The Garden Witch — Lloyd A. Meeker

Staying true to nature magic might require more trust than Delen has to give.Delen feels lucky to have found a good position as garden witch for the great house of Albessind. Fortunately, no one seems to have noticed that she doesn't have a Book of Seasons like every true nature witch. All she has to do is keep her head down and keep her distance from Yurud, the handsome young rote magician managing the estate.The dangers of falling in love with Yurud are definitely not part of her plan. Saving her dying aunt, her only remaining family, is her plan. Even if she has to deceive Yurud and make a deal with the most loathsome magician in Riardan to do it.She never intended that her betrayal would trigger an environmental crisis spanning both worlds and unleash political chaos in Riardan.To do her part to make things right, and with uncountable lives at stake, Delen faces painful choices as she confronts her mother's killer, defies centuries-old tradition, and becomes the public face of challenge to an aristocracy accustomed to hunting nature witches for sport.To succeed, she must risk her heart as well as her life. === This story has everything I needed: solid world-building, complex characters, and exciting action. What especially drew me in, though, was the writing, which was evocative without being overblown, and the subtle messages of acceptance, responsibility, and balance. I felt part of Delen's complicated life, and I hope to rejoin her for further adventures. --Kim Fielding, award-winning author of Brute, Rattlesnake, and Farview