Synopsis: It’s Christmas, and home in London the girls are excited about glamorous balls and the possibility of new romances; yet there are other more important areas that must be dealt with before the partying continues. Having accepted her supernatural powers, Gemma enlists the help of her firm friends Felicity and Ann to help restore order in the realms. Yet will they defeat the manipulative and unknown Circe who threatens to take the power for herself?

Review: After reading the first instalment in this trilogy I was certain that I would find the second equally engaging, yet nothing prepared me for the exhilarating journey on which I would be taken. Rebel Angels is not only intriguing, it contains a sensitivity and deep understanding of the issues encountered by girls as they become young women. Set in the Victorian era Libba Bray provides an insight into 19th Century etiquette and its courting traditions.

Unlike the first novel, A Great and Terrible Beauty, the action takes place primarily in the girls’ London homes, as it is the Christmas holidays. Despite the harrowing nature of some of the text the author manages to capture the excitement and happy spirit of this time of year. It also gives her the opportunity to present the girls attending glamorous balls and becoming romantically involved with young suitors.

Merged into the experiences of youth is an exploration into the supernatural where, yet again, Gemma and her friends Felicity and Ann must enter into the realms in an attempt to save the magic from the evil clutches of Circe. The beautiful garden that had represented the world of the realms within the first instalment is shown to be a much larger and unknown place with evil lurking within. I was transfixed with each of the new frightening locations and characters that are introduced. This novel is full of twists and turns which add to the mystery that prevents the reader from tearing themselves away from the pages. Yet what is more poignant is the way Bray displays the girls’ strength as they fight against the pain and embarrassment caused by their families; an issue that is dealt with in a delicate manner.

This is a truly sensational read, which may be too long to be used in schools as a set text but provides the perfect formula to keep young adults reading! I eagerly await the next instalment.

2006-10-02