The Raven's Daughter - A Blackwood Legacy

Valerie Chandler

Summary

In the eerie tranquility of Blackwood, New England, the Eldridge siblings, Elara, a historian bound by logic, and Finn, an artist haunted by fractured memories, uncover a tarnished locket containing the image of a vanished sister—Rose.  This discovery shatters their carefully constructed reality, revealing a chilling family secret and a legacy buried within the ominous Blackwood Sanatorium.Whispers of a violent incident, a scapegoated sister, and a family desperate to preserve their pristine reputation lead Elara and Finn on a quest to unearth the truth.  Letters hidden in the dusty attic paint a fractured portrait of their past, hinting at Rose’s unique connection to the natural world – a gift dismissed as madness by their rationalist father.  Their investigation peels back the veneer of their privileged upbringing, exposing a dark undercurrent of lies and simmering resentments within Blackwood's polite society.  Unexplained illnesses, strange accidents, and whispers of a family curse begin to take on a chilling new significance.Their search leads them to a mist-shrouded cottage on the outskirts of town, where Rose resides, not a monster, but a woman whose extraordinary gifts have been twisted by years of isolation.  She speaks of visions, whispers on the wind, and a family legacy intertwined with the dark heart of Blackwood.  Rose’s return awakens something dormant within the land, and their fragile reunion is shattered when their younger brother, Simon’s, long-dormant epilepsy resurfaces with terrifying intensity.As the lines between reality and delusion blur, Elara and Finn find themselves caught in a web of inherited secrets, facing the unsettling possibility that their family’s shame isn’t just a buried truth, but a living entity.  Their investigation turns to local folklore and forgotten histories, uncovering ancient rituals and a sanatorium built upon the ruins of a forgotten temple—a conduit for powerful, unpredictable energies.Guided by their great-grandmother's hidden journal, they discover rituals meant to appease the “spirit of Blackwood,” a force both benevolent and destructive.  Elara’s pragmatic worldview crumbles as she witnesses increasingly inexplicable events, while Finn embraces his intuition, convinced Rose is not the cause but a victim of Blackwood’s dark influence.  As Simon’s seizures escalate, mirroring Rose’s visions, they race against time to break the cycle of misfortune plaguing their family for generations.A storm of unprecedented fury descends upon Blackwood, its focus centered on the Eldridge home.  Simon’s life hangs in the balance.  Rose reveals the truth – the spirit of Blackwood is a force of nature out of balance.  In a climactic ritual amidst the raging storm, the siblings confront their legacy and embrace the unseen forces at play, fighting to restore harmony to the land and save their brother.The storm subsides, leaving a fragile truce. The darkness hasn't been eradicated, but they face the uncertain future together, united as a family, their secrets brought to light, their wounds beginning to heal.  Amidst the tangle of wild roses surrounding Rose's cottage, they tend the garden, a testament to their newfound understanding and their commitment to protecting the delicate balance they’ve achieved. The whispers on the wind remain, a constant reminder of the power that flows beneath the surface of their seemingly idyllic town.

Available since: 12/05/2024.

Print length: 288 pages.

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