Praise for The History of Arcadia Series
“Innovative form and spellbinding content . . . Davies’s fast-paced and mesmerizing [Snotty Saves the Day], which propels its reader from one breathtaking adventure to the next, is a novel of ideas for children and adults. . . . Much like Snotty Saves the Day, Lily the Silent is also a political allegory that asks its reader to reflect on gender roles, popular culture, and dominant ideologies. . . . Stories, as Tod Davies’s History of Arcadia novels ultimately suggest, serve as a civilization’s backbone, and it is therefore in stories too that we can discover the potential for fundamental change and a better society.” —Marvels & Tales
“Look inside this world and find wonder.” —KATE BERNHEIMER, editor of My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me and author of The Girl Who Wouldn’t Brush Her Hair
“Blending the magic of fairy tales with the great existential mysteries, Tod Davies leads us into a phantasmagorical world that resurrects the complex lore of times past with vibrant narrative energy.” —MARIA TATAR, author of The Annotated Brothers Grimm and other volumes, and chair of the Program in Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University.
Praise for Lily the Silent, the second novel in The History of Arcadia series
“Tod Davies is a multitalented writer . . . In this book, Lily lives happily in Arcadia until an invasion from Megalopolis turns everything upside-down. She escapes slavery through a kind prince of Megalopolis and goes on an eventful journey to retrieve a key that could save her people.” —The Oregonian
“Davies’s absorbing salute to the necessity and power of storytelling promises many grand adventures while hinting that there is really only one.” —Publishers Weekly
“A fairy tale told in lush but specific language, that reminds seasoned readers to seize their destiny.” —Library Journal
“In the grand tradition of fairy tales everywhere, Lily the Silent is the story of a reluctant heroine, feckless prince, and the wickedest of queens. . . . With Mike Madrid’s illustrations throughout (appropriately compared to Arthur Rackham’s), this title shows how comfortably fairy tales can encompass the fits and foibles of current times. It reads fast and furious and promotes love and friendship, all while making sure readers never forget to keep a solid head on their shoulders.” —Bookslut
“Tod Davies follows up her novel Snotty Saves the Day with the equally impressive Lily the Silent, the second installment in her The History of Arcadia series. This modern fairy tale smartly explores the power of storytelling in our lives, and is a rewarding book for both adults and children.” —Largehearted Boy
Praise for Snotty Saves the Day, the first novel in The History of Arcadia series
“Fascinating . . . A quirky, intelligent, and imaginative read for mid-teens and up.” —ForeWord Reviews
“Ms. Davies blends folklore, fairy tales, fantasy, and even oral tradition—and does so brilliantly . . . Snotty Saves the Day is a book for mature or precocious teens, for fantasy and tale-within-a-tale lovers, and for thoughtful adults who seek the wonder and optimism so badly needed in today’s times.” —New York Journal of Books
“A fun and unique tale, sure to entertain readers both young and old.” —Midwest Book Review
“[An] amusing debut . . . dressed up with footnotes, scholarly introductions and a bibliography, as well as lovely line drawings by Gary Zaboly, Snotty’s story seeks to prove that fairy tales rank with quantum mechanics in their ability to establish parallel worlds.” —Publishers Weekly
“A smart, funny, and thought-provoking read for readers of all ages, Snotty Saves the Day has me eagerly awaiting its sequel.” —Largehearted Boy
“The most audacious and unusual book I have read this year. Framed in a “we found this on our doorstep” ala Spiderwick sort of way, it is ostensibly forwarded to the publisher by a professor from the land of Arcadia. . . . If you are intrigued by how [fairy tales] are manipulated with such ease by pop culture mavens and movie makers . . . you will find the cheekiness of Davies’ story to be wildly appealing.” —Bookslut
“Awesome . . . There’s plenty of humor in the book. . . . And the best is the truth—what Is, as the book calls it—Snotty discovers about himself. He doesn’t just see the error of his old ways; he re-becomes an entirely different person. And that possibility, that ability—that we all might re-become what we were born to be—raises a wonder, a “sympathy with the idea of ‘changing the world’” that beats louder than does a superficially bleeding heart.” —Nervous Breakdown
“Like Susanna Clark’s magnificent Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell . . . and many works by Nicholson Baker, Snotty Saves the Day features fictional footnotes that add another layer to the novel. . . . Davies touches on . . . very Big Ideas. But these themes are wrapped in wonders . . . What could have been simply “messagey” is a romp, and an original one at that. . . . Give it to a smart, precocious young person in your life, read it yourself, and see what kind of interesting conversation develops.” —Bookconscious
“An imaginative book that will make readers think twice.” —JACK ZIPES, author of Why Fairy Tales Stick
