Named one of the Best Fiction Books of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews, The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe is an enchanting tale of music and magic older than the hills. . . .No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Enigmatic and suspicious of outsiders, the Tufa live quiet lives in the hills and valleys of Cloud County. While their origins … County. While their origins may be a mystery, there are hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations.
Bronwyn Hyatt, a pure-blood Tufa, has always insisting on doing things her own way, regardless of the consequences. Even though Tufa rarely leave Cloud County, she enlisted in the Army to escape the pressures of Tufa life her family, her obligations as a First Daughter, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. But after barely surviving a devastating ambush that killed most of her fellow soldiers, Private Hyatt returns to Cloud County wounded in body and in spirit. But danger lurks in the mountains and hollows of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless “haint” lurks nearby, waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets. Worst of all, Bronwyn has lost touch with the music that was once a vital part of her identity.
Now Bronwyn finds the greatest battle to be right here at home, where her obligations struggle with her need for freedom, and if she makes the wrong choice, the consequences could be deadly for all the Tufa. . . .
“A sheer delight.” Kirkus Reviews, starred review
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This book is pure enchantment. It’s one of those rare books that pulled me into its reality and made me want to never leave. The Tufa are a small, proud, group of people who live in an isolated community hidden high in the mountains of Cloud County, Tennessee. No one remembers where or when they came, but there are hints of a history as old …
If you love my Once & Future Series and are looking for something to read while I’m working on the next book, you MUST check out Alex Bledsoe’s Tufa Books. These are gritty contemporary fantasy at its best. It’s a little like if Larachd an Fhamhair were in Tennessee. And Bledsoe’s writing is so evocative that you will want to jump in your car and …
Instead of an urban fantasy, the world of THE HUM AND THE SHIVER is an Appalachian fantasy that shows respect for modern Appalachians and the diverse types of people they have become, though some of them are no really people. Great sense of atmosphere and region as well as a deep understanding of folklore and folk music.
Bronwyn Hyatt can say her life so far is in two parts. Before the military and after. Before she was hell on wheels. After she came home shot and injured. While healing, she needs to come to terms with her life and what she wants out of it. Family, music and traditions. Her music has left her and she needs to get it back. Only by dealing with her …
This book really touched my heart. Ever so often, a book will touch the soul. This one was like that. It was a rare treasure to find. I’m not sure if it’s because of being set in the Appalachian mountains and I live there or it’s mysterious qualities and folklore. Whatever it was, I could feel it in my bones. The natural beauty of the mountains …