Here in Avalon

Tara Isabella Burton has risen to the rank of being on of my favorite must read authors. I first discovered her when I received a copy of The World Cannot Hold. After that book I knew I was destined to be a loyal reader.

Here in Avalon is especially perfect for all you eldest daughter, over achieving, lost in a daydream girls. There’s something so beautifully tragic yet strangely hopeful about this book and I cannot get enough of it.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A New York City fairy tale about two sisters that fall under the spell of an underworld cabaret troupe that might be a dangerous cult—but one that makes the materialist world left in its wake feel like a sinister cult itself.

Rose has come a long way. Raised—and often neglected—by a wayward mother in New York City’s chaotic bohemia, Rose has finally built the life she’s always a good job at a self-help startup, a clean apartment, an engagement to a stable if self-satisfied tech CEO who shares her faith in human potential, hard work, and the sacrifice of childish dreams.

Rose’s sister Cecilia, on the other hand, never grew up. Irresponsible and impetuous, prone to jetting off to a European monastery one month and a falcon rescue the next, Cecilia has spent her life in pursuit of fairy-tale narratives of transcendence and true love—grand ideas Rose knows never work out in the real world. When Cecilia declares she’s come home to New York for good, following the ending of a whirlwind marriage, Rose hopes Cecilia might finally be ready to face compromises and all.

But then Cecilia gets involved with the a cultish-sounding cabaret troupe—one that appears only at night, on a mysterious red boat that travels New York’s waterways—and soon one of a growing number of suspicious disappearances among the city’s lost and loneliest souls. The only way Rose can find Cecilia is by tracking down the Avalon herself.

But as Rose gets closer to solving the mystery of what happened to her sister, the Avalon works its magic on her, too. And the deeper she goes into the Avalon’s underworld, she more she begins to question everything she knows about her own life, and whether she’s willing to leave the real world behind.


What I Loved

The writing is beautiful. It flows like the perfect breeze on a hot day. Don’t worry, it’s not overly-flowery, it’s the perfect blend of description and action. It did not take long for me to become emotionally invested in the lives of these characters.

Burton creates this very real feeling fairytale of sorts. It’s full of tragic beauty. I found myself yearning to jump into this story and experience this world no matter how it ended.

There are many art and literary references and they really made my heart beat faster. This is a really intelligent book that deals with daughters who have been neglected, who become lost in work, or lost in their own worlds. We see dreamers, beauty, and the harsh realities of this world.

This story was actually inspired by Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market. In Goblin Market two sisters, Laura and Lizzie are tempted by the fruit of the Goblin Market. Lizzie gives into this temptation and Laura must save her sister.

We see the same themes of temptation and sisterly bonds in Avalon. There is something so beautiful about the way Burton has written this story. It has many references to medieval and other literary and artists references which will thrill you every time you se it.

I am eagerly awaiting an announcement of another book by this author. I love her writing so much.

This book had incredible highs and incredible lows for me.

I love cult stories, but this one added a series of questionably mentally ill characters to the underlying cult situation…which made me not be all-in on the story.

I loved the fantasy that the Avalon created, and really enjoyed the POV from behind the scenes when the magic was being planned and created.

I hate when people throw their lives away for a whimsical idea of what they think life could be like…but I also know this is likely personal bias.

I thought the writing was exquisite, and the characters were plucked from any others that you’d find walking around NYC and written with authenticity.

Overall, a good escapism read if you need a break from your own real life.

Rose and Cecilia are sisters but opposites in every way. While Cecilia followed the wayward and wandering ways of their mother, Rose grew up to have an orderly and regimented life that gives her a sense of security. The sisters are estranged until the day when Cecilia returns from a failed marriage promising to change her ways. That is until she starts a cabaret troupe knows as The Avalon and she suddenly disappears. Rose thinks it's one of her usual disappearances, but starts getting worried and soon decides to look into the troupe. She discovers that there's more to them than just a cabaret and sets off on a path of discovery that will have her questioning her own life.

I can't decide if it's the book or me that made me not enjoy this as much as I thought I would. I fully admit to reading it during a difficult time and that may have added to my negative feelings about it, but I honestly found it tedious. There are elements that I found intriguing and some plot points really hit you in the emotions, but the overall feel of the book is frankly that it's trying too much without backing it up.

Here in Avalon is a beautifully written tale that invites readers to ponder the boundaries between reality and dreams. It’s a story about finding oneself in the most unexpected places and the magic that can be discovered when we venture beyond our comfort zones.

