The Half-Torn Page by David Palin

The Half-Torn Page by David Palin

One fateful evening in 17^th-Century Bavaria, Ilsa Wlich arrives at the end of the Adventurer's Road where she finds a beautiful but insular town. The town lies deep in the mountains and wolf-inhabited forests of a place known as the Valley of Witches. Seldom reached by outsiders, its people are not welcoming; proud of their traditions, they frown upon change and those who bring it. Upon arrival, Ilsa finds herself saving the life of a sick boy, Karl, with her ancient knowledge. But she is suspicious of the cause of his sickness. And while she earns the boy's undying love she also attracts the enmity of some of the town elders - in particular the incompetent doctor, Arzt, and the mayor, Meister. Ilsa's presence in the town awakens a long-hidden darkness, and she finds herself, together with Karl, fighting to survive on a path far more strange, perilous and bloody than she could ever have imagined.