The Shadow in the Glass

by JJA Harwood

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

This may look like another Cinderella retelling, but The Shadow in the Glass offers a bit of a mashup — part historical fiction, part gothic horror, part fantasy, wrapped up in a very twisted mystery. If you thought the Brothers Grimm version was dark, the Faustian spin woven through this tale will leave you gobsmacked. Atmospheric and slightly terrifying, this chilling take on a classic makes you rethink the whole “A dream is a wish your heart makes” fantasy.

A deliciously gothic story of wishes and curses – a new dark fairy tale set against a Victorian backdrop full of lace and smoke.

‘Deliciously dark’
Woman Magazine

Once upon a time Ella had wished for more than her life as a lowly maid.

Now forced to work hard under the unforgiving, lecherous gaze of the man she once called stepfather, Ella’s only refuge is in the books she reads by candlelight, secreted away in the library she isn’t permitted to enter.

One night, among her beloved books of far-off lands, Ella’s wishes are answered. At the stroke of midnight, a fairy godmother makes her an offer that will change her life: seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases. But each wish comes at a price and Ella must decide whether it’s one she’s willing to pay…

A smouldering, terrifying new spin on Cinderella – perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Erin Morgenstern.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780008368135
Publisher:	HarperCollins UK
Publication date:	04/26/2022
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	2,070
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

JJA Harwood is an author, editor and blogger. She grew up in Norfolk, read History at the University of Warwick and eventually found her way to London, which is still something of a shock for somebody used to so many fields.
When not writing, she can be found learning languages, cooking with more enthusiasm than skill, wandering off into clearly haunted houses and making friends with stray cats. THE SHADOW IN THE GLASS is her debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

‘Deliciously dark’
Woman Magazine

‘A gothic twist on Cinderella that is truly exquisite. Chilling and beautiful – I devoured it in one sitting’
Bestselling author Katie Lowe

‘A thought-provoking take on a classic’
SFX

‘An impresive debut’
Dundee Courier

From the Publisher

03/29/2021

Harwood debuts with a half-baked Gaslamp fantasy take on “Cinderella” that asks what collateral damage the rags-to-riches fairy tale might cause. Orphan Eleanor Hartley was taken in by the Pembroke family and raised well until age 13, when Mrs. Pembroke died. For the past four years, Eleanor has been a maid in the house that used to be her own—and Mr. Pembroke has a habit of “interfering” with the maids. She’s 17 when her fairy godmother appears to her, offering seven wishes in exchange for Eleanor’s soul once she has used them all. Resolving never to make the final wish, Eleanor takes the deal, hoping to rescue the staff from Mr. Pembroke and restore herself to wealth. But power comes with a price: each time she uses a wish, someone dies. When Mr. Pembroke’s dashing son returns to England, Eleanor adds a future with him to her list of desires—but is getting what she wants worth the cost? Harwood’s tale is dark but never quite chilling, wandering into an ethical morass without ever taking a stand. And while a late revelation expertly recasts Eleanor’s character, readers will be frustrated with her perceived obtuseness for much of the beginning. Fans of retold fairy tales will be drawn to the premise but disappointed by the execution. (May)

Publishers Weekly