CANR
WORK TITLE: Much Ado about Margaret
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: www.madeleine-roux.com
CITY: Seattle
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: CA 319
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born June 12, 1985, in MN.
EDUCATION:Beloit College, B.A. 2008.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Has worked in a bookstore.
WRITINGS
Contributor to the Star Wars-related short story anthology From a Certain Point of View, 2017, and Don’t Turn Out the Lights, 2020. Author of the Web log Allison Hewitt Is Trapped.
SIDELIGHTS
Madeleine Roux graduated from Beloit College with a bachelor’s degree in acting and writing in 2008. While working in a bookstore, she began the Web log Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, a fictional project portraying Allison Hewitt, an unlikely and unwitting heroine in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. The epistolary tale became so popular that Roux was approached with a proposal to adapt it as a novel. The end result, Allison Hewitt Is Trapped: A Zombie Novel, was published in 2011. Discussing her Web log in an online Guilded Earlobe interview, Roux noted that it “began as an experiment to embrace the serial nature of the blog and bring a story to readers week by week. The story took on a new energy when readers began leaving elaborate comments and immersing themselves in the story. It was fascinating to see people take on these detailed roles and leave comments that showed their own evolution in the chaotic, zombie-filled world.” She added: “I ran the blog for a few months before Kate McKean, who is now my agent, stumbled across it. She contacted me to see if I’d like to turn the story into a novel while still keeping the blog format, which brought some unique challenges.”
Allison Hewitt Is Trapped begins when graduate student and bookstore employee Allison Hewitt witnesses a customer’s death by decapitation. A zombie bites the customer’s head off, and Allison and the remaining customers hide in the store’s back room. Through her attempts to survive, Allison transforms from a mousy bookworm to an axe-wielding zombie killer. At the end of each chapter, Allison chronicles her adventures in her blog, and readers’ comments on each post are also included. Addressing Allison’s character arc in a Shearers Bookshop Web site interview, Roux remarked: “I very deliberately started her off a bit shaky and incompetent, not stupid, but just unprepared for what hits. To me, a story really starts to shine when you see the characters grow and change over the course of the plot. … I didn’t want her to turn into a mindless action hero that could do anything. She needed to make mistakes and still feel [relatable] even when she started to wise up.” The author also commented on her decision to write a zombie story, noting: “Everyone knows more or less what a zombie is, but you can use the entire phenomenon to express whatever you want. To me, they’ve avoided taking on any one definition. Vampires are sexy now, for some reason, and werewolves are headed that way, too, but zombies sort of transcend all that baggage. You can use them to represent any number of themes.”
Several critics applauded Allison Hewitt Is Trapped as an entertaining effort with a lovable heroine. Others, however, commended the blog format despite finding the book to be a run-of-the-mill zombie tale. Jessica Moyer, writing in Booklist, felt that “the blog format elevates and enhances this “average zombie story, albeit one with plenty of action and a high body count.” Moyer felt that the work is most suited to those who are already fans of the genre.
A mixed assessment was proffered by a Kirkus Reviews writer, who asserted that Roux “brings a neat concept to her tale.” Calling the novel “a treat for lovers of groaners and roamers with neither enough gore nor pathos to keep casual readers engaged,” the reviewer found that the darkness of the story outweighs flashes of “unnerving humor” near the beginning. Library Journal reviewer Jennifer Zoethout was impressed, praising the novel’s “strong character development” and calling it “a great undead time for adult and YA fans of the genre.” A Publishers Weekly critic acknowledged “Roux’s obvious talent for witty characters and gory action sequences.”
[OPEN NEW]
Roux launched her first series with the psychological thriller Asylum. It introduced the teen characters of Dan, Abby, and Jordan, who are spending a summer at the New Hampshire College Prep program. There, they start exploring an asylum for the criminally insane and uncover all kinds of horrifying secrets. Reviewers were ambivalent about the series opener, but they were more positive about the next book in the series, Sanctum.
In Sanctum, Dan, Abby, and Jordan have returned to the asylum to try to put a stop to the nightmares they have been experiencing since the previous summer. On top of that, someone has been sending them photos of an old-time carnival. When they return to the asylum, they discover that the carnival is real and on the same campus. The trio have to explore the surrounding town and also determine the connection the teens have to the asylum’s former and very evil warden. As with the first book, Sanctum includes creepy photographs that set the tone.
Debbie Carton, in Booklist, wrote, “Roux works the creepy verisimilitude that made Asylum such a page-turner.” She complimented Roux for knowing how to “keep the action rolling and the reader hooked.” In Voice of Youth Advocates, Kate Conklin described the book as “frightening” and wrote that it will appeal to both fans of the first installment and “older readers who enjoyed Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.” Conklin called it a “solid horror offering” but warned potential readers of the graphic descriptions of torture and medical procedures.
After concluding the series with Catacomb and Escape from Asylum, Roux began a new horror series with House of Furies. The setting this time is a boarding house in eighteenth-century England. Seventeen-year-old Louisa has arrived to work as a maid, but she soon realizes the boarding house is not designed to provide residents a place to stay but is rather a place where they are being judged for supposed transgressions. Louisa takes a liking to one guest named Lee and does everything she can to save him. The book uses both illustrations and photo-collages to augment the chilling story.
“Atmospheric, moody, and great fun” is how a contributor in Kirkus Reviews described this series starter. They particularly enjoyed how “characters’ emotional connections create wonderful tension.” A reviewer in Publishers Weekly agreed, calling the story “darkly delightful (and frequently gruesome).” They wrote that Roux is able to “bring her gothic setting to rich life.” Writing in Voice of Youth Advocates, Barbara Allen called the story “original and entertaining,” although she noted it is “slow to start.”
