Stalking Shadows by Cyla Panin

Abstract

Reviewed by: Stalking Shadows by Cyla Panin Fiona Hartley-Kroeger Panin, Cyla Stalking Shadows. Amulet/Abrams, 2021 [400p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781419752650 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781647002121 $15.54 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 8-10 Once a month, when her younger sister, Ama, turns into a literal beast, Marie scent-marks an inconspicuous victim for her sister to kill and eat: after all, nobody will pay much attention to a missing vagrant or drunkard in their eighteenth-century French town. Still, Ama’s bloodthirsty transformations endanger the townsfolk’s lives and her family’s reputation, and when a local child is killed, Marie fears that Ama is losing herself to the beast. Certain that the explanation and cure for Ama’s curse lies within the local manor house, where Ama went to work off their father’s debts and came back with a beastly form and appetite, Marie volunteers her knowledge of herbs to help the young lord’s sickly little brother and proceeds to snoop. The mystery falls flat as Marie’s snooping doesn’t yield any useful answers; most of her assumptions conveniently turn out to be correct, while neglected plot threads dangle for long stretches of time. Things gain some oomph at the end, though, as unsuspected dimensions of the curse come to light and enable Marie to expose the true instigator behind the murders. The premise is a diverting twist on beastly fairy tales, and though the descriptive prose and distracted pacing sometimes hinder the action, readers looking for sisterly bonds, big spooky houses, and girls with inner (and outer) beasts will find them here. Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois