Last Pre-Raphaelite fiction blog for now, I promise, and then we can move on with other PRB related thoughts and blogs. But there's a new one coming out this year that looks great to me, and I thought I'd give you all a heads up! The book is Ivy by Julie Hearn.
Ivy is used to being overlooked. The youngest in a family of thieves, scoundrels, and roustabouts, the girl with the flame-colored hair and odd-colored eyes is declared useless by her father from the day she is born. But that's only if you look at her but don't see. For Ivy has a quality that makes people take notice. It's more than beauty -- and it draws people toward her.
Which makes her the perfect subject for an aspiring painter named Oscar Aretino Frosdick, a member of the pre-Raphaelite school of artists. Oscar is determined to make his mark on the art world, with Ivy as his model and muse. But behind Ivy's angelic looks lurk dark secrets and a troubled past -- a past that has given her an unfortunate taste for laudanum. And when treachery and jealousy surface in the Eden that is the artist's garden, Ivy must learn to be more than a pretty face if she is to survive.
The book's release date is June 17th.
Hmmmm....sounds intriguing! :)
ReplyDeleteSince this is the end of the fiction run, I should mention another one (sort of). Mercedes Lackey's "The Gates of Sleep" isn't exactly about pre-Raphaelites, but it is about a girl who is raised by them. It's a fairy tale adaptation of "Sleeping Beauty" and I suppose the artists are supposed to replace the fairies. The book wasn't fantastic, but I felt it did earn a mention.
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm always so pleased to find out there's more Pre-Raphaelite fiction out there! Mercedes Lackey was my favorite author ten years ago or so. It'd be interesting to see her take on the Victorian artists!
ReplyDeleteA familiar sounding story! Looks like fun!
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