Red In Tooth And Claw buy Lish McBride it’s a great book for those who like found families good against evil and so much more. The book is set in an 1800s typesetting. The main character Faiolan Kelly For reasons explained in the book is thought to be a boy and when she loses her grandpa is sent to a place called the settlement that is supposed to be on cursed land. It seems the powers that be in New Reitenne want her out of the way to get her grandpa‘s land and all she wants to do is get back to it. Unfortunately they even send a gunslinger to make certain she makes it to the settlement but the joke is on them when Will becomes one of her strongest allies along with many others in and outside the settlement and she’s going to need them because soon after arriving people start going missing along with strange noises at night but it will get much stranger long before it’s over. I did find the story took a while for things to happen but didn’t fine I was bored while waiting for it the story has so many loving aspects in it and can I just say I would love to join the Rover‘s.
There is a little bit predictability to the story but not even close to being enough to ruin that I really loved the story and totally recommend it.#NetGalley,#PenguinYoungReadersGroup, #LishMcBride, #RedInToothAndClaw,

Fallen is an interesting character. She has to hide her gender so that she can inherit her grandfathers land. Yet upon his death Fallen is sent off to a camp where strange things keep happening. Luckily for Fallen they seem to have befriended people who will help her figure out what is truly happening. Is book dark, not really. I feel like it is more obscure. The reveal is interesting. I am not quite sure if personally this was my type of book, but it had moments that I enjoyed and might become one I recommend, though I don’t know that it would be the first book to come to mind.
Thank you to Penguin Group Young Readers, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

dark fantasy/horror western about a creepy cult. loved the vibes and the motifs, faolan was an interestng protag and i grew to like all the chars

This was a nice read for the Halloween season. Red in Tooth and Claw is a Western Settlement Horror that reminds me of the movie The Devil All The Time with Robert Pattinson and Tom Holland, but with a more YA approach.

It took me a while to get a feel for this story, but once it did, it was great. I found the characters charming, and the romance subplot quite cute.

What I found most interesting was the involvement of a nomadic tribe and how different their way of living was compared to the people in "civilization." I also found the themes of religion, particularly its misuse and corruption, especially intriguing.

I would have rated this higher if it had a bit more tension to keep me on my toes.

Overall, I would say it's a very enjoyable YA horror. If you're looking for a spooky read that's laid-back and not overly stressful or gory, I would recommend this book!

Due to a suspicious death in Faolan Kelly's family, she is shipped to a remote fort, a place filled with outlaws and mystery.
Magic clashes with the Wild West in this bloody tale. Lish McBride delivers a dark adventure fit for horror-loving teens.

Western horror is my new jam! Faolan Kelly, 17, has just lost her grandfather. The mayor and the town plot to steal her land by shipping her off to the Settlement, a mysterious religious group out in the middle of nowhere. However, it would have been worse if they'd known that Faolan was a girl all along. She's been disguising herself as a boy to avoid trouble and unwanted marriage.
The Settlement seems okay, at first. However, Faolan can sense things aren't quite right. How is it so prosperous? And what are the animalistic noises that keep Faolan up at night?
When Faolan finds the body of a Settlement boarder, mangled by something that can’t possibly be human, it’s clear something vicious is stalking the the Settlement. But as the bodies start to drop, Faolan knows she must escape to evade the creature’s wrath.

3.5/5 stars!

Faolan Kelly, a girl disguised as a young man to circumvent frontier era misogyny, is placed in a mysterious settlement run by a zealot after the death of her grandfather. While looking for a way to escape and return to her grandfather's home, Faolan stumbles into the middle of a conspiracy regarding missing people, the (cult) leader of the settlement, His Benevolence, and a large animal seemingly hunting the settlement.

I never read westerns and I haven't seen a lot of YA westerns, but the horror element of this book intrigued me and the cover was too beautiful to pass up. I'm super pleased that I took a chance on it because it was certainly a fun ride.

I felt immediately immersed in the setting of the book, from the language to the characters to the strange western phrases. It's evident from the achingly lonely prose that dares to be hopeful that McBride has a true passion for the western genre. Yet an anxiety-riddled undercurrent threads through the book that alerts Faolan (and us) that something is deeply wrong with the settlement. This amorphous threat haunting the first half of the book kept the tension tight and added to this great suspense.

