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I can't tell you how proud I am of these chilling, beautifully written and thoroughly wonderful fantasies from Jaclyn Dolamore, DARK METROPOLIS and GLITTERING SHADOWS.

The books are set in a Cabaret-esque world that is lush and corrupt and darkly shimmering, and feature things like Dangerous Magic! Awesome Lesbians! Political Intrigue! Creepy Necromancers! And basically every other fun thing to read about. If you haven't read book one, it is now available in paperback... and today, the sequel arrives in stores. WOOHOO!

BOOK ONE: THE DARK METROPOLIS (now available in paperback - check out the new cover!):

People are disappearing.

Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder hears the rumors, but she can barely make ends meet, let alone worry about strangers who've gone missing. Her mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. Thea must make a living for both of them in this sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.

Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club, attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets -- even as he hides secrets of his own.

Together, they discover a new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. Soon, Thea and Freddy begin to realize nightmarish truths about the city's dark underbelly, and that time is running out for Nan. And if they're not careful, the masterminds behind the disappearances will be after them, too.

BOOK TWO: GLITTERING SHADOWS  (out today!):

The revolution is here.

Bodies line the streets of Urobrun; a great pyre burns in Republic Square. The rebels grow anxious behind closed doors while Marlis watches as the politicians search for answers-and excuses-inside the Chancellery.

Thea, Freddy, Nan, and Sigi are caught in the crossfire, taking refuge with a vibrant, young revolutionary and a mysterious healer. As the battle lines are drawn, a greater threat casts a dark shadow over the land. Magic might be lost . . . forever.

This action-packed sequel to DARK METROPOLIS weaves political intrigue, haunting magic, and heartbreaking romance into an unforgettable narrative. Dolamore's lyrical writing and masterfully crafted plot deliver a powerful conclusion.

BUY THE BOOKS: Powells, IndieBound, Oblong, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or wherever fine books are sold.

The DARK METROPOLIS is a city that brings to mind the devil-may-care excesses and menace of Berlin between the wars. Here, corruption and vice are rampant, disappearances warrant only a shrug from the authorities.... and people who die don't always stay dead.

Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder is struggling to stay afloat. By day she nurses her ill mother, by night she works at the decadent Telephone Club. Unlike most other girls at the club, Thea refuses to go out with men and accept favors to supplement her wages, so she is barely able to make ends meet. When her best friend at work, Nan, stops showing up, Thea is the only one who is alarmed and tries to find her.

Thea's search for her friend leads her to a strangely attractive silver-haired boy whose touch is a gift, and a curse. Together, the two will uncover nightmarish secrets about how the city is really run. Secrets that some rich and influential people will do anything to keep hidden. 
 
Drawing on influences as diverse as Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Cabaret and Sabriel, this is a dark 1920's fairy tale; haunting, romantic and suspenseful. 

Jackie Dolamore is the author of the awesome fantasies MAGIC UNDER GLASS, BETWEEN THE SEA AND SKY, and MAGIC UNDER STONE -- but I personally think that THE DARK METROPOLIS is her most daring and sophisticated book yet. 

PW: Dolamore brings the elements of her complex storyline together with flair, and an extended climax provides closure and reveals new sides to the characters. Heroes, villains, and those somewhere in between all have strong motives.

Booklist: Dolamore builds an intriguing fantasy world, vaguely reminiscent of a war-ravaged twentieth-century Europe with the glitz of the Gilded Age, old-country magic, and an underground dystopian flair.

You can buy the book at Oblong, through IndieBound, from Powells, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or anywhere fine books are sold.

MAGIC UNDER STONE by Jaclyn Dolamore - Bloomsbury - YA Fantasy

Nimira is a fierce and passionate former chorus girl. Erris is a faerie prince trapped in the body of a clockwork man. For these star-crossed lovers there can be no happily ever after until Erris is freed from the clockwork form in which his soul is trapped. And so they go in search of the sorcerer Ordoria Valdana, hoping he will know how to grant Erris real life again. When they learn that Valdana has mysteriously vanished, Nimira decides to take matters into her own hands-and begins to study the sorcerer's spell books in secret. Yet even as she begins to understand the power and limitations of sorcery, it becomes clear that freeing Erris will bring danger--if not out-and-out war--as factions within the faerie world are prepared to stop at nothing to prevent him from regaining the throne.

