Paws and Portals

About the Book

The trees were screaming. A cry of pain that echoed down the valley.

The city of Kirkhyrst has harnessed magic for everyone. The Grid works tirelessly to bring this modern marvel to all humans within its boundaries, to light the streets, power industry, and fuel communications. Daisy works as a support analyst for the Grid, a respectable job that means she doesn't have to talk to too many people. But lately she's been seeing an increase in magical anomalies passing by her desk.

The Ratatoskr shun technology, what nature provides is enough, and they are wary of human interference. When a young Tree Keeper discovers her forest ablaze with magic, the suspicion instantly falls on the Grid, and Daisy and her new intern are called out to the wilds of Ruhann to investigate.

The fire is only the start of their magic problems, and Daisy must face up to some hard truths as she gets to the bottom of what's really going on. Will nature prevail? Or are humans destined to ruin everything they touch?

Reviews

“The characters are everything, Lailu is perfect, Daisy is so relatable and there’s a host of supporting characters to love including shifters, vampires and a whole host of magical creatures. The writing is great, the book flows effortlessly and kept me reading even when I really needed to go to bed.”  @books_catsandtea

“The book can be read as a metaphor for how we are reliant on technology that we don’t understand, how we are ruining the environment, and how we have more in common with people who aren’t quite like us than we have differences but at its heart it is just a cracking magical adventure story.” Norfolk Bookworm

“Everything about this clicked with me. The characters, the plot, the worldbuilding. A fine example of how cozy doesn’t mean you can’t have a story with serious consequences. There’s magic in these pages, handled delicately.” @dukeofbacon

“A perfect fantasy which manages a cosy feel and weaves magic with several important real world topics – including poverty/privilege and environmental issues.” @ginnys_cosyreads

"A thoroughly engaging tale with a brilliant ensemble cast of characters and a timely story about the dangers we humans do to the environment in the name of progress." Goodreads review

"These little ecowarriors were fun to read for me. They were a diverse group of characters set in a realm of modern magical realism. It felt like a passionate love letter to the modern activist fighting for what they believe in." Goodreads review