by Ryan Graudin
In this lush and lyrical fantasy, Ryan Graudin transports readers to the hidden magical pockets of early 1900s Paris, a place of enchanted salons, fortune tellers who can change your stars, and doorways that can take you to the most unexpected places—and introduces readers to the delightful Céleste Artois, a con artist who will make a deal with the devil in exchange for her life...and change the fate of the world.
Once, Céleste Artois had dreams of being an artist. But when the creative elite of Paris dashed those plans, she turned her talents to forgery and cons. She and the Enchantresses—her two fellow thieves and best friends—see Paris as a rich hunting ground for marks. Yet even though their hideout in Père Lachaise cemetery is bursting with francs, Céleste cannot rest. There is always more to take. And the blood she has begun to cough into her handkerchief means her time is running out.
But everything changes when she encounters Rafe, a mysterious and beautiful stranger who leads her to an enchanted salon—a place where artists can bring wondrous imaginations to life. Céleste is captivated by this establishment, and learns of the existence of magical Paris, hidden in the pockets and alleys of the ordinary world, if one only knows where to look.
Rafe offers Céleste an irresistible deal: the gift of time in exchange for lending him and his benefactor her forging talents. But one must be careful making deals with devils, and there's more to this hidden world than meets the eye. Shadows have begun to circle Paris. And soon, the Enchantresses will find that true magic is far more powerful, and deadly, than they ever imagined.
"Graudin mixes a heady cocktail of decadent parties with the bittersweet tang of a world about to self-destruct. This is a delectable confection." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Graudin's adult debut weaves real and imagined characters into a tale full of romance, art, curiosity and pain. An expansive fantasy." ―Library Journal
"Every page of Ryan Graudin's latest is molten gold. Thrilling, charming, and utterly transportive. True to form, Graudin sprinkles this tale with so much heart and humor and glittering dialogue that it's impossible not to walk away enchanted." ―Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
"Ryan Graudin's magical Paris is glittering and seedy, glorious and deadly, fabulous and unforgiving. This novel of delicious skullduggery brings the City of Lights to life. I wish I could slip into its pages for a stroll, and see my favorite places rendered fantastical. This is the Paris novel of my dreams." ―Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer
"The Enchanted Lies of Céleste Artois is sublime and seductive, full of midnight magic and spun-glass secrets. I never wanted to wake up from this luminous fever dream of a novel." ―Lyra Selene, author of A Feather So Black
This information about The Enchanted Lies of Céleste Artois was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ryan Graudin is the award-winning author of ten novels, including the Carnegie nominated Wolf By Wolf duology, Invictus, The Walled City and the The World Between Blinks series. She resides near Charleston, South Carolina with her husband and two daughters. You can find her online at www.ryangraudin.com.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.