Roux combined horror and science fiction in Salvaged, a novel about a woman named Rosalyn who is on the run and working as a salvager. She and her coworkers clean up the literal messes others have made. When they are hired to salvage on what seems to be an empty spaceship, they are horrified to find that the crew is alive (sort of) and has been infected with a gross parasitic organism. Rosalyn has to work with Captain Aries to try to warn the rest of humanity before the alien organism takes over the human race.
In Booklist, Regina Schroeder wrote, “The tension and desperation of the situation meshes perfectly with the characters’ development.” A writer in Publishers Weekly called the novel “taut” and an “entertaining, deeply disturbing, and clever story.” They wrote that it “hits all the right notes for those who like a little horror with their [science fiction].”
Roux shifted again with The Book of Living Secrets, a fantasy novel in which two best friends, Adelle and Connie, are magically transported into the world of their favorite historical romance novel. There the two teens quickly realize the world of the romance novel is filled with supernatural horrors. Even worse, the two are separated and find themselves in different parts of the narrative. The two have to rewrite their stories if they are to escape and make their way back to the real world and each other.
A writer in Kirkus Reviews loved the book, praising it as “imaginative, weird, and enthralling.” They wrote, “The setting and atmosphere are exquisitely rendered, and the horrors veer into the splendidly bizarre.” Aurora Dominguez, in Booklist, also enjoyed this one, calling it an “adventure filled with fantasy and horror that leads readers to a satisfying and very interesting end.”
Roux stayed in historical England for Much Ado about Margaret but ditched the horror aspects that have been common in her work. In this narrative that hearkens back to the novels of Jane Austen, writer Margaret wants to live an exciting life like the characters she writes about. She is afraid, however, that her family has plans to marry her off. Things come to a head at a cousin’s glamorous wedding where Captain Bridger Darrow becomes fascinated with a novel Margaret has written without realizing who has written it.
“This is a gem,” raved a reviewer in Publishers Weekly. They praised the dialogue that “sparkles” and the chemistry that “crackles,” and they predicted that “readers will adore both ambitious, strong-willed Margaret and brooding softy Bridger.” Jenn Laskosky agreed, as she appreciated both the “exquisite detail” of the setting and the way the story keeps readers “engaged.” “A fun, breezy romance full of delightful hijinks” is how a writer in Kirkus Reviews described it. They appreciated the “charming pair” at the center of the story and called the novel a “lushly written, entertaining romp” that “boasts a large cast of captivating characters.”
[CLOSE NEW]
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, January 1, 2011, Jessica Moyer, review of Allison Hewitt Is Trapped: A Zombie Novel, p. 57; August 1, 2014, Debbie Carton, review of Sanctum, p. 69; October 1, 2019, Regina Schroeder, review of Salvaged, p. 35; April 1, 2022, Aurora Dominguez, review of The Book of Living Secrets, p. 52.
Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2010, review of Allison Hewitt Is Trapped; June 15, 2013, review of Asylum; July 15, 2014, review of Sanctum; March 15, 2017, review of House of Furies; September 1, 2019, review of Salvaged; October 15, 2021, review of No Humans Allowed!; January 15, 2022, review of The Book of Living Secrets; September 15, 2022, review of Tourney of Terror; August 15, 2024, review of Last Best Hope; October 15, 2024, review of Much Ado about Margaret.
Library Journal, January 1, 2011, Jennifer Zoethout, review of Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, p. 88; September, 2024, Jenn Laskosky, review of Much Ado about Margaret, pp. 75+.
Publishers Weekly, November 1, 2010, review of Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, p. 31; March 13, 2017, review of House of Furies, pp. 86+; July 29, 2019, review of Salvaged, p. 64; April 26, 2021, review of Reclaimed, p. 58; July 29, 2024, review of Much Ado about Margaret, p. 43.
School Library Journal, February, 2014, Liz Overberg, review of Asylum, p. 112.
Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 2013, Betsy Fraser, review of Asylum, p. 82; August, 2015, Kristin Fletcher-Spear, review of Catacomb, p. 83; December, 2015, Kate Conklin, review of Sanctum, p. 74; June, 2017, Barbara Allen, review of House of Furies, p. 83.
ONLINE
Beloit College website, https://www.beloit.edu/ (April 26, 2023), Grayson Jensen, author profile.
Guilded Earlobe, http: //theguildedearlobe.wordpress.com/ (June 7, 2011), author interview.
JeanBookNerd, https://www.jeanbooknerd.com/ (March, 2022), author interview.
Madeleine Roux website, http://www.madeleine-roux.com (January 29, 2025).
Nerd Daily, https://thenerddaily.com/ (October 19, 2024), Elise Dumpleton, author interview.
Paulsemel.com, https://paulsemel.com/ (October 22, 2019), Paul Semel, author interview.
Shearers Bookshop, http://shearersbooks.blogspot.com/ (April 20, 2011), author interview.*
Madeleine Roux
USA flag (b.1985)
Madeleine Roux received her BA in Creative Writing and Acting from Beloit College in 2008. In the spring of 2009, Madeleine completed an Honors Term at Beloit College, proposing, writing and presenting a full-length historical fiction novel. Shortly after, she began the experimental fiction blog Allison Hewitt Is Trapped. Allison Hewitt Is Trapped quickly spread throughout the blogosphere, bringing a unique serial fiction experience to readers.
Born in Minnesota, Madeleine Roux is the New York Times bestselling author of the Asylum series, which has sold into eleven countries around the world and whose first book was named a Teen Indie Next List Pick, and the House of Furies series. Madeleine now lives in Seattle, Washington.
Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Children's Fiction, Science Fiction, Historical Romance, Fantasy, Horror
New and upcoming books
October 2024
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Much Ado About Margaret
June 2025
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A Girl Walks into the Forest
Series
Zombie
1. Allison Hewitt Is Trapped (2011)
2. Sadie Walker is Stranded (2012)
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Asylum
0. Escape from Asylum (2016)
1. Asylum (2013)
1.5. The Scarlets (2014)
2. Sanctum (2014)
2.5. The Bone Artists (2015)
3. Catacomb (2015)
3.5. The Warden (2016)
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House of Furies
1. House of Furies (2017)
2. Court of Shadows (2018)
3. Tomb of Ancients (2019)
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World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Shadows Rising (2020)
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Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Academy
1. No Humans Allowed! (2021)
2. Tourney of Terror (2022)
Last Best Hope (2024)
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Novels
Salvaged (2019)
Reclaimed (2021)
The Book of Living Secrets (2022)
The Proposition (2022)
Much Ado About Margaret (2024)
A Girl Walks into the Forest (2025)
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Series contributed to
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft: Traveler
3. The Shining Blade (2019)
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Critical Role
The Mighty Nein--The Nine Eyes of Lucien (2022)
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Marvel: What If . . .
1. What If... Loki Was Worthy? (2024)
Madeleine Roux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Madeleine Roux
Roux in Argentina in 2017
Born Minnesota, U.S.
Nationality American
Other names Diane Walker
Alma mater Beloit College
Known for Writing
Notable work Asylum series
Website www.madeleine-roux.com Edit this at Wikidata
Madeleine Roux is an American fiction author. She has written several young adult paranormal and horror fiction series, including the Asylum series. She has also written two standalone adult science fiction novels along with several novels for licensed properties such as World of Warcraft and Dungeons & Dragons.
Life and education
Roux was born in Minnesota.[1] Roux attended Beloit College, where she studied creative writing and acting and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2008.[1]
Career
Novels
Roux became known for her zombie fiction blog, Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, which she turned into her first novel by the same name.[2] Asylum, a 2013 young adult horror novel and first installment in the series of the same name, was a New York Times bestseller.[3][4]
Her next young adult trilogy began with House of Furies in 2017.[5][6] Kate McKean, in a review of the novel for Publishers Weekly, wrote that Roux "brings her gothic setting to rich life in this darkly delightful (and frequently gruesome) series opener".[5] In February 2022, the Oklahoma attorney general's office announced a list of school library books, which included House of Furies, that they were reviewing for alleged obscenity.[7] However, Attorney General John O'Connor walked back the probe within the day.[8][9]
Both of her adult science fiction thriller and mystery novels – Salvaged (2019) and Reclaimed (2021) – received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly.[10][11][12] Paste stated that Salvaged "is not for the faint of heart" and that "there are few worse ways to go out than what Roux has imagined for humanity in Salvaged".[13]
In March 2022, Roux published the young adult horror novel The Book of Living Secrets.[14][15] The Proposition, a Regency romance novel by Roux, is scheduled to be published in August 2022.[16] In June 2022, it was announced that Quill Tree Books had acquired Now We Hunt the Doe, a young adult fantasy novel by Roux, along with an additional untitled novel. Now We Hunt the Doe is scheduled to be published in 2024.[17]
Licensed properties
Roux contributed the short story "Eclipse" to From a Certain Point of View, a 2017 anthology of stories in the Star Wars universe.[18] Jennifer Roy, for CBR, commented that Roux's contribution "was the most devastating story in the collection because it showed Alderaan's fate from the point of view of Queen Breha Organa. [...] 'Eclipse' compounded the tragedy of Alderaan and made Leia's loss even more visceral".[19]
Roux wrote two World of Warcraft novels, as well as the short story "A Moment In Verse".[20][21] Shadows Rising, her second novel set in the Warcraft universe, was among Publishers Weekly bestsellers in July 2020.[22] Roux is the author of the Dungeon Academy series, with illustrator Timothy Probert, which is a set of Dungeons & Dragons themed middle grade books;[23][24] the second novel is scheduled for release in November 2022.[25] A novel featuring characters from the series, titled Dungeons & Dragons: A Goblin Problem (2022), was published under Roux's pen name Diane Walker.[26][27]
Roux is the author of a prequel novel, titled Critical Role: The Mighty Nein – The Nine Eyes of Lucien, set before Critical Role's second campaign;[28][29] it was released in November 2022.[30][31]
Bibliography
Historical romance
The Proposition (Dell, 2022, ISBN 9780593499375) [upcoming][16]
Science fiction
Salvaged (Ace, 2019, ISBN 9780451491831)[32]
Reclaimed (Ace, 2021, ISBN 9780451491855)[11][33]
Young adult fiction
The Book of Living Secrets (Quill Tree Books, 2022, ISBN 9780062941428)[34]
Now We Hunt the Doe (Quill Tree Books, 2024) [upcoming][17]
Zombie
Allison Hewitt Is Trapped (St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2011, ISBN 9780312658908)[35]
Sadie Walker is Stranded (St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2012, ISBN 9780312658915)[36]
Asylum
Main article: Asylum (novel series)
Asylum (HarperCollins Publishers, 2013, ISBN 9780062220967)[37]
Sanctum (HarperCollins Publishers, 2014, ISBN 9780062220998)[38]
Catacomb (HarperCollins Publishers, 2015, ISBN 9780062364050)[39]
Escape from Asylum, prequel (HarperCollins Publishers, 2016, ISBN 9780062424433)[40]
The Asylum Novellas (HarperCollins Publishers, 2016, ISBN 9780312658915); collects:[41]
The Scarlets, novella (2014)
The Bone Artists, novella (2015)
The Warden, novella (2016)
House of Furies
House of Furies (HarperTeen, 2017, ISBN 9780062498618)[42]
Court of Shadows (HarperTeen, 2018, ISBN 9780062498700)[43]
Tomb of Ancients (HarperTeen, 2019, ISBN 9780062498731)[44]
Licensed fiction
World of Warcraft
See also: Warcraft § Novels
The Shining Blade – World of Warcraft: Traveler, Book 3 (Scholastic Inc., 2019, ISBN 9781338538946)[45]
Shadows Rising – World of Warcraft: Shadowlands (Del Rey Books, 2020, ISBN 9780399594144)[46]
A Moment in Verse, digital short story (2021)[21]
Dungeons & Dragons
See also: List of Dungeons & Dragons fiction § 2020s
Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed! (HarperCollins Publishers, 2021, ISBN 9780063039124)[47]
Dungeon Academy: Tourney of Terror (HarperCollins Publishers, 2022, ISBN 9780063039148)[25]
Dungeon Academy: Last Best Hope (Farshore, 2024, ISBN 978-0008642433)
Critical Role
See also: Critical Role–related products § Novels
Critical Role: The Mighty Nein – The Nine Eyes of Lucien (Del Rey Books, 2022, ISBN 9780593496732)[31]
Marvel
What If. . . Loki Was Worthy?: A Loki and Valkyrie Story (Del Rey books, 2024, ISBN 978-1529914337[48]
Anthologies
From a Certain Point of View, "Eclipse" (Del Rey Books, 2017, ISBN 9780345511478)[18]
Don't Turn Out the Lights, "The Tall Ones" (HarperCollins Publishers, 2020, ISBN 9780062877673)[49]
Exclusive Interview: “Salvaged” Author Madeleine Roux
Post author
By Paul Semel
Post date
October 22, 2019
No Commentson Exclusive Interview: “Salvaged” Author Madeleine Roux
Though not the best choice, a lot of people do find comfort in running away from their problems.
