A Skinful of Shadows: Frances Hardinge

Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2017.
`A Skinful of Shadows confirms Hardinge`s status as one of our finest storytellers. It`s rare to find a book which is every bit as intelligent and stylish as it is riveting - I was enthralled` - Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent.
Frances Hardinge weaves a dark, otherworldly tale in A Skinful of Shadows, her first book since the Costa Award-winning The Lie Tree.
When a creature dies, its spirit can go looking for somewhere to hide.
Some people have space inside them, perfect for hiding.
Makepeace, a courageous girl with a mysterious past, defends herself nightly from the ghosts which try to possess her. Then a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard for a moment.
And now there`s a ghost inside her.
The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, but it may be her only defence in a time of dark suspicion and fear. As the English Civil War erupts, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession - or death.
Everyone should read Frances Hardinge. Everyone. Right now.
Patrick Ness
`A Skinful of Shadows confirms Hardinge`s status as one of our finest storytellers. The striking originality of its magical element is matched by a thrilling depiction of a 17th century England riven with political and religious unease. At the centre of the novel, young Makepeace is a vital and engaging presence amid a cast of extraordinary and villainous characters, and she had my heart from the first. It`s rare to find a book which is every bit as intelligent and stylish as it is riveting - I was enthralled`
Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent
Hardinge is a talent who deserves to be read by children and adults alike.
Guardian