Faolan was an excellent main character with a strong voice throughout - witty and sarcastic and curious to a fault. I especially enjoyed getting insight into her growth from a distrusting child who believes she can do everything alone, to someone who slowly learns to accept help from those that show her kindness. The found family she curates is endearing and the book's strongest moments for me where when the cast was all together.

The pacing was a bit uneven for me, but not in a deal-breaking way. I found the first half of the book to be rather slow, focusing on Faolan settling in to her new environment in what became a repetition of Faolan doing something risky, getting caught, being warned by a new character, and repeat. The majority of the action takes place in the back half. Once I crossed into the 50% mark, I flew through the book.

My main criticism of the book is that, tonally, it felt like two different books. The first half is firmly set in the historical horror genre, a slow unveiling of the mysteries of the settlement as Faolan wrestles with her growing unease. The second half (honestly the last 40%) turns into a paranormal fantasy with a newfound magic system that is only briefly hinted at in the first half. This turn happens with such little build up and with such an increase in gore that I felt completely blindsided, but not in a rewarding way. It almost felt out of character to the story given the information we were provided. I think both tones for this story work, just not together. I think the story would have benefitted from sticking to its historical hotror theme and leaving the paranormal aspect more vague OR going all in on the magic and braiding it into the narrative more naturally.

My second criticism is the relationship between Faolan and Tallis, a Rover boy who ends up helping Faolan and a friend after an accident in the woods. Rovers seem to represent a mixture of Romany and Indigenous cultures in an interesting fusion. I thought the relationship escalated at a breakneck pace and their moment halfway through the book where Faolan sleepwalks into the woods felt unearned. The chemistry seemed a little wonky, and I didn't believe that someone as guarded as Faolan would become a blustering mess by a guy she just met. Their relationship was cute, don't get me wrong, but I would have preferred a slower burn.

Overall, this was a super fun and spooky read. The genre blend of Western and horror was unique for a YA novel and it was done excellently. The inclusion of a magic system - while creating a strange tonal shift - was interesting and did work with the narrative's conclusion. The side characters felt lived in and all had unique relationships with Faolan. Faolan herself was a strong and witty main character that I genuinely loved watching evolve throughout the story. And, yes, I also want my own cave cat now.

Would recommend to anyone that's ready to be transported to an eerie wild west with hints of magic, cult tactics, found family, and horror.

Land ownership is rare in the frontier town of New Retienne, so when Faolan’s grandfather dies and leaves her the deed to his farm, the mayor will do anything to get her out of the way—and that’s before he realizes she isn’t a boy. In the care of a gunslinger, Faolan is shipped off to the Settlement, a religious commune where His Benevolence Gideon Dillard rules with an iron fist. As strange howls pierce the night and a body is found mangled by giant claws, Faolan must uncover the dark secret behind the Settlement’s mysterious wealth—or she might be next. 

Red in Tooth and Claw has good bones (no horror pun intended). The premise is engaging, Faolan’s voice is strong, and the world unites both Western and dark fantasy, a combination I believe is criminally underrated and feels unique and refreshing in MacBride’s work. Faolan’s emotional growth from a scrappy, guarded loner to someone willing to fight for her found family is moving, and the vicious creature stalking the Settlement plays into a surprisingly fun supernatural twist that shapes the last third of the book. 

As a whole, though, Red in Tooth and Claw feels slightly underbaked. The plot is too slow-moving for too long, and the first half of the book struggles to flesh out side characters in a meaningful way. The romance suffers as a result, with little development bridging the banter of Faolan and Tallis’s first meeting with the devotion of their relationship. Thematically, MacBride’s work has promise, touching on gender, gender roles, race, authority, and indigenous land ownership, but none are explored in enough depth to feel truly substantial, and I closed the book wishing Red in Tooth and Claw had slightly more to say. 

Ultimately, I’m glad I pushed through the slow start and would rate the climax and resolution significantly higher than the rest of the book, but readers should be prepared to to wait for the story to pick up momentum. If you’re a fan of YA horror or Western dark fantasy, Red in Tooth and Claw is an admirable contribution to the genre, but I’m still on the lookout for something with a bit more… well, teeth.  

Overall rating: 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Young Readers Group for allowing me to read this book & share my thoughts!

