Gilded in Vengeance

Gr 9 Up–A magical world rife with danger, reminiscent of The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s the Gilded Age, and two girls from the tenements of New York are desperate to join the Society of the Charmed. Eighteen-year-old Emmy Vallillo, who is described as having pale skin, thinks she is developing her gifts alongside her best friend Grace Montgomery—a blonde-haired, blue-eyed teen who can co-opt other people’s magical gifts. Emmy is shocked when Grace betrays her, resulting in her father’s death and two years spent in Grimsbane Tower. After escaping, she joins forces with Jimmy Li, Caleb Alton, and the smoky-eyed Jack Fontaine to seek revenge against those who wronged her. This is a beautifully crafted world filled with all types of conjury. From dresses with moving motifs to windows that melt at a touch, this world is real enough to step into. Emmy is a well-realized character whose story will draw readers in as she navigates grief, love, betrayal, and difficult themes like prejudice and xenophobia. Every page of this book drips with menace as Emmy tries to determine who she can trust in the Society’s high-flung world of balls, dances, and deceit.