But in Madeleine Roux’s new sci-fi horror thriller romance Salvaged (paperback, Kindle), we see the folly in running away from your problems by going into outer space and working as a janitor on a space ships whose crew is…lets just say they’re not themselves these days.
In the following email interview Roux discusses what inspired and influenced this novel, and her plans for more stories in this universe.
Madeleine Roux Salvaged
Photo Credit: Greg DeStefano
I always like to begin with an overview of the plot. So, what is Salvaged about?
Salvaged is really at its core Rosalyn’s story. She’s dealing with a lot of issues, a lot of trauma, and she’s taken a tough job cleaning up failed research projects in space. It’s not her passion, it’s not what she was born to do, but it’s a way for her to escape the problems she doesn’t want to confront in herself. She’s sent to clean up a completely dead crew on the Brigantine, but when she gets there she realizes it’s not at all what she expected: the crew has been taken over by a hostile alien fungus, and they’re slowly being turned against themselves and against her. It’s her journey trying to save these people as much as she can, save herself, and try to stop this huge threat against humanity. That’s the most I can say without spoilers.
Where did you get the original idea for Salvaged and how did that idea evolve as you wrote this novel?
I initially conceived the novel as an ode to Beauty And The Beast. It follows some of the same story beats, but it takes that fairytale and makes it darker, twistier, while still keeping the core of that story intact. It’s a love story. It’s a horror story. It’s a journey of self-discovery for the “Belle” character. I think it evolved in the sense that I let myself get creative with the conclusion and the way the side characters are handled. It doesn’t have the same outcome as Beauty And The Beast, it should hopefully surprise you a bit with who survives and who doesn’t.
Salvaged sounds like it’s a sci-fi horror story. Is that how you see it?
It’s really a sci-fi horror thriller romance, which is a mouthful, but I think that better encapsulates it. It’s not straight horror, because this isn’t a “What is the monster? Where is it?” kind of book. Everyone knows what the monster is, and the conflict is in fighting it without also fighting the innocent hosts it has decided to use. There’s body horror, there’s a love story, there’s action, there’s a bit of mystery, it’s working inside a lot of genres.
As you said, the hero of Salvaged, Rosalyn Devar, works as a space janitor. Why did you decide to give her that job as opposed to making her a scientist or a soldier or middle management?
Well, she is a scientist. She’s taking the janitorial job to get away from her family business on Earth. I wanted to give her a secondary job that was about as different as you could possibly get from her initial career. She’s switched from doing something very mind-oriented and now she’s using her hands, she’s abandoning the familiar things that she associates with her trauma on Earth for something completely different.
Rosalyn being a space janitor immediately made me think of Jim C. Hines’ Janitors Of The Post-Apocalypse novels, Terminal Alliance and Terminal Uprising, which are also about space janitors. Have you read those books?
I’m not familiar with any of those, but I’ll have to check them out.
They’re very different than yours, more comedic space opera. Anyway, speaking of other writers, are there any writers, or specific stories, that were a big influence on Salvaged but not on anything else you’ve written?
That’s always so hard to know. I think I’m influenced by everything I read and consume. This isn’t a direct homage to any particular writer, but I do usually find myself inspired by Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber. It’s not at all sci-fi, but I often find myself trying to recapture her sense of horror and dread, while still keeping a very lush and romantic feel to the work.
What about such non-literary influences as movies, TV shows, and video games? Because the plot kind of reminds me of the Dead Space games.
I think maybe on the surface the premise resembles Dead Space, but this isn’t a shooty shooty find the monster in the airducts kind of story. If anything it’s closer to something like Mass Effect because you have this diverse crew that you’re getting to know, and they all have different motivations and desires, and Rosalyn is trying to balance her own survival against their wants while up against a big, existential threat.
Prior to Salvaged, you wrote five books in your Asylum series [Asylum, Sanctum, Catacomb, Escape From Asylum, and The Asylum Novellas], and another three in the House Of Furies series [House Of Furies, Court Of Shadows, and Tomb Of Ancients]. Is Salvaged the start of a new series?
