This Dark Paradise

Teen Lucia Arduini wants one thing: to be out from under the control of the Silverhands, a criminal group to whom her now-absent father is indebted. Forced to work for the Silverhands to repay the debt, she hides her magical glamoturas ability (“Better I be a simple thief than a glamorist”) and concludes that the solution to freeing herself and her family is located on the island of Estaralla, the source of all magic. Through a clever series of cons, Lucia makes her way to the hallowed island disguised as a tour guide assigned to the wife and daughter of a wealthy admiral—only to discover that Estaralla is not the paradise she’d been promised. Her former relationship with Estralla local Antony, and her attraction to her island host’s daughter Calista, complicates matters further. Luken’s debut paints a dark portrait of the consequences of unchecked magic and desire. Blending a healthy dose of introspection surrounding the metaphorical masks people wear with evocative storytelling, Luken presents an Italian-inspired, Fantasy Island–esque tale with an insidiously evil twist. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sarah Fisk, Tobias Literary. (Oct.)