A Skinful of Shadows is a dark historical fantasy set in the early part of the English Civil War. Makepeace is an illegitimate daughter of the aristocratic Fellmotte family, and as such shares their unique hereditary gift--the capacity to be possessed by ghosts. Reluctant to accept her appointed destiny as vessel for a coterie of her ancestors, she escapes. As she flees the pursuing Fellmottes across war-torn England, she accumulates a motley crew of her own allies--outcasts, misfits, criminals, and one extremely angry dead bear. From Costa Book of the Year award-winning author Frances Hardinge comes another historical fantasy that's sure to satisfy her leagues of fans who are eager for more.

Frances Hardinge is the winner of the Costa Book of the Year for The Lie Tree, one of just two young adult novels to win the major UK literary prize. She is the author of several books for young people, including Cuckoo Song, Fly by Night, and Verdigris Deep.She lives in England.