There’s a second book coming, but it’s not a direct sequel. It’s set in the same universe with a different set of characters, though there is certainly some crossover. I think when you get to the end of Salvaged it’s obvious why a direct sequel might not work. There’s more to explore in the universe and the concepts put forward by Salvaged, but it didn’t seem right to just make it a traditional series. That second book is called Reclaimed and it will be out next year, probably fall again, and at this point I’m not sure how many books we will wind up doing in this universe. I would love to continue, because I think there’s a lot of potential in it.
As you know from when you wrote the Asylum and House Of Furies books, some people will wait until Reclaimed comes out before reading Salvaged, and some will then read them back-to-back. But it doesn’t sound like that’s necessary.
I think because you’re looking at separate characters in the same universe, there’s no harm in starting now. If you read Salvaged and enjoy it, and enjoy the level of tech and alien interaction you see in it, then you’ll also love whatever comes next for this universe. You also won’t have to wait long, I’m not known for keeping readers waiting. The second book is already set to come out, and because these are all sort of stand-alones in a universe, you won’t be dealing with any cliffhangers.
I’d also point out that, while I respect whatever choice a reader wants to make, not supporting a book series at release means it might not get to continue. Sales on that first book are hugely important.
Earlier I asked if Salvaged had been influenced by any movies, TV shows, or video games. Has there been any interest in adapting Salvaged into a movie, show, or game?
I can’t really comment on anything concrete yet. I’d imagine it would work best as a film, since it’s quite a tight, intimate story, but I could see maybe a limited series for TV, and if you had that extra time you could do some interesting things with expanding the back stories for each of the crewmembers.
If Salvaged was to be adapted into a movie or TV show, who do you think they should cast as Rosalyn and the other major characters?
Oh boy, I always hesitate to answer stuff like this because I worry that I’ll influence how someone perceives my characters, or God forbid, offend someone if it does get made into film and other actors are cast. My very gentle suggestion would be Jameela Jamil [The Good Place] for Rosalyn and Jeffrey Wright [Westworld] for Edison.
Madeleine Roux Salvaged
Finally, if someone enjoys Salvaged, which of your other novels would you suggest they read and why that one?
It’s sort of a matter of taste and interest. I realize some readers tend to stick very seriously to one genre, so that might make it tricky since this is my first sci-fi book. I do think that if you like the style of Salvaged, you’ll enjoy my other work — I’m trying to build a brand off of my personal voice and style, not genre, so you might find yourself enjoying something unexpected. If you enjoy found footage haunting stories, Asylum is a good place to go. If you’re more into gothic fantasy and period pieces, House Of Furies is a good choice, and if you enjoy zombie survival then Allison Hewitt Is Trapped.
Madeleine Roux Interview - The Book of Living Secrets
10:00 AM JBN, Jean Book Nerd, Madeleine Roux Interview - The Book of Living Secrets 7 comments
Photo Content from Madeleine Roux
MADELEINE ROUX is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Asylum series, which has sold over a million copies worldwide. She is also the author of the House of Furies series, and several titles for adults, including Salvaged and Reclaimed. She has made contributions to Star Wars, World of Warcraft, and Dungeons & Dragons. Madeleine lives in Seattle, Washington with her partner and beloved pups.
Greatest thing you learned at school.
This is probably a counterintuitive answer, but the best thing I learned—in college, specifically—is that finding your path in publishing will be your responsibility. I had to go looking on my own, do research, ask questions, and learn all about getting an agent, querying, etc. I try hard in my professional life to be open about the process and where to find resources, but ultimately, it’s something you must want badly enough to go looking. Nobody is going to completely hold your hand through the steps of drafting, editing, querying or self-publishing, and expecting a hand hold will only slow you down and leave you disappointed.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
There are so many! Going on my first tour was certainly rewarding, but not necessarily in the way I expected. I was in the middle of a horrific breakup, my debut YA novel Asylum had just hit the NYT list out of nowhere, I had awful insomnia, and it was a group tour, so I was convinced the other authors would think I was a total fraud. As soon as I met the other women I was embraced and supported, and I made lifelong friends on that tour. It was so disarming to just be met with kindness and understanding, not a drop of snobbery. I really can’t describe how much I learned from those other authors, and how much I appreciated feeling like I was part of their world while being riddled with fear and inadequacy. Shout out Rae Carson, Mindy McGinnis, Sherry Thomas, Anna Carey, and Michelle Gagnon, absolute rockstars.
What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
The pandemic was hitting just as I reached the back half of my draft of The Book of Living Secrets, so that was interesting. I think Covid impacted the editing phase tremendously. So much of the book is about horrors we live with daily and find a way to cope with or ignore and entering my first pandemic certainly informed how that message is conveyed. There was so much uncertainty to confront about how we live our lives, and I have to admit that some days it was hard to justify focusing on a novel WIP when it felt like the whole world was collapsing. I ended up writing four books in 2020, though, so apparently I pushed through the distractions and despair!
Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
Surprise, surprise, I think about this question all the time! The more I do this work, the more I see how we’re all just trying to lob questions out into the universe and see if we get an answer. For me, writing a book is exposing a part of myself that I wonder about, and seeing if others feel the same. There’s something deeply profound and a little sweet about spending all this time alone at your desk fussing over word choice, character arcs, and comma splices, being convinced you’ve messed up and lost your way, and then having the book come out and hearing from readers that it moved them. Stories are how we connect, how we wave at each other over a long distance and say: Hey, me too! I noticed that same weird thing! We might not be totally the same but we share this one fascination!
Can you tell us when you started THE BOOK OF LIVING SECRETS, how that came about?