As much as I've been avoiding this sort of estrogen thrillers, I had to make an exception for this one as the previous two reads from the author have ranged from excellent to very good. To an extent, this book was no exception. Which is to say Burton is undeniably talented.
Moreover, this isn't technically that much of a thriller. It still meets its trendy quota by being a female-driven story centering on two sisters, but the story is more of a drama. And I very much appreciated it.
Two sisters, R and C, as different as sisters could be. C, despite being the older, has too thin of a skin to withstand the world, so she constantly flits from fantasy to fantasy, bailing when it all gets too real. which of course leaves R to be the responsible one.
When C reappears in their native NYC again, she finds herself the greatest fantasy yet: Avalon, a travelling cabaret that roams by boat and soothes the weary souls with songs and trickery. It could be a cult or a new family. Either way, C hears their siren song and is sold. And, like a good sister, R follows her.
Avalon's is a beautiful, dreamy, magical journey that seems destined to crash and burn, because such things are not destined to survive the vagaries of real life. But, as a reader, you'll have fun with it along the way.
Despite the characters being a bunch of millennial cliches in various degrees of annoying, despite R's obnoxious self-righteousness, despite the awkwardly fitted love triangle, the story is still plenty compelling. Which can be attributed almost solely to Burton's talent as a storyteller and her skill in using place (both NYC and Avalon) as character. It made for an enjoyable, entertaining read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I loved Here in Avalon! I loved the underground cultishness of it all. I also liked the sister dynamic

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Sisters Cecelia and Rose grew up wild in NYC. Cecelia was almost stubbornly naive; believing the city would provide what they needed. Whereas Rose, the younger sister, was the reliable, steady one.

When Cecilia shows up unexpectedly, running from the latest failed relationship, Rose resents the upheaval in her life. She’s engaged, has a good job, has friends.

The sisters clash, and Cecelia disappears after visiting a mysterious cabaret known as the Avalon.

Will Rose test the boundaries of her beliefs to find her, or stay in her comfortable life and let Cecilia go for good?

***

I loved this book. The prose reads like a fairytale, giving me Alice Hoffman vibes.

The existence of the Avalon, and all the players within it, hint at the magic that can be made by people determined to bring their imaginations to life. It’s clear why Cecelia, and even Rose, would be seduced by the idea.

While Rose is a complex, flawed character, Cecelia is a little too one-dimensional. She’s very manic-pixie-dream-girl.

But the author weaves an entertaining tale of magic, mystery, sadness and hope starring the lost souls of the Avalon.

Thanks to @netgalley and @simon&schuster for the eARC.

Check out this book if you liked Practical Magic!

This was an interesting book about two sisters, how they were always completely different from one another. As their life goes on Cecilia is always the romantic one chasing her passions while rose is pragmatic. One day Cecilia disappears and rose realizes she needs to find her.

In a nutshell this has some very good ideas but strangely I think having read Tara Isabella Burton's nonfiction made it less effective for me. Here In Avalon is a novel that repeats some of the themes of her journalism and "Strange Rituals." It drops a strait-laced young woman and her manic pixie dream girl sister into a magical story set in New York. It all felt a bit flimsy to me - a vehicle for a message rather than a good story in itself.

HERE IN AVALON has lived in my head rent free since finishing it earlier this year. This time, we are focused on two sisters who took very different paths in life. Cecilia, more free spirited, ends up joining what Rose believes is a cult. We follow Rose as she tries to find and help her sister. There’s mystery, intrigue, and fun clues spread throughout. This may be my favorite book I’ve read from Tara Isabella Burton, another reason I would love to read SOCIAL CREATURE again to decide for certain.

With her beautiful, engaging writing, and fantastic takes on relationships, Tara Isabella Burton will remain a must buy author for me. I look forward to reading her future releases!

Made in a lab for me. toxic manic pixie dream girl? sort of magical cult performance thing? SISTERS?? yup. I'm addicted to Tara Isabella Burton's writing and I'll definitely be checking out her backlist.

I've hestitated in writing a review for this book because I haven't been sure what to say. "Here in Avalon" was everything I've ever wanted in a book and had no idea I needed. I loved everything about it. In its way, it's a love story to New York City - to the strange and magical city NY is when you're in your 20s and everything, even mysterious other worlds, are all possible.

I loved the characters, the setting, the dialogue, the plot. This is an unhelpful review because I wouldn't want to give anything away, but if I could live inside its pages and keep scratching that nostalgic itch, I absolutely would.

6 stars.

This novel crackes with magic and tension. The author blends enchantment and reality to capture the reader.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

"Every love is the heart of a world. It gives it birth. It gives it seasons. It separates its mountains from its oceans. It gives it spirits, demons, gods."

