"The Hidden Goddess"

[sergebroom]

It's 1876 in New York City, not long after the events of MK Hobson's ”The Native Star”, one of this year's Nebulas nominees. Emily Edwards has been rid of that magic stone that was embedded in her hand, and of her hand in the process, thus removing one group of people trying to kill the young California witch. But there is still the mystery of her origin, unknown even to her. There's also the upcoming passing of the baton of one of the country's major magic research institutes to Dreadnought Stanton, her husband-to-be who has many enemies. And a Goddess who won't stop at poisoning the Earth and its blood to bring her long-lost lover back. And, last but not least, there is Stanton's wealthy mother and those afternoons spent listening to the reading Wordsworth.

But, even in the face of ghastly non-poetical situations, Emily maintains a down-to-Earth attitude.

“I'm not dead yet, you vile bitch,” Emily snarled. “And I'm clever enough to know that destroying the world, just to bring back one man, is proof that your Goddess is as dumb as a sackful of hammers.”

…sometimes literally down to Earth.

She felt herself gathering back into herself, the threads of her human consciousness retracting from where they had spread out in a thin, vibrant array. Dmitri knelt over her. A lantern glowed on the ground nearby.

“What are you doing?” He grimaced, averting his eyes from her muddy nakedness.

“Getting answers,” she said softly. She felt as if she'd forgotten how to speak. She hardly knew if she was speaking in Russian or English anymore. Maybe she was speaking some new language, the language of wood and water and leaves.

To say that I highly recommend this book is an understatement.