Charpentier’s New Adult fantasy novella follows the intertwined lives of two sisters in a world where magical forces shape destinies.

Bayelle struggles with her sense of self-worth and with her place in society. Unlike her sister, Evora, who’s attractive and popular, Bayelle feels plain and unremarkable. The story begins with Bayelle reflecting on her fears that she’ll never become a woman, as she defines it; she feels overshadowed by Evora’s charisma and beauty. Evora has used her allure to effect a rise in her social standing, but her success comes at a dark cost, as she’s made a pact with a mysterious and malevolent entity known as the Interci—trading her soul for beauty and celebrity. Evora’s fame as a socialite grows, as was her wish, but the consequences of her deal become more severe, leading to supernatural oppression and the threat of eternal damnation. Bayelle, motivated by her love for her sibling and by a sense of duty, decides to accompany Evora on a perilous journey to seek redemption and break the curse. To do so, they must destroy the source of the evil—the Interci himself. Charpentier’s novella effectively delves into themes of love, sacrifice, and the complex bonds of sisterhood, and it does so while also delivering a gripping tale with well-crafted characters. The author does a particularly good job of making the reader sympathetic to Evora’s sad plight: “I hold nothing inside me, only shadows and gaping spaces,” Evora says at one point. Despite its brevity, the work has a fully structured, efficiently paced plot that never feels rushed. Young adults who enjoy fantasy elements combined with strong coming-of-age themes are likely to especially enjoy this read.

A tale of magic, sacrifice, and the enduring power of familial love, set in a richly imagined world.

The first installment of Charpentier’s Myrk Maiden trilogy offers a dark fantasy revolving around a teenage girl’s struggle to find her place in a world where she’s seen as an abomination.

Twilight Urik,a 15-year-old with dark hair and eyesand unnaturally light, “pearlescent” skin, describes herself in narration as “not good, nor evil” and someone who perpetually exists “in the twilight realm of life.” She lives on the world of Aash with her parents and siblings, who verbally and physically abuse her daily; she’s essentially enslaved to her parents, who obviously despise her. Her life changes, however, when she finds a picture of a beautiful woman in a photo album that her father lent her, and he reveals that the photo is of Twilight’s biological mother, who died during childbirth. The girl’s miserable existence is turned completely upside down when she discovers that she’s not only a Sharavak—one of many magical beings that humans call “Shadows”—but their prophesied queen who’s destined to save her kind from extinction and help to elevate them as rightful rulers of the world. But she also discovers that Sharavaks are malevolent, shape-shifting monstrosities who see humans as things to be consumed and has trouble accepting that she could soon be the leader of a group of ruthless murderers. The second half of this narrative is action-packed and features some impressive bombshell plot twists. However, the novel’s worldbuilding is superficial at best, as Aash mirrors contemporary Earth with such amenities as television, phones, and automobiles; even the fauna is the same, including deer, turkey, and cats. Twilight even wears jeans in one sequence. Additionally, the prose feels a bit overwritten in spots; very early on, for instance, the author spends multiple paragraphs describing her and her father’s eyes. Lastly, the story's hook doesn’t come until well into the read, and some readers may put down the book well before the narrative gains focus and momentum.

A promising but unevenly executed fantasy series starter.