The idea first bubbled up in 2019, and it was a result of how most of my YA books start—I consider what I would want to read if I was still a teen. What would resonate with me? What haven’t I seen out there yet that might be meaningful? That led me to draw on a best friend relationship I had as a teenager, the origin of which felt really tied to media we were obsessed with at the time. I wanted to try and plonk down a friendship like that, one that’s close but also fraying, in a world the girls both loved. That was the initial core of the book, watching two best friends navigate a world that’s both familiar and alien to see how it would test and change them, and that remains the core of the book today.
Your Favorite Quotes/Scenes from THE BOOK OF LIVING SECRETS
“Courage and valor.”
“A lady is not taught those things,” Orla wailed, wiping fiercely at her face.
Connie pressed the rifle into his hands with a nod. Then Caid turned to Orla and gathered her to his side. “A lady does not need to be taught those qualities,” he said. “A lady naturally possesses them.”
Meet the Characters
Adelle and Connie are the POV characters in the novel, and they anchor the story, they’re the heart and soul of the adventure. Adelle is a bundle of energy and optimism, she’s a wayward dreamer. She’s absorbed in fandom and fantasy, sometimes to her detriment. She has heterochromia, different colored eyes, which I know gives extreme Chosen One energy but that’s intentional, as a lot of those tropes are questioned and deconstructed in the book.
Connie is sort of her Wario in a lot of ways, in an Opposites Attract as friends scenario. She’s highly athletic, tall, muscular, and struggling with the way society tells girls that’s not cute or attractive. She’s an absolutely fierce young woman, academically gifted, and determined. We see her go on a journey to self-acceptance, not just with her body image but with her sexuality, too.
I don’t want to give too much away about their sidekicks and love interests in this book, since I think that veers sharply into spoiler territory.
TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THE BOOK OF LIVING SECRETS
There are dozens of cosmic horror Easter eggs littered throughout the book.
Many of the food items listed for Moira’s ball are inspired by Lincoln’s inauguration menu.
The description of Adelle’s bedroom is a roast of my own supremely cringe high school bedroom.
Moira was initially conceived as a gothic fantasy novel with angels and demons, but I decided early in the first draft that cosmic horror fit the theme better.
Kincaid “Caid” Vaughn was originally named Armitage “Armie” Vaughn. It was changed for obvious reasons.
The Witch’s Eye Emporium is inspired by a similar sort of shop in Portland called Paxton Gate. Highly recommend!
Mississippi and her father’s traveling show is based on the Buffalo Bill Wild West show. Victorians were obsessed with cowboys.
At one point, Connie is describing the future to Mississippi and mentions a woman in the White House. In the initial draft, Vice President Harris was not in office, so fortunately, in the editing phase, we got to amend that bit to include a female VP.
There’s a section that involves a character death in Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. It’s one of my favorite character death scenes in a novel, just an absolutely chilling, coldblooded way to describe it.
Your Journey to Publication
My path was pretty unusual. I was finishing up a special project semester at my college, during which I had to outline, draft, and present a full length historical novel. The whole project involved a lot of meticulous research, and to take a break from writing one novel I started writing another. Healthy! So on the side I was publishing a zombie survival novel in the form of an online blog, just for fun, but it started to get some consistent readers and traction. My now agent’s brother found it via Reddit, and he recommended that she check it out. She liked what I was doing and got in touch, and we wound up turning that blog into a full length novel, and ultimately that was my first published work, Allison Hewitt Is Trapped. The blog is still up, I like to keep it there as a fun artifact for anyone who reads the book.
Writing Behind the Scenes
I tend to work quite quickly, so that requires detailed outlining and research ahead of time. I’m not saying my books don’t change as I work on them, but I have to start with an outline in order to make consistent progress. I can struggle with focus, so I like to use the Pomodoro Technique to write in bursts throughout the day. It’s a technique I recommend to anyone that finds it hard to sit and write for long stretches. I also love binaural playlists on YouTube, they help me block out distractions while I work. The time of day shifts around, but now I try to do most of my writing in the middle of the day so I’m free to hit the gym or spend time with my partner in the evenings.
What is the first job you have had?
I worked the front desk at a dry cleaner’s in my hometown. That was a uniquely sweaty experience in the summer without air conditioning!
What is your most memorable travel experience?
A few years ago I took a solo trip to New Zealand. It was absolutely incredible, life changing, and I think about going back constantly. Getting to see Hobbiton was unreal!
What's your most missed memory?
Weirdly, I really miss riding the bus to school. There was something comforting about the routine, and having a half hour or so to just curl up in a warm jacket with the heat blasting on my feet, listening to music in my headphones and daydreaming.
First Love?
Han Solo
What is one unique thing are you afraid of?
I have trypophobia, which is the fear of little clusters of holes. I have no idea where it came from or why I have it, but it freaks me out!
Madeleine Roux’08: Writing with purpose
Madeleine Roux’08, bestselling author of the young adult horror series Asylum, credits Beloit English professors Steve Wright and Francesca Abbate with being the support that she needed to pursue a budding interest in creative writing.
“[Steve Wright] was such a huge part of my Beloit experience, and still to this day such a huge influence on who I ended up becoming,” she says. “And I don’t know if I would have gotten into publishing as quickly as I did if I didn’t have Fran there.”
Madeleine Roux'08Madeleine Roux'08
Bestselling author Madeleine Roux graduated from Beloit in 2008 with a creative writing and theatre double major and has since published more than 20 novels. Her most popular books include the young adult horror series Asylum, but she has also written science fiction, historical romance, and contributed to larger franchises such as Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons.
Roux didn’t always intend to be a writer. She was originally drawn to Beloit College for its excellent anthropology program, but after realizing that science wasn’t her thing, she discovered her passion for creative writing. “I took some English classes with [Professor of English Emeritus] Steve Wright and just fell in love,” Roux says. “He was such a huge part of my Beloit experience, and still to this day such a huge influence on who I ended up becoming.”
