Brutal and beautiful, Maresi walks the knife edge so thrillingly I read it in one sitting. Embued with myth, wonder, and told with a dazzling, compelling ferocity. I can hardly wait for the next instalment Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of 'The Girl of Ink & Stars' Maresi stands out for its startling originality, and for the frightening plausibility of the dangerous world it creates Rebecca Hawkes, Telegraph Combines a flavour of The Handmaid's Tale with bursts of excitement reminiscent of Harry Potter's magic duels Observer Turtschaninoff weaves a hypnotic spell... at once contemporary and timeless Guardian A haunting fable that resonates with the death cults and honour violence of today Financial Times A haunting fable that resonates with the death cults and honour violence of today Suzy Feay, Financial Times Should appeal to fans of Ursula Le Guin... A lucid, layered, deeply engaging story Metro A spell-binding feminist fantasy that feels very timely and yet utterly timeless -- SF Said Booktrust, Best Teen Books of 2016 Dark, powerful and original... it really stands out in a very crowded YA marketplace. Thrilling, suspenseful and gloriously feminist The Bookseller Full of courage. Dark, brave and so gripping you will read it in one sitting Laura Dockrill A beautifully painted, fantastical setting like no other; this story will resonate with me for a long time Ben Alderson, booktuber Atmospheric, immersive and definitely original, Maresi has a quiet urgent magic that makes her story powerful, poignant and memorable For Books' Sake A poignant, slow-burning fantasy Taran Matharu, author of the Summoner fantasy series A few times in a life time, a book comes along that wraps you completely in its world and its characters. Wildly imaginative and vivd and filled with wonders... this book makes me proud to be a woman Casey Daveron, booktuber (Casey Ann Books) Maresi is a tale of sisterhood, survival and fighting against the odds that will capture the hearts of both teen and adult feminists alike and will leave you feeling extremely empowered... I think it's a very special book and one that deserves lots and lots of attention Lucy Powrie, booktuber (Queen of Contemporary) Maresi is an incredible book... if you like Louise O'Neill's Only Ever Yours, you'll love this. Fantastically original... [and] a very important read Amber Kirk-Ford, booktuber (The Mile Long Bookshelf) Absolutely incredible, wonderfully mesmerising and a complete delight...I will definitely read whatever Turtschaninoff writes in future. Maresi completely captured my heart along with my imagination, and I'm not sure I want it back Once Upon a Bookcase This dark, deceptively simple story is a great addition to the growing feminist fantasy genre Scotsman 'Beautifully written... Maresi has a touch of Katniss about her, and although the target market is different, female lovers of dystopian fantasy adventures will enjoy the journey The School Librarian Expertly written and translated, Maresi is an original story that stands out in the very crowded YA marketplace. It is a dark and haunting tale, and well-deserving of the buzz surrounding its English release. It is hard not to be captivated by Maresi of the Red Abbey and the tale she tells South China Morning Post
Maria Turtschaninoff was born in 1977 and has been writing fairy tales since she was five. She is the author of many books about magical worlds. She has been awarded the Swedish YLE Literature Prize and has twice won the Society of Swedish Literature Prize. She has also been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Maresi is the first book in the three-part Red Abbey Chronicles, all of which will be published by Pushkin Press. Maresi is being published in eight languages and won the Finlandia Junior Prize.