To Kill A Kettle Witch by Barb Hendee
Synopsis:
Powerful prince Malcolm is facing ruin in the wake of a curse that has destroyed his harvest. He blames the band nomadic Móndyalítko who summer in the meadow below his castle—and he is determined to root out the people who caused the blight by any means necessary.
When Céline and Amelie Fawe, descended from the Móndyalítko, learn that their mother’s people are under suspicion of sabotage and treason, they set out to use their magical gifts to save their estranged relatives and learn about their own origins.
Now it’s up to the sisters—along with their motley escort, including a prince’s lieutenant, a shape-shifter, and an old woman with a murky past—to discover the source of the curse to restore life to the ravaged land and protect the innocent from unfair vengeance.
Review:
Céline and Amelie utilize their gifts once again to uncover a saboteur in a far away kingdom. The Móndyalítko are also the people their mother came from, so they have a special incentive to help out their kin.
To Kill A Kettle Witch is the fourth installment in the Mist-Torn Witches series. Though, these are mostly stand-alone stories that can be read independently, save for some romantic entanglements. Hendee is a master story-teller and creates incredible characters. Mysterious pasts, an imposing shifter, and secrets within the royal family – there is plenty of intrigue and suspense in this captivating story. My favorite scenes are the flashes of backstories from a couple of the characters. They are incredibly vivid and emotional. I will read anything by this author, but this is a definite standout fantasy series.