Associate Professor of English Francesca Abbate also supported Roux during her time exploring creative writing at Beloit. In 2009, Roux was inspired to take on an Honors Term project by a friend who had completed a special project in theatre. Her project involved pitching a novel, writing it up, and then presenting the finished product at the end of the semester.
“[The novel] was 80,000 words, maybe 100,000 words,” Roux says, “and it proved to me that I can do this, this is not outside of my capabilities. I don’t know if I would have gotten into publishing as quickly as I did if I didn’t have Fran there [to say], ‘How can we make this a reality?’”
Shortly after graduating, Roux’s online fiction blog caught the attention of her future agent and became her first published novel, Allison Hewitt is Trapped. Putting that first novel out in the world opened up many opportunities for her. At that time, HarperCollins was looking for authors to produce young adult horror novels, so Roux started working on her series Asylum not long after.
Roux toured in Argentina for her novel House of Furies, published in 2018, which is also available in Spanish as <...
Roux toured in Argentina for her novel House of Furies, published in 2018, which is also available in Spanish as La mansión de las furias.
Roux has also had the opportunity to work with many established franchises, including Star Wars, World of Warcraft, Dungeons & Dragons, and the roleplaying web series Critical Role. She has written short stories and children’s books for these franchises, and though there is often an outline that she has to work with, Roux brings her own voice and style to each story.
“I never want to publish something that’s a waste of paper — I don’t want to waste anyone’s time,” she says. “Even if it’s a silly Dungeons and Dragons kid’s book: [this character] has two moms. We’re going to do something here. We’re going to put forward values that we care about, and we’re going to advance the conversation.”
In the wake of the increasing book censorship across the United States, Roux’s novels have been banned for their queer and paranormal themes. “It’s really scary, and it’s just so strange,” she says. “It’s such an alienating feeling to know that you approach your work with love and light and hope and try to create a mental safe space for kids who may not have that where they are.”
Receiving criticism can also be difficult to deal with because most writers tend to be very attached to their work. Roux creates barriers between her personal and professional life to move past those criticisms.
“[Madeleine Roux the author] is a resilient badass that cannot be taken down no matter how many shots fired,” Roux says, “and [Madeleine Roux the person] is kind of a sensitive little bean who just wants to be playing video games with her dogs.”
Roux encourages students pursuing a creative writing career to start submitting to literary contests and magazines as early as possible and to reach out to professors who can point you in the direction of resources that can help you.
“Give yourself more credit than you probably do, and think of yourself as an adult working writer. You have to take yourself more seriously than the world is willing to take you.”
By: Grayson Jensen'25
April 26, 2023
Q&A: Madeleine Roux, Author of ‘Much Ado About Margaret’
Elise Dumpleton·Writers Corner·October 19, 2024·4 min read
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We chat with author Madeleine Roux about Much Ado About Margaret, which is set in Regency England and follows a rebellious writer and the man who risks everything to publish her.
Hi, Madeleine! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Absolutely! I’m a writer living and working in Seattle. I’ve published over twenty novels for kids, teens, and adults, but I’m probably best known for my young adult horror series, Asylum. I’ll always publish horror of some kind, but I’ve also cherished branching out into science fiction, fantasy, and romance. And, of course, I’ve had good fun doing books for brands like Marvel and D&D. I’m sure that sounds wild, but I’ve always been interested in a huge range of genres and my writing reflects that. When I’m not working, I like to powerlift with my partner, play videogames, spend time with my dogs, cook, and travel.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Very young, so young I can’t really put an age on it. My parents have some funny samples of my first “books” which were tiny paper pamphlets I stapled together and illustrated. One of them is about Ariel from The Little Mermaid interviewing the different Disney princes to find out who she should marry, then deciding none of them are good enough and running off with Sebastian the crab to just vibe and see the world. I grew up in an artistic household—my dad was always painting or sketching, and my mom got me into Jane Austen and Shakespeare from a young age. I can’t remember a time in my life when stories and storytelling weren’t front and center.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
The first book you ever remember reading: The Mitten by Jan Brett
The one that made you want to become an author: Winter of Fire by Sherryl Jordan
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Possession by A.S. Byatt
Your latest novel, Much Ado About Margaret, is out October 22nd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Wow, that’s hard! Let’s see: Charming, sweeping, earnest, intentional, and, well, romantic!
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to fall into a world that’s based on history but has magic sparkling around the edges. I wanted to create an atmosphere that feels like somewhere you’d like to go, that by the end of the book, you’ve made friends with some of the characters and can imagine yourself spending time with them, wandering the same beautiful gardens, sitting in the same expansive rooms. They’re also going to get a love story about two strongwilled people who have flaws and challenges, but ultimately they are better and more healed when they’re together.
Where did the inspiration for Much Ado About Margaret come from?
I’ve been a Jane Austen nerd and a Shakespeare nerd since childhood, and it just felt natural to combine the two things. Shakespeare’s plays were actually hugely popular during the Regency period, so it’s not a stretch to have those influences transfer. Both writers have such a transportive quality to their work, and that for me is a huge strength of romance, the way you can get swept up in the lovestory of two total strangers. I looked to my own childhood growing up in an artistic home to come up with Margaret Arden and her family, and then pulled inspiration from the cheeky magic of Shakespeare’s comedies and the quiet beauty of Austen’s novels to build the rest of the world. The hero, Bridger, really came from experiencing so much Regency content that glossed over what effect it would have on men to go to absolutely brutal war and then return home to, you know, take a turn around a drawing room or shoot some ducks. I wanted the challenge of showing a man with real challenges, genuine PTSD, and still portraying him as lovable and well-rounded, worthy of good things, not a caricature.
