This is the Booked For The Month podcast with your host, Chip. I pick a book every month, read it, and review it. It really is that simple. No, I don’t know what I’m doing, and yes, you can absolutely follow along every month!

This month's book is The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig.

The Thirteenth Child follows the female main character Hazel as the thirteenth child of an impoverished family who was chosen to be adopted by one of three deities; the Dreaded End. Hazel spends the first 12 years of her life neglected and abused by her family hoping for the day her godfather would rescue her. On the day of her 12th birthday, the Dreaded End (also known as Merrick) finally arrives to take Hazel under his wing with the intent to mold her into a renowned healer.

After a year full of learning and practicing her medical skills, her godfather bestows upon her the power to ascertain the cure for any mortal ailment. She uses this power to heal many citizens of the kingdom of Martissienes (Mar-Tee-See-Inn) and soon discovers her gift can also be a curse. Hazel discovers the “deathshead”, a skull that appears when she touches her patients that are destined to die by her hand.

Hazel struggles with the ethical dilemma of euthanization, especially when it comes to her family and love interests. Upon realizing that those she does not send to the Dreaded End will lead to the inevitable demise of those around them, she is forced to commit what she deems as murder; forever haunted by the specters of her victims.

Hazel is soon summoned to the court of the royal Marnaigne family to heal king Marnaigne from a deadly case of the Shivers. Adapting to the new way of life, Hazel finds herself presented with forbidden romance, the future of the kingdom, and regaining control of her life that was taken away from her even before birth.

*This podcast is not sponsored at the time of uploading and any opinions (unless explicitly stated as endorsements) should not be taken as endorsements*