Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

When Kay’s father goes missing on Christmas Eve, she discovers a dangerous and magical world of fables. After a strange visit to their father’s workplace, Kay and her younger sister, Ell, discover that all traces of him have vanished, as if he had never existed in the first place. The sisters are visited by Will O. de Wisp and Flip Gibbet, two wraiths of the Honorable Society of Wraiths and Phantasms, who are seeking to remove the last piece of evidence of their father’s existence. Struck by the revelation that Kay is what they call an author—the only ones, aside from witnesses, with the ability to see wraiths—Kay and Ell leave on a journey to rescue their father. The story overtly functions as a treatise on the nature of stories and their importance as part of various cultures. One figure, the Bride of Bithynia, bears a strong resemblance to the leannan sídhe of Irish folklore, and Orpheus from Greek mythology is directly referenced. Zurcher skillfully draws readers into his fantastical world with a writing style reminiscent of Philip Pullman. While the narrative is engaging, the ending is rather disappointing, serving more as a hook for a potential sequel than as a satisfying conclusion in itself. Main characters seem to be White; there are vague hints that 8-year-old Ell may be neurodivergent, however this is not given much focus. One for the bookshelf of any fantasy enthusiast. (Fantasy. 10-14) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.