“Curtis Craddock's debut is a grand tale of intrigue, adventure, and gaslight fantasy in the tradition of Alexander Dumas.” ―Charles Stross “A gripping tale of a woman who refuses to be defined by her physical and magical limitations, thwarting both assassins and all who see her as a pawn. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title. “A thrilling adventure full of palace intrigue, mysterious ancient mechanisms, and aerial sailing ships!” ― David D. “A setting fabulous and strange, heroes to cheer for, villains to detest, a twisty, tricky plot ― I love this novel!” ― Lawrence Watt Evans Step by dangerous step, Isabelle must unravel the lies of her enemies and discovers a truth more perilous than any deception. Isabelle and Jean-Claude plunge into a great maze of prophecy, intrigue, and betrayal, where everyone wears masks of glamour and lies. The only person who appreciates her true self is Jean-Claude, the fatherly musketeer who had guarded her since birth.Īll shall change, however, when an unlikely marriage proposal is offered, to the second son of a dying king in an empire collapsing into civil war.īut the last two women betrothed to this prince were murdered, and a sorcerer-assassin is bent on making Isabelle the third. (Sept.An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors is Curtis Craddock's delightful and engrossing fantasy debut featuring a genius heroine and her guardian, a royal musketeer, which Brandon Sanderson calls, 'A great read!'īorn with a physical disability, no magical talent, and a precocious intellect, Princess Isabelle des Zephyrs has lived her life being underestimated by her family and her kingdom. Agent: Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Associates. But though she escapes many constraints, she never escapes the story’s male-centeredness.

A political betrothal to the Principe Julio frees Isabelle from home and makes her narratively interesting enough for other characters to court, compromise, and threaten. Craddock can write, and his worldbuilding shines he’s so effective at reconstituting historical misogyny that by the time the narrative tide shifts-slowly, and not far-most female readers will likely have fled. Jean-Claude, intrepid musketeer, is embroiled in much of this as sworn protector of sad, disabled Princess Isabelle, whose oppression is elaborated but static for 100 pages. Meanwhile, male characters swashbuckle blithely across the skies and plot political mayhem. One dies in childbirth one is born with physical and magical “deformities,” so church, state, and family cast her out and one has her soul sucked out to punish someone else. Craddock’s not-quite-steampunk debut features skyships and clockwork cyborgs, but it occupies a fantasy world rather than an alternate timeline, making it all the more baffling that he chooses to reproduce our world’s most disempowering roles for female characters.

An alchemy of masques and mirrors