I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book as an ARC from the author. I've seen it on a lot of "Most Anticipated of 2018" lists for middle grade and friends, I think it is worth the hype. Drest lives with her family in a remote part of Scotland. Her mother is not in the picture, so she lives with her father and brothers and is trained in the same ways they are. One night, her family is captured by the local knights of Faintree Castle. One knight is left behind, and Drest takes him as a hostage on her trip to rescue her family. She thinks her family is beloved protectors of the land, but her travels teach her that not everyone may see her family that way. Can she still rescue them before they hang?
I'll admit this is as bit of a male heavy book. We don't know what happened to Drest's mother, and her two most constant companions are male, in addition to her family and the knights. At least Drest doesn't seem to harbor feelings that feminine traits are useless. There are a few women who come into the story and Drest reacts well to them.
I think my favorite part of the story is the way Drest's father and brothers talk to her in her head while she is on her mission to rescue them. They provide a sense of humor, and you also get a sense of each other's personality, since you only meet them briefly in the beginning. It will remind you of the way you hear the voices of your own family in your head.
This is an excellent middle grade addition to any library collection.
