A Skinful of Shadows

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But as she plans her escape and heads out into a country torn apart by war, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession – or death. The Best Most Epic Fantasy Series of All Times on Books you will love if you like The Kingkiller Chronicles

A Skinful of Shadows - Wikipedia

A Skinful of Shadows is a 2017 children's or young adults' paranormal historical fiction novel by Frances Hardinge. Her seventh novel, it revolves around Makepeace Felmotte, a girl with the inherited ability to see and absorb ghosts. It is set during the First English Civil War, and in particular the Siege of Oxford. The book was received positively by critics and was short-listed for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2017. [1] Synopsis [ edit ] This story takes place during the English Civil War (ca. 1640 – 1643) so it takes place roughly 200 years prior to the first novel I read by this author and thus shows quite a different kind of England. The two books are independent of one another. However, they show that the author is good at any historic setting. Battlefields, alleys in Oxford and old manors come to life equally in this tale of ghosts possessing bodies and a little girl losing her way with only an unlikely companion to help her along the way.This book was so enjoyable and gripping! I felt as though I was living in the story, everything felt so real! It was set during the civil war in the 1640s. this was a period I had learnt about in school but the story entwined perfectly. It was interesting how people's jobs were affected by their gender and that people who changed sides in the war could be called a traitor. This is probably one of the best novels I have read! I fell in love with the language and the story. I would love a sequel to come out. (Score: 5/5)

A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge Book Review: A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge

And for the next three years or so, she will try to escape – with the help of a brother she never knew she had, but whose shared heritage brings them together. But the Fellmotes will not make it easy for them – for the two kids are needed for the very survival of their powerful household. The problem is: their bodies may be indispensable because of their power but who they are – or at least what makes them them– is effectively expendable.Haunted is a fast-paced thriller and not exactly a goody-goody book. The protagonist herself is a demon and not your typical hero. The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, and it may be her only defence when she is sent to live with her father’s rich and powerful ancestors. There is talk of civil war, and they need people like her to protect their dark and terrible family secret. A Skinful of Shadows is everything I know Hardinge is capable of. The story is creepy and brilliant, but heartfelt and emotive. I loved the main character, Makepeace, but as is usual for Frances Hardinge, all of her characters are vivid and filled with life. No complaints about the quality of the writing either; it is a joy to read. Hardinge does not recycle her settings and ideas. In every book she creates something new, unique and complex, with solid internal rules and consistency, fleshed-out so well that these worlds feel alive and real. She does not fall prey to tropes and always takes her stories somewhere you wouldn’t be able to predict from the get-go. A Skinful of Shadows' is a great book full of mystery, secrets and the supernatural. However I do not think it focuses too much about the time and context, although it does not mean it is not present, but it is not the theme of the story. But it is a very good book that I would recommend to anyone interested In ghosts and the supernatural.

A skinful of shadows : Hardinge, Frances, author : Free A skinful of shadows : Hardinge, Frances, author : Free

A Skinful of Shadows confirms Hardinge's status as one of our finest storytellers. It's rare to find a book which is every bit as intelligent and stylish as it is riveting - I was enthralled' - Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent.During the First English Civil War, Makepeace lives with her mother in a Puritan village close to London. When her mother dies in a riot between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists, she is sent to live with her deceased father's relatives in Grizehayes, a fictional fortress in the north of England. Makepeace has the inherited trait that allows her to store the spirits of recently deceased people or animals inside herself, like the rest of her father's family. The elders at Grizehayes store the spirits of their notable deceased family members inside living vessels. Discovering that her relatives keep her alive purely as a spare vessel for the spirits, she flees to Oxford and becomes entangled in the conflict of the war herself.

A Skinful of Shadows Novel Study *Updated | Teaching Resources A Skinful of Shadows Novel Study *Updated | Teaching Resources

I had a REALLY strong horror vibe in the first part of this book. Great atmosphere, vivid emotional impact, and I felt like I had no control. Beautiful. Hardinge is really great at this. :) ABOUT THE NOVEL: A Skinful of Shadows is a dark YA historical fantasy set in the early part of the English Civil War. Makepeace is an illegitimate daughter of the aristocratic Fellmotte family, and as such, she shares their unique hereditary gift: the capacity to be possessed by ghosts. Reluctant to accept her appointed destiny as vessel for a coterie of her ancestors, she escapes. As she flees the pursuing Fellmottes across war-torn England, she accumulates a motley crew of her own allies, including outcasts, misfits, criminals, and one extremely angry dead bear. He’s no better than the other Fellmottes. Another rich man bent on what he thinks the world owes him, and willing to pay any price, as long as it’s in the blood of others.”Soon Triss discovers that what happened to her is more strange and terrible than she could ever have imagined, and that she is quite literally not herself. In a quest to find the truth she must travel into the terrifying Underbelly of the city to meet a twisted architect who has dark designs on her family – before it's too late . . . I'm fascinated by the English Civil War for so many reasons. I like periods of change, and at that time there was a sense that everyone had run off the edge of the world that they knew and were now in freefall. None of the old rules seemed to work any more. In fact, a lot of people thought that the world was about to end. Hardinge's novels are always a delight to read. I loved Lie Tree and loved this one too. Although a tad less feminist than The Lie Tree, still a great book for teens to read to see girls CAN be their own heros, without the need of a male company. British Council complies with data protection law in the UK and laws in other countries that meet internationally accepted standards.