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As winter deepens and the fishermen return with empty nets, fear begins to consume the isolated community. Selkies, strangers and women who refuse to behave as they should all become convenient objects of suspicion. Malie has to contend not only with the mystery of her mother’s disappearance but with an increasingly dangerous husband and a society structured to protect his authority rather than her safety.

One of the greatest strengths of this novel is its cast of characters. Biddy is an easy protagonist to love. She's curious, compassionate, intelligent, and brave without ever feeling unrealistically capable. Despite growing up in isolation, she approaches the world with an openness and sincerity that makes her instantly engaging. Watching her encounter new people, challenge long-held assumptions, and gradually discover her own strength was one of my favourite aspects of the s

Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell feels less like reading a fantasy novel and more like discovering a forgotten piece of English history that somehow slipped between the cracks of reality. The achievement of it is almost absurd. Clarke doesn’t simply build a world; she builds the illusion of scholarship around that world so convincingly that, by the end, the Raven King feels as historically inevitable as Napoleon.