So it’s been like three weeks, but I’m back again participating in First Line Fridays!
First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words, but I saw it over at One Book More.
What if instead of judging a book by the cover, author or most everything else, we judged it by its content? Its first lines?
If you want to join in, all you gotta do is:
đ Take a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open it to the first page
đ Copy the first few lines, but donât give anything else about the book away just yet â you need to hook the reader first
đ Finally⊠reveal the book!
Here’s the first line:
Dawn crested cool and gray the day the witch from the mountains knocked on Nora Jo’s door.
Any guesses yet? If not, here’s another hint or two (or three)…
Still don’t know? Here’s some pretty pictures of books to admire while you consider it a little bit more…
Annnd the book is⊠đ„đ„ A Spell for Change by Nicole Jarvis!!
(Did you guess it?)
A Spell for Change by Nicole Jarvis
LENGTH: 480 pages
GENRES: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction
PUBLISHER: Titan Books
RELEASE DATE: 6 May 2025
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
In this sumptuous, atmospheric historical fantasy set in post-World War One Appalachia, three outcasts with misunderstood magical gifts search for their place in the world while battling the dark forces circling their community.
Perfect for fans of Katherine Arden and Susanna Clarke.
Kate has always been troubled by visions of the future. No matter what she does, her disturbing premonitions are always realizedâoften with terrible consequences. But Kate has a secret: swirling, romantic dreams of a strange boy, and a chance meeting in the woods.
Oliver returned from the Great War disabled, disillusioned, and able to see the dead. Haunted by the death of his best friend and his traumatic memories of the trenches, Oliver realizes that his ability to communicate with spirits may offer the chance of closure he desperately seeks.
Nora Joâs mother and grandmother were witches, but she has never nurtured her own power. Always an outsider, she has made a place for herself in the town as Chatugaâs schoolteacher, clinging to the independence the job affords her. But when her unorthodox ideas lead to her dismissal, salvation comes in the form of a witch from the mountains who offers her a magical apprenticeship.
Rumours of a dark force stalking the town only push Kate, Oliver, and Nora Jo onwards in their quest to determine their own destinies. But there are powers in the world stronger and stranger than their own, and not all magic is used for goodâŠ
What books have you been reading lately? Whatâs on your TBR that youâre currently the most excited about?
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!
See ya ~Mar