The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Bradsky

Life in the arctic is harsh no matter the time period. This story is set approximately 1000 AD.  The main characters are the second or third  generation of Inuk that have migrated eastward from the west coastal areas.  Their physical survival is dependent on building shelter and catching animals, both land and sea, for food and fur.  Their spiritual health is overseen by the angakkug (shaman).  This might sound a bit like a National Geographic book, but far from it.

Omat is a newborn at the beginning of the story and we follow them through the next 2 decades.  While physically born a girl, she is named for her deceased father and is raised as a boy.  This  is an accepted practise at that time.  Their grandfather, Ataata is the angakkug.  He seeks knowledge and guidance from their gods.  Within their community they also have a complex set of rules that dictates what is allowed and what isn't.  For example, women aren't allowed to hunt, but since Omat is viewed as a boy, they learn to hunt.


Up to this point, the story is a bit slow as there is much to learn about the families and their way of life. As Omat gets older and becomes apprentice to the angakkug, some in the community begin to object.  This is where the story really got going for me.  I was finding it harder to put the book down.

Omat is a boy and wishes to keep living that way.  They may be smaller than some of the other hunters, but they have great skills and keep the family fed. They struggle as they mature physically and that helps to push the plot through to the end.

I would have thought that by living and growing in a very small community, that all would have accepted Omat as they were, having seen their skills and commitment to the community.  But there is always at least one person who has to stir things up and cause trouble.  Have we as humans not learned anything in the last thousand years.

The author did an excellent job of researching and conveying details of the inuk daily life.  From the building of the igloo, hunting the seals and other animals and then preparing the meats and skins.  This was all worked seamlessly into the story that I didn't realized how much I was learning as I read.

I don't want to give away any plot points, so I will just say that this family group does not stay isolated for long.  That brings in a whole new bunch of benefits and challenges.

I loved this book.  I felt as though I had been drawn into Omat's extended family.  I began to care about the success of their hunts and what they would learn on their 'spirit quest'.  As much as I didn't want this book to end, I could wait to find out how Omat would deal with the issues facing them.

I received and advanced reader copy of this book from Redhook and from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

#IndigoEmployee

The Birds that Stay by Ann Lambert

This is a wonderful mystery.  The plot is complex and very well crafted.  It had me veering along the wrong thought path more than a few times.

Reclusive Madame Newman was found dead outside her home in a small rural community north of Montreal.  It was such a bucolic area, that even the responding police officers did not imagine it being a case of murder.  Chief inspector Romeo Leduc did not see it that way at all.  Neighbour Marie Russell passed by the scene.  She was shocked that such violence could occur so close by.  She dismissed it until her elderly mother identified that same neighbour.  This perked her attention.

The cast of character in the story is superb.  From the imperfect Chief Inspector Leduc, to his old school chum Ti-Coune, who seemed to have spent much of his life on the other side of the law. Marie Russell is a professor at a local college and was writing a children's nature book.  Good thing that she never grew out of her enquiring mind.  As this is the start of a series, I suspect these are three of the characters that will appear again.  they are the three that I enjoyed the most.



I want to tell you more about this engaging story, but then that would be telling you secrets and plot lines and I don't want to spoil any of your reading fun.

If you have enjoyed novels by Giles Blunt and Louise Penny, you are sure to enjoy The Birds That Stay.


I received and advanced reader copy of this book from Second Story Press and from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

#IndigoEmployee

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe

Well worth the read.

I'd read about 10% of the book when I decided that it just wasn't working for me. I was going to stop, but then considered, what would a tell a teen who asked me about it at work one day.  I'd better read a little more, give it a fair chance at least.

I tried to put myself in a more 'teen' frame of mind and plunged back in.

I already liked Norris. He was kind of cool, but feeling out of place with the move to Austin from Montreal.  I had moved overseas at the same age and found myself a visible minority at my new school.  I couldn't fault his mom for moving the two of them, university positions aren't easy to come by and this job was a perfect fit for her knowledge base.

Back to the high school.  Sure, it was larger than Norris's previous one, but essentially the same just with a larger assortment of students.  He'd soon find a way to fit in.  The cheerleaders, jocks, geeks, loners and more were all there. Which was he. It was a new school, a new start, he could have his pick.

