Wednesday, February 22, 2017

New Book: Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter



Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter was released in late 2016. The novel is a retelling of the Russian fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful," which is itself a Russian Cinderella story. You can read a version of the tale here. The book follows the strong recent trend of Russian fairy tale novels that's been enduring for several years now actually. The Russian versions of popular tales tend to be darker and atmospheric so I can understand their appeal for modern audiences.

Book description:

STEP INTO THE ENCHANTED KINGDOM OF BROOKLYN, WHERE MAGIC―AND DANGER―LURKS AROUND EVERY CORNER

A powerful and haunting tale for teen fans of urban fantasy, fairy tales, magic, and horror who enjoy books by Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, Catherynne Valente, and V. E. Schwab.

In the enchanted kingdom of Brooklyn, the fashionable people put on cute shoes, go to parties in warehouses, drink on rooftops at sunset, and tell themselves they’ve arrived. A whole lot of Brooklyn is like that now―but not Vassa’s working-class neighborhood.

In Vassa’s neighborhood, where she lives with her stepmother and bickering stepsisters, one might stumble onto magic, but stumbling away again could become an issue. Babs Yagg, the owner of the local convenience store, has a policy of beheading shoplifters―and sometimes innocent shoppers as well. So when Vassa’s stepsister sends her out for light bulbs in the middle of night, she knows it could easily become a suicide mission.

But Vassa has a bit of luck hidden in her pocket, a gift from her dead mother. Erg is a tough-talking wooden doll with sticky fingers, a bottomless stomach, and a ferocious cunning. With Erg’s help, Vassa just might be able to break the witch’s curse and free her Brooklyn neighborhood. But Babs won’t be playing fair....

AMAZON'S SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY BEST BOOKS OF THE MONTH PICK
AMAZON'S BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF THE MONTH PICK

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