This book is a YA novel with a Western setting. I liked that it was a big mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and young horror! I think the author tied these three together nicely and created a unique story. I really enjoyed the start of this book, and I couldn't put it down. The setup was great, yet when it got to the end, it kind of lost me. There were definitely twists & turns in the story, but they seemed kind of random. I don't want to give spoilers, but when it came to the creature, I was a little taken aback because I thought it was something else entirely.
I loved Faolan and thought that "he" was realistic to a regular "street-smart" teen regarding their decisions and reasoning skills. Especially in the Wild West!
The romance was a little cringe for me, but it is a YA novel, so it has its right to be! I would definitely recommend it for an interesting read.

I enjoyed everything about this book - the characters, the plot, the writing. It was spooky with a whole lot of heart. I only wish the second half had about fifty more pages in it. The first half had a slow-burn quality to it that I just did not feel in the last half. I loved everything that happened, and the ending was excellent, but I would have liked to simmer a bit longer from point to point. If that had happened, this baby would be sitting at 4.5 stars.

If this one calls to you, please, give it go. I really admire the originality of the story in this one.

I really enjoyed this book! I love Western Fantasy/ Horror, but it's such an under-used genre; so I'm always excited to find new stories.

One of my favorite things about this read was the main character. Faolan is complex, and I loved that the author took the time to really flesh out her personality and motivations.

The "horror" part of this book is a slower-burn; as I mentioned previously, the author takes her time building out her characters and setting. But the pace matches the story well, and I never felt bored at any point; I actually ended up reading the book in one day to find out what happened!

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy Westerns & Western dark fantasy, and also to mystery readers. I will definitely be watching out for future stories from this author!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Red in Tooth and Claw” by Lish McBride is a gripping blend of western horror that immerses you in a unique and haunting setting. With its vivid world-building, well-developed characters, and a slow-burn plot that picks up speed quickly, this book delivers a captivating and atmospheric read. The combination of gritty western elements with supernatural horror makes this book a standout in the genre. As this is a horror book, I do want to provide a content warning for death/gore. Despite the horror aspects, the developed characters and their banter really helps lighten the tone of this book and makes it even more engaging. I absolutely loved this book and want more of Faolan, Tallis, and Chirp.

The story follows seventeen-year-old Faolan Kelley, who, after the death of her grandfather, is sent away to a remote settlement by a greedy mayor intent on stealing her land. This settlement is run by a religious group with strict rules and an unsettling lack of compassion. To survive in this harsh world, Faolan hides her true identity by passing as a boy. But even as she struggles to fit in and navigate the dangers of this cult-like settlement, a much darker threat lurks in the woods—a creature that hunts for sport and leaves a bloody trail in its wake.

Faolan is a fantastic protagonist—tough, stubborn, and fiercely independent, yet also vulnerable and lonely. Her journey of forming reluctant alliances with a group of misfits in the settlement is one of the most engaging aspects of the story. The found family dynamic that develops between Faolan and her new friends is heartwarming, with each character adding a unique flavor to the story. The banter and snarky dialogue between them bring a lightness that contrasts beautifully with the dark, tense atmosphere of the book. For example, I loved the gunslinger (Speed) and Tallis.

One of the standout characters in the novel is Chirp, a cave cat who quickly became a fan favorite. The relationship between Faolan and Chirp, along with the unexpected romance with Tallis, adds layers of emotion and complexity to the story. The bantering and flirtation between Faolan and Tallis provide much-needed moments of levity, making their budding romance one of the highlights of the book. I want my own cave cat to have a psychic connection with; I am totally down for a sequel featuring Faolan and Chirp’s adventures together.

The setting of the frontier-like world and the eerie settlement is richly detailed, almost becoming a character itself. McBride's skillful writing creates a sense of foreboding that seeps into every page, making the tension almost palpable. The slow-paced beginning might feel like a gradual build-up, but it lays the groundwork for the intense, terrifying events that follow. Once the plot picks up, it’s relentless and keeps you on edge until the very end. There are some graphic descriptions of violence and death, which enhance the horror elements of the story. The depiction of the cult-like settlement and its leaders adds another layer of menace, making the story feel both epic in scope and deeply personal in its exploration of survival and resilience. While the villains in the story could have been developed more, their motivations felt very realistic, and the supernatural aspects of the story developed the plot even more.

