Publishers Weekly
11/16/2020
Houston’s sparkling debut invites readers to a mountain village where mothers of two-hearted striga children can eke out an existence, having been banished from Heyne Town for fear of the shadowy magic their children bear. Nineteen years after Salka’s mother was exiled for giving birth to her, Salka and her friend Emila are led astray by Dran, the son of the striga village’s leader, as he persuades the young women to join him on a forbidden foray into Heyne Town. Dran’s mother is convinced that the transgression is Salka’s fault and banishes her to a remote hut for three months. Since childhood, Salka has been taught to restrain her second heart’s power lest it turn her into a monstrous stigoi, but, as winter sets in, she has no choice but to rely upon it to keep herself alive—and, in doing so, she learns the truth of her powers. By going small, rather than epic, in scale, Houston is able to mark the significance of daily events, highlight her characters, and comment on humanity’s capacity for othering. This intimate fantasy offers a heartfelt reflection on what it means to be human that is sure to please. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"Captivating, provocative and poignant – not to be missed."
– David Wragg, author of The Black Hawks
"This is well worth your time!”
– Gavin G Smith, author of The Bastard Legion series
"Houston projects her background of Polish mythologies and dark fairy tales onto this fanciful debut. Redemption, sacrifice, and generosity underpin this story about mother-and-daughter relationships. Fans of mythical yarns and medieval fantasies will enjoy this easy-to-read fable."
– Library Journal
"Houston is able to mark the significance of daily events, highlight her characters, and comment on humanity’s capacity for othering. This intimate fantasy offers a heartfelt reflection on what it means to be human that is sure to please."
– Publishers Weekly
"A claustrophobic but very human tale of bad decisions rather than (totally) bad people, with conflict and magic alike grounded in the rhythms of daily life and the landscape around it."
- SFX Magazine
"A classic coming-of-age novel with a supernatural twist, appealing to readers across different genres, with a conclusion that addresses issues of racism and society within our own society... A masterful tale."
– Booklist
"A very personal story you won’t be able to stop thinking about long after the tale is told."
– Dan Hanks, author of Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire
"enchanting fairy tale with real-world themes."
– Ginger Smith, author of The Rush's Edge
"a coming-of-age tale set in a lavishly detailed backdrop drawn from the writer’s native Slavic mythology"
– Tracy Fahey author of The Girl in the Fort and New Music For Old Rituals
"Prose that scintillates, characters that captivate, and a world that is at once enchanting in its magic, horrifying in its realism, and vice-versa. Houston has gifted us with a folktale that is both mythically resonant and all too human."
– Tyler Hayes, author of The Imaginary Corpse
"A fresh and provocative spin on the Slavic Stiga mythology, The Second Bell is a smart and complex journey into the meaning of family, community, nature and possibility. A gripping read and full of heart.”
– Soniah Kamal, award-winning author of Unmarriageable
Library Journal
02/01/2021
DEBUT Miriat must make the potentially fatal decision of forced self-banishment for herself and her deformed daughter, Salka. While attempting to survive in a cruel wilderness, she is reluctantly accepted into a tribe of other banished individuals who know all too well of her daughter's condition. Fear and respect for the ways of the supernatural lead this pragmatic group to rule harshly while attempting to survive in isolation. Will their superstitions be tried and shown to be erroneous, or will these two new residents threaten to shred their insensitive culture? VERDICT Houston projects her background of Polish mythologies and dark fairy tales onto this fanciful debut. Redemption, sacrifice, and generosity underpin this story about mother-and-daughter relationships. Fans of mythical yarns and medieval fantasies will enjoy this easy-to-read fable.—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
