Krassi Zourkova's debut novel combines mythology, poetry and eroticism for a series opener that will intrigue fans of Stephenie Meyer, Deborah Harkness and The Vampire Diaries.
The transition from life in her native Bulgaria to her freshman year at Princeton isn't as fluid as piano prodigy and scholarship student Thea Slavin might have hoped. She's scarcely moved into her dorm room when her adviser asks her to be a celebrity pianist's last-minute stand-in at a high-profile recital, where a gorgeous stranger leaves a rose on the stage. This seemingly chance encounter soon propels Thea into the arms of wealthy and cultured Rhys Estin.
Despite Rhys's charisma, his frequent and unexplained absences leave Thea unable to commit fully to him. When she meets his younger brother, Jake, attraction flares between them as well, but Thea didn't come to Princeton for romance. In fact, she didn't come for the piano, either. She's following the footsteps of her much-older sister who attended Princeton, then died and disappeared--in that order. To find out what happened, Thea must delve further into the past than she expected. As she investigates, Thea learns that her sister had a dark obsession, one tied to the myths of ancient Greece and the folktales of Bulgaria about man-killing witches, the samodivi--the "wildalones."
Zourkova weaves a seductive gothic spell that's perfect for a cold winter night. The experience ends all too quickly, but take heart. If the cliffhanger ending is any indication, a sequel is in the offing. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads