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Lena Coakley, celebrated author of Witchlanders, released a new young adult novel called Worlds of Ink and Shadow in January with Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. Her new story is a dark fantasy with a historical twist. Her main characters are the three Bronte sisters and their brother Branwell. Yes, those Brontes. While the book is by no means a true history, it deftly weaves the events of their lives into a shadowy fantasy world that the literary family would have enjoyed.
In Coakley’s story, the older Brontes, Branwell and Charlotte have found a way to cross over into the fictional city that they write about, but at what price? They try to protect their younger siblings from a similar fate, but when things go terribly wrong in the imagined city of Verdopolis and darkness seeps into the real world, it will take all four siblings to remind each other of their worth and set things right again.
This novel is a lot of fun. It reimagines history with a magical appeal. As it moves through, you feel like you learn a bit more about the Brontes' initial characters and worlds, as well as their relationships with each other. It’s a fun way to introduce the classic authors to a new generation who may become interested in the real works of the Brontes as they watch some of their older characters come to life.
Anyone judging this book by the fact that it is not a detailed history of the Brontes’ lives is looking too deeply. It’s meant to be a historical fantasy novel with a bit of horror that touches on certain aspects of their lives, but is in fact its own story. If you read it expecting a modern-day Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, you’re going to be deeply disappointed. However, if you see the book for what it actually is, it will entrance you, scare you and make you love the Brontes just a little bit more. They would have approved of the creative use of imagination.