“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴; 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴; 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴!”

Thank you to @simonbooks and @netgalley for my #gifted ARC. 💕

This book was SUCH a pleasant surprise! If you’re a fan of magical and whimsy books with dark twists, you’ll love this! It reminded me of Chronicles of Narnia, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and The Greatest Showman BUT WITH CULTS.

This book definitely had a unique plot, and I was super into it! It’s described as “a NYC fairy tale” and had some elements of fantasy and suspense. There’s even a mystery to be solved when people start to go missing. I loved the story of the two sisters. Rose is the level headed and responsible one, while Cecilia is the free spirited one always looking for adventure.

Lastly, I enjoyed the overarching themes of people searching for belonging, and the importance of family, love, and hope. What a great escapist story that was just beautifully written!!! I highly recommend you grab it tomorrow when it releases.
“𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲.”

Here in Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton is the story of Rose and Cecilia, two sisters who are very different from each other. This is a story of sibling and sisterly love but also an individual's search of happiness.

Rose and Cecilia, two sisters, are bonded in their trauma of upbringing. Cecilia is always in search of something, whereas Rose is responsible. The big question is, who is happy? This book is whimsical with the poetry and the elements of Avalon added in. There's mystery, magical realism, and an element of darkness that adds a touch of fairytale in this novel. However, it's none of that, but at the same time, there's an effervescence in the writing where a reader feels that they are reading a dark fairytale. It definitely lives a question of what our own Avalon is, or are we searching for our own Avalon? I enjoyed reading this book.

CW: Abandonment and neglect

Tara Isabella Burton’s Here in Avalon is a gorgeous and intoxicating confection of a book. Beautifully written, the novel is a must read for lovers of The Night Circus, fairy tales, myths, and Arthurian legend. Appropriately, the story begins once upon a time with two sisters — Cecilia, a pianist and dreamer who goes where life takes her in search of her Holy Grail, and Rose, who used to paint and draw, but who now works for a tech app called My.th, and lives for an excellent performance review.

The story begins when Cecilia returns home after a brief marriage. She keeps it together for a while, but begins disappearing after receiving a card from a mysterious woman in a bar for “The Avalon Cabaret” which says “[a]nother life is possible.” Ultimately, Cecilia disappears on a black boat called The Avalon. Rose sets out to find her solving clues worthy of Dan Brown.

Burton describes the book as a “love letter to [her] cults” whose members shared a love of beauty outside of real life just as the members of the Avalon do. The question Burton poses is at what cost? And is it possible to find beauty in the real world too? 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary e-copy of this book.

I had to pick up "Here in Avalon" once I saw it was from Tara Isabella Burton. I adored "The Cannot Give" and was so excited to read something else from her.
"Here in Avalon" reads like a modern fairytale. Burton's writing is so enchanting and whimsical, but also laced with a sense of darkness. This particular story is magical on its own as it weighs the struggle of leading a full, untethered life with the safety and expectations of a more structured one. "Here in Avalon" is a wonderfully enchanting world to get lost in for awhile.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy!

Burton's novels have a kind of playful, chaotic, twisted vibe, and while it's a very specific vibe to recommend, I gobble these suckers down like candy. HERE IN AVALON is no different in terms of vibe, and has the same hip NYC locales, and-- like Burton's other novels-- is not particularly believable. Even so, I was transported by this book, and truly felt like I'd been on a ride by the time i finished. A great late night fireside crackler.

Sisters Rose and Cecilia may have shared the same unstable childhood, but they’ve processed it differently and chosen opposite paths as young adults. When wild-child Cecelia decides to return to New York City, Rose hopes it’ll be an opportunity for them to reconnect and finally enjoy peaceful lives together. Instead, Rose finds herself more concerned about her sister than ever, especially after Cecilia joins a sketchy cabaret, the Avalon, and disappears one night. The more she digs into the Avalon, however, the more Rose finds herself being pulled into the group’s orbit too.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-arc.*

With her third novel, Tara Isabella Burton has created something truly special and unique. Here in Avalon is an urban fairy tale about sisters, magic, freedom, and being brave enough to choose a different kind of life.

Sisters Cecilia and Rose couldn't be more different. Cecilia, the older sister, is flighty and impulsive and irresponsible, while Rose has settled into a life of structure, routine, and an ordinary, mundane sort of happiness. When Cecilia returns to New York City after a whirlwind marriage, she insists to Rose that this time she's staying put. And just as Rose is beginning to believe her, Cecilia disappears again. This time, she's been swept away by a mysterious traveling cabaret troupe known as the Avalon -- a group that appears only at night on a red boat and has been linked to suspicious disappearances around the city. Following an impulse even she can barely understand, Rose decides to track down the Avalon in an effort to rescue her sister...and maybe even rescue herself.

Here in Avalon really does read like a fairy tale; Burton's writing is whimsical and enchanting and laced with dark magic as she explores the bonds of sisterhood and what it truly means to live a full, satisfying life. Burton gives readers so much to think about in regards to living an artistic, free-spirited life vs. a more pragmatic, structured one. The magic of it all really worked on me -- I think most people have, at one point or another, yearned to be whisked away from our ordinary lives into something more magical outside the bounds of "normal" society. The Avalon, like all the best (maybe not the right word choice, LOL) cults, is a place of both refuge and danger, depending on your perspective.

