The Bone Roots

Description

A tale of two mothers, each desperate to protect her child. But only one of them can succeed. And only one of them knows why.

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The Bone Roots is a slavic-folklore inspired fantasy that explores how far a mother will go to protect her child…

It’s been 40 years since the Fox took Kada’s brother. Though she ran and kept herself hidden, she fears it may be stalking her again, this time to steal her daughter.

Every year, Vedma Kada gives thanks to the bone roots – those that belong to the child-bearing tree who gave Kada her desperately-wanted baby, Secha. Kada lives her life in service of the bone roots and the goddess Zemya, but they cannot keep her daughter safe. Not when Secha’s emerging powers, both mysterious and brutish, threaten to out her for who she truly is…

Meanwhile Sladyana, a rich noblewoman, has spent the last fifteen years searching for her missing daughter, Luba. She was snatched from their home by the Fox thief and Sladyana has heard nothing from her since. But the one who gave Sladyana her daughter has come within her grasp once again, and so has the secret of her daughter’s fate.

File Under: Fantasy [ Tree of Life |  Mother Issues | Out Foxed | Unravelling Secrets ]”A powerful tale of two mothers and the lengths they’ll go to protect their children, set against a richly detailed backdrop of Slavic folklore. Wonderful!” 
– Shona Kinsella, author of The Vessel of KalaDene series

“Gabriela Houston’s The Bone Roots is an exuberantly told story that weaves together the lives of two mothers and their daughters. This enthralling tale is filled with dark magic, intriguing monsters, and a tension that holds until the very end.”
– Chris Panatier, author of The Phlebotomist

“As twisted and intricate as the bone roots themselves, an intimate portrait of what it means to become a mother and the fight to protect – at any cost. Be prepared to be gripped, chilled, and lulled deep into this mythic world with Houston’s lyrical prose.”
– Caroline Hardaker, author of Composite Creatures

“Gabriela Houston’s writing is both economical and evocative – a rare skill.”
– SFX Magazine

“[Gabriela Houston] truly is a writer to look out for, and one that I think will go far.”
– Libri Draconis

“This Slavic-inspired fantasy from Houston will appeal to readers who enjoyed Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver. “
– Library JournalGABRIELA HOUSTON was born and raised in Poland, brought up on a diet of mythologies and fairy tales. She spent her summers exploring the woods, foraging and animal tracking with her family. Gabriela moved to London to study English Literature and obtained a Masters degree in Literatures of Modernity. She has worked as an assistant editor and as a freelance writer. Gabriela’s short stories have been selected for the Editor’s Choice Review by Bewildering Stories and have been featured on the Ladies of Horror Fiction podcast. She lives in London with her husband and two children.GB

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