Friday Memes: A Curse of Ash & Embers by Jo Spurrier

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

A Curse of Ash & Embers by Jo Spurrier. 368 p.Voyager/ HarperCollins Publishers, January, 2021. 9781460756331. 

Publisher synopsis: A dead witch. A bitter curse. A battle of magic.

Some people knit socks by the fire at night. Gyssha Blackbone made monsters.

But the old witch is dead now, and somehow it's Elodie's job to clean up the mess.

When she was hired at Black Oak Cottage, Elodie had no idea she'd find herself working for a witch; and her acid-tongued new mistress, Aleida, was not expecting a housemaid to turn up on her doorstep.

Gyssha's final curse left Aleida practically dead on her feet, and now, with huge monsters roaming the woods, a demonic tree lurking in the orchard and an angry warlock demanding repayment of a debt, Aleida needs Elodie's help, whether she likes it or not.

And no matter what the old witch throws at her, to Elodie it's still better than going back home.

First Line(s): I sat on the rough stone wall, gazing downtime dusty road and grinding my heel against the rocks. The hobnails in my boot squealed against the stone, making me wince, but in truth the sound was a fine match for my mood.

Page 56: It looked as though there'd been a brawl - or worse. Scorch-mars streaked the flagstones, as well as the plaster between the roof beams. The only thing not broken was the window, and that was doubly strange - the window was huge, set with panes of real glass that looked out into the darkness, with one side propped open a foot or so. I don't think our whole farm at home had as much glass as that one window, and I couldn't imagine how it had survived the destruction that had been wreaked on the rest of the room. I tried not to stare but she must have noticed my wide eyes. 

The voice in this grabbed me from the beginning. It's also quite atmospheric. Looking forward to finishing it this weekend.