Reviews for A shadow bright and burning
Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
In this series-opener, a prophecy describes a female sorcerer who will kill the Ancients--demons ravaging the land. Henrietta's fire powers mark her as that sorcerer, but her magic is strangely un-sorcerous. Gender roles in this alternate Victorian London complicate Henrietta's struggles in a solid fantasy with the requisite action and romance as well as some genre-shaking surprises. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
Cluess' debut is a marvelous mash-up of Dickens, the students-with-magical-powers genre, and alt-history. Sixteen-year-old Henrietta Howel, discovered in a rural Yorkshire orphanage, is proclaimed as the prophesied female sorcerer who will, with training, finally defeat the seven Ancients. Victorian London has been attacked by these terrifying monsters for years while sorcerers searched for the Chosen One. Henrietta, who has the ability to summon and harness fire, arrives in London for training. At first, she's delighted to be encouraged in her desire to learn. Then Henrietta discovers a secret truth: she is not, in fact, the girl of the prophecy. Afraid of letting down her beloved teacher, she struggles to meet expectations, while simultaneously discovering the thrill of sexual attraction to both her childhood friend Rook and another student. It's a fascinating look at a society wherein magic, though accepted and respected, has its own class boundaries. Cluess' clever prose employs Dickensian names and rolls along at a speedy and compelling clip. Expect a demand for future series titles.--Carton, Debbie Copyright 2016 Booklist
