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sure that this set of sisters don’t realise their powers. As with the majority of Menna’s other works, most of this book is set in Cambridge, which is an added treat for local readers: the fictional Fitzwilliam Hotel is the setting for the early sections of Goldie’s tale, and is inspired by the Hotel du Vin on Trumpington Street – the real hotel’s library is where a large proportion of the book was written. Other locations familiar to Cambridge residents make regular appearances: the first meeting of the four sisters occurs in Fitzbillies, while a thinly-disgused Agora At The Copper Kettle appears as No.33 Cafe, owned by Scarlet’s grandmother. The other key location is Everwhere, a fantasy land accessible only via the Grimms’ dreams and ancient gates – an architectural feature that Cambridge is rich in, thanks to its many colleges and historical buildings – and to which the sisters must return if they’re to fully realise their powers before the battle to come on their 18th birthdays. The theme of unleashing one’s concealed power runs through the marrow of this book: in the prologue the narrator speaks of their hope that by the time the reader finishes this tale, they’ll “start listening to the whispers that speak of unknown things, the signs that point in unseen directions and the nudges that suggest unimagined possibilities” – and discover their own inner magnificence. This is Menna’s first official foray into fantasy: her previous books, including her debut The House at the End of Hope Street and The Dress Shop of Dreams among others, contain elements of magical realism and are warmly loved by her many fans worldwide, selling 150,000 copies across the globe. This new book is also dedicated to anyone who is ever awake at 3:33am, and the nocturnal leanings extend to the author herself, who admits in a Facebook post that she wrote much of The
ABOVE The book’s beautiful cover offers readers a big clue as to how the story will unfold
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Sisters Grimm during the night – crafting sentences after dark, she says, “gave a more enchanting and ethereal quality to the words…”. Menna’s writing is incredibly visual, and the UK edition of the book also features four specially commissioned illustrations by fellow Cambridge resident Alastair Meikle. The Sisters Grimm is one for fans of Menna’s distinctive and fast-paced writing style, and will also be popular with all those readers who are fans of fantasy tales and young adult fiction. Knowing there are two more books to come will no doubt delight readers keen to spend more time in the world of the Everwhere with the three remaining characters as they strike out to seek their sisters throughout the world – after all, now they’ve realised they are who they truly are, nothing can stand in their way…
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