Cinders & Sapphires

December 3, 2012
In the spring of 1910, Lady Ava Averley sails from colonial India to her family’s English estate at Somerton Court. On board, she meets a cute but common Indian boy, Ravi Sundaresan, and they steal a clandestine kiss. Ada’s first season is approaching, but she dreams of attending Oxford, at a time when the higher education of women is frowned upon. At Somerton, Ada’s father remarries, and Ada contends with her new stepfamily, including a mean stepmother and rival stepsister. She also has a new, 16-year-old maid, Rose, a girl with her own secrets as well as aspirations that go beyond her current station. British author Rasheed brings a dizzying number of characters and subplots together skillfully in this first book in the At Somerton series, mixing standard upstairs/downstairs fare with clashes involving sexuality, scandal, love triangles, and murder. Scheming and secrets drive a plot with largely shallow players (Ada’s other love interest, Lord Fintan, is an exception), but fans of historical romances like the Luxe series and shows like Downton Abbey will look forward to the next book. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency.

December 1, 2012
A thoroughly satisfying romp for Downton Abbey fans. Lady Ada Averley, returning by steamboat to her British ancestral estate after a childhood in India, shares a furtive, passionate kiss with Ravi, an Indian revolutionary. At 16, Ada prefers books to ball gowns and dreads the byzantine formalities of the upcoming social season; she'd rather convince her father to let her attend Oxford than find a husband. But the family's name is imperiled by scandal, and Ada's loyalty demands that she play the game, even as Ravi dominates her thoughts. Ada's emerging social consciousness--she gamely struggles against the pervasive sexism, racism and classism of pre-World War I England--provides an intellectual backbone for what could easily have been just another high-society soap opera. Rasheed sidesteps sanctimony, however, by infusing the story with humor, vivid descriptions--a diamond hangs in a debutante's decolletage "as tempting as the fly on a fishing line"--and a surplus of intrigue above and below stairs, propelling the narrative toward the cliffhangers of the final pages. Breathless readers will look forward to the next sudsy chapter in this planned series. (Historical fiction. 12 & up)

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March 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-As a proper young lady in the early 1900s, Lady Ada Averly dreams of attending Oxford College but, given the rules of polite society, she must find a suitable husband. Her father's military posting abruptly sends them from India back to England, and on the voyage home, she falls deeply in love with a young Indian man, despite the risk to her reputation and her family's social standing. The staff hurries to ready the family estate for the return of Lord Averly and his family, including a surprise new bride. Rose, a housemaid at the mansion for years, feels the stress in the house as the preparations continue. When the couple arrives, along with Lord Averly's wife's children, the tensions grow. Everyone, from the house staff to the family members, has secrets to keep, and Ada is not the only one involved in an inappropriate relationship. And once some of those secrets come out, the entire family's reputation is at stake. This period piece intertwines several different plotlines and includes a large, confusing cast of cliched characters. Readers looking for a historical romance might enjoy the details of the clothes, the mansions, and the ins and outs of the lives of the different characters. The story resolves only a few of its many tangled plotlines, leaving readers waiting for the next book to get any answers.-Diana Pierce, Leander High School, TX

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2013
Grades 8-12 The story begins with young Lady Ada, on her way back from India, sharing a shipboard kiss with Oxford-bound Ravia romantic moment forbidden on several levels. After the clarity of that chapter, confusion ensues: so many lords, ladies, ladies' maids. The important ones include Ada's father, Lord Westlake; his wealthy bride, Fiona; and her children, including the jealous Charlotte and gay Sebastian. Downstairs there is Ada's new lady's maid, Rose, who bears a startling resemblance to Lord Westlake. The story, told from multiple points of view, clearly gets its inspiration from Downton Abbey (read: British soap opera), and it's as though a whole season is crammed into one book. Fans of the genre will certainly enjoy this, as will romance readers, who will feel as torn as Ada about whether she should pursue a relationship with Ravi (especially after he becomes an activist for Indian independence from Britain) or the eligible lord who appreciates a woman who wants an education, as Ada does. Stay tuned for more good fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)