Review by Booklist Review
Reid's loose fantasy-horror retelling of "The Juniper Tree" is as lovely as it is gruesome. In the crumbling manor of Zmiy Vashchenko, the three daughters of the last wizard of Oblya (for he's killed the rest) live as veritable prisoners, plying their magic to the curious for rubles to appease their father's insatiable appetites. Marlinchen, the youngest, is the lesser daughter: not smart and beautiful like her sister Rosenrot, or brave and beautiful like her sister Undine. Forbidden from leaving the grounds, the trio nevertheless sneak away to see the ballet, where Marlinchen is captivated by the principal dancer, Sevastyan, and he with her. This secret attraction propels Marlinchen into greater acts of rebellion, which eventually reveal to her the shocking lengths her sisters and father have gone to to keep her subservient. Reid twists the familiar magic of fairy tales into gothic horror, telling a powerful story of surviving trauma that doesn't shy away from its ugliness, while giving Marlinchen the agency to carve a better life. Reid's intimate, visceral storytelling, veering at times into body horror, may make this a hard read for some; others will find themselves reflected in its pages with nuanced understanding.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Reid's darkly enchanting second fairy tale retelling (after The Wolf and the Woodsman) takes on "The Juniper Tree." Zmiy Vashchenko is the last true wizard in Oblya, and he keeps his three witch-daughters locked away in their crumbling home. The only people the women are allowed to interact with are the clients who pay for their respective powers. Undine sees people's futures in her scrying pool; Rosenrot is an herbalist who creates healing poultices and potions; and the youngest, Marlinchen, is a flesh diviner, able to read people through the touch of their skin. When the girls sneak out to the ballet one night, Marlinchen catches the attention of the lead dancer, Sevastyan Reskin. Later, Sevastyan's handler brings him to their home looking for a cure for his peculiar malady, and when Zmiy notices Marlinchen's interest, he further tightens his grip on his daughters. Life within the Vashchenko house becomes ever more dangerous for the women--and life in Oblya isn't any safer. There's a monster plaguing the streets, and Marlinchen is especially haunted by the deaths. Reid fully embraces the darkness of the original tale while adding enough twists to make the story her own. Grimms' fairy tale fans--and those who like their fairy tales grim--will be thrilled. Agent: Sarah Landis, Sterling Lord Literistic. (May)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Reid sets her retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairytale "The Juniper Tree" in the world of her internationally best-selling The Wolf and the Woodsman, crafting the story of Marlinchen and her two sisters, the only true witches left in Oblya and unfortunately burdened with an overbearing wizard father. Marlinchen is just beginning to rebel when her magic is needed to save Oblya from a looming monster. With a 100,000-copy first printing.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
