From the Publisher
Employing deliberate plotting, intricate worldbuilding, and a plethora of mystical creatures, such as cyborg faeries, Howard keenly examines themes of grief and guilt against an eerie backdrop.” —Publishers Weekly
“A horror-tinged quest in a crumbling world, filled with evocative, poetic descriptions. . . . This fantasy-horror-steampunk quest will please readers who love complex language, lush descriptions, and plots as twisty and deceptive as Celtic knots.” —SLJ
“This modern fairy tale straddles a line somewhere between Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market and Jim Henson's Labyrinth.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Packed with action scenes, detailed world-building, and allusions to other popular media, this will be a crowd-pleaser with avid fantasy readers, likely to appeal to fans of Melissa Marr and Holly Black.” —BCCB
Kirkus Reviews
2022-07-13
Steampunk goblins, family secrets, and the lure of forbidden fruit.
This modern (think: a vinyl dress, facial piercings, and Astoria, Oregon, of The Goonies fame) fairy tale straddles a line somewhere between Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market (which is cited throughout) and Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (never explicitly mentioned but visual and linguistic homages abound). Seventeen-year-old Phoenix “Nix” Loring, a White girl with partial albinism, has tortured herself ever since Lark, her identical twin, died three years ago. She’s been filled with guilt at having been a bad sister—and now feels even more guilt due to her growing feelings for Clarey, Lark’s brown-skinned boyfriend who has Waardenburg syndrome and suffers from panic attacks. This is enough material for a book all by itself but is mostly background for a Halloween adventure into Mystiquiel, a magical world Nix has drawn since Lark’s death, where cyborg faeries and goblins are ruled by the Goblin King, who is locked in a power struggle with an entity known as the Motherboard. The drawn-out adventure takes only a day in the protagonist’s world, with plenty of lush description and endless overthinking surrounding some whimsical set pieces as Nix navigates riddles and mind games. Nix holds her grief and guilt tightly until her magical adventure gives her perspective; a final twist changes the stakes and sets up at least one sequel.
Fairy fruit this ain’t. (Fantasy. 12-16)
