The Beautiful

August 15, 2019
Forbidden love is tested by suspicion and murder in this latest addition to YA vampire lore. Celine Rousseau, a French and Asian (mother's exact origins unknown) seamstress, sails from Europe to America in hopes of leaving her shadowy past behind. En route, she bonds with Pippa, a white English émigrée, and both girls find refuge in an Ursuline convent. Celine's talent as a couturier leads to a commission from Odette, a beautiful member of the opulent-yet-mysterious Cour des Lions, where students of the occult practice their craft unmolested. Before long, Celine is swept up in a world of mystical forces centering around Sébastien Saint Germain, an enigmatic aristocrat to whom she is irresistibly attracted. When a fellow convent member is found murdered, Celine suspects all her acquaintances, including Sébastien. The novel, wading into the waters of forbidden romance between teenage girl and hunky immortal vampire previously navigated by Buffy Summers and Bella Swan, feels less magical than it should despite the lush Victorian-era New Orleans setting. At times the mounting attraction between Bastien and Celine is told rather than shown, which makes the central relationship feel forced rather than organic and passion filled. Ahdieh (Smoke in the Sun, 2018, etc.) brings New Orleans vibrantly to life, particularly when exploring the complicated racial and gender restrictions of high society through main and supporting characters of mixed-race origin. Sure to please fans of the author and of the vampire-romance genre. (Fantasy. 12-adult)

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September 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Marceline "Celine" Rousseau flees 1872 France with a dark secret. She finds refuge in a New Orleans convent with other girls her age hoping to find husbands, something Celine isn't sure she wants, until she meets the charming and mysterious Bastien, member of La Cour des Lions. Celine takes readers with her as she pierces Bastien's supernatural world while a killer who has struck fear into the city appears to be stalking her. Detective Michael Grimaldi investigates the killer and withholds details of his own cryptic past with Bastien. Grimaldi is quick to call out Celine's ruses even while admiring her from afar. The large cast showcases the diversity of New Orleans, including Celine who is half Asian, although her father insisted she keep that a secret, while Bastien is part African-American. Ahdieh pays homage to the time period with detailed descriptions of a rich setting. The paranormal elements of the plot struggle as more time is spent being evasive than fleshing out the world with concrete details, making it difficult to understand what's happening at times. The first in a series, this mystery novel shines when it focuses on Celine and her struggle to fit into society while trying to be true to herself. Although Celine has the main point of view, shadowy characters have short chapters throughout the story, including the killer who has dragged her into his tale of vengeance. VERDICT Purchase for libraries where vampire stories have never gone out of fashion.-Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, FL

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 9, 2019
Seventeen-year old dressmaker Celine Rousseau fled Paris with a bloody secret, arriving at the Ursuline convent in 1872 New Orleans to begin anew. But after a woman is found dead with her throat torn out and another corpse turns up, Celine’s willful spirit and attraction to the enigmatic, striking Sébastien Saint Germain make her the serial killer’s focus. Drawn to La Cour des Lions, the New Orleans underworld that Sébastien leads, Celine is fascinated by his glamor and brutality and his circle of uniquely skilled, criminal friends—and unsure whether they’re entirely human. As she plots to outwit the killer, biracial Celine (her father is white and her mother is East Asian) contends with her own secret past and her undeniable attraction to danger and power. Ahdieh’s New Orleans is lushly atmospheric, permeating this series opener with an undercurrent of violence within a seductive underworld around Mardi Gras. Though the dialogue is flat in places, readers will champion Celine’s wit and incredible grit—even surrounded by powerful, supernatural protectors, Celine fights for herself and those she loves. Ending on a spectacular cliffhanger, Ahdieh ensures that fans will clamor for the continuation to this captivating volume. Ages 12–up. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary.

August 1, 2019
Grades 9-12 When Celine arrives in New Orleans fresh from Paris, she's looking for a new start. It's 1872, and options for a woman alone are limited, but Celine, who has dark secrets in her past, is determined to find a way. Celine finds herself falling in love with New Orleans, which, in the middle of carnival season, has a wild, seductive beauty. But the city has its dangers: Celine meets Bastien, a man she is attracted to but resists, who is at the forefront of a mysterious group active in the city's underworld. And a vicious serial killer begins stalking the city?one who drains the blood of his victims . . . one who may not be entirely human. Eventually Celine catches his eye, but he doesn't know what's in her past. Ahdieh (Flame in the Mist, 2017) kick-starts the vampire story with a series opener that, while it owes more to Interview with the Vampire than it does to Twilight, is all its own. An action-packed third act and a final reveal will have readers grasping for the sequel. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Vampires never stay dead for long, and best-selling Ahdieh's approach?part homage to the classics, part fresh-eyed revitalization?will intrigue all but the most committed skeptics.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)