ASIN moved from the old edition https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... People are like Trees: When they fall down, the other trees won't help them up. Talking to a tree is a sure sign you're crazy. But every once in awhile, you can't help but stop and admire the beauty of a tree you've never seen before. After twenty-two years of the trees not talking back, Sasha has learned to stop trying to talk to trees. Now if only she could stop tripping over their roots on her way, she might learn to stop hoping they'll help her back up.

Some people like to dip their toes in the water before walking slowly into a pool. Some can't stand cold moving higher and higher, and dunk themselves to get over with. Sasha has decided neither of those is going to be fast enough to get her used to the pool of Witchcraft she got splashed with, so the only option left is to dive head-first into the deep end.

Every bird has to take the plunge, pushed along by an older and better bird. Pushed to see if they will fly or fall. And somewhere on the way down, the one who pushed the bird over the edge will fear for what they've done. The one who is pushed, however, has too little time left for fear. For fear is only for those who fly, those who fall never have to deal with fear.

Personal goals and personal limits; Sasha's plunging dive into the world of witches sinks to even greater depths. Time is running out before the Walpurgis Soiree, before the time comes to prove herself. But just how much time does it take to do what comes naturally to a person?

Free from her desire for approval from her peers and superiors, Sasha has come to terms with not who she is, but with who she will strive to become. Being a witch, a hound, and a doting lover are not interchangeable roles, They are unified within her. But with those roles unified, her enemies are now clear; those that put one role above the other two cannot be trusted.