tour.

Sigh… I…don’t know… What do I say about a sentinel House that is alive, lives and breathes, has a heart with memories, and is magical ? What do I say about a House whose caretaker was to be Violet, but where her father altered everything so she could be spared?

What do I say about the author Laura E. Weymouth whose imagination brought out a fantastical plot of a House working its magic via a caretaker who had the key? Just BRILLIANT!! House and mortar made their foray…

Violet was supposed to be the caretaker of Burleigh House after her father’s death, but the King, in his love for games, prevented just that. Father was accused to treason, and Violet was exiled for 7 years. When she returned, she had the whole summer to renew the House without being the caretaker, as ordered by the King or the house would be ash. Stones and mortar would crumble away…

Laura’s writing had a rocky edge to it where the crevices formed the pathways of this book. Everything was decided by the House which was the central character. Lives revolved around it trying to save it from itself and its destructive magic. Complexities of the magic was the way of life in Burleigh House where memories hid the truth. Magic and mortar held the sway…

The author took a different route while etching Violet’s character. She was beautiful and kindhearted, but her first love was always the House. She had the power to sift through the House’s memories to find the clues. Warm, loving characters surrounded her, and help was given to her from unexpected corners. Wyn was central to all that and more. His life source filled the crevices of the House, and his love filled the heart. Blood and mortar laid the way…

Soon that led to my niggles too. The magical system, though alluring initially, grew repetitive when told oft times. The magic was made to sound more complex than it actually was. Ideas and mortar were the delay…

Overall, the atmosphere of the book was haunting as if the House was waiting for me to enter. There was a sense of welcome on reading the first few pages. The story and writing bound me to the House, the characters, my heart. Words and mortar filled my day…

I received a free ARC from Patricia and the author, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.

All my reviews can be read here

Laura Weymouth is a Canadian living in exile in America, and the sixth consecutive generation of her family to immigrate from one country to another. Born and raised in the Niagara region of Ontario, she now lives at the edge of the woods in western New York, along with her husband, two wild-hearted daughters, a spoiled cat, an old soul of a dog, and an indeterminate number of chickens. She is represented by the inimitable Lauren Spieller of TriadaUS.

Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic always kept the countryside well. And as a child, this magic kept Violet happy, draping her in flowers while she slept, fashioning secret hiding places for her, and lighting fires on the coldest nights to keep her warm.

Everything shattered, though, when her father committed high treason trying to free Burleigh from the king’s oppressive control. He was killed, and Vi was forced into hiding.

When she’s given a chance to go back, she discovers Burleigh has run wild with grief. Vines and briars are crumbling the walls. Magic that once enriched the surrounding countryside has turned dark and deadly, twisting lush blooms into thorns, poisoning livestock and destroying crops. Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain.

Vi would do anything to help, and soon she finds herself walking the same deadly path as her father all those years before. Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known.

Publication Date: 10th September 2019

Publisher: Harper Teen