Susannah Appelbaum realized early in life that the world contains both good and evil, a dichotomy she felt compelled to explore through writing. Her work delves into these complex contrasts with a profound understanding of human nature. Through her unique literary perspective, Appelbaum illuminates the darker aspects of existence while also highlighting the resilience of the spirit. Her writing style is marked by sharp intelligence and an ability to draw readers into thoughtful narratives that resonate long after the final page.
Set in the iconic Carlyle hotel in New York City, this story intertwines elements of suspense and the supernatural, reminiscent of classic horror tales. The narrative follows a young woman who finds herself entangled in a web of mystery and dark secrets, echoing the unsettling themes of Rosemary's Baby. As she navigates her new surroundings, the line between reality and the eerie becomes increasingly blurred, leading to a chilling exploration of motherhood and the hidden dangers lurking within a seemingly glamorous setting.
Back in the Kingdom of Caux after her journey to its sisterland, Ivy wakes up in a dismal orphanage alongside her friend Rue. Accompanied by a strange woman named Lumpen—who looks suspiciously like a scarecrow—the girls make their way back to Templar to plan a massive battle against the Tasters Guild, where Vidal Verjouce is making ink out of the deadly Scourge Bracken weed. Rocamadour grows darker and more dangerous with every drop. With an army of scarecrows, a legion of birds, and her friends and uncle by her side, it's up to Ivy—the true "Shepherd of Weeds"—to wage war against the Guild, defeat her own father, and restore order to the plant world. Susannah Appelbaum's imagination soars in this stunning and utterly satisfying final volume of the Poisons of Caux trilogy. From the Hardcover edition.
The Poisons of Caux, Book IIA macabre and funny fantasy trilogyAfter the perilous adventure of The Hollow Bettle (Book I), the dark reign of the Nightshades is over at last, and a new day has arrived in Caux, a land long ruled by poison and deceit. The ancient Prophecy-the coming of a Noble Child to cure the one, true King-has finally begun.But fear still grips the people of Caux, for they live in the shadow of the powerful, poisonous Tasters' Guild. Sequestered high within its corrupt walls sits Vidal Verjouce, the Guild's diabolical Director, his dark magic more potent than ever. Eleven-year-old Ivy, famed healer and Noble Child, and her friend and taster Rowan must venture inside the Guild itself if they are to find the door to their sister world, Pimcaux-and fulfill the Prophecy. But a deadly weed-once thought extinct-threatens their scourge bracken, a plant dedicated to domination and destruction, also known, ominously, as Kingmaker. Who else has detected it? And will Ivy's remarkable gift-her dominion over plants and nature-be enough to thwart it?Susannah Appelbaum's imagination soars with poison inks, flower codes, catacombs, secret crypts, and sinister twists in this middle volume of the macabre and magical Poisons of Caux fantasy trilogy.
