Gorse (The Eythin Legacy)
1781 – Mirecoombe, Cornwall. Salan Dell is found dead on the moor, a red handprint around his neck. He is the fifth to be murdered in such a way, despite the protection offered by the tokens embedded within the very fabric of the buildings and the signs etched on the walls.
There are three people in search of the murderer: Lord Pelagius Hunt – Pel to his friends, the Reverend Cleaver, and Nancy Bligh. Pel is the Keeper, who has mediated for countless years between the humans and Them – the brownies, pixies and spriggands – who are unseen by most but whose help has, until now, been gratefully accepted in the fields, on the moor and in the house.
The Reverend Cleaver brooks no tolerance of the old ways and is determined to prove that the little people do not exist, despite evidence to the contrary. Nancy Bligh has been brought up by Pel and has learned a lot of his magic but still has a lot to learn. She has within her, however, the Murmur, a dangerous magic far greater than any of Pel’s, which she cannot yet control.
This is a story about belief, love, grief, friendship and tolerance and is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Every word is wonderful and full of wonder. The magic sizzles off the page, and the reader is utterly drawn into Horton’s world by his stunning descriptions of the landscape, the elements, the humans and of Them. Highly recommended.