Writing in the journal that was given to him the first day of school became his coping method and sounding board.  He wrote down first impressions and observations at first.  It quickly became his 'thing'.  The novel itself is written as though a field guide. At the start of each chapter is heading such as: observable characteristics, attire, habitat, preening habits etc.  At first, I only glanced at these not realizing that I was missing out on a valuable part of the book's approach.  When I started reading them more closely, the concept of field guide became clear.

I'm glad I stuck with this book as I found myself really enjoying it.  The family dynamics between Norris and his parents seemed so real, both the good and the bad.  The inviting atmosphere at his part time job should have been a signal to Norris and I was waiting for him to get it.  Now when I'm at work and a teen asks me about this book, I'll be prepared and will gladly recommend it.

I received and advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc., in exchange for an honest review.

#IndigoEmployee

All Those Explosions were Someone Else's Fault by James Alan Gardner

A romp through my old stomping grounds.  Okay, maybe a parallel romp since there doesn't seem to be magic in my world, but there is the University of Waterloo and it's neighbourhoods.  Author James Alan Gardner has set his book in an area he knows well, though he's tweaked it a bit and added some rather cool stuff.

Kim, her three roommates and one boyfriend are at the University of Waterloo (UW) on a stealth mission.  When Kim spies six darklings entering a lab, her curiosity is aroused. Shortly afterwards an explosion ripples through campus and the four women go to investigate.  They enter the devastated lab and become encircled/invaded by something that effects changes in themselves.  They are transformed to sparks, essentially the good or light ones who counter the darklings.  Did I mention the campus police?

This sets the four off on a series of adventures while they seek to understand what has happened to them.

There is so much wonderful stuff that happens in this book that I can't even begin to explain. I can tell you that this was a lot of fun to read and experience.  It was discussed at my book club, and we all enjoyed it and most of us plan to read the next instalment.  We couldn't put any labels on this book as it's most unique in plot. Yes, there is dark and light but there is a lot of fuzzy as well.  Suspend disbelief and just go with the story line and enjoy.

I loved that this book is set in a location that I am very familiar with.  I attended UW some years ago and it was great to re-visit sites that I have a variety of memories of.

#IndigoEmployee

Anyone's Game : Cross Ups #2 by Sylv Chiang

Wow, this was great.

Jaden and Cali have been friends for years and during that time have played uncountable Cross Ups games.  Now that she is living in Montreal with her dad, they can only get together during their online gaming.  Jaden has noticed that Cali has been off her game lately but doesn't know what's bothering her, maybe it's just the physical distance between them.  When he is invited to play in a tournament in Montreal, he figures he'll have a great time with her.

The online community presents a social challenge.  You can't really know the person on the other end of the connection.  This is very true in the gaming world where children can compete equally against adult players.  Both of the friends are learning that this is not always a healthy environment.

Bullying and sexist attitudes are main topics in this book.  I feel that they are handled quite well and most suitably for pre-teen readers.

While this is the second book in the series, you can read it without having read the first book.  There is a lot of gamer talk, but it does not overwhelm the storyline nor preclude non-gamers from enjoying the story.

I received a review copy of this book from Annick Press in exchange for an honest review.

#IndigoEmployee

The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

Many authors have written the stories of the adventures children have when they pass to another, a more magical world.  Author Laura Weymouth has told the story of what happens after the children return to their own world.  siblings Jamie, Philippa and Evelyn all have different feeling about their time spent in the Woodlands.  Not one of them is left unchanged by their years long experience.

Their stories are told from two viewpoints; first by Evelyn and then by older sister Philippa.  I found the first part to be slower and harder to enjoy. She was really struggling and not in a good frame of mind.   Evelyn was so young when their adventure began, and grew into an adult while in the Woodlands.  During those formative years she formed bonds with the residents there that she could never break loose of.

I was very moved by Philippa's dedication to her sister.  There was nothing she wouldn't do for Evelyn to keep her happy and safe.  It's been a long time since a work of fiction had me crying for characters chapter after chapter.

This book should appeal to older teens as well as adult readers.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc., in exchange for an honest review.

#IndigoEmployee

Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner

I loved this.  I could not put it down.  With themes of cos-play, Dungeon's and Dragons role playing and creating the perfect character garment, there is lots to love.

