This glorious book!

Take one of my favorite stories in the history of stories - A Little Princess - and retell it with magic, and you have THE GILDED GIRL.

And it is so very magical. Doorknockers that bloom. Flaming fireplace lizards to heat buildings. Children who burst into flames when the winter winds blow just right, letting them know it's time for them to kindle their magic.

Emma and Izzy are delightfully realized protagonists, and Miss Posterity is a perfect villain. The setting - turn of the century Manhattan, itself magical - is so beautifully described and lush. The sprinkling of historical details (the Pinkertons, muckrakers, to name a few) are an absolute treat. And the moments of Emma's near-rescue are every bit as nail-biting and heartbreaking as they were in the original classic.

I'm ever so grateful to FSG/Macmillan for the eARC of this book. I'll be pre-ordering my copy, as this is a treasure of a story that I'll want to share with the children in my life for years to come.

The Gilded Girl was everything I hoped for and more from debut author Alyssa Colman. She seamlessly weaves together historical details and a delightful magical system to create a world popping with color and life. Nods to the source material, A Little Princess, provide cozy comfort in a story that also feels incredibly fresh. This book left my heart as warm and full as the magic inside Emma and Izzy as they make their plans, preparing for the night the kindling winds begin to blow.

This book is such fun. A Little Princess is one of my favorite books and I love stories about magic so I was extremely excited about it. The story did not disappoint. Colman does an excellent job of making the characters stand out from the earlier tale. Emma is slightly spoiled and naïve compared to the clever Sarah Crewe. Izzy is pretty snarky compared to the subservient Becky. On the whole this book will appeal to both fans of A Little Princess and newcomers hungry for a bit of magic.

A retelling of "A Little Princess" set in magical alternative turn-of-the-century New York City boarding school. I really enjoyed the magical world with its household mythical creatures and magical traditions. It's a good example of a fantasy story exploring social issues, in this case whether or not wealth determines worth. I do wish, however, that the "A Little Princess" retelling was acknowledged more in the marketing or back matter, but perhaps it will in the final release.

Charming and heartfelt fantasy story that combines elements of <i>A Little Princess</i> with magic and progressive politics. Given the conclusion of the novel I assume this will not be a series, but I would happily seek out more works by this author. Also, I totally want my own house dragon now!