Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: February 15, 2022
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
Set over the course of a day, a girl realizes her life on a glittering, magical island isn’t what it seems in a 1920s-set fantasy, inspired by The Tempest.
The only life Mae has ever known is on the island, living on the charity
of the wealthy Prosper family who control the magic on the island and
the spirits who inhabit it. Mae longs for magic of her own and to have a
place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see
her as an equal, and her crush, Miles, will finally see her. Now that
she’s eighteen, Mae knows her time with the Prospers may soon come to an
end.
But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their
high-society friends return to the island to celebrate the night Lord
Prosper first harnessed the island’s magic and started producing aether –
a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone
returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what
she’s always wanted.
When the spirits start inexplicably dying,
Mae starts to realize that things aren’t what they seem. And Ivo, the
reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the
answers—including a secret about Mae’s past that she doesn’t remember.
As Mae and her friends begin to unravel the mysteries of the island, and
the Prospers’ magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world
was built on.
In this YA fantasy, Samantha Cohoe wonderfully
mixes magic and an atmospheric historical setting into a fantastically
immersive world, with characters you won’t be able to forget.
In this YA fantasy, Samantha Cohoe mixes magic and an atmospheric historical setting into a fantastically immersive world. Set over the course of a day, a girl realizes her life on a glittering, magical island isn’t what it seems in a 1920s-set fantasy, inspired by The Tempest. The only life Mae Wilson has ever known is on the island where her father, a loyal servant of Lord Prosper, passed away 6 years ago. Mae has been living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the magic on the island and the spirits who inhabit it as well as the incredibly valuable aether.
She's never been off the island. She is neither family or a servant, she’s merely a charity case that can live on the island until she is 18. Now that she's turning 18, she's terrified that she won't be allowed to stay. This is an island where spirits of all kind roam freely, and one in particular, Aeris, loves to taunt and tease Mousy Mae. The spirits are also used as servants in a variety of ways. Mae wants nothing more than to learn magic with Miles, the unofficial Prosper that she’s been in-love with since childhood.
Mae longs to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see her as an equal. To get to that point, she may have to marry the mysterious Ivo. Mae and Ivo were once close friends, but a secret was exposed by mousy Mae, and he's been distant and reclusive ever since. But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their high-society friends return to the island to celebrate the night Lord Prosper first harnessed the island’s magic and started producing aether – a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what she’s always wanted.
When the spirits start inexplicably dying, Mae starts to realize that things aren’t what they seem. And Ivo, the reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the answers. As Mae begins to unravel the mysteries of the island, and the Prospers’ magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world was built on. Mae can be a frustrating character because she's so meek and fearful in how she interacts with people, even if inside she wants to be different.
Thankfully, Mae finds a backbone. The book takes place almost entirely in a single day, with the exception of the epilogue which takes place off island. I have opinions about certain characters. I felt so badly for Ivo. I thought that he got a really bad deal. I ended up hating both Miles and Coco since they both showed their true colors when it came to how they treated Mae. I would have liked to find out who May meets on the final page. I have my guesses, by I hate taking guesses as to what happens next.
No comments:
Post a Comment