"For a story which is hypnotically ethereal, hauntingly beautiful, rich in characters, devastatingly sapphic, and wrought with an underlying sadness, without a doubt, this is for you. It's written in a sense of timeliness in a relatable arc of how we are crafted by our pasts, in control of our presents, but all inspired by a hopeful future." - T.M. Ghent, author of Lume

"This book felt like a fresh take on familiar stories and tropes. There's a metaphysical and visionary thread woven throughout ... The prose is very lyrical, creating an immersive atmosphere, and the plot resisted prediction at multiple turns." - Capes, author of West of Jaws

Springtide ushers in a season of bloom and fertility in Hazelfeur, but it also heralds the season of the bear - Artio's season, one which she rules over with relentless vengeance.

I've heard old tales of the goddess, tales from when she was green to motherhood, young and tender and forgiving, but it is hard to imagine such a thing when my knowledge of her is shrouded in red. She wishes to make the people of Hazelfeur suffer, and her army of bears, material and spectral, make ever-nearer attacks on our village.

This coming spring, I fear death.

Springtide has sprung, and the bear goddess Artio has awakened. For Rhoswen, sole Bearslayer of Hazelfeur, this means a season of overwhelm as vicious bears wreak violence upon her village. With one death too many and an insufferable anxiety haunting her, she sets out to liberate her people from Artio's bearspawn for good, even though to end the goddess's reign would mean to leave her without purpose.

In her search for the vengeful Artio, Rhoswen stumbles upon an enchanting forest maiden with secrets in her eyes and mysteries in her veins, a beauty which suddenly and unexpectedly captivates the Bearslayer beyond reason. Then she discovers the maiden is bound to Artio's forest and longs desperately for freedom, and Rhoswen's resolution hardens with passion.

She will unfetter Hazelfeur, and she will free her enchantress.

For fans of Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy) and Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver, The Bear & the Rose is a tale told in lush prose which readers will find brimming with folklore, adventure, and a sweet sapphic romance.

The Bear & the Rose - pokkari, Englanti, 2023