"Clarke's imagination is prodigious, her pacing is masterly and she knows how to employ dry humor in the service of majesty." -- The New York Times "Nobody writes about magic the way Clarke does . She writes about magic as if she's actually worked it." -- TIME Magazine "[Clarke is] one of the greatest novelists writing today." -- Vox "Highly atmospheric, this winter tale is set in a wood and navigates the line between a Grimms' fairy tale and a feminist manifesto . Clarke's many fans will not be disappointed." -- Library Journal "Hugo Award winner Clarke enchants with this bite-size Christmassy fairy tale . The juxtaposition of thoughtful and sometimes unsettling atmospherics with quirky enjoyment delights.

This is an ideal stocking stuffer." -- Publishers Weekly "A made-for-gifting book." -- Kirkus Reviews "As beloved fantasy writer Clarke's atmospheric and gently funny fable about the holiness of nature, so gracefully illustrated by Victoria Sawdon, unfurls, Merowdis experiences a transformative encounter." -- Booklist.