Here in Avalon is a book for dreamers; for anyone who loves magical realism, and loves words for the ability to create worlds beyond our imagination.

Rose and Cecilia are sisters raised in New York City; Rose is practical, with a full time job and fiancé. Cecilia is unreliable, described as someone who lives in the stars and often disappears for months at a time. Following her quick marriage to a man she's known three weeks, Cecilia begins appearing at their shared apartment in a dream-like state at early hours of the morning in a state of mania, until one day she doesn't reappear at all. At first, Rose is not concerned about her absence, she's happy to be able to focus on her life again.

Eventually, along with Cecilia's husband, she begins to get concerned about where she has gone, and they seek out the few clues they have about where she went. They are led to the Avalon, a place for the lost, the dreamers, those who feel they have no home. What she uncovers is a mysterious group that she must unravel if she ever hopes to get her sister back.

What I Liked:
I enjoyed Rose's character! She is described as someone more rational, observant and logical in her decision making. Yet, there is an element of her that is creative, and artistic and in her search for Cecilia she must marry the two sides of her.

What I Didn't:
The ending felt rather quick while the beginning setting up the Avalon was quite long. It would have been better to spend more time with the characters and ambiance of the Avalon.

The Verdict:
A really great read!

I really enjoyed "Here in Avalon" ! It’s a magical story about two sisters- Rose and Cecilia living in a city filled with magic and secrets. I was captivated by the intricate plot and the complex relationship between the sisters. The sisters are very different from each other, which sometimes makes them argue, but deep down, they really care about each other.
Rose likes things to be logical and isn't sure if she believes in magic, while Cecilia is all about the mysteries and wonders of the magical world. Cecilia's yearning for magic raises questions about the price we pay for chasing dreams.
Their adventures get exciting when they stumble upon a secret cult in the city. The story is not just about the mystical magical stuff; it's also about how the sisters learn about themselves and each other. They face challenges and have to make tough choices, especially when the magic and the “cult” secrets start affecting their lives. "Here in Avalon" is perfect for anyone who loves a mix of mystery, magic, and stories about family sticking together through thick and thin.

Cults are so fascinating. It is amazing how they can draw people in with amazing things while hiding their seedy underbellies. Here in Avalon is absolutely a cult mystery set in a glittery fantastical cabaret world. It's a fun urban fairytale with a big found family vibe.

Two sisters, one city, a dash of magic and a whole lot of mystery.
I was captivated by the intricate plot and the complex relationship between the sisters. Their contrasting personalities spark friction and fuel the narrative, making their love for each other all the more poignant. Rose's journey is one of self-discovery as she confronts her own rigid world view, while Cecilia's yearning for magic raises questions about the price we pay for chasing dreams. This is a story about family, about facing our fears, and about the allure of the unknown. If you're looking for a book that's equal parts suspenseful, atmospheric, and thought-provoking, then you'll enjoy this!

I was really pulled into this book and thoroughly hooked until about 75% of the way through. I felt like at that point it kind of changed gears and I started losing interest. The writing is great. The characters are so lifelike, anyone who identifies with Rose and has a Cecilia in their life will feel like they've been gut-punched that someone could write their dynamic so realistically, even down to some of the physical characteristics in these characters. To see your own struggles and emotions laid bare on a page... is striking.
I loved the idea and description of The Avalon. Who hasn't dreamed of living in a fairytale from another age. I just have so many unanswered questions. The book didn't take the direction I was expecting. But it did make me examine myself in connection to my own Cecilia. What would I do for this person? What would I sacrifice for this person? All in all a well-written and thought-provoking read.

Here in Avalon is a book of magic and family, set in NYC.

Cecilia and Rose grew up as close as sisters can be. But as they entered adulthood, Cecilia became more eccentric and Rose, more conventional. Rose is engaged to a man, Caleb, who doesn't even try to accept Cecilia, and Rose goes along with his disgust of anything different.

When Cecilia disappears, after telling Rose about a strange cabaret on a boat, Casper tells her to forget her sister, that she'll turn up again one day. They start planning their wedding. When Paul, Cecilia's husband, shows up, Rose at first thinks he must have chased Cecilia away. But she soon realizes that Cecilia ran away from him, too. They investigate this mysterious cabaret, and Rose wrangles herself an invitation. They begins a strange journey to finding her sister and herself.

I skimmed a lot of this book. It was definitely an unusual book, but there was something that didn't work for me. I didn't actually care for any of the characters. Others might enjoy it, but it was just okay for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.