Source: Publisher
Description: In a quiet glen beyond the reach of the railway lives a peculiar family who knows the best magic is the kind found in ordinary moments.
When Ismay Gebhardt is dismissed from yet another teaching post after an unfortunate accident (which everyone survived!), she accepts a last-chance job as a private tutor in sleepy Glenmaidens village. The town is brimming with natural beauty, uncanny traditions, and earnest locals, none more unusual than her three young pupils—the Underhill sisters—and their puzzling father.
Determined to make herself useful after several catastrophic lessons with the unbiddable girls, Ismay writes to the transport bureau suggesting an extension to the train line, hoping to bring Glenmaidens into modernity. As usual, Ismay’s good intentions lead to chaos with the arrival of the bureau’s frustratingly thorough officer, Hamish Breck, whose railway plans threaten not only the glen’s tranquility, but also the ancient oak tree at its heart. Amidst a mess of her own making, Ismay unearths Glenmaidens’ enchanted secret: the Underhills, like many villagers, are fairies who settled in the mortal world in search of a gentler life, and the oak is their only bridge back to the moonlit realm of the fantastic.
As summer heat rises, Ismay schemes with her magical neighbors to prevent the extension, each day finding herself more entangled with the charming, persistent bureaucrat. With her newfound family, the way between worlds, and her heart all at risk, Ismay must decide how much she would bargain to finally embrace the wonder and belonging she’s always wished for.
Genre: Fiction - Cozy Fantasy
Why I Picked This Book: I've had good luck with cozy fantasy lately and this looked interesting.
My Impression: It took me a bit to get into this one. Like a lot of cozy fantasy I've read the pacing is a bit slow and Ismay isn't immediately easy to connect to. However, as the book went on I became more invested in the story and more connected to Ismay herself. While she isn't the most likable for a good chunk of the book, she's spent her whole life being told she is both too much and not enough and is constantly trying to measure up and fit in. Once I understood her a bit more it was easy to root for her.
The story was an interesting one with bureaucracy and fairies coming head-to-head and the solution was hard fought.
I enjoyed the characters - especially once I really got into the book. The girls are a lot of fun (and mischief) and I really enjoyed watching Ismay find her place in the community. At times she drove me a bit nuts but it was an enjoyable read overall. Like a lot of cozy fantasy, I think this would be better read as a slow read. My biggest negative was it's a bit slow paced and reading it slowly would have balanced that a bit.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely! This was my first experience with this author and I'll be looking for the next book.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozy fantasy I would recommend this one though once again I would recommend reading it as a slow read.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
