When I got the invite to take part in the blog tour for Magic Dark and Strange by Kelly Powell, I was excited to accept. The synopsis sounded like everything I could want and I’m always a sucker for a cover with girl in a dress.
Before we get to the mini interview with Kelly, let’s check out the book!
Title: Magic Dark and Strange
Author: Kelly Powell
Pages: 240
Pub Date: October 27, 2020
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Find it: S&S | Indiebound | Bookshop | GoodreadsThe Bone Witch meets Sherlock Holmes in this thrilling historical fantasy about a girl with the ability to raise the dead who must delve into her city’s dangerous magical underworld to stop a series of murders.
Catherine Daly has an unusual talent. By day she works for a printer. But by night, she awakens the dead for a few precious moments with loved ones seeking a final goodbye. But this magic comes with a price: for every hour that a ghost is brought back, Catherine loses an hour from her own life.
When Catherine is given the unusual task of collecting a timepiece from an old grave, she is sure that the mysterious item must contain some kind of enchantment. So she enlists Guy Nolan, the watchmaker’s son, to help her dig it up. But instead of a timepiece, they find a surprise: the body of a teenage boy. And as they watch, he comes back to life—not as the pale imitation that Catherine can conjure, but as a living, breathing boy. A boy with no memory of his past.
This magic is more powerful than any Catherine has ever encountered, and revealing it brings dangerous enemies. Catherine and Guy must race to unravel the connection between the missing timepiece and the undead boy. For this mysterious magic could mean the difference between life and death—for all of them.
Sounds good, right?
1. Please give the elevator pitch for Magic Dark and Strange.
It’s about a girl who works at a print shop during the day and raises the dead at night. She’s tasked with digging up an enchanted timepiece from a grave and enlists the help of the local watchmaker’s son. Instead, they witness the boy who was buried there return to life, and the three of them investigate the circumstances of his death in the hopes of finding the timepiece.
2. Which came first: the characters or the plot line?
The characters! Catherine’s job as a typesetter is something I’ve always wanted to write into a story. I thought it would be interesting if she worked on obituaries—the magic system and the plot came together from there.
3. Why do you love Catherine and Guy and why should readers root for them?
Catherine and Guy are similar in that they’re both kind and earnest and genuinely try to do their best when faced with difficult circumstances.
4. Were there any weird things you googled while researching?
Quite a few things! I think the weirdest was how long it takes to dig up a grave and also how fast a body decomposes.
5. Without spoilers, which scene was your favorite to write?
It would probably be the first time Catherine and Guy are at the cemetery. I had a lot of fun writing that scene.
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Kelly Powell writes fantasy for young adults and currently lives in Ontario, Canada. She has a bachelor’s degree in history and book & media studies from the University of Toronto. She is the author of Songs from the Deep and Magic Dark and Strange.
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Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for the invite and to Kelly for taking the time. Magic Dark and Strange is out today and buy links are above.
Do you love books with magic? Which one is your favorite?
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