Published 26th September 2024 by Rock the Boat.
From the cover of the book:
When death calls, she must answer.Hazel has always known she was different from her siblings. A thirteenth child, she was promised at birth to Merrick, the god of death.
Under his care, Hazel learns the art – and magic – of healing. Word of her extraordinary gift spreads throughout the kingdom. But all gifts come with a price. When Death claims a soul for himself, it is Hazel who must end their suffering… permanently.
Soon, destiny brings her to the royal court where she meets Leopold, an infuriatingly alluring prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. Here, Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet: to carry out her duties or follow the urges of her own heart. Can she go against the will of Death himself to save someone who is marked to die?
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The unwanted thirteenth child of a poor huntsman and his wife, Hazel was promised to Merrick, the god of death, before she was even born. Aware how special a thirteenth child could be, Merrick bestows his beloved goddaughter with gifts, and raises her to be a healer like no other. Hazel's renown spreads far and wide, and she never once questions why the god of death set her on this path - until the moment she learns that 'saving' sometimes means using her skills to kill those fated to die, even if they are close to her.
Hazel's fame takes her all the way to the royal palace, when the king is struck down by a mysterious illness called the Shimmers. Haunted by the things she has done, and with conflicted feelings about the handsome, brooding Prince Leopold, Hazel faces her biggest challenge yet. Hard choices must be made, and Hazel is torn between her duty, and the wishes of her heart...
Craig's sweeping novel is an epic retelling of the fairy tale Godfather Death by the Brothers Grimm, casting Hazel in the role of the foolish boy who is adopted by Death in their story. It is not a tale I was familiar with until after reading Craig's glorious novel, which I am actually rather pleased about, as it meant I had absolutely no idea where this story would take me - but even if you are, there is so much more here, and lots of surprises conjured from Craig's rich imagination.
Hazel is a fabulous character, who it is easy to take to your heart from the very beginning of the story. Unwanted and unloved, her value is recognised by each of the gods in the story - the distant, all-seeing Holy First; the legion of entities making up the Divided-One, represented by the dual gods Calamité and Félicité in one (quite terrifying) being; and the misunderstood god of death, Merrick. Having made their case for the babe, the parents promise her to Merrick, sealing the fate that sets her on a rocky path strewn with difficult decisions.
Plunged into a world of experiences she is totally unprepared for, Hazel finds Merrick surprisingly personable, and the two become close. She learns the skills that will take her a long way in the world, to the palace where she must navigate a dilemma that finds her at odds with her godfather, fuelled by the passionate love that develops between her and Leopold. Along the way, she is forced to confront the differences between magic and power, and fully understand the fact that the right choices are never the easy ones.
Craig's fairy tale world is beautifully drawn, encompassing a mortal realm plagued with human problems, and an in-between place where the gods (sometimes) reside, when they are not going about their ineffable godly work. Lush themes of gifts that are equal parts blessing and curse; the consequences of difficult choices: fate; love; family; jealousy; betrayal; and sacrifice echo through the story. The enemies-to-lovers romance between Hazel and Leopold is delicious, and there is a wealth of humour and heartache to enjoy in the spellbinding way Craig explores the nuances of the complicated relationship dynamics between her gods and the mortals who are part of their unfathomable plans.
It has been an age since I read such a compelling fantasy stand-alone like this. I absolutely ripped through the over-500 pages of this gem, and shed a quiet tear or two when I reached the emotional ending. Utterly fantastic story-telling for lovers of a darned good fairy tale retelling.
The Thirteenth Child is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats.
Thank you to Black Crow PR for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
She has always loved telling stories. An avid reader, decent quilter, rabid basketball fan, and collector of typewriters, brass figurines, and sparkly shoes,
Erin makes her home in West Michigan with her husband and daughter.
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