A MULTITUDE OF DREAMS

The plague is perhaps over, but there are more horrors yet to come.

Seraphina Blum has spent almost four years inside the boarded-up castle Eldridge Hall, pretending to be Princess Imogen. Few know Seraphina is actually Jewish and was taken from her family when the real Imogen died from the mori roja. To appease “the mad king” so they can stay safe inside, those dwelling within the castle act as if the plague never happened, but with the food supply dwindling, it’s time for the charade to end. Elsewhere in the kingdom, Nicodemus Mott lives with other immunes at Crane Manor. The plague seems to be over, and so Lord Crane tasks Nico with journeying to the castle to seek out possible survivors. Along the way, Nico learns of other dangers in the outside world; he winds up impersonating a prince to gain access to the castle in hopes of warning its inhabitants of what’s coming. Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” this lush, eerie tale balances mystery, horror, and romance. Seraphina and Nico, both cued white, are captivating leads: They have been going through the motions just to survive, but throughout the story, they find their confidence and power. There are gradual reveals rather than shocking twists, but they work in the book’s favor, enhancing the unsettling tone and reinforcing the conceit of a masquerade and everyone hiding truths.

Exquisitely moody and goose bumps–inducing.