Item: Twin Stars
Author: Gina

Twin Stars (The Gannet Quartet #1) by Charlotte Clutterbuck | $10 Gift Card #MiddleGrade #HistoricalFiction @TellwellTalent @GoddessFish @wordfinch @charlotte.clutterbuck.90

A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.

Book Details

Twin Stars (The Gannet Quartet #1) by Charlotte Clutterbuck | $10 Gift Card #MiddleGrade #HistoricalFiction @TellwellTalent @GoddessFish @wordfinch @charlotte.clutterbuck.90

Twin Stars by Charlotte Clutterbuck
Published by Tellwell Talent on July 25, 2023
Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle-Grade
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 270

Bhòid grasped Sulaire's hand. 'Stay behind me. Whatever happens.' She shook her head, her face a wild mask of red and shadows in the firelight, and stayed where she was. The wolves slipped out of the woods, moving over the snow in a loose pack of shadows...

Thousands of years ago in Stone-age Scotland...

...twin brother and sister, thrall born, but with dreams beyond the Custom of the Beaver Clan. Bhòid can only become a Hunter if he shows outstanding courage in the Wolf Guard. Lamed by a fever, Sulaire fears she is no longer fit to be Healer. When Bhòid injures the Headman's son whilst protecting his sister, he must flee to an uninhabited island. Can he survive, alone and defenceless? Can Sulaire heal the Headman's son from his injuries and his inner darkness? Will the twins ever see each other again?

Twin Stars is set on the island now known as Eilean Bhòid--the Isle of Bute--in Scotland.

Book 1 of The Gannet Quartet series.

Source: Goddess Fish Promotions

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Excerpt from Twin Stars

Once, at the dawn of time, there were Twins, the boy Speir, and the girl Seren, children of the earth and the forest. Seren knew every blade of grass by the stream, and every flower on the heath, and every leaf in the forest. And Speir was the best hunter in the world, except for Ullr, the God of the Hunt.

One day when the Great Bear, Merak, was playing with Little Bear, Ullr the hunter came running with his spear and chased Little Bear far, far to the north. Merak called to the twins for help, and with Seren following the bent leaves, bruised flowers, and broken twigs of the trail, the Twins and Merak tracked Ullr for many days.

At last they saw Ullr ahead of them, but Ullr was drawing even closer to Little Bear. Then Speir flung his spear at Ullr with all his might, but Ullr was too quick for him and caught the spear and flung it aside. Just as Ullr raised his own spear to kill Little Bear, Speir dashed in front and Ullr drove the spear through him and Speir fell, dead.

Then Seren cried so many tears that she made a great river, and Merak feared that she would drown the whole world. So he took the Twins up and made them both into stars, standing beside the Sky River, and there they remain together, to this very day, the red star and the blue. And Merak was so angry with Ullr that he flung him to the far side of the Sky River where he cannot trouble the Twins.

Her voice quavered as she spoke the last lines.

‘Why are you sad, Sulaire?’ Bhòid asked.

‘I’m just cold.’ She shifted closer and laid her head against his shoulder.

‘To this very day,’ he murmured to himself. He could feel the warmth of her against him, the rhythm of her heart against his back as he drifted into sleep.

Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.

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Purchase Links for Twin Stars

Twin Stars (The Gannet Quartet Book 1)

Amazon Kindle Edition
Clutterbuck, Charlotte (Author)
English (Publication Language)
174 Pages - 07/25/2023 (Publication Date) - MoshPit Publishing (Publisher)

If the above link does not take you to your country’s Amazon page, please let me know, and I’ll gladly get a link for you.

Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a minimal amount out of their share. Every penny helps to support this blog.

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My Thoughts on Twin Stars

Twin Stars is listed as Middle-Grade Historical Fiction, but it will appeal to all ages from MG on up. It is a cleanly told tale that relies on the story to carry it without added “distractions” that might be inappropriate for some ages.

The emphasis on the connection between twins is fascinating. You can tell the author has researched Stone Age Scotland quite well. The reader feels like they are living through the hardships, intrigues, and conflicts along with the characters.

This is a fast book to read as the story grips you from the opening pages. There is a touch of “paranormal,” if you want to call it that, as a character has the second sight. This is ancient Scotland, so of course, it includes second sight, healers, mysterious ways, etc., making any book set in Scotland stand out.

I recommend the first book of the Gannet Quartet to all lovers of historical fiction, Scotland, and well-told tales.

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!

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About Charlotte Clutterbuck

In Charlotte Clutterbuck's words:

Since I was a very young child, I have loved words and figuring out how to put them together—’Grammar is the ground of all’, as one of my favourite authors, William Langland, puts it.

In my adult life, I’ve published a wide range of stories, poems, essays, film-scripts, journal articles and literary criticism. I’m now working on The Gannet Quartet, a series of novels set in stone-age Scotland.

Living on an estuary on the Central Coast of New South Wales with my wife, I spend a lot of time birdwatching, tending my vegetable garden, gazing at stars through my telescope, or taking our grandchildren kayaking.

I’ve edited books and PhD theses; taught Creative, Academic and Business Writing; and spent years studying and teaching English Literature. Career highlights include: working at Warawara, The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit at Macquarie University; teaching high school English at Abbotsleigh; advising PhD Students in the Business School at UNSW@ADFA; and lecturing on literature and ethics in the Clemente program at the Australian Catholic University.

I’ve also had a lot of fun leading many workshops in grammar and creative writing.