Reviewed by Jeanne
Growing up in Caball Hollow, West Virginia, Rowan James is
used to being shunned. She comes from a long line of James women, all of whom
have supernatural gifts of some sort.
Rowan’s gift is that she knows when someone is lying. She can smell the
lies, whether a small white lie or a falsehood so dark that it reeks of rot and
sulfur. It’s hard to always know that
people around you are lying, and it’s made Rowan grow up to be angry and
suspicious. Her temper flares once too often, so her grandmother insists that she
needs to go work at the forest fire tower to learn some patience.
It isn’t long before Rowan finds herself involved in more than
one mystery. A young man is found
unconscious in the woods, with no clue as to his identity or what he was doing
there. A paranormal group is also
hanging around, looking for evidence of the Moth-Winged Man. Not only does
Rowan feel there’s something off about the group, but other things are happening
around her: non-native creatures like magpies are appearing even as other
things go missing—both physical items like necklaces but also people’ memories.
Then there are the ginseng poachers, seeking to steal a fortune in the valuable
roots from protected land.
Enter Hadrian Fitch, who had worked as a handyman for Rowan’s
family before leaving without even a goodbye.
Rowan had a fraught relationship with Hadrian because of her gift: she
knew he was lying, but not about what.
Now a battered Hadrian has come to Rowan for help. She can’t trust him, but he may hold the key
to solving the other mysteries—and saving her family.
I loved the first book in the series, Bittersweet in the
Hollow, which featured Linden James, the sister who can taste the emotions
of those around her. That book
introduced readers to the James family as well as some of the area legends—including
that of the Moth-Winged Man. I was definitely intrigued and was anxiously
awaiting the second book.
I will admit that Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue seemed
to get off to a bit of slow start, but it soon picked up steam; and once Rowan
reunited with her family the story flowed better for me. While the plot in the
book is self-contained, I would strongly recommend that readers start with the
first book to understand some of the characters and relationships. Pearsall does an excellent job of blending
myth, magic, and folklore into a realistic Appalachian setting, and the James
women are all interesting characters. While the books focus on the sisters, all
of whom are young adults, I’m equally intrigued with their mother and
grandmother. I also like the way Pearsall writes, which is descriptive and
emotional in a good way.
I’m looking forward to future books. While nothing has been announced as yet—and I
do check fantasticfiction.com on a regular basis—fans suspect that the next
book will feature either Juniper or Sorrel.
I will just be happy to be back in the company of this fascinating
family. (Note: while some classify this
as a YA book, my feeling is that a good book is a good book, no matter the age
of the intended audience.)
