Author: Maria Ingrande Moria
Genre: Dystopia, Queer Fiction, Teen Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance (but not romantacy), friends and rivals to lovers
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (Peachtree Teen)
Format: Ebook (NetGalley Copy)
Release Date: Feburary 24th, 2026
TW: epidemic, climate change, death of children during a riot, lobotomy like surgery, colonialism
I loved this book, and believe it is needed for teens to read. However, I do have some small problems with it.
But first, the plot (taken from the back): "Josephine Haven is about to find out exactly where she fits into the
march of Progress. Her outbursts are infamous at the House of Industry,
the school for children who can wield radiance, an electricity-like
magic. She’s tried to follow the rules, but her fiery nature is at odds
with the core tenet of the House: Never form attachments. If she is
meant to feel nothing, why are her emotions so volatile? No one
is surprised when, upon graduation, Josephine is banished from the city
to a remote Mission. In Frostbrook, she must work under standoffish
Julian, the former golden boy of the House of Industry who seems
determined to watch her fail. And then there’s Ezra, the flirtatious
stranger who’s a little too curious about how the Mission operates. But
there are bigger problems than Julian and Ezra’s secrets. A deadly
disease is spreading across the countryside, and in Frostbrook, not
everyone is eager to embrace Progress. As Josephine questions the system
that raised her—and gives in to desire she’s been taught to
suppress—she must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to expose not
just corruption within the House, but the devastating truth about the
radiance in her core."
The characters are the best part of this book. Josephine reminds me a bit of myself-someone who feels deeply, who doesn't know how to channel her anger. Her deconstruction was really believable and I'm glad that her anger and capacity for violence wasn't condemned outright.
I loved Exra and Julian. Ezra was the first person to pull Josephine out of the system and without spoiling too much, you can see why. Julian is a tougher nut to crack, but also well worth it. His ultimate fate at the end had me crying tears of joy.
I wish the worldbuilding was more significant however. There's a large portion of this book spent in travel, and the places were very indistinct for me. There were also allusions to real world people in character names, which may put off some people. But this is a character forward book, and it did succeed there.
I appreciate the queer representation, and the fact that it seemed to be relatively normal in this world except for the Children of Industry. There was kissing and allusions to sex in this book, but no explicit scenes. I love the depiction of a queerplatonic relationship as well. It's a rarity in fiction and I enjoyed it.
I can't wait to see what's next for this author.
Thanks to Peachtree Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC!
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Drink Paring: Japanese hojicha, green and nutty, and smooth, like a summer field
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