Review: Another Faust by Daniel & Dina Nayeri

Title: Another Faust

Series: Another Series

Book #: 1st

Coming Out: August 25th.

Author: Daniel & Dina Nayeri

Pages: 400

Publisher: Candlewick

Tags: Fantasy, Gothic

Recommended to: Everyone

Rating: .3

"Whoever said beauty equals good, was tremendously mistaken"

One night, across four cities, five children disappear. Years later, five enigmatic teenagers appear at an exclusive New York holiday party with their strange but beautiful governess, Madame Vileroy. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust children to the elite Marlowe School, where their presence brings unexplainable misfortune.

Using a series of “gifts” given to them by Madame Vileroy, the children are able to soar to suspicious heights at Marlowe. The gifts seem child-like in their simplicity. The governess teaches them to cheat, steal, hide, and lie; ‘harmless’ she calls them, though they are much more. For the vicious over-achiever, reading an unsuspecting mind is simply to cheat. For the reclusive pariah, the gift of stopping time is just another way to hide. And who but an aspiring writer can weave a convincing lie?

Soon, Madame Vileroy’s gifts become darker and more complex. Living in a gray home designed to cultivate and corrupt them, they are enveloped in the side effects of their own addictions. They live cursed lives, making deals with the devil as they claw their way toward their goals….that is until two of them begin to uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins. A modern retelling of an ancient dilemma, Another Faust recreates the story of the Faustian bargain. Set in present-day New York, but spanning the centuries, it is a chilling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.

Taschima's POV:

This is a very unique story. Deals with the devil are often find in literature, but with this one spin off you will find the theme more enticing that is has ever been before.

It starts off with 5 children who have nothing in common. Their pasts are different, their desires, their strengths, etc. But they do have one thing in common, they want more. They are touched by one of the 7 deadly sins, Greed. For some of them, it is not really necessary, but for others it's a necessary means to a goal. They meet this beautiful woman, who promises them all they ever wanted, and more. One night, 5 children disappear, only to be seen 5 years later on the streets of New York city.

This story is as dark as the night. It read to me as in Gossip Girl with a devilish twist. It wasn't all about gossip, but it had all the style of GG.

The characters are complicated. Nothing is as it seems on the outer shell. You got Victoria, my least favorite character, which is the greediest of them all. She wants power, and will go till the extremes to get it. Even if she has to run you down with a truck. Even if she has to cheat to get it.

Valentine, the tortured poet. With his talent for lying, this kid thinks he can go to great heights.

Christian, the jock who only wants to be the best at sports. Who doesn't want to be poor, or go hungry. And if that means he has to steal, well, bring it on.

Belle, the beautiful one. Everybody wants her, but nobody can get close enough to actually touch her. Her smell is foul, as if her soul were rotting inside.

And finally Bice, who only wants to be alone, which she accomplishes by hiding away from people, but at the same time, she is desperately in need of a friend.

Easy? I didn't think so. The authors put some weird names to the powers of this characters, which really irritated me. While putting new names to the techniques we already know might put some extra uniqueness to the story, it just gets on the border of annoying after a while.

At sometimes the story was confusing. I am not going to lie. But highly enjoyable. Which kept me turning the pages, trying to solve the riddle.

This book is coming out in two days! So you might want to run to your nearest book store and, I don't know, BUY IT?

**In another topic some people were asking where I got the information about Shadowland coming out earlier. Well I got it here. I am so glad its coming out earlier than expected!