She's the One Who Won't Behave
Adult title
by
S.R. Cronin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Historical Fantasy
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BLURB:
Gypsum,
the sixth of seven sisters, has always been a rebel. Yet no one thought she
would go so far as to join the reczavy, a group living in tents on the edge of
the desert and known for their sexual promiscuity and playful ways.
But
as the date of the Mongols’ return draws near, Ilarians of all types must work
together if they are to have any hope of surviving. And the reczavy, for all of
their odd ways, do have plenty of tricks up their sleeves. Well, up their
sleeves whenever they are bothering to wear clothes, that is.
Gypsum
is touched when her oldest sister Ryalgar comes to call, and brings an olive
branch with her. Ryalgar recognizes that the reczavy have as much to lose as
anyone, and as much to contribute. Will Gypsum accept a key role in the plan to
stop the invasion? Of course she will.
Unfortunately,
her playmates don’t all feel the same sense of urgency. Many would rather
simply enjoy the time they have left. A few claim to be allergic to long term
planning. And some are too busy with their own poorly-timed plans to overthrow
the government Ilari already has.
Good
thing needlepoint is the one traditional skill at which Gypsum has always
excelled. She will need to thread a fine needle in order to coax this
recalcitrant group into becoming life-saving warriors of a very different kind.
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EXCERPT
Curled up naked
beside him on his lumpy bed, I learned of the ill-advised pranks that forced
him to change schools. Stupid things. I thought his school over-reacted until I
learned his closest friend received no punishment at all.
“They decided I
had to be the bad influence. Best to get rid of me, you know? Probably
shouldn’t have let me in to begin with…”
“Because your
name is Sheep Scump?” Despite my joke, I sat up, indignant for him.
He sat up as
well, and wrapped a blanket around both of our shoulders.
“No. Because my
friend has a father who teaches there. They look out for their own.”
Maybe this
wasn’t the time to tell him my father taught also.
“Your parents
weren’t inclined to intervene on your behalf?” I saw the displeasure on his
face before I finished the sentence. “Wait. I remember. They don’t care that
you’re in school.”
“Oh, they care;
they just don’t care which one. Anything that keeps me from herding goats
pisses them off.”
I only knew one
place in Ilari where goat herding was common. I scooted away from him without
thinking.
“You’re an
Edser?”
“Yes.” He met
my gaze with a look saying you want make something of it?
I didn’t.
Edsers were known for being cranky, intolerant, and ignorant. So far Sheep
Scump had only shown signs of crankiness. I didn’t want to encourage it.
“So. You’re an
unusual Edser who wants an education.”
“I thought I
did. And what are you? The cherished daughter of a …”
I interrupted
him. “Don’t go there. I’m not a cherished anything. I’m the sixth daughter of
wheat farmers, and I’m the child both parents wish had never been born.”
My eyes met
his. Top that they said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Today she lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina where
she writes, answers a hotline, and occasionally checks her phone for a message
from Captain Picard. She still hopes to get the chance to pursue her remaining
dream in life and become Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise.
Author Social Media Links:
The tour dates can be found here
4.25 out of 5 stars
“She’s the One Who Won’t Behave” by S.R. Cronin is Book 6 of
‘The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters’ series and features Gypsum,
the sixth of the seven sisters. Her ongoing discomfort with her place in the
family and lack of connection to her mother, plus the relationship she forms with
a fellow student she affectionately calls Sheep Scump, leads her on an
adventure she never would have dreamed of. Her habit of imbuing her needlework with
a sentiment morphs into an amazing journey of self-realization and bolsters her
self-appointed task of finding a way to help oppose the invasion of the
Mongols. Like her sisters, Gypsum has hidden depths, and her refusal to be forced
into the expectations of others will make her into a force to be reckoned with.
This intricately plotted fantasy portrays a massive,
world-changing invasion as seen and reacted to by seven very different sisters.
The excellent world building allows the reader to clearly picture the various
factions that must learn to cooperate in order to defeat their common enemy.
Gypsum’s frustration, both with her family and with those who are vital to resist
the usurpation of their part of the world, comes through clearly and vividly.
I enjoyed watching Gypsum as she navigates life and grows
into her role and into self-acceptance. The unfolding of her relationships as
she learns to search for the truth rather than just accepting what she is being
told is inspirational and compelling, and I was fascinated by the way I changed
my opinion about some of the characters as I learned more about their motives
and backgrounds.
The stories in this series explore the various aspects of
love…romantic, patriotic, and familial. Gypsum’s journey requires that she
learn certain truths, but also that she finds a way to gently bend and coax
rather than demand. Although this is part of a series, I think one could read
it without having read any of the other stories because there are recaps of major
events, but it is even better savored when one learns more details about the
adventures the other sisters are having. Even though I haven’t read all of the
stories prior to this one, I had no trouble becoming immersed in the struggles
and adventures portrayed in this tale.
I like the mixture of pragmatism and the mystical as well as
the life lessons that are portrayed, and I look forward to learning more about
the last sister.
A copy of this story was provided for review
