The Drowned Woods, by Emily Lloyd-Jones. Little, Brown and Company. 2022

Mererid (Mer) is on the run. She’s insanely powerful- a water diviner or water witch who can control water in any form- but she lives in constant fear of discovery. When the wrong person finds her waiting table in a pub, her past comes rushing past. She was the prince’s property, a man who used her powers for evil. Now her trainer, the prince’s assassin, has her again and she’s sure she’ll be heading back to be killed. But that’s not what happens….

What evolves is a heist story. Renfrew, the prince’s former spymaster, wants to lead them against the prince. Mer will be the way into the treasure hoard. Fane is an iron fetch, who manipulates iron- even the iron in blood- who can open all locks. Ifanna is the daughter of the chiefs of the thieves guild, a master thief herself, who has a past with Mer. Emrick is a scholar, who has read every magic book and history available. Gryf is the muscle. Trefor is Fane’s corgi (this story is set in Welsh mythology), who may be a spy for the fae. No heist goes smoothly, though, and the group must fight foes human and supernatural all the way. There is a long passage through chambers that are filled with seawater at high tide that put my tension at 10- it’s a really claustrophobic situation, along with the monsters. And there are betrayals all around.

This young adult novel is a great read. I found myself engaged all the way through, unwilling to put the book down. The characters are well done- there are a couple who are pretty much just space markers, but most seem true to life. The world seems real and livable. I will definitely seek out more of this author’s work.

   Living with Grief When Illness is Prolonged, edited by Kenneth Doka, Ph.D. & Joyce Davidson.    Hospice Foundation of America, 1997                            

This book is a collection of  papers about how a prolonged illness is slowly killing a person, and how that is different from a sudden death or one with a short illness. Prolonged illness means that the care giver is on call for a much longer time; this takes a huge toll on the caregiver both mentally and physically. On the one hand, a longer illness gives time for talking, finding out about the dying person’s life and opinions, and for understanding and forgiving. But the longer time needing care can bring on feelings of guilt in the dying person, fearing they are asking too much of their family.

It’s an interesting book, but because it’s written by several people, certain passages are much more user friendly than others. It goes over such things as anticipatory grief, ethical considerations, hospice care, and sections on AIDS, cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease. The final part consists of how long term disease effects children and teens, things the caregiver should do, and the use of rituals both before and after death. I’d give it five stars for useful information, but only 3 ½ stars for being reader friendly- many passages seem to be written for the professional hospice worker, mental health professional, or MD. So that leaves it with a 4 star rating.

 

Magic, Supernaturalism, and Religion, by Kurt Seligmann. Pantheon Books, 1948

This book is not a how-to, DIY tome; it is a history of its subjects, told in a neutral, dispassionate vein. It starts with Mesopotamia, goes through Persia, the Hebrews, Egypt, Greece, Gnosticism, the Roman Empire, the shifts to Europe and the magical arts that survived during Christian times. The author takes neither a “magic was bad and misguided” nor a “Christianity was a bully that took over and destroyed magic” that is today’s take on the subjects; he stays totally neutral. Yes, he does talk about the witch trials and the trials of alchemists, but it’s told in a ‘just the facts, ma’am” tone. I found it pretty interesting, although quite dry. When you don’t take sides there isn’t any passion in writing, I guess. The illustrations were fascinating; pen and ink drawings of magical principles and things like palmistry charts fill the book.