This is a gorgeous sequel to MAGIC UNDER GLASS, but newcomers to the story are sure to be as utterly enchanted by Nimira and Erris's tale as fans of the first book. (And if you HAVEN'T read the first book yet, for goodness' sake get on it - it's in paperback now, you can't afford NOT to read it!)

Buy MAGIC UNDER STONE here, or at your local independent bookstore.

Buy MAGIC UNDER GLASS in paperback here, or at your local independent bookstore.

EYE OF THE STORM by Kate Messner - Bloomsbury - Middle Grade Thriller
In the not-too-distant future, huge tornadoes and monster storms have become a part of everyday life. Sent to spend the summer in the heart of storm country with her meteorological engineer father, Jaden Meggs is surprised at the strides her father's company StormSafe has made with custom shelters that keep wealthy families secure in even the worst of storms.

At her exclusive summer science camp, Eye On Tomorrow, Jaden meets Alex, a boy whose passion for science matches hers. Together, they discover that her father's company is steering storms away from the expensive neighborhoods and toward the organic farming communities that are in competition with his bio-engineered food company, NatureMade. Jaden must confront her father, but when she does, she uncovers a terrifying family secret and must call on both her scientific knowledge and her strength to save the people she loves.

For middle graders (aged 9-12) who are perhaps not QUITE ready for the blood-and-guts teen thrillers but want some pulse-pounding action of their own, Eye of the Storm is a fantastic choice. Boys or girls who are interested in science will also appreciate the "whys" and "hows" of this world, because the book is really smart. But also REALLY exciting. !!!

Buy EYE OF THE STORM here, or at your local independent bookstore.

My editor was kind enough to send me an early copy of MAGIC UNDER GLASS by Jaclyn Dolamore, and I finished this book so recently, I can still hear the ticking of the clockwork automaton in my brain. It's a story that will stay with me for a long time, set in a world that was pure delight to visit.  I can't wait to buy a few more for my classroom. I already have a mental list of students who are going to love it.

The world created in MAGIC UNDER GLASS is one firmly grounded in social classes and politics, yet it still swirls with spirits and fairies that are completely believable. The main character, Nimira, is a dance-hall girl who finds herself taken into the home of a wealthy sorcerer, where she's commanded to sing with a clockwork automaton who plays the piano. It turns out, though, there's more to him than cogs and gears, and that "something more" captures Nimira's heart and mires her in a seemingly impossible plot to save him.

I love the strength of the girl characters in this book, not only the charming, clever Nimira, but also the supporting characters, right down to the maid who pulled out a move that had me cheering near the end of the book.

While the book is officially being labeled as YA fantasy, it's also perfectly appropriate for younger advanced readers who appreciate fantasy and romance. MAGIC UNDER GLASS a beautifully written story that somehow has the feeling of being completely fresh and a classic all at once. Highly recommended...especially if you need a last-minute gift for a tween or teen girl.  MAGIC UNDER GLASS comes out this Tuesday, December 22.

Note: This is the UK cover, which I think I might like even better than the US cover above.  They're both gorgeous, though, befitting a beautifully written book.

Title: Magic Under Glass

Author: Jackie/Jaclyn Dolamore

US Release date: February 1, 2010

Summary (from GoodReads): Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.

Why I'm interested: Sort of like last week, I love that there's a fairy realm, along with sorcerers and ghosts -- all these supernatural elements coming together is fascinating. And of course, I'm such a sucker for a romance that's fighting against the odds. I'm already sighing.

What are you looking forward to right now?

As you may guess, I am SUPER excited about tenner Jackie Dolamore's Magic Under Glass. So, I was thrilled to find out that she's giving away an ARC of the copy with sketches of the characters, so it's totally unique.

Here's more on Magic Under Glass along with a link to the contest:




Coming 12/22/09 from Bloomsbury...

Nimira is a music-hall girl used to dancing for pennies. So when wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing accompaniment to a mysterious piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it will be the start of a better life. In Parry's world, long-buried secrets are about to stir. Unsettling rumors begin to swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry’s involvement in a group of corrupt sorcerers for whom the rules of the living and dead are meant to be broken for greater power. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing fairy gentleman is trapped within the automaton, she is determined to break the curse. But even as the two fall into a love that seems hopeless, breaking the curse becomes a perilous race against time. Because it's not just the future of these star-crossed lovers that's at stake, but the fate of the entire magical world.

Want to win an ARC with original sketches from the author inside? See http://fabulousfrock.livejournal.com for details!