Ok so I’ve been thinking about finding this book off and on again for years, and now it’s on again. I don’t have the title or author, or even remember what the cover looked like. I thought I knew the cover, but alas just found out wrong! I’m really hoping to give enough details that maybe someone out there recognizes it! I don’t think I’ve read it since maybe 2002-2006, I can’t really be sure. If I were to get a brief description of it online somewhere I think I’d know immediately it if were the book or not. Anyway, it’s a fiction book, and here are the key details that stood out the most to me:
A granddaughter lives with her grandmother on the edge a village, they arn’t really respected (can’t remember why, might have had something to do with witchcraft)
Granddaughter is to be used in some sort of king burial ritual where she is to be raped by all the king’s finest men then they’re all to be burned with the king’s corpse
At the last minute Grandmother dies her long hair dark like granddaughter’s with puppy (I think?) blood to disguise herself, and takes the granddaughter’s place, allowing her to escape
Granddaughter is a warrior type thing? They’re not civilized
Granddaughter becomes a servant to a princess who has been raped by her brothers or cousins (who are attempting to shame her away from court)
Granddaughter helps princess fake her monthly cycle (with wine and cutting her own hand) and hide the pregnancy, deliver the baby in secret, and finds the baby a barren couple to adopt her
And that’s about all I remember. I’d love to find and own the book, I distinctly remember loving the book at the time! Please let me know if anyone has any clues, my searches have yielded no results!
Oh and Mods, if this were to be better suited for GQ, feel free to move!
Hey, what a coincidence – I just reread this last week! I’d forgotten the plot, so I wouldn’t be able to answer this had I not just reread it.
It’s Elske by Cynthia Voigt, the fourth (I think) book in her fantasy-ish series about the Kingdom. The other books are Jackaroo (my favorite), On Fortune’s Wheel, and Wings of a Falcon.
Also check out her YA Tillerman cycle, which takes place in our world. A Solitary Blue in particular I really liked – it won a Newberry Honor, I believe.
Yay! Bought it in “very good” condition from Amazon for a penny, and got the 2-6 day shipping to make the whole thing an even $7! I can’t wait til it comes in!
