In the wake of The Great War, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin's body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.

When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother's side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle's offer: If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month's time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.

It quickly becomes clear it's impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh...for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie-especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant-but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.

Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan is wonderfully strange, full of Faerie details, developing a story that combines romance, fantasy, love and revenge into a compelling tale. The novel tells a narrative that takes the historical aspects of World World One, all its terror and adds in the strangeness of Faerie.

What makes the novel so compelling is the growing friendship between Mouse and Thornwood, even when all evidence shows that one must not trust Faerie. But what is clear is that there is more than you can see on the surface even of this narrative and the truth revealing itself is not the end of the story but just the beginning in this story full of love and family. The challenges Mouse faces and the friendships she makes are what create such a charming novel and I found it impossible to put it down until I came to the wonderful resolution.

If you like unique stories of Faerie with wonderfully strange details, romance and fantasy combining into a creative novel, this is the story for you. I will say this if you like Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde series, you will find this equally charming and full of Faerie lore. I loved every aspect of it and would love to read more from the author.

Rating: 5 out of 5 paper dragons. ~~ Andrea Rittschof