Synopsis:
A propulsive, gorgeously written fantasy romance that pulls you into a dazzling world of dancing and danger, fae and fairytales, and a love that endures against all odds.
Musical and immersive, this stunning debut is perfect for fans of The Night Circus and The Moonlight Market.
London, 1986. Trix is a young ballerina striving to make a name for herself in the cutthroat, unforgiving world of dance. Aleksander ‘Sander’ Sylvan is the company’s mysterious, meteoric rising star, whose talents are like nothing anyone has seen before.
An eleventh-hour illness among the cast of The Sleeping Beauty changes everything: Trix and Sander are thrown together in the lead roles. Soon, the pair become the company’s star attraction, their sizzling on-stage chemistry fuelling speculation about their private lives. Trix quickly finds herself falling for Sander, but as they grow closer, she cannot help but wonder about his past. Who is Sander really? Why won’t he talk about his family, or where he comes from?
Then, on the opening night of Romeo and Juliet at the very height of their fame, disaster strikes. With Sander missing and only a cryptic note to guide her, Trix begins to wonder if the magic they created together onstage was more than just a fairytale.
Perhaps something truly strange and wondrous has entered the mortal world…
Review:
This is a love letter to ballet and I want everyone to read it, but I know that only ballerinas will truly understand how wonderful this is.
This is a slow burn fantasy love story set in the world of an elite London ballet company. Emphasis on the slow burn, tantalising romance which is as much about identity as it is understanding.
As an ex-ballerina, someone who struggled with feeling alienated by a sense of lacking lust, hormones, and chemistry; I related deeply with Trix, our heroine.
I too felt tentatively accepted by the asexual identity – a label that isn’t named in the book (set between 1980s-2000s)
‘I get to step out on that stage and call him my prince in a dozen different ways. What more could I possibly want?’
This book highlights the high price of being elite dancers, the passion and dedication and pain that come hand in hand.
The writing touched me deeply: beautiful and filled with longing and musicality.
However, and this is its biggest downfall, this book is very technical. Pages of performance interpretation. An abundance of French ballet terms. An overwhelming focus on the desire to dance, to perfect, to perform.
The fantastical element is quite light,. The plot seems to be packed into the last 30 pages making for some slow pacing and an uneven structure.
If you go in expecting a slow burn, minimal romance, light fantasy, little plot ballet fantasy – you will love it.
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