John Cheeseman

Feathers and Light John Cheeseman

This is a story of Brighid and Sorche. Brighid lives in the Vale with her parents, "Grandmother" Sophia, and Freya-at-the-bakery. Well-and with the real Hansel and Gretl. Overall, her childhood seems "normal", until she's fifteen. Then, she learns that she and almost everyone she knows is actually an ancient god. That's also when they drop it on her that now, it's her turn to fight the demons of Greed, Power-lust, and Hatred on the Plane of the Gods. Tomorrow. As "weapons", Freya loans her a magic cape that will let her fly. Once. And, well, it might do other stuff. And Sophia gives her an orb of pure Light. Her mother, the Irish god of battle, gifts her all the crows in the world. Together, they have a history of determining the outcome of battles. Unfortunately, none of this comes with a "user's manual" or more than minimal instructions.

After the battle, Brighid plummets through an abyss to the human plane where she meets her first "human"-Sorche. She's almost nine and almost in fourth grade, and-like most people think they are-is pretty much normal. Or was until that day. Then, Freya's cape drops a feather that gives her unclear, but seemingly magical, powers. Weird. Then, she follows Brighid into the forest and ends up through a portal to another world on a trail that only goes forward; she can't turn around and go home. After three days, she ends up at Freya's bakery where her arrival confuses Brighid's "family". And then she does it again, with her mom. Weirder. Then, Sophia gives her, too, pure Light. Mega-weirder.

Happily, Sorche learns to understand and use at least some of the powers in her gifts, and she learns to travel in her different worlds safely. Even more happily, she lives to tell us the story.