Why ‘The Last Balfour’ is a book you need to read

Cover: Micaela Alcaino

Cover: Micaela Alcaino

Hello! I hope, whoever and wherever you are, you’re having a most beautiful day. Well after 1 am the Sunday before last, I finished The Last Balfour by Cait Duggan – a standalone historical fantasy – having begun it two days prior; I started this book as I usually do these days, reading a chapter a day, but not a few hours after chapter one had I already picked the book up again. The day I bought it, I had been perusing through one of my local bookshops; I was determined to find something new. I hadn’t bought any new material in quite some time, yet for whatever reason, I was adamant I needed this. In my favourite section, that of science fiction and fantasy (mainly for the latter), I was curious by the title, which whispers of tragedy and dangerous adventure – more so, the cover is a stunning one. The blurb most certainly supported my decision, hinting at heroine Iona Balfour’s tale of magic, witch hunters, and loved ones both lost and found.

A caption found on the back from Kate Forsyth, celebrated historical and fantasy author of books such as Bitter Greens, The Wild Girl, and the Witches of Eileanan series, encapsulates this book perfectly: “An utterly riveting tale of magic, danger and witch hunts … that grips you by the throat and won’t let go.”

The book is not a long one. Set in the tail end of 1500s Scotland, Iona Balfour – an apprentice witch to recently captured Aunt Grizel – leaves home with her sister and brother-in-law, fellow witch Ishbel and Gregor, to witness her aunt’s execution… much to Iona’s and Ishbel’s despair. And when Grizel hands Iona a bloodstone in a brief, final reunion, appointing Iona as its guardian, Grizel asks she only do one thing: flee her home and take the bloodstone to Edinburgh to the mysterious Guild of the Green Lion.

With enemies at every turn and death a constant companion, this book has tension and emotion to spare. This story is rich in several ways, from the beautifully painted setting to the flow of the writing itself, though my two favourite parts are two of its most central elements. My second favourite is Duggan’s ability to create characters who feel real, that could well have existed – they have flaws, and they’re human in their actions and mistakes and successes. This realism allows for the constant shift from success to failure and back again that holds the entire narrative to feel infinitely more intense than it otherwise would have been. It’s all too easy to care for these characters – for Iona especially. She is young, terrified, and this makes her acts of compassion, honesty, and courage all the more compelling.

Granted, in most new fantasy stories, nailing the magic system is challenging. Good ones are often seen in older classics. Great ones often also fall under this, though what separates the good from the great is that they’re able to take what is old and make it new again. The Last Balfour does this flawlessly; built from elements we could find in gardens or the wilderness or in a standard room, the incantations are based on pre-existing Scottish spells and folklore – as indicated in the book’s own sources section at its end. The spells have come from real lore, the deities existent in our history. Magic systems should always offer some benefit to the characters, lest we ask why it’s there in the first place, but there should always be consequences. The Last Balfour understands this on such a fundamental level, and thus it breathes utterly new life into what is already a good story. As the cover states, “Magic and fire are kindred things.” This system is memorable, it feels real, and I absolutely adored it.

I am so proud that this book has come from an Australian author. There are so many voices here in Oz that deserve as much acclaim as GRRM or Robin Hobb. I am even more amazed that this book was Cait Duggan’s debut. This is her first-ever published piece, and I honestly cannot wait to see what someone of this talent has in store next. This book is going to stand among my favourites for some time. My only recommendation is that this book is sincerely worth having on your shelf; a book that can be consumed in a day, maybe two, you’ll come out the other side having found a new beloved tale. For fantasy readers, this book, I feel, is as necessary for one’s collection as anything Tolkien, Brandon Sanderson, or Kate Forsyth ever wrote.

Thank you for reading — I post on Fridays! And again, please do have a great day.

— Charis.

Charis

Fantasy writer and Fraser's 'The Mummy' enthusiast. Coffee addict. Child of Light lover. Watches Pokémon speedruns at 3am for funsies. Grogu appreciator. She/Her.

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