Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this provocative fantasy, two young women tackle themes of power, privilege, and politics when they switch identities to pursue their dreams. Noble-born Emilie des Marais, 16, wants to become a physician, a role usually forbidden women of her class because of the corruptive toll the magical "noonday arts" exact. Common-born Annette Boucher wants to escape her domineering parents and master the less physically costly "midnight arts" of illusions, divination, and scrying, normally reserved for those who can afford the expensive education. At Emilie's urging, each girl takes the other's place. Their homeland, Demeine, is on the brink of war with a neighboring land as its king seeks to distract the populace from growing unrest surrounding the systematic exploitation of lesser magical talents, known as hacks, who take the brunt of magic for privileged clients, and both young women are pulled into the escalating conflict. Miller (Ruin of Stars) writes in lush, dense prose that can require a careful read, but her protagonists' awareness of privilege and desire to challenge the status quo shines through. LGBTQ representation--including gay, trans, and nonbinary characters (Annette identifies as asexual biromantic)--further widens this tale's appeal. Ages 12--up. Agent: Rachel Brooks, BookEnds Literary. (Feb.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Emilie wants to use her magical power to become a physician, but her mother insists that she attend finishing school to prepare for life as a noble ruler of her province. Annette wants to learn to use her magic independently, but her common birth dooms her to work as a "hack" who contributes her power to noble-born magicians. The teens switch places, with Emilie receiving medical training while Annette impersonates Emilie and learns to use her own supernatural gift. Chapters alternate between Annette's and Emilie's points of view, as both girls endure danger and hardship while protecting the common people of their French-inspired realm from an evil king and abusive magical ruling class. The novel features a large cast of characters with white, brown, and black skin and span a range of gender identities and sexual orientations: a noble-born boy assumed to be female at birth whose parents are now delighted to have a son, a queen-in-waiting whose lover is also female, and Annette herself who likes flirting and romance with both girls and boys but isn't sexually attracted to anyone. The characters speak often of their intent to overthrow their ruler and reshape their country into one that supports all people and identities, but the subtext of acceptance never overwhelms the action of the plot. VERDICT Fast-paced fantasy with a pair of determined female protagonists. A welcome twist on the tropes of sword and sorcery novels.--Beth Wright Redford, Park Elementary School Library, Cross Plains, WI
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An aristocrat and a commoner swap places to realize their dreams.In this French-flavored fantasy, magic is classified as either the midnight arts (illusions, scrying, divining) or the noonday arts (physical magic oriented toward military uses and healing). As using magic takes a heavy toll on the practitioner's body, nobles make use of talented commoners as hacks: The hacks channel the magic and take the brunt of the damage while the noble artist directs it. While being packed away to a finishing school where she'll learn the midnight arts, noble Emilie happens upon Annette, a poor girl who looks like her. Seeing Annette's interest in the midnight arts, Emilie proposes they switch places, enabling Annette to utilize the education and freeing Emilie to pose as a commoner in order to apply to the university as a physician's hack (with the goal of breaking the gender barrier and becoming a physician herself). The protagonists keep in contact through letters and scrying, build new communities, and get an up-close look at their society's illsinjustices targeted by revolutionary figurehead Laurel. As they fall into revolutionary orbits, the girls uncover dark secrets, devious politicking, and get a taste of war's casualties. Various types of relationships and sexualities are given positive representation, including powerful platonic relationships, multiple lesbian romances, and characters who are trans, nonbinary, and asexual. The protagonists are white; there are several brown-skinned secondary characters.A bursting-at-the-seams stand-alone empowerment story. (Fantasy. 12-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