“Red in Tooth and Claw” is not just a horror story—it’s a tale of finding hope and forming connections in the darkest of times. It’s filled with blood, claws, and heart, and it’s a must-read for fans of westerns and horror who appreciate intricate characters and gripping plots. Despite a slow start, this book is a compelling read that’s hard to put down once you’re hooked. Lish McBride has crafted a story that bleeds atmosphere and leaves you wanting more. I definitely can’t wait to read more from McBride.

Overall rating 5/5 stars

Wow this one was a ride. The elaborate world building, the rich characters, and the exquisite trope of “found family” all combine to create this haunting western story of something stalking a settlement and something is not right with the church. This was one that I refused to put down as soon as I got into it, and let me tell you, this o ne sucks you in so quickly. There is this perfect combination of twists, horror, comedy and even romance found throughout this book that you can’t help but get sucked in. Too many times did I find myself lost in this fantastical world with Faolan, Tallis, and the settlement. It’s one wild ride with a satisfying end. And I cannot wait till others get their hands on this one. You are going to love it and never want it to end.

Red in Tooth and Claw by Lish McBride is a great dark young adult western fantasy!
The world-building was amazing and characters are intriguing.
The plot was done so well and the writing is just outstanding!

2/5 Stars

TL;DR - A slow, tensionless, borderline nonsensical book that’s definitely not anywhere near the horror that I was promised. I should’ve DNF’d it, but here we are.

Big thanks to Penguin, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books For Young Readers, and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

***Trigger Warnings for: death of a grandparent, cults and religious overtones, implied child abuse, corporal punishment (solitary confinement), gore, violence, stabbing, and child endangerment.***

‘Red in Tooth and Claw’ by Lish McBride is…a book. It sure is. It follows Faolan Kelly, a seventeen year old girl whose late grandfather dressed her up as a boy to save her from the bleak prospects of being a girl in a frontier town. After his death, she’s sent to The Settlement, a wilderness fort now led by zealous religious fanatics, and must figure out a way to escape with life and limb intact.

Not much to say about this one besides it was BORING and decidedly NOT horror. As I said in the TL;DR, I really should have DNF’d it, but I was (foolishly) holding out hope for some modicum of horror or even suspense to appear, but it never did.

It’s not horror. Not even close. Up until 70% of the way through, there’s…some weird sounds and maybe an animal in the woods? And that’s it. At 70%, something "supernatural" finally shows up, and to say it’s underwhelming is giving it significantly more credit than it deserves. The “supernatural” element is extremely minor and not at all explained or even elaborated on in the slightest, to the point where it felt juvenile at best and absurd at worst. And again, no horror beyond a little blood here and there. This is barely historical fiction (and it’s technically not even that, being set in, from what I can tell, a different world than our own), and to even call it magical realism is drastically playing up the “supernatural” element. The author’s note calls it “a weird story”, and…it’s not. It’s pretty cut and dry, bland as all get out with that little bit of poorly-implemented…whatever that was…tacked on at the end.

The writing itself is fine, if not a little dry. I do appreciate how well the author is able to write a first-person POV and make it sound suitably “western”, credit where credit is due, etc. It’s for that reason alone this gets 2 stars instead of 1.

Characters are flat, with not much differentiation between them, and I had no real emotional investment in them, at any point. There’s a “romance” (again, using that lightly) that comes out of nowhere with little, if any, believable buildup.

Pace, glacier-slow. Plot, next to nonexistent — nothing of real note happens until, as I mentioned above, 70%, and maybe one total page of the roughly 280 pages before that was setting up the “supernatural” element in this “horror” book. Boo hiss.

(Can you tell I’m salty this was shelved on NetGalley as horror?)

I genuinely don’t know what the point of this book was, because there’s no plot, there’s no vibes, there’s no message. It’s just thoroughly mediocre, souring into what I consider a waste of time with just how poorly the “supernatural” element was implemented in both concept and scope. Six hours of my life, this book stole from me, and I’m never going to get them back.

Final Thoughts:

Hard pass. I will not be buying a physical copy.

The quick cut: A girl pretending to be a boy finds herself shipped off to a home for social outcasts after her grandfather dies.

A real review:
Thank you to Penguin Group for providing the arc for an honest review.

It can be difficult to be taken seriously as a woman, but historically it has been much more complex. So what would you do if everything you had was at risk of being taken away due to your gender? This is a reality for Faolan.