Cameron, her twin brother Cooper and family have recently moved and are settling into a new town.  She needs to be working on her clothing portfolio for her college interviews, though she is lacking inspiration.  Trips to the comic store are dis-spiriting due to the 'anti-female' vibes that Brody, the manager, exudes.  When her father suggests she use his D&D book as a beginning point to create characters, it starts her along a bumpy and twisted path to  discovering her creativity and other things.

I loved everything about this book except that it ended too soon.  The relationships between Cameron and Cooper is tight yet not perfect.  They fully support each other but at the  same time won't let the other drown in self pity.

When Cameron is working on a garment/costume, she is totally immersed.  The description of her working was so vivid that I could imagine the shimmering fabrics and flying pins and needles.

This book should have wide appeal among teen and older readers.  You don't have to be involved in cos-play or D&D to enjoy this story.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc., in exchange for an honest review.

#IndigoEmployee

The Ice Chips and the Magical Rink by Roy MacGregor and Kerry MacGregor

Great start to a new hockey series aimed at readers who are relatively new to chapter books.

The Ice Chips is a co-ed hockey team that is loosing their home rink.  Though they will be moving to a fancy new rink, they want one last skate on their home ice.  Once they arrive at the rink, they see that the ice is in bad shape, it needs re-surfacing.  This is when the trouble/challenges/magic starts. 

Wait, did I say magic.  Oh yes, that's what makes this book so special.  I love where this magic takes them and what they experience and learn along the way.  Not going to tell you a word more since I don't want to spoil any secrets.

It's great the way the team members support each other both on and off the ice.  They aren't just thinking about their next goal, but of their friends both old and new. 

Young readers will be able to relate to the members of the team even if they don't play hockey.  The story is more about friendship and including new friends.

The authors also wrote the Screech Owl series for 9-12 readers.
The team will return in the Ice Chips and the Haunted Hurricane.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc., in exchange for an honest review.

#IndigoEmployee

We'll All be Burnt in our Beds Some Night by Joel Thomas Tynes

If I spied Johnny Keough coming toward me along a dark street, I'd probably be tempted to cross to the other side.  He's had a tough life and isn't about to take crap from anyone.  As I was reading the opening chapters of this book, I questioned whether I would finish.  It's not the type of story I generally read.  I decided that I would push myself out of my comfort zone and keep reading.  I needed to know why this book was awarded the Governor General's prize in 2017.

Johnny is hard to like.  He talks tough and acts tough.  Inside, he does have a soft spot which is why he rescued an elderly couple from their burning home.  I kept reading and looking for him to change his life around.  He just couldn't do it for long.  It seemed that every time he was doing well, that life would extract a very stiff price, almost as a penalty. 

Author Joel Thomas Hynes slowly reveals nuggets of information regarding Johnny's past.  Most were events with fairly grim outcomes.  His best days always involved his dear cousin Mikey.  Unfortunately for Johnny, Mikey committed suicide weeks before the start of this novel.

As Johnny continued on his quest that was taking him across the country, his luck seemed on a downward spiral.  As he sunk lower, an assortment of well meaning people tried to help him, but he wouldn't/couldn't let them.  His past lead him to know that he couldn't trust people.  As unlikeable as Johnny was, I found that by the last few chapters, the tears were pouring down my cheeks and I felt an over whelming need to mourn for the lost possibilities of the life that Johnny could have lived if only some one had loved and cared for him.  I am so glad that I did continue reading.  It has made me question the lives of others and how little control they could have on the events that control their life.

Cover image courtesy HarperCollins Canada.

#IndigoEmployee

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

Maddie, her husband Ellis and their best friend Hank are the most self indulged and indolent people.  They don't work and live only for the next party or entertainment.  When their poor behaviour at a society event causes embarrassment to Ellis's parents, the two men hatch a plan to flee the country and go in search of the Loch Ness monster.  Ellis's father tried to find the beast years earlier, and instead found scorn.  He thinks if he can find it he will restore his father's good name and be welcomed back home.

As I was listening to this audio book, I was disgusted by the three main characters.  They were not nice people and only sought to indulge them selves.  I had almost decided to give up on the book, though I recalled how much I loved Ms. Gruen's earlier book Water for Elephants, that I had to give it more of a chance.

Fortunately It wasn't long before I started to notice slight changes in Maddie's attitude. She paid more attention to the war raging around them and was concerned about the injured soldiers she was seeing.  It was this change that encouraged me to continue.

