School Library Journal
"Howard’s latest stand-alone fantasy is a sensuous reimagining set in a distinctly Gothic world; perfect for fans of the author and readers seeking darker retellings."
Kirkus Reviews
"A decadent fantasy anchored in childhood delights with vibrantly detailed writing and brilliantly theatrical subplots."
Publishers Weekly
"An emotionally complex tale of fate, inner beauty, and found family that illustrates the strength of love born from friendship."
Booklist
"The mash-up of fairy tale themes is sure to hook genre fans."
From the Publisher
"A decadent fantasy anchored in childhood delights with vibrantly detailed writing and brilliantly theatrical subplots."—Kirkus Reviews
"Howard’s latest stand-alone fantasy is a sensuous reimagining set in a distinctly Gothic world; perfect for fans of the author and readers seeking darker retellings."—School Library Journal
"An emotionally complex tale of fate, inner beauty, and found family that illustrates the strength of love born from friendship."—Publishers Weekly
"The mash-up of fairy tale themes is sure to hook genre fans."—Booklist
Booklist
"The mash-up of fairy tale themes is sure to hook genre fans."
Kirkus Reviews
2018-11-12
A prophecy tells of a prince and princess who can save the world by joining their warring kingdoms.
"Once upon a nightmare, a princess was born in the kingdom of perpetual daylight." So begins this dizzying mashup of fairy tales with a kaleidoscopic cast of characters. Princess Lyra and Prince Vesper hail from the dichotomous kingdoms of a world shorn in half by blood magic. Pale Lyra, a royal outsider with "iridescent eyes" and "hair, eyebrows, and lashes so silvery-white and glistening," is the only person in Eldoria, the kingdom of endless sunlight, whose skin burns when exposed to sunshine. Vesper, "dark-haired, copper-skinned," and "raven-eyed," the defiant prince of a dark underworld, is "the only Nerezethite prince who'd been born night-blind in centuries." When Lyra's evil aunt Griselda conspires to kill the king, the worlds are further threatened by war and chaos. The greatest hope is a prophecy that tells of a prince and princess who "will be complete and embrace their oddities to bring the sun and moon together again." In this sublimely detailed fantasy with elaborately drawn characters and breathtaking plot twists, fantasy is unrestrained and oftentimes wordy. Story arcs stop and sputter as they quest their way through magical thorns and honeysuckle brambles, but the patient reader will blow well past bedtime to stay up with this riveting tale.
A decadent fantasy anchored in childhood delights with vibrantly detailed writing and brilliantly theatrical subplots. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)
