"A deftly-plotted tale about ambition and belonging, Bright Ruined Things takes Shakespeareâs The Tempest and brilliantly reimagines its themes of family and love. Cohoe writes with a magic that dazzles and cuts right to the core." - Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
Forbidden magic, a family secret, and a night to reveal it all...
The only life Mae has ever known is on the island, living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the islandâs magic and its spirits. Mae longs for magic of her own and to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see her as an equal, and her crush, Miles, will finally see her.
But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their high-society friends celebrate the night Lord Prosper first harnessed the islandâs magic and started producing aether â a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what sheâs always wanted.
When the spirits start inexplicably dying, Mae realizes that things arenât what they seem. And Ivo, the reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the answers â including a secret about Maeâs past. As Mae and her friends unravel the mysteries of the island, and the Prospersâ magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world was built on.
In this YA fantasy, Samantha Cohoe wonderfully mixes magic and an atmospheric setting into a fantastically immersive world, with characters you wonât be able to forget.