"Fantasy creatures and paranormal powers in a great writing style."

Little Emily Buckingham rarely sees her mother's family. And her whole life is being destroyed by her parents, who are getting a divorce. Not understanding why her mother says for her to stay away from her dad, Emily bikes across town to see him. To her horror and devastation, he tries to kill her. And somehow, her father ends up dead.

Emily's mother, Lyssa, knows she has to move home after Emily's father is killed. Her daughter just doesn't understand the powers she's been given and only two women - Lyssa's mother and grandmother - can teach her how to control them.

Home is Anchor Bay, Ore., a coastal town that serves as a refuge for all the fantasy life in the sea. From sprites to sirens to odd little creatures with unknown names, they all congregated in the area under the protection of the Buckingham family. It's a legacy that Lyssa fled years before and now she's forced to go home.

Lyssa's mother, Cassie, and her grandmother, Athena, are pleased to have Lyssa and Emily back in the fold, except that something odd is going on in Anchor Bay. Some of the unusual sea life are dying - a mermaid washes up on the shore and another sea creature dies - and they don't understand what's happening. When they do, it may be too late to save their ancestral home and all the people in their coastal town.

I enjoyed this book for its foray into the world of fantasy creatures. I also like the paranormal powers of the Buckinghams and hope we'll see more of Emily in future stories. There's no romance, although the town's sheriff has always had a crush on Lyssa. It's a good paranormal that hooks you in the first chapter with a horrifying opening. I like Ms. Rusch's writing style.

Reviewed by Morgan Chilson
Courtesy Old Book Barn Gazette
Posted October 29, 2003

Summary

Strange things have always happened in Seavy County, the most rugged stretch of Oregon's coastline. Violent storms have sprung up only there, while the rest of the state has sunshine; supernatural sightings are common; and the residents throughout the area understand that there is powerful magic in the world. What most of them don't acknowledge--at least publicly--is that Seavy County is filled not just with wildlife, but with fantasy life as well, creatures that can't be found anywhere else in the world.

The fantasy life has always been endangered, but it's protected along this stretch of coastline. The Buckingham family has protected it for centuries. In 19?0, Cassie Buckingham lost her husband in order to protect the fantasy life. Lyssa Buckingham ran away from Anchor Bay in Seavy County, so that she wouldn't have to live in the magical Cliffside House, and spend her life as an eccentric guarding the waves. But she's heading home in disgrace with her ten-year- old daughter Emily (whom some say killed her father). And as the forces that gathered in 1970 return for a repeat visit, Lyssa will have to make hard choices. About Cliffside House, about Anchor Bay, and about Emily--and about the fantasy life that surrounds them all.