Horn Book Review
In the near future, there are two New Yorks: the Light (where affluent Light magicians live) and, on the other side of a wall, the Dark (largely populated by impoverished Dark magicians, as well as illegally created doppelgangers). Two years before the book opens, Lucie Manette and her father were rescued from the Dark city, a symbolic act of mercy by the Light Council; now Lucie lives in Light New York and is dating Ethan Stryker, son of a prominent Light councilman. When Ethan is accused of passing information to rebels in the Dark city, help comes from an unexpected source: his doppelganger Carwyn. But Lucie soon learns from Carwyn that a revolution is coming, and that as The Golden Thread in the Dark, Lucie herself is a symboland a rallying cryfor both sides. Lucie, Ethan, and Carwyn initially feel a bit more like archetypes (the tragic heroine, the perfect boyfriend, the evil twin) than fully fleshed-out characters, but all prove to have hidden depths and complexities; and the reality of their situation is likewise more tangled and troubling than it appears on the surface. Romance and just a hint of snarky humor help to diffuse the tension. With nods to Dickenss A Tale of Two Cities, this dark-fantasy-meets-romance will have readers hooked. katie bircher (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
"It was the best of times until it was the worst of times" in a fantastical Tale of Two Cities. In Light New York, Light magic provides luxurious ease for its practitioners, but the symbiotic Dark magic provokes ostracism and confinement. Lucie Manette escaped Dark New York as a heroine after rescuing her father from imprisonment, but she remains guilt-ridden over those she left behind. When Carwyn, a doppelgnger created with illegal Dark magic, unexpectedly saves his double, Ethan (Lucie's beloved and nephew of the Light Council's leader), Lucie is sickened by the exposed corruption among the ruling caste. But as the downtrodden Dark populace rises in bloody revolution, Lucie has to make a terrible choice. Retellings of beloved classics are tricky, but here, Dickens' overall plot and major characters translate effortlessly into this intriguingly imagined setting. Lucie and Ethan are more complex than their rather insipid Victorian prototypes, and Carwyn retains all the bad-boy fascination of his charismatic counterpart. Less successful are the direct quotes from the original, which feel strained and artificial. Brennan is best where she is most original: her metaphorically rich magical system, her timely (and timeless) championing of society's outcasts. Her trademark witty dialoguealthough restrained by the somber narrativestill sparkles, making the inevitable tragic conclusion all the more poignant. This respectful and occasionally clever homage may be most appreciated by those least familiar with the original. (Fantasy. 12 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
