Review
From the book jacket: Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle
is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy,
spending time with her friends in the city, attending
ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing
father. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma's
visions intensify -- visions of three girls dressed in
white, to whom something horrific has happened,
something only the realms can explain....
The lure is strong, and before long Gemma, Felicity,
and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the
enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring
them to. But all is not well in the realms -- or out.
The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she
must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great
disaster will befall her....
Beyond the Book
Q: From
the beginning, you envisioned Gemma as a heroine who kicks
butt and takes names–all in a
corset and crinoline. What
changed about the character
after you began writing the
book? What stayed the same?
Libba Bray: It's hard to believe, but
I actually envisioned Gemma and
the book as being much lighter
and funnier. Yeah, right,
because dealing with
supernatural visions, secret
societies, and lots of
not-quite-dead people is always
a real laugh riot, right?
Okey-dokey. Moving on . . . I
did always see Gemma as...
