Release: September 14th, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Amulet Books
Source: Amazon
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N
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A gothic YA fantasy debut about a young woman striving to break her sister’s curse and stop the killing in her small French town
Seventeen-year-old Marie mixes perfumes to sell on market day in her small eighteenth-century French town. She wants to make enough to save a dowry for her sister, Ama. She hopes for Ama marrying well and Marie living in the level of freedom afforded only to spinster aunts. But her perfumes are more than sweet scents in cheap, cut-glass bottles. A certain few are laced with death. Marie laces the perfume delicately, not with poison but with a hint of honeysuckle she’s trained her sister to respond to. Marie marks her victim and Ama attacks. But she doesn’t attack as a girl. She kills as a beast.
Marking Ama’s victims controls the damage to keep suspicion at bay. But when a young boy turns up dead one morning, Marie must acknowledge she might be losing control of Ama. And if she can’t control her, she’ll have to cure her. Marie knows the only place she’ll find the cure is in the mansion where Ama’s curse took place, home of Lord Sebastien LeClaire. But once she gets into the mansion, she discovers dark secrets hidden away. They are secrets of the curse, of Lord Sebastien . . . and herself.
About the Author:
Cyla Panin is an MG and YA writer who prefers to look at the world through a dusting of magic. After spending most of her childhood wanting to escape into the wonderful worlds her favorite authors created, she’s now using her own words to craft magical places. When not writing, Cyla plays dinosaurs with her two young boys, watching swashbuckling and/or period TV shows with her husband, and, of course, reading.
Her YA fantasy debut, STALKING SHADOWS, is a gothic, feminist fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Amulet/Abrams will publish the book in fall 2021.
Stalking Shadows Review:
Firstly, I applaud the author for writing a solid debut novel. She wrote the story so beautifully. It was indeed a surprise that it was her first novel. The author compellingly sets the tone, which immediately caught my interest. The plot comes off as a mysterious, gothic fairy tale that makes you feel like you are reading a Grimm’s novel.
Marie is a compelling character who fits perfectly in the plot. I enjoyed the first half of the tale as Marie searches for the magical book that might save Ama’s life. Her relationship with Lucien is adorable, and I adored how protective she gets over him. Similarly, I loved her scenes with Sebastien. While the two don’t exactly hit it off, I thought the author gradually and realistically paced their friendship. The second half is equally enjoyable as Marie and Sebastien try to figure out what is happening.
Another reason why I enjoyed the story is because of its twists and turns. The author keeps you guessing as to who the person is that is killing the children. Some parts surprised me as I did not expect them. However, the introduction of new characters in the plot throws you off from what you expected to happen. There are twists till the very end, which makes the story exciting to read.
Overall, I enjoyed “Stalking Shadows” and thought it was a beautiful story. While I would not exactly call it a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, it is nevertheless entertaining and stands out on its own. I look forward to reading the author’s future novels and hope she writes more stories in this genre.
