Jennifer Jackson – Literary Agent

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

Take Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and add a dash of magic and you have this delightful story by Mary Kowal. This is the story of two sisters, Jane, who is more magically talented, and Melody, a stunning beauty, and their quest to find love and stability. Both girls hope to marry well despite their lack of inheritance, and are pursued by various suitors. They are quickly embroiled into the intricacies of their neighbors’ lives, and the resulting series of events is sure to entrance the reader. For those who love reading Jane Austen’s books, this will at least temporarily satisfy the craving. A touch of magic inserted into the story is enough to enhance, but not overwhelm the story line. A quick, light read, with characters that the reader will feel right at home with. –Booklist

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

If Jane Austen had written a fantasy novel, Shades of Milk and Honey would have been the result. Written with painstaking attention to detail, Kowal’s prose is serenely evocative of the time period, and the fantastic elements are a seamless fit. The characterization is extremely well done and Jane is a sympathetic, strong and intelligent heroine whose devotion to her family trumps nearly every other concern. Give this one a try!

In an alternate Regency England where magic exists, young women practice manipulating glamour in their quests to land eligible bachelors. Both Jane and her sister Melody are well-practiced in this womanly art, and Jane’s ability in particular is remarkable. However, it is Melody who is fair of face and who gets most of the masculine attention while Jane, at the age of 28, is on the shelf. When Jane realizes that one of Melody’s suitors is up to no good and is getting into position to take advantage of her, she pushes her skills to their very limits and, quite accidentally, finds her very own happy ever after.

– Romantic Times, 4-1/2 Star Top Pick

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

Readers will be disappointed only when they finish this enchanting story, which is suffused with genteel charm. The author’s judicious and effective changes to aspects of daily life clearly communicate how similar but different this world is from ours. With the grace of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, a touch of classic fairy tale magic, and an action-packed ending, this debut novel by an award-winning short story writer will appeal to fans of Jane Austen, Jane Yolen, Patricia Wrede, Susannah Clarke, and even Jasper Fforde. –Library Journal

Scenting the Dark

Campbell Award–winner Kowal presents a broad spectrum of stories in her chapbook-slim first collection. The heartbreaking “Just Right,” in which a family struggles with a child’s strange behavior, isn’t speculative at all. “Death Comes but Twice” edges into dark fantasy, while blind perfumer Penn is stalked by an enormous predator in SF horror story “Scenting the Dark.” The deepest tale is “Some Other Day,” in which a young scientist struggles to undo the terrible consequences of her father’s well-meant work, while “Jaiden’s Weaver” is a sweet story about nurturing and caring for a creature others think deformed. Kowal’s stories don’t always plumb the depths of speculation or characters, but when they do the results are often stirring. This excellent introduction to her work is likely to make her new fans. –Publishers Weekly

Scenting the Dark

Kowal is primarily a puppeteer, and the sweetness so much puppetry conjures flavors her writing. And not just in “This Little Pig” and “Jaiden’s Weaver,” which would fit cozily into any good YA sf collection. The first, set in a near-future Iceland that has virtually banned fossil fuels, features a 17-year-old whose fondest dream, to drive a classic 1950s MG-TD, propels him into the workforce, where he meets with humiliation but also hope. A 13-year-old girl who cares not for horses but for “teddy bear spiders”—an endearing species that grows to ridable size on the Earth-colonized planet New Oregon—is the focus of Jaiden’s Weaver,” an endearing kid-and-critter exercise. Less YA friendly, “Some Other Day” resolves as warmly as those two, though what is resolved is very dire, indeed. In the remaining five, a dollop of acid sours any sweetness, either, as in the tense title story, immediately; as in “Just Right,” terminally; or, as in “Portrait of Ari,” just beyond the story’s last word. Lucid and engaging work from a probable rising star. –Booklist