Set the Stars Alight, (Paperback)

A magical story spun full of hope and wonder, love and loss, and so much more! Candlewick Commons in London is home to Simon Claremont, a watchmaker by day and a marvelous storyteller by night, and his small family consisting of Penny, his wife, and Lucy, his young daughter, and their honorary member, Dashel Greene, a young boy befriended by Lucy. The children grow up inspired by the rich stories told each evening and the imaginations that are nurtured with love and ideas without boundaries. Lucy grows into her occupation as a maritime archaeologist and keeper of the watch shop. Dash, moved by his aunt to the States while in his teens, becomes a forensic astronomer with an amazing career. When the two young adults cross paths, their careers and lives intersect over an amazing story from their shared past about the mysterious disappearance of the ship, the HMS Jubilee. The story spins and weaves its magic while detailing another extraordinary story set back in time beginning in 1802 in East Sussex, England. A young boy by the name of Frederick Hanford set in course the motion of a life that would brand him a traitor and bring about his disappearance along with that of the Jubilee. A beautifully told complex story that moves through two time periods drawing the reader into the lives of Lucy and Dash, as well as that of Frederick and Juliette. The historical part of the story was spellbinding. I loved the elements of the story that kept me grounded in reality while also stretching my imagination with that hint of mystical realism. An absolutely sublime, summer read! Don't miss this book to find out if Dash and Lucy can uncover what really happened to mysterious Frederick Hanford. This ARC copy was received from Bethany House Publishers. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

SET THE STARS ALIGHT is a story that captivates completely from page one. I couldnt have been more absorbed if I watched the tale unfurl while flying over it with Peter Pan. Characters are compelling, quirky, and so well developed that it takes no time at all to bond with them. Readers are eager to follow them on their journeys. The poetic, lyrical writing evokes memories of fables and fairy tales. Amanda is a master not only at spinning stories, but balancing the mechanics of producing a dual-time book. She sprinkles clues to links between the two timelines, and the story flows unimpeded even when she switches between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries. This story is art. Magic. Delightful. It is full of imagery, symbolism, and surprises! (I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)