Strange Grace
by Tessa Gratton
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Pub Date Sep 18 2018 | Archive Date Sep 25 2018
Simon & Schuster Canada | Margaret K. McElderry Books
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Description
“An alluring and seductive fairy tale.” —Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation
“Horrifying, heartbreaking, and heartwarming, a lush fairy tale rooted in a moral quandary.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“An eerie, consuming tale of sacrifice and faith. Haunting and unique.” —Booklist
“Evocative.” —BCCB
Once, a witch made a pact with a devil. The legend says they loved each other, but can the story be trusted at all? Find out in this lush, atmospheric fantasy novel that entwines love, lies, and sacrifice.
Long ago, a village made a bargain with the devil: to ensure their prosperity, when the Slaughter Moon rises, the village must sacrifice a young man into the depths of the Devil’s Forest.
Only this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early.
Bound by duty, secrets, and the love they share for one another, Mairwen, a spirited witch; Rhun, the expected saint; and Arthur, a restless outcast, will each have a role to play as the devil demands a body to fill the bargain. But the devil these friends find is not the one they expect, and the lies they uncover will turn their town—and their hearts—inside out.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781534402089 |
| PRICE | $18.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 400 |
Featured Reviews
Marie S, Librarian
This is a really hard book for me to review. I'm going to do my best, but it's a book I think you really need to experience for yourself.
In the village of Three Graces, no one is sick. The village is perfect: crops never die, no one dies unnaturally, people heal from horrific injuries in just days. This is all achieved by a deal with the Devil of the forest made hundreds of years ago. In order to maintain that bargain, the village must send their best boy into the forest every seven years during the Slaughter Moon. That boy becomes a saint will run through the forest and if he can survive until morning, he may live. Most don't.
Mairwen Grace is the daughter of the Grace witch and a saint. She can feel the forest in her, calling her into its' depths. She feels as though the forest itself is in her blood. Rhun Sayer is the younger brother of a saint, and has grown up knowing that he will be a saint himself. Arthur Couch is the son of a woman who wanted to protect him more than anything, and by doing so, made him an outcast.
The story is told in fragments. Parts of it of the past, the present, and of the time that they spent in the forest that they cannot remember. The narration flows between characters and is not limited to the three main protagonists, but it adds to the overall fairytale-like atmosphere of the book. When I say fairytale, I don't mean the Disney adaptations, but the originals with monsters, murder and darkness. This is a dark book, and I don't say that lightly. It's not overtly violent, or have any scenes that are triggering, but it's heavy with atmosphere and there's a overall feeling of inevitability of the fates that you know are awaiting the characters.
Tessa does something a bit different with the romance in this book. There seems to be love just about everywhere, and the relationships between Arthur, Marirwen and Rhun are no exception. They are complex and at times it comes off as a little too much, I think. It's definitely not going to be for everyone, but I think it was pretty well done overall.
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