Once Maddie started to pay more attention to the real world around her, she began to question her position and her behaviour.  I liked the person she was becoming.  From that point on, I wanted to keep listening every chance I could.  I was cheering her on and wanted her to develop into a considerate and deserving person.

Author Sara Gruen did a great job with these three characters.  First she made me hate them, the really like one and grow to loath the other two even more.  A success when an author can make me feel such a range of emotions just by using words.

#IndigoEmployee

Firesong by Adam Garnet Jones

Shane is torn between the person he is on the inside and the person he feels he needs to be on the outside.  In secret, he loves his boyfriend David and how close and understanding they are of each other and their needs.  On the outside, he is attentive to his girl friend Tara and goes through the motions expected of a dating couple.  At the same time he is struggling to accept the recent suicide of his younger sister Destiny and how it has devastated their mom.  He has been relying on Evie, a tribal elder, to help keep his mom at all functioning and yet he keeps hiding his relationship with her grandson.  A gay male on the rez is far from being an accepted thing.

Attending a university far from the rez is Shane's dream.  He figures it will be the only way for him to have a future with David.  Of course, it's far more complicated than he can cope with at that time.

I thought that this was going to be a nice romance between two young men on a rez, but it turned out to be much more.  First, Shane had to deal with his feelings of his mom letting him down during the toughest time of his life when he really needed her guidance.  The time had arrived when he had to address and fully embrace his sexual nature.  This wasn't easy to do on a reserve where male gay relationships were greeted with hostility.  What it brought to light for me was the politics that exist between the various tribes.  In my mind, I had an image of the different tribes working closely together for the benefit of all indigenous peoples.  I was naive in this respect and should have realized that each tribe/reserve is akin to an individual town with respect to bylaws and budgets.

Author Adam Garnet Jones really made me think and question what I thought were truths and any biases I held.  This would be an excellent study novel in high school classes.   Parents and teachers should be sure to check the study guide for this book at Annick Press.


I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music in exchange for an honest review.

Cover image courtesy Annick Press.

Beautiful Scars: Steeltown Secrets, Mohawk Skywalkers and the Road Home by Tom Wilson

Adopted as a baby, Tom Wilson had asked his mother Bunny if he was adopted, but she never answered.  At the age of fifty-three the truth was finally revealed to him, yet it took him three more years to confirm with his birth mother.

After living an emotionally spartan life with his adoptive parents, the revelations of his birth mother opened up to him a rich and inclusive heritage in the Mohawk community.

I loved this book and Tom Wilson.  I knew nothing about him before I started reading. I was attracted to the story because he had been raised white and only found out as a middle age adult that he is Mohawk.  I enjoy reading books by Indigenous authors,  His re-telling of his life is an easy read, though not always comfortable.  It comes across as the type of conversation you might have sitting around a kitchen table late at night drinking many times refilled cups of herbal tea.

Tom is a down to earth kind of guy.  He is not your glitz and glamour rock star, but the un-assuming neighbour who wants to take care of his family and make music along the way. His humble beginnings are something that most readers will identify with and make you want to see him succeed in his struggles.

If you read only one biography or one indigenous book this year, I highly recommend Beautiful Scars.

#IndigoEmployee

The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis

1850's South Carolina

Little Charlie was anything but little.  At twelve years old, he stood well over six feet tall and weighed as much as a grown man.  This served him well when working in the fields with his share cropper parents.

After his father's untimely death, Charlie reluctantly agrees to go with the overseer at the neighbouring farm to retrieve some escaped slaves who were now living in Detroit.  Little Charlie could never have imagined the profound impact that this journey would have on his life.

Author Christopher Paul Curtis has spun a tale that could have been pulled straight from the history books.  Set at a time when the United States was still divided on slave ownership, Little Charlie quickly begins to question many of the lies he had believed about coloured people.  The biggest revelations come when he has a conversation with Sylvanus Demarest, the young black man that he and the overseer are attempting to lure back to Detroit. 

This is a well written and researched story that illustrates some of the horrors of the slave trade.  While there is yet much to be atoned for, this book is a welcome addition to the existing narratives I've read previously in my quest to learn and understand more about the events of that complex time.

I received and advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc., in exchange for an honest review. 

