Erin Bow

Plain Kate's odd appearance and expertise as a woodcarver cause some to think her a witch, but friendship with a talking cat and, later, with humans help her to survive and even thrive in a world of magic, charms, and fear.

Plain Kate

Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver's daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden charms are so fine that some even call her "witch-blade" -- a dangerous nickname in a town where witches are hunted and burned in the square.

Janice Hopper

Plain Kate is the daughter of a woodcarver and a talented woodcarver in her own right. When her father dies, she's left to eke out a living selling charms and minor woodwork to the people of the village. People who make charms are sometimes looked at askance as witches or as having special powers - maybe DANGEROUS powers. But Kate's only power is excellence in woodcarving. But in a world where witches are burned, even SUSPICION of witchcraft is a dangerous thing.

People who are afraid of witchcraft can have their fears inflamed by bad actors. This is what happens to Kate. She essentially gets blackmailed by Linay, a REAL witch, into giving up her shadow to help Linay's sister, who was killed as a witch. After that, there are Complications.

This is a moderately dark story, enlivened by a talking cat named Taggle. But neither of them have an easy time. Kate and Taggle suffer many losses. Happiness is never assured. 

I've run across a number of stories inspired by Russian tales in the past few years. This is another. One big difference here: no stoves big enough for people to sleep on. :D But there's a rusalka, and Kate is actually Katerina Svetlana. And to people who love her, she's Katerina, star of my heart.

There's love and loss here. Nothing is quite perfect, much is bittersweet. Like life. 

A sad, sweet, good book.

Kirsten Simkiss

This book was more like 3.5 stars for me, but I opted to round up.

I didn't really know what to expect going into it and it was definitely a great shift from what I had been reading more recently. While clearly rooted in Russian folklore, it's definitely a lot darker than I expected it to be. If you're looking for a lighthearted read, this is absolutely not the book for you.

I think my biggest complaint about the book was that I found it difficult to love the main character, Kate. I didn't hate her or anything, but it was hard for me to connect with someone who spends ninety percent of the book afraid of things and the other ten percent angry. While I could relate to her on an artistic level, I wish she had had a few more happy moments so we could see her in the best of times as well as the worst. I often wished she had more depth than paranoid fear.

Taggle was definitely a solid personification of a cat. I was honestly going to rage quit the book if he had really died at the end and, even though he did live, I found myself wishing that Drina's mother had lived instead. It would have made for a far better ending for Drina and for Kate, as I'm sure Lenore would have taken her in like a second daughter. Still, it was nice not loosing Taggle completely. And I certainly accept the concept of the dead needing to stay dead.

Linay gave me the creeps - which is good because he is absolutely meant to. I think he was an excellent villain for the story. He was never quite evil or quite good. He was always wobbling back and forth between the two things. 

I would recommend this to others, but be advised that the character lives in a world where people are burned alive for being suspected of witchcraft and there is also brutal violence surrounding such events. It's a fun and easy read, depending on your reading level, and I think I would suggest this to people over the age of 12 in general. I could say perhaps younger if such themes wouldn't bother you.

Mary Horton

MY EMOTIONS ARE IN CHAOS RIGHT NOW. I loved this book, but I also hated it. MAYBE ONCE I STOP CRYING I'LL GIVE IT A PROPER REVIEW. D: *grabs ten handfuls of tissues*

Plain Kate

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