About the Book:
For fans of Sabaa Tahir and Guillermo del Toro comes The Lustrous Dark, a sweeping YA fantasy, in which a young midwife’s apprentice rises up to take back the power that’s been stolen from women.
Orphaned as a baby, Shay has spent her life training as the midwife’s apprentice. Her role grants her stability, yet Shay has always yearned for more. Namely, motherly affection and answers regarding her mysterious birth—neither of which the midwife deems practical to provide.
After Shay discovers her birth mother, Hind, is still alive and addicted to a magical drug called Snow, she determines to get the woman clean. But when Hind betrays Shay to get her hands on more Snow, Shay’s abandoned within a deadly forest and forced to rely on a band of monstrous ghouls for safety.
Shay’s realm has long stood on the brink of war between the men who control magic and the revolutionaries who want to eliminate it. But in the forest, Shay hears the pleading call of ancient spirits who claim that not only has magic been stolen, but Shay has the power to return it. With the help of a spitfire revolutionary and the boy who’s winning over her heart, Shay discovers the horrific truth of who produces Snow and will have to decide for herself whether to heed the spirits’ charge or fade into obscurity.
This emotionally raw and gorgeously rendered fairy tale combines the lush worldbuilding of This Woven Kingdom with the mother trauma of Snow White and a dash of Tim Burton. Steeped in mysticism and mythology, The Lustrous Dark confronts injustices against women with a righteous scream that’ll inspire readers to rally against the patriarchy and oppressive regimes worldwide.
Perfect for readers who love Political Revolutions, Fighting the Patriarchy, Toxic Mothers, Reawakening the Gods, Ancient Magic, Bone-Chilling Monsters, Haunted Forests, Female Friendships, Fairy Tale Retellings, and Cinnamon Roll Love Interests.
*Review Contributed by Rachel Feeck, Staff Reviewer*
Step into a uniquely lush and sinister world, where monsters and humans do more than pass in the night and the all-powerful regime wields fear and secrets to villainize magic. Shay trains diligently as the midwife’s assistant for the future set before her, one of helping other women and proving her own worth, but when the rumors of her dubious origins enter her life as undeniable reality, her kindness sees her taken advantage of and left among dangerous strangers. But it’s these strangers who can open Shay’s eyes to the power within her and the brewing rebellion that’s worth fighting for.
While it’s easy to say “ah yes, another rebel story”, this book stands out in its delivery of core themes: coming of age in an uncertain world, choosing the hard path, and what it feels like to want to believe someone will be a better person and not let you down again even when they keep doing so over and over. It faces the subject of substance addiction head on, including the effect on an addict’s family and the less-than-noble intentions of the authorities who despise yet enable to suit their own goals. Also, props for the portrayal of childbirth – rigorous and visceral, but without gore.
The message is pointed, the romance is sweet. Shay and her mother and the various people drawn to the rebellion are earnest and complex. Although I generally prefer a subtler approach, the directive and battle cry come through loud and clear, with emotion that is not petty complaints. It’s real and deserved.
*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*
