Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 11/18/2024 Clare, the undead fox of Deadwood Forest, is cast as a monster by the local children who gather each Halloween around the forest’s edge to chant about how he "waits to feast/ On little bones." But Clare isn’t a monster: he’s an Usher, one who helps wandering souls find their way to their respective afterlife, be it Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. Having died as a kit, Clare has no memories of his mortal life; all he knows is that if he dies again, his soul will go to Pain. When he learns of a prophecy about his impending disappearance, and Gingersnipes, a badger soul who doesn’t seem to belong to any afterlife, arrives on his doorstep, Clare realizes he’s being replaced as Usher, forcing him to confront his loneliness and fear of death, and making him reckless in his grief. In folktale cadences, Hartman (The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor) speaks directly to the reader, deftly weaving a riveting and morally complex tale populated by flawed, fully realized characters navigating realistic emotions. Prospective life-after-death scenarios are presented in an age-appropriate manner without judgment, encouraging self-reflection and bravery in the face of the unknown. Whimsical chapter illustrations spotlight important aspects of this atmospheric and deeply emotional story about loss and the things one discovers upon learning to be vulnerable. Ages 8-up. Agent: Molly O’Neill, Root Literary. (Feb.) - Copyright 2024

School Library Journal - 01/31/2025 Gr 5–7—A fantastic tale of loss, discovery, afterlife, and mushrooms. Deadwood Forest is not alive but it's also not dead, as is the case with its resident Afterlife Usher. Clare is a fox who was spared death so he could become a guide to lost souls trying to pass on to the afterlife. Leading a solitary but meaningful life, Clare has learned to guide wandering spirits and to read the signs of what the eternal life is trying to communicate. Meanwhile, he is the keeper of the forest, a mushroom farmer, and an acquaintance to two trashrats. He does his job well and efficiently, so it's only when Gingersnips the badger shows up without a clear or easy way to pass on that Clare starts sensing trouble. To make matters worse, the contrasting Fernlight Forest's usher called Hesterfowl has delivered a premonition about Deadwood Forest, and Clare and Gingersnips will have to put their species' antagonistic natures to rest to solve the mystery. Told in beautiful prose and with rich imagery, this is a deep story about death, loss, and grief, but also about compassion, finding meaning, and discovering what one really is made of in the face of the strongest adversity. Clare's painful un-death, the mystery of his missing mother, and Gingersnips's own tragic family story will grip every reader's heart. VERDICT An excellent choice for libraries where fantasy is in high demand. Give this book to nature and animal lovers alike.—Carol Youssif - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.