Leave No Trace - by Randee Dawn (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Lexi has been living in a remote stretch of the Rocky Mountain woods since her father dragged her there ten years ago, after her mother and baby brother were afflicted with a magical sickness. Her paranoid father thinks they've escaped the magic, and that as long as they never leave the woods, they'll be safe.

So Lexi never tells him about her friend Gil, who turns up sometimes in a birch copse that travels with him, and who is definitely not human. She especially doesn't mention the magic he taught her, which can open a path to wherever she needs to go. After all, she's been in the woods for most of her life: she can find her way without magic.

But when pop star TJ Furey hires them to help him hunt down a bear, Lexi's secret is threatened. The bear he wants to kill is under Gil's protection, and if Lexi doesn't prevent its death, she'll never see Gil again. But she can't do so without risking her father's wrath - and when it turns out that TJ's manager is harboring a similar grudge of his own, Lexi feels trapped. If she wants her own life, she'll have to find a way to break all their expectations.

Leave No Trace plays the clash of worlds - magic and technology, future and past, rural and urban - against the backdrop of a bear hunt.

Review Quotes

FOR PREVIOUS WORKS:

"Dawn (Tune In Tomorrow) offers a potent and propulsive blend of Irish legend-inspired urban fantasy and Celtic rock. In 1996, the rock band formed by childhood friends Patrick, Ciaran, and Malachi heads from Dublin to the U.S. for its first international tour. While wandering the streets of Boston late at night, each member separately meets a different oddly familiar stranger who speaks to them in Irish and magically interferes with their future. Mal refuses to engage with the stranger and soon is plagued with bad luck; Patrick, who was raised on legends he no longer believes in, gets some much longed-for answers about his peculiar, difficult childhood; and Ciaran makes a deal to exchange his life force for musical talent beyond his wildest dreams. As he steadily grows thinner, weaker, and more dependent on this mystical stranger, it's up to Patrick and Malachi to figure out exactly what manner of creatures have found them and how to save Ciaran's life. Dawn's experience as a music writer comes through in her vibrant, authentic portrayal of the band's sound and interpersonal dynamic. This fresh spin on favorite urban fantasy tropes will delight fans of Charles de Lint."-Publishers Weekly

"The heart of Daisy Jones and the Six with the soul of A Court of Thorns and Roses.... A scintillating plot and an emotional wallop."--Aidan Prewett, author of Woodstock at 50: Anatomy of a Revolution

"Blends myth with the power of music and a brotherly bond to tell a story that's suspenseful and extremely romantic in all possible directions. I loved it!"--Delia Sherman, award-winning author of The Porcelain Dove

"Randee Dawn's rich Hiberno-English narrative--interspersed with Irish Gaelic--brings The Only Song Worth Singing a vibrant dimension without affectation. Music is a living thing that makes magic feel real - and Dawn knocks this elusive aspect out of the park. Her story of a touring band provides an authentic illustration of the hardships and joys of the road, including the interpersonal tension between band members. Her story proves that whether in speech, song - or a work of fiction - words have tremendous power." --Beth W. Patterson, award-winning recording artist, road warrior, film music infiltrator

"A dark, parasitical fairy tale, The Only Song Worth Singing is sex, myth, and rock and roll all the way down to its bass-beating heart. It's a story of faith, friendship, and brotherhood -- of learning your roots, and finding your place, even if that means standing between one world and the next." -- C. S. E. Cooney, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Saint Death's Daughter

"With The Only Song Worth Singing, Dawn has crafted a sweeping epic that takes you from a thatched cottage in the countryside, to the bustle and glam of New York, to the green and magical place where it all began, against the backdrop of Irish folklore. Truly a magical, musical, must-read."--Jennifer Allis Provost, author of The Poison Garden

"When you hear a song you love so much that you wish you could live inside it for weeks, feeling it rush through you and touch you in ways only art can, this book can scratch that itch with long nails."--Meg Elison, award-winning author of Number One Fan

FOR PREVIOUS WORKS:

"Dawn (Tune In Tomorrow) offers a potent and propulsive blend of Irish legend-inspired urban fantasy and Celtic rock. In 1996, the rock band formed by childhood friends Patrick, Ciaran, and Malachi heads from Dublin to the U.S. for its first international tour. While wandering the streets of Boston late at night, each member separately meets a different oddly familiar stranger who speaks to them in Irish and magically interferes with their future. Mal refuses to engage with the stranger and soon is plagued with bad luck; Patrick, who was raised on legends he no longer believes in, gets some much longed-for answers about his peculiar, difficult childhood; and Ciaran makes a deal to exchange his life force for musical talent beyond his wildest dreams. As he steadily grows thinner, weaker, and more dependent on this mystical stranger, it's up to Patrick and Malachi to figure out exactly what manner of creatures have found them and how to save Ciaran's life. Dawn's experience as a music writer comes through in her vibrant, authentic portrayal of the band's sound and interpersonal dynamic. This fresh spin on favorite urban fantasy tropes will delight fans of Charles de Lint."--Publishers Weekly

"The heart of Daisy Jones and the Six with the soul of A Court of Thorns and Roses.... A scintillating plot and an emotional wallop."--Aidan Prewett, author of Woodstock at 50: Anatomy of a Revolution

"Blends myth with the power of music and a brotherly bond to tell a story that's suspenseful and extremely romantic in all possible directions. I loved it!"--Delia Sherman, award-winning author of The Porcelain Dove

"Randee Dawn's rich Hiberno-English narrative--interspersed with Irish Gaelic--brings The Only Song Worth Singing a vibrant dimension without affectation. Music is a living thing that makes magic feel real - and Dawn knocks this elusive aspect out of the park. Her story of a touring band provides an authentic illustration of the hardships and joys of the road, including the interpersonal tension between band members. Her story proves that whether in speech, song - or a work of fiction - words have tremendous power." --Beth W. Patterson, award-winning recording artist, road warrior, film music infiltrator

"A dark, parasitical fairy tale, The Only Song Worth Singing is sex, myth, and rock and roll all the way down to its bass-beating heart. It's a story of faith, friendship, and brotherhood -- of learning your roots, and finding your place, even if that means standing between one world and the next." -- C. S. E. Cooney, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Saint Death's Daughter

"With The Only Song Worth Singing, Dawn has crafted a sweeping epic that takes you from a thatched cottage in the countryside, to the bustle and glam of New York, to the green and magical place where it all began, against the backdrop of Irish folklore. Truly a magical, musical, must-read."--Jennifer Allis Provost, author of The Poison Garden

"When you hear a song you love so much that you wish you could live inside it for weeks, feeling it rush through you and touch you in ways only art can, this book can scratch that itch with long nails."--Meg Elison, award-winning author of Number One Fan

About the Author

Randee Dawn is a Brooklyn-based author and journalist who writes speculative fiction at night and entertainment and lifestyle stories during the day for publications like the New York Times, NBCNews.com, Variety, The Los Angeles Times, and Emmy Magazine. Her debut novel, Tune in Tomorrow, was published by Solaris. Publishers Weekly said of Tune in Tomorrow: "Dawn balances over-the-top drama and comedy with genuine intrigue to create a fun story with plenty of heart." Lightspeed praised it as "an excellent read if you're looking for something to make you smile... well worth your time."