To a Darker Shore

by Leanne Schwartz

Overview

When her best friend is sacrificed to the devil, she’ll go to hell and back for him

Plain, poor, plus-size, and autistic, Alesta grew up trying to convince her beauty-obsessed kingdom that she’s too useful to be sacrificed. Their god blessed their island Soladisa as a haven for his followers, but to keep the devil at bay, the church sends a child sacrifice to hell’s entrance every season—often poor or plain girls just like Alesta.

With a head full of ideas for inventions, Alesta knows her best shot at making it to adulthood is to design something impressive for the festival exhibition so she might win a spot in the university—acceptance could guarantee her safety. But Alesta’s flying machine demonstration goes awry, a failure that will surely mean death. What happens is worse: Her best friend and heir to the throne, Kyrian, takes the blame expecting leniency but ends up sacrificed in her place.

To stop the sacrifices forever, Alesta plans to kill the monster that killed her friend. Prepared to save her kingdom or die trying, she travels to the depths of hell only to find Kyrian—alive, but monstrously transformed.

There is no escaping hell or their growing feelings for one another, and the deeper they descend into hell, the closer they come to uncovering a truth about the sacrifices that threatens to invoke the wrath of not only monsters but the gods as well.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645678403
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	04/30/2024
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	43,400
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 5.70(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Leanne Schwartz is the author of A Prayer for Vengeance. She has spent about her life at either the library or the local theater, where she has played Lady Macbeth, Lady Capulet, Clytemnestra, and Hera—perhaps one reason she writes such vengeful, murderous girls. When she’s not teaching English and poetry, she can be found baking pizzelle, directing scenes for the student Shakespeare festival, and singing along to showtunes. She lives in California with her family.

Editorial Reviews

02/05/2024

A teen who chafes against strict religious tradition seeks to avenge her best friend in this byzantine fantasy from Schwartz (A Prayer for Vengeance). Alesta—a fat, orphaned 17-year-old living in Soladisa—is used to her homeland’s ritual of banishing a youth considered sinful once every three months as a sacrifice to angry remote island monsters. As someone who is perceived as often falling short of expectations, she fears that she will be next. When her flying invention designed to impress leaders injures another teen, her best friend Kyrian takes the blame, assuming that he, as heir to Soladisa’s throne, will not be harshly punished. His gamble proves foolhardy, and he’s chosen as the next sacrifice. With help from others disturbed by the ritual, Alesta concocts a scheme to kill the monster, but after being banished to the monster’s territory, she discovers a still-living, transformed Kyr, who shares the horrifying truth of the island. While pacing struggles to gain momentum at the start and characters’ convenient visions offer instant insight, the winding plot and escalating reveals make for an enjoyably complex tale that will satisfy fantasy fans who prefer layered conspiracy narratives. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lee O’Brien, Irene Goodman Literary. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"[A] compelling, deeply romantic examination of how demisexuality manifests in relationships, particularly when influenced by autism. An abundance of action, intrigue, truly horrifying monsters, and power-hungry villains round out this passionately romantic, Inferno-inspired epic journey."
—Booklist, starred review

"Inspired by Dante’s Inferno, the story offers a fresh take on monster tales, neatly demonstrating the ways monstrousness and humanity are two sides of the same coin. [...] Rich worldbuilding and lovable characters make this trip to hell worthwhile."
—Kirkus Reviews

“A love letter to the autistic kids who see the world differently: punished for trusting that life could be made kinder and made into devils for wanting better. We will love each other until that world loves us back, and Schwartz captures that beautifully.”
–Andrew Joseph White, New York Times bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us

“To A Darker Shore is an intricate, epic tale crackling with hellfire and imagination. Within its pages are terrifying creatures; thoughtful examinations of ableism, beauty, and monstrosity; and the kind of love that transcends eternity—even death.”
—Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic

"[To a Darker Shore] makes for a novel addition to the perpetually compelling reimagined-myth subgenre."
—BCCB

"Winding plot and escalating reveals make for an enjoyably complex tale that will satisfy fantasy fans who prefer layered conspiracy narratives."
—Publishers Weekly

“To A Darker Shore is a magical tale about defying the odds, with a gloriously fierce protagonist you'll be cheering for!”
–Emily Thiede, author of This Vicious Grace and This Cursed Light

“This sublime, darkly romantic journey through the depths of hell completely swept me away. A must read.”
–Alicia Jasinska, author of The Dark Tide and The Midnight Girls

“A nuanced reinterpretation of myth that also challenges current notions of beauty, classism, and faith. This is the kind of fantasy I yearned for in my teen years.”
—Amparo Ortiz, author of Last Sunrise in Eterna

“Schwartz has done something miraculous. Her characters leap off the page, howling with righteous fury and grim determination. At turns gripping and profoundly tender-hearted, this is the rare book worth going to hell and back for.”
—Christine Callela, author of The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray

From the Publisher

2024-01-05
A fat, autistic teen risks her life to save her kingdom and the boy she loves.

In Soladisa, young people are sacrificed to the monster Teras to protect the citizens from its wrath for another season. When shepherdess Alesta’s best friend, Kyrian, the presumed heir to the throne, is sacrificed, she longs for revenge. She sets off for the island of Orroccio, where Teras dwells, to kill the beast and end the sacrifices once and for all—a feat others have attempted in vain. There, Alesta is surprised to learn that Kyr lives, albeit in a new and monstrous form, and as the two travel deeper into the monster’s domain, they discover unexpected truths about their world. Inspired by Dante’s Inferno, the story offers a fresh take on monster tales, neatly demonstrating the ways monstrousness and humanity are two sides of the same coin. Equally fascinating is the fantastical world the characters occupy, which has clear parallels to our own world and where reality and the official truth do not always align. Alesta and Kyr, who present as autistic, are easy heroes to root for, well drawn and compelling in their matching stubbornness and authentic care for each other. Alesta's journey, from internalizing hateful comments about her body to accepting it as it is, is nuanced and affirming. Alesta and Kyr have tan skin; queer love stories play important roles in the narrative.

Rich worldbuilding and lovable characters make this trip to hell worthwhile. (content warnings) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews