Black Flamed Candle Books 🕯️📚’s Reviews > The River Spirit > Status Update

“The river was warmer now - lit by the sun - and sparkling. It sang as it tumbled over chalk and gravel.
Everything became gold and green once
more.

Willow trees draped their branches over me, and dragonflies buzzed above. Elle was here, and the willowherb fairies, and the ghosts that glimmered like spider-silk in the reeds of the river path.”

“Elle moved like the river - fluid, rippling, dancing. And I always felt soothed when she was near - lulled and safe. Just like I felt when I was floating in the river's cool current.”

“I was free like an animal. So free that I didn’t even know what freedom was because I’ve never had it taken away from me.”

“I was the only one of us who knew their whole name. Waterman was a name that connected me to the ferries, to the work of my dad and his dad before him. My name was my anchor. It tied me to something deeper, and to the river—my true home.
So, I made myself remember it. And I made myself think of all those sunshiney memories even when the brightness of them made me blink with tears.”

“…he was enchanted by her silence and those unblinking gold eyes…glancing over at the strange girl. She was standing there, smiling all around her, like everything in the world was new and lovely and she didn't want to miss a bit of it…She was silent and strange and unlike anyone I'd ever met before.”

“That was when I saw her.
The river spirit.
She was a soft blur of gold-green in the water beside me…something like a girl. Her skin shone in the sunlight like a silvery rainbow, and her gold eyes were big, round and unblinking - like the eyes of a fish. Her long dress was gold and green - rags all stitched together in a patchwork of scales. (She) didn't say a word. She just smiled at me…

“I loved the river. I loved the way the river lifted you and rolled you and washed you clean.”

I love this imagery.

“Floating in the cool current. I could daydream about playing in the orchard on the far side the river. I could gaze at the thatched roof of our old cottage, peeking between the trees. I could pretend life was just as it used to be…”

“I was in the river, lying on my back, watching them all. I was watching the fairies too, and the dragonflies as they flitted between the spikes of pink willowherb...A kingfisher dotted over my head—a sudden flash of colour…I smiled.”

“I saw a soot monster crouching in the dark of a chimney. I saw fairies fluttering about in the wild flowers by the river. I saw the ghosts of dead ferryman drifting in the reeds like morning mist…I saw a gargoyle grin down and wink at me.”

Ahh I love the whimsical vibes; reminds me of a mixture between the Chronicles of Spiderwick and Five Children & It.

“A few weeks ago, I started seeing things. I mean odd things. Things that most people say aren’t really there.”

What an opening line. Immediately yes.