Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

The Standing Stone on the Moor is the fourth book by Allie Cresswell in the acclaimed Talbot Saga, and while the series is not published in chronological order, my best effort in the lead-up begins with The House in the Hollow, where Jocelyn Talbot rejects shallow suitors and hypocrisy, forms a bond with Lieutenant Willow, then faces disgrace after a scandal. Forced into isolation, she loses contact with loved ones. Tall Chimneys sees Evelyn Talbot banished and fighting to preserve the remote, decaying Tall Chimneys. Love later threatens her resolve, requiring a choice between self and home. The Lady in the Veil follows Georgina, who relocates to London to stay with her cousin, George Talbot. Avoiding society events and wearing a veil, she sparks widespread gossip about her identity. Now, in The Standing Stone on the Moor, Irish refugees fleeing famine settle near a moor, facing hostility. Beth Harlish, a restless manor steward, connects with Ruairi as smuggling, suspicion, and fear of witchcraft grow, prompting difficult choices.

“It was not inanimate but somehow vital. It did not hum like the standing stone on the moor, but it spoke to Beth in its own language and she could not stop up her ears to its call.” The Standing Stone on the Moor by Allie Cresswell is a finely written story that places the reader in a fantastically drawn world where setting and atmosphere are more than just background. The moor, the crumbling estate, and the Irish encampment are rendered with such care and texture that they feel rooted equally in geography and time. Cresswell uses detailed imagery and careful pacing to lull her readers through a story uniquely grounded in humanity and social awareness. I appreciate that the relationship between Beth and Ruairi develops gradually, shaped by the restraint of a seasoned writer through shared moments that are honest and intimate. Beyond this, there is an organic portrayal of class and cultural divisions, which, as an immigrant myself, is a legitimate shedding of light on the lived realities of those often marginalized. Overall, this is a story and a series worth every moment of the time investment for excellent writing, and its sense of place and human experience.