Faolan finds herself suddenly homeless when her grandfather dies and the local mayor decides sixteen is too young to inherit his homestead. She is sent to a local home for outcasts, until the locals can find a way to take the land from her. Finding out that Faolan is a girl rather than a boy would only make that easier. Unfortunately, her biggest issue now is that there's something strange going on at the settlement. Can she figure out what's happening at her temporary home? Or will it be the latest disaster to happen to her?

Western isn't typically my preferred genre, but fantasy definitely is. So this combination intrigued me from the description and I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I got to the end and felt like it only further solidified that their story type wasn't for me.

Faolan is an incredibly likeable character. The worst happens to her and she's an orphan with what little she has being circled by adults who want it. Seeing her journey from hiding who she is to proudly accepting it is a very worthy central character development.

While the main character is great, the rest didn't feel quite as enjoyable. The beginning of the book comes with plenty of story threads to pull on and many of them are completely ignored. It's frustrating getting to the end and having more questions than answers about what you just experienced.

A western fantasy story with lots of unanswered questions.

My rating: 3 out of 5

If you like western horror filled with intricate characters, loads of heart, and as the title implies, blood and claws, this novel should be a must read.

Faolin Kelley is seventeen years old and just lost her only relative, her grandfather. The mayor of the town sends her away to a settlement hours away hoping to take her rightful farm and land for himself.

This settlement is run by a religious group who are strict and not all that caring. Adding to her troubles, she is known as a boy because she hides her womanhood beneath men's clothes and hairstyle.

Escape isn't possible. If the leaders don't get her, there's something on the woods which hunts for sport and leaves its bloody mark in the area.

As she attempts to navigate this place, she'll form bonds with others, reluctantly at first, and she'll realize she's going to need all the help she can if she's to survive.

Faolin is a fantastic character. Tough, hard headed, and not trusting. But she also has a lonely vulnerable side which shines through. The other characters are just as well written and I'll leave them for you to discover because it's a treat. Seeing these relationships form over time is great and really packs a heart felt punch.

This book bleeds atmosphere and immerses you into that world on every page. You'll have a hard time putting this one down once you start reading.

Extremely tense, terrifying, and leaving you wanting more. I highly recommend this novel.

Faolan (Fway-lawn) is a very well-written main character. I loved following her story arc and her journey at the Settlement. There are people we can trust, and people who will betray us at the first possible moment, and it can very difficult to tell the difference sometimes. Faolan has gone so long trusting no one that she has a hard time opening her heart again.

This story does not end satisfactorily, to me, however. I was left with many questions that I wish had been addressed. That’s my only complaint, though—I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for an eARC. All opinions are mine alone.

Young Faolan Kelly has lost the one important person in her life, and now the vultures are circling. Her grandfather Pops kept a small but healthy farm as their home, told her stories from the old country, and kept to their own beliefs instead of attending the church of The Shining God along with the rest of the nearby townsfolk. However, when he passes away, the mayor of the town sees his chance to subsume the Kelly farmlands so long as the young lad is not there to interrupt his search for the deed. Pops wisely indulged and encouraged Faolan’s wishes to dress and appear as a boy (though she still self-identifies as a woman) because it gave her a leg to stand on in a sexist world. However, if the mayor gets wind of her real nature, he will have plenty of ammunition against the farm staying in Kelly hands at all.

So, the greedy bureaucrat declares Faolan too young to handle the farm alone and prepares the young “Mister Faolan” for adoption and upbringing in the nearby religious community. In The Settlement, she will become a part of the community until her rite of passage to adulthood, which should provide the mayor and his cronies amble opportunity to search for the deed ... However, such a search will be in vain. Faolan has the coveted document tucked in a secret compartment of Pops’ pocket watch. All she must do is pass the months until her eighteenth birthday and she can come back to her home again.

However, The Settlement is far more sinister than she expects.

Most of the citizens are all devout believers in The Shining God and turn blind eyes to the patriarch’s unsettling practices. The local priest leader, His Benevolence Gideon Dillard (aka HisBen Dillard) is kindly when speaking but severe in his punishments. There are more adversarial and unsettling personalities in the place than HisBen Dillard, of course. His sycophantic second-in-command Acolyte Ignatius Stuckley and the smiling but sinister Miss Nettie Honeywell have the power to make Faolan’s life a living hell.

