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Title details for The Beholder by Anna Bright - Available

The Beholder

#1 in series

by Anna Bright
Emily Rankin
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

"Sparkles with beauty, intrigue, and romance."—Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series

Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match.

But after an excruciatingly public rejection, Selah's stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic to visit a series of potential suitors—and if she doesn't come home engaged, she shouldn't come home at all.

From the gardens of England to the fjords of Norge, Selah's quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother's schemes aren't the only secrets hiding belowdecks...and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

Lush landscapes, dazzling romance, and captivating intrigue await in this stunning alternate historical YA debut—perfect for fans of The Selection or Caraval.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Beholder

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 4, 2019

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780062913913
      • File size: 340947 KB
      • Duration: 11:50:18

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      April 1, 2019
      A naïve young noblewoman sails from the New World into several European fairy tales. Selah has spent her sheltered life as the heiress to Potomac, a small territory in an alternate-timeline America, reading fairy tales and chastely longing for Peter, a childhood friend, oblivious to the political intrigues that surround her. But when Peter refuses her proposal, her conniving stepmother sends her on a sudden mission to Europe to court more politically useful romantic connections. Selah boards the Beholder armed with a book of fairy tales and the blessings of her godmother, a nun--and soon encounters Arthurian legend, Nordic mythology, Baba Yaga, and other fairy-tale motifs aplenty. An array of charming princes provide swooningly romantic moments, and Selah's attraction to multiple boys is written as normal, not shameful. Selah is white, and Peter and many secondary characters are racially diverse, but the book's idealized multiculturalism is severely undercut by erasure of the Indigenous population in Potomac, an oversight that makes Selah's criticism of other land-hungry empires ring hollow. Winking nods to various tales and their tellers--Selah's entourage includes Homer, Perrault, Yasumaro, and Lang, to name a few--are sometimes twee but always entertaining. Selah is at first tiresomely naïve and sugar-sweet but begins to rise into maturity and complexity that, the cliffhanger ending suggests, will be explored more thoroughly in a sequel. A selection box of candy-sweet fairy-tale tropes. (Fantasy. 12-18)

      COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Emily Rankin provides an exquisite performance of this alternate- history fantasy peppered with fairy tales. To secure the future of her people, Selah must find the right suitor, but her scheming stepmother has her own plans and sends Selah on a journey across an ocean to find one. Several chapters begin with a quote from a popular fairy tale in its original language, and Rankin's delivery of multiple languages is immaculate. Rankin uses a full vocal range of high to low tones, varying levels of hoarseness, and multiple accents to capture a wide cast of characters and different love interests. Her voice adds an irresistible chemistry that will leave listeners wanting more. A must-listen. A.K.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
    • Kirkus

      April 1, 2019
      A na�ve young noblewoman sails from the New World into several European fairy tales. Selah has spent her sheltered life as the heiress to Potomac, a small territory in an alternate-timeline America, reading fairy tales and chastely longing for Peter, a childhood friend, oblivious to the political intrigues that surround her. But when Peter refuses her proposal, her conniving stepmother sends her on a sudden mission to Europe to court more politically useful romantic connections. Selah boards the Beholder armed with a book of fairy tales and the blessings of her godmother, a nun--and soon encounters Arthurian legend, Nordic mythology, Baba Yaga, and other fairy-tale motifs aplenty. An array of charming princes provide swooningly romantic moments, and Selah's attraction to multiple boys is written as normal, not shameful. Selah is white, and Peter and many secondary characters are racially diverse, but the book's idealized multiculturalism is severely undercut by erasure of the Indigenous population in Potomac, an oversight that makes Selah's criticism of other land-hungry empires ring hollow. Winking nods to various tales and their tellers--Selah's entourage includes Homer, Perrault, Yasumaro, and Lang, to name a few--are sometimes twee but always entertaining. Selah is at first tiresomely na�ve and sugar-sweet but begins to rise into maturity and complexity that, the cliffhanger ending suggests, will be explored more thoroughly in a sequel. A selection box of candy-sweet fairy-tale tropes. (Fantasy. 12-18)

      COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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