Lyssa Mia Smith’s debut Young Adult fantasy, Revelle, is filled with magic, mystery, and romance, and manages to infuse tender messages about families – the ones we have, and the ones we make – into the cinematic world of the book.
A synopsis:
On the island of Charmant, magic flows like bootlegged champagne, and fantasies can be bought for the price of a gemstone.
Luxe Revelle, star of her family’s fantastical show, knows the splendor is just an illusion. With Prohibition threatening their livelihood, her family struggles to make a living, watering down champagne and patching holes in their sequined costumes. So when the son of Charmant’s wealthiest family makes her an offer—everything the Revelles need to stay in business, in exchange for posing as his girl and helping him become mayor—she can’t refuse.
The moment Jamison Port sets foot in Charmant, he can’t shake the feeling of familiarity. An orphan with as few memories as gemstones, he’s desperate to learn what happened to his parents. But as he delves into the island’s secrets, he risks angering the wrong person and discovering a truth that just might break his heart.
When Luxe and Jamison accidentally meet, the sparks that fly are more than her magical enchantments. But keeping secrets from powerful people is a dangerous game . . . one that could destroy them both.
The characters are by far the most compelling thing about Revelle. I loved getting to know each one and seeing their relationships with each other. The dialog was quippy and heartfelt, which was a lot of fun. The idea of family and “found family” is strong here.
The Revelle family circus and island of Charmant – including the different magical abilities of its residents – are also compelling and create a film-ready atmosphere for the book.
The book folds in on itself a little by nesting a set of mysteries that involve one man’s obsession, a good deal of murder, and some time travel. And since Luxe spends about 97% of the book in agonizing pain from the use of her magic, it quickly gets old reading how many times she felt “metal scraping the inside of her skull” and “tasted iron” in her mouth. I also had a hard time connecting to the intended setting of Prohibition-era New York. Except for the oddly-placed comment about something being “the bee’s knees,” or the insistence that booze wasn’t available on the mainland, the world of Revelle felt distinctly separate from a world we’re supposed to know.
Revelle is written as a stand-alone, but there is certainly room for this story to grow if the author gets the chance for a sequel. If there is a second book, I’d gladly jump back into the lives of these characters and see how they continue to conquer the world together.
BOOK:30 