Review by Booklist Review
Trading horror for romance, the award-winning Moreno-Garcia follows Certain Dark Things (2016) with a novel that evokes the early 1900s. Antonina Nina Beaulieu, youngest child of a wealthy, aristocratic family, is telekinetic, and her lack of control has always been the bane of her relatives. Though her peculiar talent might be tolerated among her kin, displaying that ability in public is altogether different. Nina is sent to the glamorous city of Loisail for her first Grand Season, where her family expects her to attract a suitable man and marry. She chafes at society's restrictions and at how they are strictly enforced by Valerie, her cousin's wife. Nina is drawn to Hector Auvray, an alluring telekinetic performer, and doesn't care that he isn't prime matrimonial material. While intrigued by the girl, Hector remains reserved, hiding a passionate relationship from his past. Devastated when she discovers the secret, Nina discards any ideas of future marital happiness. This elegant tale of hidden desires and misplaced amour will appeal to fans of historical fantasy.--Lockley, Lucy Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Moreno-Garcia (Certain Dark Things) fills her fantastic novel of manners with sumptuous language and plausible romantic complications in a setting that appears to be based on 19th-century France and is lightly garnished with minor magic, including the telekinetic abilities of unconventional debutante Antonina "Nina" Beaulieu and performer Hector Auvray. Both of them dwell uncomfortably adjacent to the titular beautiful people, society personages with old money and impeccable pedigrees. Hector is intrigued by country mouse Nina's unfashionable traits of directness, interest in entomology, and romantic naïveté, as well as her scientific approach to studying psychic abilities-but he is even more interested in her cousin by marriage, Valérie Beaulieu, with whom he was involved years before and whom he still passionately idealizes. Brittle, attractive Valérie enjoys Hector's renewed presence as he pretends to court Nina; her memories of her youthful romance with him contrast with her indifferent, dutiful relationship with her husband. Readers who enjoyed Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories magical Regency series will be particularly enthralled by the genuine emotions evoked in the course of the unsustainable love triangle. Agent: Eddie Schneider, JABberwocky Literary. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Returning to the capital city of -Loisail, Hector Auvray uses his telekinesis to wow crowds and gain entry into society. At a lavish party, he meets the young Nina Beaulieu who is immediately smitten and intrigued by his psychic abilities. Although he enjoys Nina's attentions, his heart belongs to -Valérie, Nina's aunt by marriage. While Valérie was the one who broke their engagement to marry the wealthy Gaetan Beaulieu, she still doesn't like seeing Hector paying Nina attention. The telekinesis that -Hector has mastered and Nina is struggling to control adds a fantastical spin to a story that would otherwise be a great fit for fans of the 18th-century French classic Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Valérie is an especially compelling character to watch: self-destructive, vengeful, and broken by her own choices and machinations. VERDICT The talented author of Certain Dark Things and Signal to Noise returns with a novel that is light on fantasy but overflowing with delicious melodrama.-MM © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
In a Belle Epoque-inspired setting, the author of Signal to Noise and Certain Dark Things tries her hand at romance with excellent results. Hector Auvray, a world-renowned telekinetic performer, has returned to the posh city of Loisail after years away with one purpose in mind-to see Valérie Beaulieu, his former fiancée, who broke their engagement to marry for money and security instead of the passionate love they shared. He decides to court Antonina Beaulieu, Valérie's husband's young country cousin, who has telekinetic powers of her own and doesn't quite fit in during her first Grand Season. Unaware of the part that she is playing in the bigger plot, the curious and awkward Antonina falls for the mysterious Hector, especially because he accepts her abilities. This novel of manners presents carefully crafted characters with nuanced motivations to rival any Thomas Hardy classic. Moreno-Garcia adeptly captures the ecstatic highs of first love and the bitter disappointments of first heartbreak. Hints of the paranormal and dashes of adventure and feminism are subtly interwoven, making for an unforgettable work. VERDICT A must-have where Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, and romance are popular.-Shelley M. Diaz, School Library Journal © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