Even faced with such adversity, Faolan finds a place and some surprising companions. Fellow teenagers Jesse and Dai Lo are not taken with the life, they simply keep their heads down until they can leave it. Kindly matron Miss Moon has ways of supporting the children she dearly loves without standing out for public scrutiny. And finally, there is Will Speed, the gunslinger who escorted her to this place and who is sticking around for reasons unknown … but who certainly seems interested in poking his nose in The Settlement’s business.

When one mistake too many leads to days of isolation in The Box, Faolan learns there is a mysterious presence roaming The Settlement in its wee hours. Bloodthirsty, inhuman, and ineffable, it is a danger no one else seems to be aware of. What’s more, there are an awfully large number of young people who have come to the Settlement only to disappear. Supposedly orphans returned to their families or runaways, Faolan begins to wonder if their fates are more unspeakable.

When a chance encounter with the local indigenous tribe, The Rovers, reveals stories about a strange creature stalking the woodlands and attacking them as well, Faolan realizes The Settlement’s leaders may well be hiding a horrifying, supernatural secret.

How can Faolan hope to survive the months until her birthday? And even if she does, with the leaders of The Settlement simply allow her to leave? Or will she become another of the disappeared? And what of her allies? Faolan came here with only a single goal, getting out, but she soon finds herself tethered to something larger than herself. Lish McBride pens a western inflected slice of dark fantasy with the YA supernatural thriller, Red in Tooth and Claw.

Although there are familiar echoes with the world we take for granted, Faolan lives in a dark reflection of the nineteenth century United States. While there is evangelical religion spreading across the woods and plains, it recognizes The Shining God as opposed to familiar Judeo-Christian elements. Instead of first nation peoples, there are Rovers (groups that blend elements of indigenous Americans and Rom). Magic is a real thing, though it is not necessarily found everywhere or useable by all people—it is a secret thing, requiring access to lore, access to places of power at the right moment, and the bloodiest of sacrifices.

Despite these subtle changes and other dark fantasy world building elements, the drives and conflicts are recognizable enough both for the young adult audience this book targets for its readership as well as any readers looking for a storyline pitting outsiders against domineering powers.

Faolan is a character with a clear understanding of her own needs, who has her worldview opened. She needs to hold on to her own truth. She needs to hide her real self from people who would prefer to fit her into a mold instead of seeing and supporting who she really is. While following this individual track, she also discovers new connections with people who share her values.

Red in Tooth and Claw dabbles with some darker elements, including the dangers of zealotry as well as the threats people can pose when they manipulate others through their faith. All are equal in the Shining God’s eyes, HisBen proclaims at one point. By then, we are aware he also believes some are more equal than others. How this inequality manifests in The Settlement has unsettling, historical analogues.

McBride’s prose is well composed, giving Faolan the right measure of spirit, grit, and vulnerability. This is a character who thinks she knows everything (and does know quite a bit), but who is sorely lacking in both the kindnesses that those outside her family are capable of as well as the stranger things to be found in this large, wondrous, and sometimes terrifying world. Her experiences will reveal some of the facets she has been heretofore unaware of. She will make solid friendships, several dire adversaries, and one unique companion unlike anything she could have ever expected.

Readers who hear weird westerns and expect gunfights and stagecoach robberies will be left wanting. The western angle is exploited well, giving us large patches of untamed wilderness, a good sense of isolation and mystery, as well as character archetypes that might well be found in such a time and region. However, the book is much more concerned with one young woman’s discoveries (some of which turn out to be surprisingly gruesome) than it is with delivering rote elements from the genre’s cinematic side.

Nevertheless, Red in Tooth and Claw is a suspenseful and provocative page turner, a YA novel that blends fantasy elements with wide open spaces as well as the most terrifying cave found this side of Antonia Bird’s 1999 film Ravenous. Lish McBride’s writing is clean and clever, and Faolan’s point of view employs a clever blend of confidence and vulnerability. This is the kind of character we want to see succeed, to watch defy the odds and overcome the challenges. But it’s also a person we want to grow as her initially tiny world gets unfathomably more complicated.

I absolutely loved Lish McBride's Necromancer series, and I was so thrilled that her new novel fits in the same vein as that duology! Faolan Kelley is alone, and is forced to move to a religious settlement. Under the pretense of being a boy waiting to turn eighteen to get his grandfather's land, Faolan's a girl trying to keep her secrets. She discovers that something isn't quite right at the Settlement, and she aims to get into as much trouble as possible to find out what that is. I loved the Western vibes, I loved the twists. Truly so glad I got to read this one!