My Goodreads review: The Beautiful Ones

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm not quite sure what to call this: fantasy novel of manners? Razor-edged Jane Austen with a side order of telekinesis? Whatever this strange hybrid is, it managed to keep this non-romance-reader close to her Kindle until the very last plot twist had been unraveled.

The overall plot arc (which other reviewers have done a wonderful job on, so I won't) covers two Grand Seasons in a fantasy variant of London/Paris/Elsewhere. There's an intelligent and nonconforming young woman, a somewhat older and equally nonconforming romantic hero, and one of the nastiest highborn villainesses one could ask for. The first two have a "talent" (i.e., telekinesis) which is regarded as Not Quite Respectable. The third has a love/hate history with the hero stretching back over a decade. Add a full set of Austen-style social strictures, a few juicy scandals, and stand back.

I can't say that all the plot twists were complete surprises for me, but I've read a little more science fiction than some. And I wasn't disappointed, just glad to be right.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia doesn't seem to write the same book -- or even the same genre of book -- twice, but one thing she does write with great reliability is excellent summer reads. I don't mean brainless beach books, either . .. just compelling, character-forward spec fiction that I have a hard time putting down on long midsummer evenings.




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