Book Blurb:
Faith has the power to turn imagination into reality. The Guild Master has the power to stop her.
In 1816 New York City, there is no place for women in the world of art, especially not for Faith, the gifted step-daughter of a renowned artist. Her step-father expects young women to be dutiful, reserved, and respectable, traits utterly incompatible with Faith’s innate nature and the attention her extraordinary talent would attract. Faith masks her feelings, holds her tongue, and hides her drawings.
But when her step-father draws an apple that Faith can pick up off the page and hold in her hand, she can no longer deny her calling. The mystical Ink he uses to bring the imaginary to life offers freedom and power she can never have on this side of reality. It may not get her out of an arranged marriage, but it might keep her from suffocating in it.
Denied access to the Ink by the Guild that guards it and the Guild Master, her own step-father, Faith finds a way to train in secret. As she learns to manipulate the imaginary world where fantasy and fear are equally real, she discovers that even her reality is not what it seems. As the lines between real and imagined blur, Faith’s quest for self-agency may cost her everything she holds dear in both worlds.The Guild Master's Daughter is the mesmerizing tale of one young woman's journey to create her own destiny through courage, self-discovery, and the extraordinary power of belief. Lose yourself in her world of artistry and magic, where dreams take form, art becomes life, and the imagination knows no limits.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/FeyDTRi
Author Bio:
Geneva Price has had more of a careen than a career. Although she has been talking about writing books since she was in elementary school, she has taken the twisty path getting there. She has been a lawyer, an archaeologist, an Egyptologist, a stay at home mom, an art teacher and, finally a full time artist and author. Geneva is a second generation native Southern Californian, but now lives in North Carolina where there is plenty of water and just enough seasons to be cute. She is a gardener who dabbles in landscape design, a tea drinker and dark chocolate connoisseur, a crazy dog lady who likes big mutts and urges you to adopt, not shop, a list maker, a dragon fanatic and, if it comes in purple, she’s likely to buy it.
Editorial Review:
Faith was lost in a world of pure imagination.
In her mind she flew into a bonfire sunset that trailed to blue-purple dush in her wake. Her body pulsed with the rhythmic beat of wings until they went still and soared effortlessly over deep, dark water. The sun drew Faith westward toward a strange new world that cast long, dark shadows before it.
"The Guild Master's Daughter," a book by Geneva Price, is a vibrant tapestry of art, revolt, and the alchemical power of belief. This historical fantasy is set in 1816 New York City, and beautifully merges magical realism with historical detail to create a gripping story that defies convention.
Price establishes the mood for an engaging tale right away with the opening, The Voyage. We envision Faith riding on the back of a great phoenix, soaring over the ocean as the sun sets in the distance. Such a beautiful scene, so beautifully described, pulls us immediately into the story and leaves us aching to know more about Faith.
Readers are drawn into the inner world of Faith, the protagonist, through this introduction, which acts as a lighthouse and highlights both her charisma and her struggles. The opening is masterfully written, enticing readers to go deeply into a narrative in which the lines separating fact from fiction are as supple as the ink on an artist's palette. In short, you can tell from the first page that this book is going to blend art and imagination, fantasy, and history in a mesmerizing way.
A wave of joy to match the swells beneath the hull lifted Faith’s spirits. When they had first sighted land, she had known there would soon be an end to the tedious boredom, turning food, and terrible smells. The excitement had faded as the far off shoreline slipped by day after day, never closer. With this news though, Faith could dare to believe the ordeal was near its end. She would have a proper bath and put on a fresh dress and feel truly clean for the first time in many weeks. More appealing than anything was the prospect of solid ground beneath her feet.
“Go below and tell your mother. I am certain she will be relieved as well, perhaps enough to join us for dinner. As for this” he said, holding up her sketchbook, “I will hold it for now. I suggest these last hours be spent in prayerful contemplation. There is one book you should never tire of reading.”
“Yes, Colonel,” Faith said, biting again at the inside of her cheek.
The story of "The Guild Master's Daughter" introduces us to Faith, a teenage artist with exceptional skill who feels constrained by society's norms and her stepfather's expectations. Her discovery that she can bring her drawings to life with a strange ink opens a world of possibilities and perils. The narrative deepens into an exciting examination of what it means to genuinely build one's future as Faith forges ahead on a route paved with treachery from family members and societal expectations.
Particularly with Faith, who transforms from a reserved young lady into a defiant creator of her own reality, Price succeeds at character development. The Guild Master, her stepfather, is shown with enough nuance to elude being reduced to a caricature; his anxieties and aspirations are a reflection of broader societal concerns about control and power. He may in some ways seem the “bad guy”, yet we also understand him and his reasoning. Charles and other supporting characters contribute to Faith's journey and deepen the plot by adding facets to it we wouldn’t see without their presence.
The story moves along smoothly from one chapter to the next, making you want to continue turning those pages. The seamless integration of every plot point and character choice guarantees that the story arc develops organically and leads to an unexpected but appropriate finale. The author's mastery of narrative building is evident in the seamless integration of Faith's personal development with the plot's advancement. Every moment that occurs seems to be for a purpose, moving the story along seamlessly.
She saw a shadow in its depths, thick and serpentine. Her eyes followed it up into the gathering wave. Lightning arched through the clouds above, turning the water translucent. In its obsidian wall she saw a horned head, the white cap of the wave above it like a crown. Glowing eyes fixed on her.
Leviathan.
The beast lunged toward her like a striking snake, carrying the crest of the wave with it. Faith tried to scream but no sound came out. Saltwater filled her mouth and eyes as the wave threatened to scour her from the deck. Faith wrapped herself tighter around the stanchion, pressing her face to the wet wood, panting in fear.
"The Guild Master's Daughter" is notable for its distinct fusion of fantasy and historical fiction. Price's prose is elegant and possesses a poetic tone that reflects the narrative's creative elements. Her skill at describing 19th-century New York via the combined prisms of history and imagination is astounding. The historical setting is delicately infused with supernatural elements, enhancing rather than overpowering the realistic components of the story.
The novel comes to a gratifying and thought-provoking finish. To say without spoilers, the conclusion honors the book's themes and offers an emotionally poignant resolution. Long after the last page is turned, the reader is still left wondering about the nature of reality and the power of art.
The novel is well-written and edited, removing any distracting flaws or inconsistencies so that the depth of the historical context and the complexity of the magical components may be fully appreciated. There are no abrupt pauses or distracting typos because of the neat, expert style, which makes for an engaging read.
"The Guild Master's Daughter" is a gripping story that expertly blends imaginative storytelling with historical context. The book is a monument to the transformational power of belief, a celebration of the artist's soul, and a critique of society's constraints. It challenges readers to consider where to draw the boundaries between reality and fantasy as well as the function of art in societal and individual emancipation. A must-read for everyone who values nuance, complexity, and exquisite narrative.
*****
“The Guildmaster's Daughter” by Geneva Price receives five stars and the “Highly Recommended” award of excellence from The Historical Fiction Company
Award:
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