The Brilliance of Stars

Ciesielski (The Ice Swan) launches her Jack and Ivy duology with this captivating and immersive tale of espionage and romance amid the dangers of WWI. Jack Vale, a spy for the U.S.A.’s covert Talon Agency, recruits scrappy 16-year-old Ivy Olwen and her friend Philip after the teens stumble across one of the agency’s missions. Ivy and Philip were both orphaned at a young age, and have gotten by on street smarts and survival instincts ever since, something Jack relates to from his own troubled childhood. Over the years, as Talon employees give Philip and Ivy the traditional education they missed, alongside combat and weapons training, Ivy and Jack develop a deep connection and a slow-burning romance. When the three agents are sent to revolutionary Russia and take down black market arms dealer Balaur Tsar, the dangerous mission tests their mettle and pushes their bonds to the limit. Ciesielski’s unique plot entices from the first page, and she expertly weaves historical events into the narrative to create a feeling of authenticity. Readers are sure to be taken with the fortitude of Jack and Ivy, who manage to find stolen moments of happiness amid danger and violence. Agent: Linda Glaz, Hartline Literary. (Nov.)