Here in Avalon is a book about how happiness looks different for everyone, and how truly loving someone means accepting who they are, even if it's not who you want them to be. It's beguiling and beautiful and swept me away while I was reading it, into a magical, ethereal world outside of reality. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.

Captivatingly haunting.

This book is not at all what I thought it would be from the description. I thought it would be jarring and perhaps violent, and I wasn’t even sure I wanted to read it. Instead was a beautiful, delicate tale of lost people, and longing, and love and hope.

It is steeped in experience of someone who knows their way around lore, and religion, and cults and the human need to belong. I didn’t know whether I was rooting for escape or of surrender for the characters.

The story left me feeling like I myself had awoken from a dream: the details gauzy and filmy and romantically vague, but with a sense that something wonderful had happened.

A lovely way to end the year.

What a fun ride. A glitzy, tragic New York City story of starting over, lost souls, and living a life you love.

Don’t let descriptions of cults and magic scare you off — there are those elements, but this is not a “fantasy” book. It’s more a sister story with a sort of gypsy/“fairy”/circus overlay!

I enjoyed it — thought it was fun and a captivating world, and liked the sisters’ joint and individual stories. The romance subplot(s) weren’t quite my cup of tea, and I didn’t get quiiiiite the level of resolution I hoped for, but it definitely kept my attention and I would recommend for a lighter read!

What a unique and fascinating read this was! As someone who has personal experience with both cult culture AND Avalonian mythology, this was an easy choice for me. At its core, this is a book about human connection, and the lengths we’ll go to find (and maintain) that feeling of being truly seen. Set against the backdrop of my hometown of NYC, Miz Burton provides a jarring mirror reflective of a sad but classic truth- that in a city full of so many people, it’s so easy to feel completely alone.

This isn’t the most comfortable read, and even borders on cringe level in several places, but the heart of the primary characters- two sisters who struggle to connect, is what kept me reading until the end. I truly cared about what might happen to them and that is a mark of a truly good story.

Throw in just enough of a mystery component that I *needed* to get to the reveal, and I found myself increasingly embroiled in the dark, tragic, befuddling, and wonderfully strange world that Burton creates.

Ultimately, I did spot some minor plot issues and the use of deus ex machina towards the end felt rushed and not completely earned, but overall, if you are a fan of mysteries, Romanticism, or have ever survived a cult, then this book is for you.

I wasn't sure if this was a book for me based on the description, but since I enjoyed another book by this author I checked it out.

Ultimately, while the book is well written and moves fast, I never really connected with the characters and didn't get pulled into the story enough to really enjoy it.

I enjoyed the premise of this book, its prose, its statements on art, and the touch of magic within. I don’t know that the character development was quite what I hoped for, though. And I ultimately felt dissatisfied with the ending, as it felt rushed, and like something was missing. A promising book that ultimately fell a bit short.

Here in Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton
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Two sisters. Rose and Cecilia were often neglected growing up, and they could not be more different now. Cecilia has spent her life searching for that something, wherever it takes her, while reliable Rose is always a safe landing for Cecilia. Then Cecilia find the people in the Avalon. And she disappears.
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What I liked:
-The intrigue in this story was fantastic! Looking for clues, searching, learning about the Avalon.
-I love stories with sisters. I didn’t have a sister growing up, so I’m fascinated by stories about them.
-I think Part 2 was my favorite part. I don’t want to give away spoilers but I loved Rose in that section, and how much she loves her sister but also her own reasons for what she does.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was drawn to this book because the description sounded like there was a touch of magical reality involved. I may have over anticipated what the story would be. I found it a little slow at first- the solid grown up sister, solid Rose, whose expected to take care of everything, and the flighty do as you please sister, Cecilia, that is always onto the next great adventure., until an ill-advised marriage sends her back home to her very grounded sister. Unable to resist the allure of something new and different, Cecelia gets involved with a cabaret outfit that mysteriously only comes out at night. And then disappears. As I got into the second part of the book, I found the story picked up and things moved along a lot faster as Rose tries to find out what happened to her sister, and gets sucked into the magical, possibly cult, world of Avalon. The tension was spot on. On her journey to find her sister, Rose reexamines her own life choices. It is definitely a fairy tale for adults. One must let got of what should happen in reality, and embrace the magical reality of what does happen. The ending was not exactly what I would have liked it to be, but it made sense in the end. I recommend this book. Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC.

4 stars

Tara Isabella Burton floored me with What the World Cannot Give last year, prompting me to add her to my auto-read list. The moment that I saw Here in Avalon ARCs had dropped, I could not click the Request button fast enough.