#IndigoEmployee

Kat & Meg Conquer the World by Anna Priemaza

Moving provinces and starting at a new high school is almost more than Kat can handle.  Add on top of that her barely controlled anxiety issue and it's amazing that she even manages to get to school each morning. 

When the two term science project is announced, she has no idea who to team up with until Meg introduces herself.  Unknown to the studious Kat, Meg has a major issue, ADHD to deal with herself.  There is one thing that draws the two together, their love of  Lumber Legs.  He's a You Tube sensation who more often than not features epic fails of himself playing the very popular Legend of the Stone computer game.

I enjoyed the story of the girls getting to know each other even as there were trying so hard to hide their personal issues.  They were both trying to hide what they viewed at their own flaws, but they loved watching Legs share all of his.  The two came across as real teens.  Their discussions about everyday teen issues made it feel as though I was over hearing my daughter and friends.

This is the type of interaction that goes on in high schools across the country and has for generations.  The gaming aspect keeps it modern and relevant to today's teens.  This is a well told take that made me care about the outcomes for both Kat and Meg.

Cover image courtesy Harper Collins Canada

I received an advance reader ecopy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc., in exchange for an honest review.

#IndigoEmployee

Arrow: Faery Rebels #3 by R. J. Anderson

Rhosmari is a faery and a pacifist, from the hidden green isles.  She has travelled to the mainland to find the stone of naming and return it to her people.  Dealing with humans and foreign faeries is not as straight forward as she thought it would be.  Along the way she will have to face some of her greatest moral challenges.

I loved this story.  It brought back the wonderful magic and mystery of the faery that I felt was missing in Rebel, the second book of this series.

As the story progresses, the fates of the humans and the faery becomes closely entwined.  The free faeries along with their human friends must finally defeat the Empress or the whole land could fall to her whims.  It is the story of good versus evil and whether  one can stand by and watch evil prevail or put ones self at risk and possibly change the outcome.

The is suitable for middle grade readers and older.

Faery Rebel Series

1 Knife  (Spell Hunter)
2 Rebel  (Wayfarer)
3 Arrow

#IndigoEmployee

The Purchase by Linda Spalding

After hearing author Linda Spalding speak about her new book, The Reckoning, I knew that I had to read it predecessor, The Purchase.  Ms. Spalding spoke with such passion and almost reverence for the trials that her ancestors struggled through, that I had to learn more about them.

At the end of the 18th century, Daniel Dickenson was forced out of his Quaker meeting house and his comfortable life.  Along with his children and new, young wife, they trekked south from Pennsylvania to Virginia to carve out a homestead and new life.  Along the way, and throughout the next two decades, Daniel and his family faced many challenges to their faith and morality.  Each family member had to find their own way to deal with these tests of faith.

I was captivated by this fictionalized tale.  From my comfortable life, I find it hard to imagine how difficult it was for Daniel to provide for his family.  In the current time when people seem to agonize over which flavour of expensive latte to order, it is helpful to be reminded of such hardships that others face even today.

I enjoyed the story telling approach.  I could imagine the author witting with her family relating the adventures of her ancestors.  Not a perfect retelling, but a remember oral account with some gaps and possibly careful omissions.  I was brave of Ms. Spalding to open up and reveal the skeletons in her family closet.  I would recommend this to readers who enjoy American history as well as family sagas.

Cover image courtesy Penguin Random House Canada.

#IndigoEmployee

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston

 I could not put this book down.  It is a totally captivating re-imagining of the modern world.

What if the influence of the British Empire had not waned, and if Victorian morality and courtly practises still held.  Author E. K. Johnston imagined that Queen Victoria devised a plan to weld the Empire together through strategic marriages of her children and grand children to nobility throughout her kingdom, not to that of neighbouring European countries.  Generations later, the plan has proved successful and the Empire thrives with a very mixed races population.

The current crown princess Victoria-Margaret is about to come of age and assume her duties.  Before undertaking those responsibilities, she wants one summer to live among and with her future subjects.  She travels incognito to Toronto to stay with her glamorous cousin Elizabeth.  She soon meets her family  friend Helena, to whom she is instantly attracted and they become the best of friends. This sets in motion a chain of events that they could never have imagined.

I loved everything about this story. The characters were young, just venturing into adulthood.  They thought they knew what they wanted, but when they walked through that doorway, they realized that there was far more to consider than their younger selves had imagined. 

