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Summary
Summary
Imogen and her sister Marin escape their cruel mother to attend a prestigious artists' retreat, but soon learn that living in a fairy tale requires sacrifices, whether it be art or love in this critically acclaimed debut novel from "a remarkable young writer" (Neil Gaiman, American Gods ).
Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmothers. As a child, she used to lie in bed wishing that her life would become one of these tragic fairy tales because she couldn't imagine how a stepmother could be worse than her mother now. As adults, Imogen and her sister Marin are accepted to an elite post-grad arts program--Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer. Soon enough, though, they realize that there's more to the school than meets the eye. Imogen might be living in the fairy tale she's dreamed about as a child, but it's one that will pit her against Marin if she decides to escape her past to find her heart's desire.
Author Notes
Kat Howard's short fiction has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, anthologized in best of and annual best of collections, and performed on NPR. You can find it in her collection, A Cathedral of Myth and Bone. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Roses and Rot and the Alex Award-winning An Unkindness of Magicians . She is also one of the writers of the Books of Magic series, set in the Sandman Universe. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and you can find her on twitter at @KatWithSword.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Howard weaves a dark and enticing tale of sisterly bonds, fairy promises, and the price of artistic success in this lushly written debut fantasy set in the present-day U.S. As a child, Imogen was certain that no fairy tale stepmother could possibly be crueler than her own mother, a controlling tyrant. Fortunately, Imogen and her younger sister, Marin, escaped to pursue their dreams: Imogen as a writer, Marin a dancer. After seven years apart, the women are reunited when both are selected to be fellows at Melete, a prestigious artist colony in rural New Hampshire. Melete's fantastical campus seems perfect, but the sisters learn it's hiding an extraordinary secret: Melete's creative energy feeds the Fair Folk. Every seven years, the most promising Fellow is taken to live in Faery-and Imogen and Marin are shortlisted for this dubious honor. Howard's characters are deftly drawn, and her writing is seductive as fairy magic. This story will resonate with readers long after the last page. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Howard's fantasy debut is a fable wherein human ambition and family ties become entwined with the magical power of faerie. Two loving sisters, independently successful and once estranged, have each worked long and hard to escape an abusive childhood. Imogen, a writer, and Marin, a professional dancer, have been offered fellowships at Melete, an exclusive artists' colony. The retreat is a wondrous haven of artistic devotion and creative pursuit, with personal mentors assigned to each resident and a mysterious connection to the enchanted realm of the Fae. The sanctuary has a reputation for boosting the careers of those who attend, although at a price some might find daunting. The siblings find themselves in direct competition and will have to decide if the prize is worth what the other may lose. Lyrical writing complements the setting's mystical imagery, further conveying the fairy tale quality of the story. Those with a fondness for the expressive language of tales from times past will enjoy this story in which fairyfolk mingle, for good and ill, with the real world.--Lockley, Lucy Copyright 2016 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Imogen always dreamed of being rescued, like a princess in a fairy tale. No evil stepmother could have been worse than her actual mother. When Imogen went to college, she was reluctant to leave her sister Marin behind, but they both survived-barely. Now arriving at Melete, an exclusive arts program, both sisters have a chance to make their aspirations a reality; Imogen as a writer, Marin as a dancer. The sisters find inspiration, affirmation, and even love. Yet even happy endings can come at a cost, and the price may be too much for either sister to pay. VERDICT The realm of fairy tales meets the harsh world of the Fae in this starkly enticing debut. With undercurrents of darkness in the midst of the beauty of the arts, this is a Brothers Grimm tale for the contemporary reader.-KC © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.