Desdemona and the Deep

July 1, 2019
Seafall is the nexus of three worlds in which magic, history, and intrigue collide. Desdemona's mother, a suffragist and socialite, uses her influence to benefit victims of industry, like the rotten-jawed Phossy Gals of Seafall's match factories. Her father, an ironfisted capitalist, signs away his mine workers in exchange for unlimited wealth drawn up from the realms beneath. Desdemona and her best friend, Chaz, attempt to resurrect the dead miners through a drunken, late-night escapade and instead find themselves entangled in the politics of the realms below, between humans and gentry and goblins, and facing the ultimate choice?will their transformation be enough to save the lives of others? Readers will thrill to the extravagant descriptions of Cooney's worlds, the plot's socioeconomic allusions to our own world will draw in history buffs, and Desdemona's strong sense of justice and bravery will lead new fans to Cooney. Though it is marketed as a standalone (and can be read as such), this is Cooney's third foray into Seafall (after The Two Paupers, 2015). A rococo romp through strange and eerily familiar worlds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)