I could not imagine having paid staff in my house such as a butler and an attendant to help me dress, though a cook would be most amazing.  I suppose if I had been born into that type of world, it would be common place, but to read about it and try imagining myself there, I don't get very far.    Ms. Johnston did a great job of re-creating the modern world as part of the Victorian era.  It felt authentic to novels I've read that were written in that time period.

I highly recommend this book.

Cover image courtesy Penguin Random House Canada.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc., in exchange for an honest review.

#IndigoEmployee

Acceleration by Graham McNamee

This is a well told tale that captured my imagination from the first chapter.

Like many high school students, Duncan is less than thrilled about his summer job.  He spends his days well below street level working in the Lost & Found department of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). 

One afternoon, he picks up a leather bound book with no title.  Curious, he browses several pages to which are attached a bunch of news clipping about animal mutilations.  Not a book Duncan wants to read.  As the days pass, he is drawn back to the book and it's gruesome writings.  He finds that it is clear that the author of the journal has escalated from killing animals to targeting women.  It isn't long before he draws his friends Vinny and then Wayne into his research about the books contents.

Author Graham McNamee has created a realistic group of friends.  I could easily imagine these young men and their banter.  Their approach to solving the mystery of the author of the journal made total sense.  A trip to the local library is often a great place to begin.

I really enjoyed this story with it's mainly teenage characters.

If you enjoy books for teens with serial killers, you might enjoy:

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Agents of Chaos - X-Files #1 by  Kami Garcia

Cover image courtesy Penguin Random House Canada.

#IndigoEmployee

Highland Promise by Alyson McLayne

 Isle of Sky 1452

When Darach MacKenzie  spies his enemy Laird Fraser abducting an unconscious female, he springs to her rescue regardless of the repercussions.  Even if he'd known before hand what the cost of rescuing Caitlin would be, he still wouldn't have left a female in Fraser's grasp.

Caitlin is an innocent in all sorts of ways.  She is like a breath of fresh air into the tight family group.  It was fun seeing how she could shake up their daily lives just by being herself.  At first it appears that she has been rescued by Darach MacKenzie, but as the story continues, I began to wonder who was doing the rescuing.

Darach and his four brothers were raised by their foster father Gregor McLeod with very little female influence.  They are all well versed in caring for the safety of their clans, but they know little of the emotional needs of their families.  Caitlin has much to teach them.

Author Alyson McLayne makes great use of humour in this book, she had me laughing along with the characters, especially with the perplexed Darach.  The addition of the wee kitten was heart warming.

While the story mostly focused on Caitlin and Darach, we are introduced to his foster brothers.  I learned just enough about them to want to read more.  Fortunately, this is the first book in a five part series, The Sons of Gregor MacLeod, one book for each brother.  Yippee.

Once I knew that the men were wearing kilts in this story, I was all over it, but those who need a bit more persuasion, following is an excerpt from Highland Promise.

Author Alyson McLayne

EXCERPT

“I’ll not be marrying the lass, Oslow, but if I did, she’d more than likely give me daughters. All of them looking like her, causing trouble. I’d be an old man in my grave before I was forty.”

“Nay. She’d give you sons. Braw lads as strong-minded and fearless as her. But if you’re not interested in the lass, I’ll introduce her to my Angus. He needs a wife, and I’m sure he’d be as smitten with her as Gare and Brodie.”

The blood heated in Darach’s veins, flushing his face. He looked toward the field, trying to make out what Caitlin and the two younger men were doing. Naught of consequence. Just playing with the kittens.

Playing with the kittens—like hell. Brodie was a right rogue with the lasses, and Gare was such a pitiful lad, caught betwixt man and boy, she’d want to save him just like she’d saved the baby bird. Most likely he’d try to make himself look as pathetic as possible with the hopes of ensnaring her, the devil.

Darach stood abruptly and made his way across the rocky shore to the field. Lachlan’s snort followed him. Sure enough, Gare and Brodie sat beside her, hanging on to every word. Scoundrels, both of them. He frowned, and they jumped to their feet. Let Caitlin see who was master and laird here—the most dominant MacKenzie male.

After sending them to Oslow, he sat on the grass beside her. She looked pleased to see him. Maybe now would be the time to tell her the kittens were going to the miller’s. He willed himself to begin, but one of the cats tumbled into his lap and mewed up at him. Bloody fiend.

