Today I’m taking part in the blog tour for Burrowed by Maressa  Mortimer. 

This us a young adult novel set on the beautiful island if Ximiu. 

The young heroine is Jasira, daughter of the Xibai, the female governing official of the Island. Along with her friend Ilori, who is the son of the Vice-Xibai, they start to uncover some sinister goings on.

Ximiu is “going green” - so that’s a good thing, right? Well perhaps not as first all the island cars disappear almost overnight.

There have been disappearances of young girls, one of Jasira’s friends had a younger sister disappear.

People start to move to the mainland and people move in who are keen on the idea of “ going green”.

The author uses great skill to build a creepy sense of something sinister beneath the surface of the beautiful island of Ximiu. The island is run by a matriarchal system of female officials. However there is a sense that the men are not too happy about this situation.

This novel is aimed at YA but can be enjoyed by anyone adults included. The story goes on to show the changes to be made by the ruling council and the unfortunate consequences. Babies are born stillborn. 

There are two Albinos on the Island, Axixa and Kamua, a brother and sister. 

Our two heroes believe them to be behind the strange disappearances; cars, electricity, bags of flour, young girls even ashphalt from the roads!

The two friends set out to save the Island, extremely well crafted by the author this part if the story is all consuming and very vivid.

An excellent read for YA or Adult please read and enjoy this book.

 

The Rebellion of 1745 has been characterised by historians as the story of the men who intrigued and fought. Flora McDonald has been cast as a classic heroine., the one woman who comes to mind when we think of the ‘45.

Maggie Craig has written a book to put this right. This  book has been deeply researched and beautifully written. 

The untold stories of the women who accompanied there men to the battles and waited for news, the women at Clifton Moor and Prestonpans, and ultimately Culloden. 

These women encouraged their men believed in the rightful Prince and bore the brunt of the bloodletting after Culloden. Maggie tells of the Ladies,the wives of wealthy men who raised the men to fight in support of the Bonnie Prince - sometimes against their husbands wishes. The great ladies who marched to raise the standard. There are also the stories of ordinary women, highland women, whose men went to fight. As in all wars , the women left behind or accompanying the Jacobite army.

A riveting book, once you start you won’t be able to put it down.