Gorgeously tender and rich in magic and whimsy, Kelly Link’s long awaited fantasy debut was just as weird and wonderfully immersive as I hoped it would be! 

With incredible world-building and an emotional, character driven narrative that borders on the uncanny, Link has created a modern masterpiece of speculative fiction that even Lewis Carroll would be envious of.

It’s set in the small, seaside town of Lovesend, MA and follows three teens (Mo, Daniel and Laura) who return from the dead and tasked (by their seemingly magical high school music teacher, no less) with learning to use the magic they each now posses. As well as remember the circumstances that led to their deaths.

But with talking animals, unhinged goddesses and mysterious magical boys slowly overtaking the town—our formerly unalive MCs must succeed if they wish to save themselves (and their town) from the bizarre goings on that seek to destroy everything they hold most dear.

This is actually the first of Link’s work I’ve ever read, but the glowing praise for her short stories made me eager to get my hands on her first full length novel—and unsurprisingly, it didn’t disappoint. The prose is fabulously lyrical and the intricately woven characters were an absolute joy to get to know. 

With meticulously crafted backstories and messy, melodramatic relationships driving the narrative-Susannah, Laura, Mo and Daniel, and their experiences with life and love (in all its varied forms) was powerfully compelling. 

From the grief stricken pain of losing a family member, to strained sibling relationships, first loves and embittered rivalries— we really delve into the core of each of our flawed protagonists. Capturing such an emotionally detailed picture that, by the end I was emotionally invested in them all to some extent.

Even antagonist Bogomil, and (the Aziraphale to his Crowley) counterpart, Mr. Anabin (who I was prepared to dislike on sight) had some tender blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that got me rooting for them too. But of all the characters we encounter, it was Carousel (Daniel’s precocious little sister) that I loved the most—her reactions and sass were sheer perfection and I’d love to see a short story (or two) centred around her.

I should probably also mention that it does clock in at just over 600 pages (626 in the UK arc), which I know seems daunting if you don’t read a lot of chunky books. However, the writing was soo beautifully done that the length didn’t really bother me, and I pretty much inhaled the first hundred or so pages without even realising.

Overall, an immersive and thoroughly enjoyable love letter to love—and all things strange and unusual,that fans of Buffy, Good Omens or Tim Burton’s are sure to enjoy. 

Also a huge thank you to Jade over at Head of Zeus for the wonderful proof