“Och, would you look at that. He loves you, Darach. Maybe he will be called Justice, for he is drawn to you and you are the most just man I know.”

He puffed up and deflated at the same time. ’Twas a good decision to send the cats to the miller. Not only did it show Justice, but also Prudence, Fortitude, and Temperance. Surely she would see the right of it.

The kit ran up his body and batted his hair. Darach started in surprise. Grabbing it, he held the wee thing in front of him. The cat reached out and swatted his chin.

Caitlin fell sideways onto the grass, laughing. “You’ve ne’er had a cat before, have you?”

Darach grunted and brought the kitten closer. He had to admit it was sweet—big eyes and downy, soft fur. It suckled the stubble of his beard, and his heart turned over.

“They’re starved, poor babies,” she said. “He’s trying to nurse. All we had was water. It helped, but their bellies are empty.”

There would be lots of milk at the miller’s.

“Caitlin, I doona think…”

She gazed at him, her eyes wide, trusting. A happy glow surrounded her, and the words stuck in his throat. Maybe she could keep the kits ’til they were old enough to be on their own. House them in the kitchens and out of his sight and the sight of his dogs for a week or two. Then they could go to the miller.

“Aye, Darach?”

“’Tis naught, lass. We’ll be home soon and they can have their meal.”

Picking up a kitten, she held it close. “I think this little lass will be Temperance, for she’s the only female and needs to have much restraint to live with three brothers. It must be a trial, doona you think?”

“I lived with four brothers, and aye, ’twas a trial.”

A wistful look crossed her face. “I did so wish for a brother. Or a sister. But my parents were not blessed with bairns after me. Instead, I had lots of pets—cats, dogs, horses, and pigs.”

“Pigs?”

“Aye, pigs are wonderful pets. Although I caused such a fankle when my father wanted to butcher the dear thing, I was ne’er allowed to bond with a pig again.”

“And what happened to it?”

“I doona know. I lost more than just my parents the night of the fire. Verily, ’twas a torment. I longed for pets after that, but I feared to show favor to any creature, lest my uncle hurt the animal. I was verra careful when I fed Cloud apples. The guards who followed me knew, I’m sure, but one older guard in particular didn’t mind.” She turned to smile at the stallion tethered with the other horses. “I’m thankful you saved him too.”

His stomach soured at the insight into her life after her parents’ death, at how afraid, alone and sad she must have been. Yet she’d shown none of that to him or his men. And he knew she must have felt it—her heart was as big as the loch.

“I want you to have, Cloud,” he said suddenly. It was the least he could do.

Her eyes grew round. “Truly?”

“Aye. But wait to ride him until we return to the keep. I doona want him to spook and throw you out here. Let him get used to you in the stables first, aye?” Where he could have a healer on hand and spread out some hay to soften her fall.

With an excited holler, she threw her arms around his neck and almost knocked him backward. One arm settled around her waist, the other hovered just above her hair. The devil take him, he wanted to touch her, to hold her still for his kiss.

Cover image and author photo courtesy Sourcebooks.

 I received and advanced readers ecopy of this book from Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

#indigoEmployee

The Mosaic by Nina Berkhout

Twyla has her life planned, knows what she wants and the guy she is going to do it all with.  until she meets Gabriel, and injured war veteran.  Her community service stint is supposed to be a one of , no strings attached.  At first she dislikes Gabriel, but over time she starts to meet the real man behind the solitary, don't need any help image he presents. This community service arrangement brings out the worst in her seemingly perfect boyfriend.

Twyla has to confront a lot of truths she is now learning.  She has to determine who she truly wants to be as opposed to who others expect or are pressuring her to be.  While Twyla is learning about becoming an adult, Gabriel begins to confront the ghosts that have haunted him since his earlier deployments.  I was fascinated to read about the ammunition mosaic that he is creating and how it was helping him to cope.

This was a thought provoking read. It wasn't light and fluffy, but more a gritty story that reflects true to life issues that teens have to deal with.   I had me thinking about gossip and heresay as opposed to the underlying truth of situations.  Twyla learned that you can't take everything at surface value especially when people and their emotions are involved.

To learn more about art made with ammunition, visit the website of artist John Ton 
A google search for ammunition art found many more examples. 

I received an advance reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc., in exchange for an honest review,

Cover image courtesy House of Anansi Press

#IndigoEmployee