This contemporary fairy tale of buttoned up Rose and bohemian Cecilia completely captivated me from the first page and I found myself slowly being drawn into both the New York world inhabited by Rose and the Avalon cabaret that Cecilia becomes enamored with. Burton utilizes every aspect of the novel from plot to structure to characters to really speak to the distinctive nihilism experienced by millennials in an atmospheric yet concise manner. If you love the idea of a "just vibes" novel but yearn for one that actually has a plot, I would not hesitate to recommend this!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This book took me by surprise. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into as this is the first book by the author that I've read, however, I enjoyed my travels aboard the Avalon. The first act was a little slow for me and being a very character driven novel, it was tough to dig into as I didn't really love any of the main characters. However, much like my beloved Schitts Creek, I fell hard for the sisters and their lives, the second act sweeping me away and third leaving me both broken hearted and filled with hope for finding my own magic in the every day life.

Sisters Cecilia and Rose had an unconventional upbringing, embracing art as a sacred component of life, but while Rose became more conventional and responsible, Cecilia has remained chaotic--falling in and out of love, moving all over the world, and too often relying on Rose to bail her out of whatever trouble she's in. Rose's successful and intolerant fiance, Caleb, is doubtful when Cecilia returns to Manhattan and takes up residence in the apartment where they grew up. And Cecilia seems likely to fulfill his dire predictions.

But even as Rose despairs of Cecilia's behavior, she begins to see frissons in her relationship with Caleb, and resents being forced to choose between her future husband and sister. When Cecilia disappears, presumably joining a group of fellow bohemians, Rose cannot shake her concern and gives up everything to find her.

Strange and strangely engaging, this novel captures not only contemporary Manhattan but a dreamlike alternate reality where nonconformists find each other. Rose and Cecilia are both deeply sympathetic characters. #HereInAvalon #NetGalley

What an interesting, unique story this turned out to be! While it began slowly and a bit confusing, the action quickly picked up and the story went in a completely unexpected direction. Rose and Cecelia, sisters, seemed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum but they are much more complex than that, and the nexus between them is Avalon, a magical ship that promises a different life. It seemed to be a possibly sinister situation but, like the rest of the novel, it also delighted, Rose is headed for a boring but predictable and stable life with her fiancee Caleb, Cecelia can't be pinned down from one moment to the next. The unpredictability of this plot made it all the more pleasureable.

This ARC was provided by the publisher and NetGalley, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

I will never claim that it would be hard to get me to join a cult. Honestly, If you're looking to start one, I might be an easy first target. What can I say, I love a group activity and matching outfits. This being said, the MOMENT I met the quirky and eccentric members of The Avalon, I was IN.

Rose and Cecilia are beautifully crafted caricatures of people we all know. Cecilia, the drifter is always looking for the next great things. Overcome with love and a seemingly naïve belief that the world is a beautiful story waiting to happen, Rose finds herself in contact with a mysterious group who is offering her a chance at a new life.

Her sister, Rose, whose pragmatic view of life has left her in a state of complacence and perceived satisfaction. This satisfaction is uprooted when she finds herself pursing a mysterious, potentially cult-ish, group of individuals who she believes has kidnapped her sister. Chasing the clues her sister left behind, Rose encounters the Avalon. A mysterious and magical late night cabaret.

Bound the remind the lost souls of the world that magic still exists, The Avalon presents moments of fleeting beauty if you're lucky enough to be found. Rose finds herself entranced by the mystery. Determined to find her sister, Rose takes a leap of faith and finds herself on the other side of magic.

Burton absolutely astounded me with this book. Only a few weeks ago, I read Burton's book The World Cannot Give, and I was impressed. I thought Burton did an incredible job creating an environment that captured the reader. The World Cannot Give hooked me, and I thought it was a form of writing that was familiar but unique. That book was Burton's warm up.

Here in Avalon, in my opinion was a flex of small-scale world building, character building and overall vibes. I honestly am not sure if I can effectively speak on the technical writing of this book because I was too busy EATING IT UP. If I look at it pragmatically, some people might say this book dips its toes into the "no plot just vibes" and my response would be, "some plot, IMMACULATE vibes".

I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to step away from the real world for a few fleeting moments. If you need a fleeting reminder that beauty can exist if only for a few pages at a time. This book will come to you highly recommended. One of my favorites of the year.

My only request to Burton would be - More please!

A tale of sisterly devotion that, while it might take a moment to get into, becomes its own immersive world. Rose and Cecilia were feral NYC children and now they're in their 20s. Rose has sublimated her desire to be an artist, turned into an impressive coder of apps, and is living with Caleb, her fiance in his well ordered home. Cecilia has drifted in and out of her life but now she's back and living in the rent stabilized apartment Rose still maintains. But she's not well and she's fled from a mysterious marriage to Paul, a teacher in Maine. And then Cecilia becomes wrapped into the Avalon, a troupe of songsters who pluck sad people and take them on a boat to....Rose is determined to find her, changing her own life in her quest. This unfolds like a flower, as the bits of the Avalon are revealed. The characters shine, the NYC atmospherics are terrific, and there are surprises at every corner- no spoilers from me. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I wasn't sure about this, even after I started reading it but then I found myself turning the pages, fascinated. It's an excellent read.