Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
Wayward Children #10
Young Adult Fantasy
January 7, 2025 by Tor.com
ARC

One of my absolute favorite young adult fantasy series.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear is Nadya’s story. Born in Russia with one arm, abandoned by her mother and raised in an orphanage, she doesn’t find her door until she’s adopted by a couple and brought to the United States. Her door leads to an underwater city where she finds her true family. I think readers will be heartbroken by the ending, but if you’ve followed the series so far, you will know what happens next in her story.

As with any book in this series, the themes, in this case adoption and disability, are handled with nuance and care. Now the year long wait for the next book in the series.

Grade- B

The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater
Victorian Faerie Tales (#1)
Historical Fantasy
November 23, 2023 by Starwatch Press
Library Book

It seems like I get half my book recommendations from social media these days. This is a title I saw talked about on BlueSky and decided to see if one of the many libraries I have cards for had any copies available. And they did! So, this ended up being my first read of 2025!

Winifred Hall arrives in Witchwood Manor on a dark, dreary evening, her official duties are to be governess to the young Robert, who is the Longfell heir. Her secret mission, however, is to rid the estate of a curse and to deal with the fae who she soon learns are confined to the manor.

To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. I read it cover to cover and when I finished decided that this author would be one of my backlist reads for the new year. The main protagonist, Winnie, is clever, confident, and strong. She comes at the behest of Lord Longfell’s mother, who was an important benefactor of her childhood and is desperate to save her grandson. As Winnie gets to know more about the house, its history, and inhabitants, she realizes the fae are as trapped within the manor and Lord Longfell is the reason. Once Robert disappears, and a wooden construct takes his place, she knows she must enlist the help of the mysterious fae butler, Mr. Quincy, to get him back.

This was a darker, gothic fantasy. The romance is quiet and slow to build, but lovely. I am completely invested in this world and look forward to reading more.