Flame and Crystal Thorns by Kay L. Moody
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Chloe is a young woman and she is mortal, however, she has not always lived in the mortal realm, she has also lived in the world of Faerie, her sister now lives there too, but after what happened when she was last there, Chloe refuses to return to Faerie and the life she had there. Chloe has found her place in a small village instead where she lives with her brother and his children and is the town apothecary after the last one died suddenly and without an apprentice, so she took her knowledge of herbs and medicine and created a place for herself healing those around her. One day, she is talking to a local woman whose husband has become ill, but when it is apparent that the illness isn’t something she has treated before, she falls to research and finds what she needs, however, one ingredient is something she does not want to use thanks to the memories it invokes whenever she thinks about it, however, when someone from her past abruptly turns up on her doorstep, a village illness is the last thing she needs to worry about, she is being summoned back to Faerie.

As the situation in her former home is explained to her, she cannot even start to think that this is true, or at the least that the claims are being exaggerated, especially because her sister is one of the strongest people she knows and wouldn’t let anything stop her and her beloved from keeping their people safe, so she refuses to go back and instead tries to focus on healing those in the village around her, even if she has to search high and low for a replacement of the key ingredient she needs. As the day passes and her visitor keeps badgering her about returning to Faerie, she tells them point blank that until her responsibilities in the village are completed, she cannot even think about returning there, however, she may think about it if they can get her more of the vital ingredient, so they give in to her demand and go, however, when they don’t return, Chloe begins to think the worst, but lack of sleep and running out of the herbs she needs still takes precedence.

It is only when her visitor returns and claims that her sister has been captured and that both her and her beloved are in danger and that they need her now more than ever, as does the rest of Faerie, so Chloe eventually agrees to go once she has treated everyone in the village and created enough spare poultices so that others can be treated while she is gone. However, when they arrive, things are worse than they thought and the mortals doing the attacking are fuelled by revenge and the weapons they have are stronger than Chloe imagined and it begins to look like her trip to Faerie will not be the short one she was expecting, or lacking in magic as new abilities appear while on the road. Will Chloe and the handsome, yet unwelcome companion she is travelling be able to save the Crystal Throne, or will she be too late? This is a fantasy adventure which is full of magic as mortals face off with the Fae in this race against time to save those they love with a smattering of romance for good measure which all add up to a book which will keep you hooked in and on the edge of your seat throughout.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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