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Fans of both teen fantasy and Victorian-flavored gothic romance will find a new treat in Magic Under Glass. The story is set in what feels almost like an alternative history reminiscent of the height of the British Empire - with its manners, entertainments and setting. But the presence of fairies and sorcery quickly lend a fantastic bent to the tale of Namira, a young performer plucked from a tawdry music hall by a wealthy widow. She is recruited to sing with his rare piano-playing automaton (a mechanical man) which seems to have frightened away previous singers. Namira finds herself living in luxury as she must suddenly navigate higher society and dangerous intrigue - when the automaton begins to communicate with her. A fresh story among rivals in the teen romance category, this title seems to indicate a sequel but not confirmation as yet (Bloomsbury)
Co-author of the highly acclaimed "Spiderwick Chronicles", Holly Black, turns her powerful imaginative power down the urban fantasy path with the graphic novel, "The Good Neighbor: Kin". This title's darkly rendered setting leads the reader just beneath the skin of a college town to glimpse a sub-dura where fairies and their ilk move just beyond the perception of most humans - until they are noticed by Rue. Rue's mother has just disappeared and her father is soon implicated in her mother's absence as well as a student's murder. As she struggles with these developments, Rue begins to 'see' creatures both fair and frightening mixed among people everywhere she goes. Alone in her perception of the fairie folk, Rue follows her suspicion that her growing encounters with strange beings is connected to her missing mother and the death of her father's student, When Rue's maternal grandfather appears and confirms that Rue, like her mother, is fey, she is faced with choices that offer heartbreak at every turn. Filled with edgy imagery that blends sinister beauty with sharpening fear, the illustrations build an intense sense of revelation as the tale progresses. As a fan of graphic novels, I'm eager to pick up the next in this series! This one is definitely worth return reading and reviewed illustration - there's more than meets the eye. "The Good Neighbors: Kin" is a highly worthwhile title that will thrill both fans and newcomers to the graphic novel medium.
I never imagined that the fable of "The Goose Girl" could be re-imagined in a way that satisfies so completely. The traditional story gives you a princess whose identity is stolen by her handmaiden as she is en route to marry the prince of a distant kingdom - and well... the very idea often left me wondering "How'd she let THAT happen? I mean, Isn't she a princess with some experience being in charge?". In most versions of the original fable, the ruse relies on the notion that the betrothed have never met and that the princess declines to identify herself to the ruling family for unclear or unconvincing reasons. Shannon Hale's take on the traditional tale resolves the mystery of why the princess remains incognito while building a whole new mythos around the story. Placed in a setting with broader scope and richly developed characters, Hale's "The Goose Girl" is an exciting and dangerous twisting of the tale, a re-telling that leads to a cliffhanger finale that is both deeply satisfying and also leaves the reader (listener) craving more. Happily, "The Goose Girl" is part of Hale's 'Books of Bayern' series with additional books highlighting different characters from the shadows of fairy tales and the stellar imagination of the author. Full Cast Audio's version of "The Goose Girl" is my favorite medium for this story as, once again, the cast of voice actors and producers with FCA develop a deep and textured rendition that exceeds the printed text.
