{"product_id":"9781460710791_the-last-balfour","title":"The Last Balfour","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'An utterly riveting tale of magic, danger and witch-hunts ... grips you by the throat and won't let go.' - Kate Forsyth\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMagic and fire are kindred things ...\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIona Balfour's life is turned upside down when her beloved aunt Grizel is executed for the crime of witchcraft. Before she dies, Grizel appoints Iona as guardian of a precious family bloodstone and tells her she must flee their village and deliver the stone to the mysterious Guild of the Green Lion.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccompanied by a new friend, Cal, Iona soon realises that she's awakened the powers of the bloodstone. But it promises to be a perilous journey. The wolf month is no time to be on the road. And there's a witch hunter on Iona's trail, who has a strange obsession with the stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen a devastating betrayal throws her into the hands of her enemies, Iona soon finds herself in the fight of her life. Will she suffer the same fate as her aunt, or will she escape the witch hunter and fulfil her destiny?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiscover an exciting new voice in Australian fiction!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMORE PRAISE FOR THE LAST BALFOUR:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e'This is just the kind of historical fantasy I most enjoy - deeply rooted in the real, with a strong sense of place, and \u003cstrong\u003ea flawed and realistic heroine to cheer for\u003c\/strong\u003e ... Cait Duggan's prose is \u003cstrong\u003eas swift and smooth and dangerous as a Highland river\u003c\/strong\u003e.'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e- Kate Forsyth\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'... a \u003cstrong\u003emesmerising\u003c\/strong\u003e tale, filled with living, breathing characters and \u003cstrong\u003ebreathtaking suspense\u003c\/strong\u003e. Iona's voice is \u003cstrong\u003edelightful and authentic\u003c\/strong\u003e.'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e- Jaclyn Moriarty\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'... an \u003cstrong\u003eextremely well-paced, classic tale\u003c\/strong\u003e of a journey and a quest ... concludes with a twist, and is \u003cstrong\u003every satisfying\u003c\/strong\u003e.'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e- Reading Time\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis story surges at a \u003cstrong\u003ebreathless pace\u003c\/strong\u003e and is \u003cstrong\u003eunrelenting in its emotional grasp \u003c\/strong\u003e... This is a \u003cstrong\u003eremarkable debut novel\u003c\/strong\u003e with a \u003cstrong\u003esurprising ending that had me completely enthralled\u003c\/strong\u003e ... Highly recommend for readers 14+ who enjoy a taut, nail-biting adventure; lovers of historical fiction are definitely in for a treat.'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e- Readings blog\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'With \u003cstrong\u003erich imagery\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ea cast of interesting characters\u003c\/strong\u003e, this novel is \u003cstrong\u003ea welcome escape from reality\u003c\/strong\u003e ... Highly recommended to young people twelve and up ...'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e- ReadPlus\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'There is \u003cstrong\u003ea palpable sense of time and place\u003c\/strong\u003e in this \u003cstrong\u003eimpressive debut novel\u003c\/strong\u003e ... the plot is \u003cstrong\u003ecompellingly unpredictable\u003c\/strong\u003e all the way ... to its \u003cstrong\u003esurprising climax and denouement\u003c\/strong\u003e ... A delight of the novel is the reader's immersion in its era.'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e- Magpies magazine\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cait Duggan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46908582723733,"sku":"9781460710791","price":7.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9781460710791_2e7a1c8b-1d53-4494-ac1c-5f591103253a.jpg?v=1776890023","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9781460710791_the-last-balfour","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}