In the legendary ballet theatre of New Kora, the girls on stage enchant the audience each night with their grace and divine beauty. Before Emberlyn became the show’s star, it was her dream to become one of the ballerinas… until she learned the price of their living nightmare.
A curse has bound the girls to the show’s mastermind, Malcolm, so they must obey his every command. They are controlled by the magic’s invisible strings that has the power to wield their limbs like marionette dolls. Only the commands don’t stop when the curtain comes down, and the girls live a life of fear from Malcolm’s wickedness and the twisted truth that each dancer is destined to turn to dust when the curse finally consumes her.
When the troupe is invited to perform in the glitzy city of Parlizia, Emberlyn knows this could be her best chance to save them all. She meets an elusive boy made of shadows with a magical connection to the girls. Together, they work to unravel the haunting truth about their creation and fight for their survival. But the cost of freedom might be too high, and as she dances closer to the edge of darkness she realizes she might break the curse… or break her own heart forever.
This one had such a haunting and beautiful concept, and I was immediately drawn in by the dark ballet setting. The idea of cursed dancers being controlled like puppets was honestly chilling, and it gave the whole story a really eerie, almost hypnotic vibe.
The atmosphere was definitely the strongest part for me. It felt very gothic and emotional, and you could really feel the weight of what the girls were going through. Emberlyn’s determination to save them added a nice layer of hope to an otherwise heavy story.
But overall, it didn’t fully pull me in the way I wanted. The pacing felt a bit uneven, and I found myself wanting more depth with the characters and their connections. Some parts were really interesting, but others didn’t hit as hard emotionally as I expected.
It’s a unique and visually striking story with a lot of potential, especially for readers who love darker YA fantasy, but it didn’t completely stick the landing for me.
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