Here in Avalon

I saw a few reviews that suggested an intriguing premise, so Tara Isabella Burton's Here in Avalon ended up on my TBR. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to the fulsome praise it seems to have received. I notice, increasingly, that reviews are starting to look more and more like rephrased publicity copy. 

The protagonist of this book, Rose, is a 28 year old coder living in New York. Her childhood was chaotic: a largely absent mother left Rose and her older sister, the beautiful, witty, and talented Cecilia, to fend for themselves. Largely through Cecilia's ingenuity, they remained clothed, fed, and moderately educated. Both Cecilia and Rose, as adults, have reacted to this childhood. Cecilia sees romance and adventure in everything, flitting from opportunity to opportunity without ever really following through, and slinking back home whenever things fall apart. A talented pianist, she turns down a music scholarship to play in bars. Rose, organised, efficient, and responsible, lives a tightly-controlled life. Her fiance, a finance bro, and she, listen to improving podcasts and go the gym. He disapproves of flighty Cecilia and the way Rose is constantly bailing her out. 

Cecilia returns home one summer, more distracted and confused than ever. One night, drunk, she confesses to Rose that she impulsively married a man named Paul, and then abruptly leaves him. She's become involved with a strange group of people, perhaps a cult, who perform a cabaret on a boat. It culminates in a vicious argument, and the next day, Cecilia vanishes. For a while, Rose assumes she's just off once again, but the more Rose hears about the cabaret called Avalon, the more concerned she is that Cecilia might be in danger. Over her tech bro fiance's distaste, Rose teams up with Cecilia's husband Paul, and together they begin to hunt for Avalon. When she finds the cabaret troupe, Rose starts to wonder whether they are truly real, or if she has stumbled into some sort of alternative reality. Is Cecilia really ‘away with the fairies'? 

The story had an interesting premise, as I said, but the author cannot carry it through. Every single point, every aspect of every relationship, every character development, is beaten to death with a club from the Department of the Painfully Obvious. It's clear that the author is trying to develop a very romantic story, but it's not romantic, it's just annoying. There's a certain character type she's aiming for: highstrung, damaged women, who yearn for sentimental, magical worlds. Done well, it can be enchanting; done badly, it will make you (horrifically) sympathize with the actual villain of the story, a finance bro who just wants to listen to his podcasts and drink his protein shakes. 

Good ideas that were never able to live up to their potential

Enchanting Avalon

Embarking on 2024 with the enchanting tale of “Here in Avalon” by Tara Isabella Burton proved to be an excellent choice. Gratitude extends to NetGalley and all contributors for granting me access to this ARC. Marking my introduction to Burton's work, it feels akin to befriending a newfound magical companion. Freshly released yesterday, this book beckons readers to seek it out – a suggestion I wholeheartedly endorse.

Burton, with prose that seamlessly integrates into the mystical realm of Avalon, crafts an enchanting narrative. While not rooted in fantasy or magical realism, the book exudes a magical quality comparable to experiencing the most beautiful song or witnessing an exquisite painting. Burton's writing, evoking the allure of Avalon, is so captivating that getting lost in its charm becomes inevitable.

The characters of Rose and Cecilia, brilliantly portrayed archetypes, resonate with familiarity. Cecilia, the romantic drifter pursuing the allure of the extraordinary, contrasts sharply with Rose's pragmatic outlook. Rose's world is disrupted when she perceives her sister's abduction by a mysterious group, propelling her into a pursuit that leads her to the enigmatic Avalon – a late-night cabaret of magical proportions.

As the narrative unfolds, Burton's storytelling captures the essence of fleeting beauty within The Avalon, a sanctuary for lost souls seeking the remnants of magic. Rose, captivated by this mystical realm, embarks on a quest to find her sister, willingly taking a leap of faith into the unknown side of enchantment.

“Here in Avalon” emerges as a contemporary and atmospheric exploration of beauty and poetry, transcending the boundaries of mundane existence. Illuminating the possibility of a more beautiful life, irrespective of circumstances, the novel encourages readers to believe in the perpetual potential for magic. A splendid inaugural read for the year, don't miss the opportunity to delve into this captivating narrative. Follow the link below and immerse yourself in the magic of “Here in Avalon” now.