The Book of Thorns - Hester Fox

Combining history, the occult, human greed, and a touch of feminism, this is a fine addition to the gothic genre. --ALA's Booklist on The Last Heir to Blackwood Library n nIn the midst of the Napoleonic Wars and the rise of the floriography craze in Europe, two sisters separated at birth are bound together by a secret language of flowers passed down to them by the mother they never knew. When Cornelia leaves her cruel uncle's home to join Napoleon's army as a traveling naturalist, her ability to heal any wound and bring soldiers back from the brink of death earns her praise--and exposes her to those who would exploit her powers for themselves.

n nMeanwhile, Lijsbeth lives in indentured servitude, her only respite her time spent flower arranging. When she meets a young English soldier and falls in love, Lisjbeth must decide whether to flee the clashing of two great armies at Waterloo or risk everything by staying. As the English and French armies collide in Waterloo, the sisters finally cross paths on opposite sides of the war.

n nWith the sisters reunited on the battlefield, they must work together to solve the mystery of their mother's death, while surviving the war raging around them. n nCombining history, the occult, human greed, and a touch of feminism, this is a fine addition to the gothic genre. --ALA's Booklist on The Last Heir to Blackwood Library n nPenniless and stranded in France after a bid to escape her cruel uncle goes awry, Cornelia Shaw is far from the Parisian life of leisure she imagined.

Desperate and lacking options, she allows herself to be recruited to Napoleon's Grande Armée. As a naturalist, her near-magical ability to heal any wound with herbal mixtures invites awe amongst the soldiers...and suspicion. For behind Cornelia's vast knowledge of the natural world is a secret she keeps hidden--the flowers speak to her through a mysterious connection she has felt since childhood.

One that her mother taught her to heed, before she disappeared. n nThen, as Napoleon's army descends on Waterloo, the flowers sing to her of a startling revelation: a girl who bears a striking resemblance to Cornelia. A girl she almost remembers--her sister, lost long ago, who seems to share the same gifts.

Determined to reunite with Lijsbeth despite being on opposite sides of the war, Cornelia is drawn into a whirlwind of betrayal, secrets, and lies. Brought together by fate and magic at the peak of the war, the sisters try to uncove