Roux, Madeleine ASYLUM Harper/HarperCollins (Children's Fiction) $17.99 8, 27 ISBN: 978-0-06-222096-7
Roux's first teen novel uses horror staples--spooky corridors, tight-lipped townspeople and convenient coincidences--to predictable but page-turning effect. New Hampshire College Prep is a haven for gifted students: a place where kids actually want to do their homework. Its Brookline dorm is also a former psychiatric hospital whose past remains prominent not only in town, but in its own abandoned wings. Dan, anxious and awkward, is fascinated by its most infamous inpatient: a serial killer dubbed the Sculptor. His classmates have their own troubles; Abby struggles with family tensions, and Jordan's parents reject his sexuality. When they find old patient records and receive ghostly emails, they begin an investigation that ends in murder. The mock photo illustrations are eerie and occasionally disturbing, depicting the callous treatment methods of Brookline's time. A hollow-eyed, scarred child begs for her own story, as do notes from a surgeon convinced he can eradicate insanity. In contrast, the teens' back stories are more plot devices and heavy foreshadowing than character development, but their friendship is convincingly volatile. Real and ghostly elements mix clumsily and muddle the ending somewhat, but the pictures linger--a tighter focus on the photos' subjects could have made a truly haunting story. Fans of "found footage" horror will enjoy this familiar but visually creepy take on the haunted-institution setting. (Suspense. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Roux, Madeleine: ASYLUM." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2013. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A333599404/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4eb66d75. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
ROUX, Madeleine. Asylum. 313p. photos. HarperCollins/Harper. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062220967. LC 2013007302.
Gr 9 Up--Dan is thrilled to be spending the summer before his senior year at the New Hampshire College Prep program, where he'll have a chance to meet other studious teenagers. He doesn't mind that his dorm, Brookline, was once an asylum for the criminally insane. In fact, Dan is curious about the institution's history and begins exploring Brookline's old passageways at night. At first; Dan and his best friends at NHCP, Abby and Jordan, think it's fun to sneak around in the dark and look at old patient records, but soon the things they find begin to frighten them. Dan starts receiving ominous notes, and he is plagued by nightmares in which he sees Brookline as if he were really there, all those years ago. When people start dying, Dan is convinced that the killer's identity is buried in his dorm's darkest history and that his own strange connection to the institution may be the key to stopping the murders. Eerie black-and-white pictures throughout the book add to the creep factor of this story, but unfortunately many images are redundant photographs of Dan's notes, while others seem unrelated to the text. The plot drives forward too quickly, with some circumstances and events feeling forced. Dan meets Abby and Jordan on his first day, for instance, and within hours they carry on with the rapport of lifelong friends. Mystery lovers will be disappointed with the lack of answers and explanations here. Hand this one to horror fans who don't mind a few loose ends.--Liz Overberg, Darlington School, Rome, GA
Overberg, Liz
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Overberg, Liz. "Roux, Madeleine. Asylum." School Library Journal, vol. 60, no. 2, Feb. 2014, p. 112. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A358427317/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bbeef975. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.ROUX, Madeleine. Asylum. 313p. photos. HarperCollins/Harper. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062220967. LC 2013007302.
Gr 9 Up--Dan is thrilled to be spending the summer before his senior year at the New Hampshire College Prep program, where he'll have a chance to meet other studious teenagers. He doesn't mind that his dorm, Brookline, was once an asylum for the criminally insane. In fact, Dan is curious about the institution's history and begins exploring Brookline's old passageways at night. At first; Dan and his best friends at NHCP, Abby and Jordan, think it's fun to sneak around in the dark and look at old patient records, but soon the things they find begin to frighten them. Dan starts receiving ominous notes, and he is plagued by nightmares in which he sees Brookline as if he were really there, all those years ago. When people start dying, Dan is convinced that the killer's identity is buried in his dorm's darkest history and that his own strange connection to the institution may be the key to stopping the murders. Eerie black-and-white pictures throughout the book add to the creep factor of this story, but unfortunately many images are redundant photographs of Dan's notes, while others seem unrelated to the text. The plot drives forward too quickly, with some circumstances and events feeling forced. Dan meets Abby and Jordan on his first day, for instance, and within hours they carry on with the rapport of lifelong friends. Mystery lovers will be disappointed with the lack of answers and explanations here. Hand this one to horror fans who don't mind a few loose ends.--Liz Overberg, Darlington School, Rome, GA
Overberg, Liz
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Overberg, Liz. "Roux, Madeleine. Asylum." School Library Journal, vol. 60, no. 2, Feb. 2014, p. 112. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A358427317/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bbeef975. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine. Asylum. HarperCollins, 2013. 320p. $17.99. 978-0-06-222096-7.
Brookline was not quite what Dan Crawford had been expecting; while he had really been looking forward to spending the summer taking college prep courses, perhaps the crumbling facade of the student dorm should have been an omen. Their school plans change when Dan, his roommate, Felix, and their friend, Abby, stumble across some incredibly creepy photographs in an abandoned office on their first day. Further investigation leads them to find out that their dorm used to be a psychiatric hospital housing and treating dangerous criminals, and brings a more malevolent mystery when Dan starts receiving mysterious messages. It seems as though their investigation may be in danger of bringing things to light that would be safer in the past.
Illustrations used in this book are from actual asylums, and the author builds the tension nicely as Dan receives what may be messages from an inmate. He is the only character of the three to be receiving the messages, as the background for his classmate is explained and handled neatly. This would be a good choice for readers who enjoy books with scary situations that lead to a solid climax, like Graham McNamee's Acceleration (Little, Brown, 2003/VOYA December 2003), or a horror title with teens facing a threat like McNamee's Bonechiller (Little, Brown, 2008).
QUALITY
5Q Hard to imagine it being better written.
4Q Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses.
3Q Readable, without serious defects.
2Q Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q.
1Q Hard to understand how it got published, except in relation to its P rating (and most even then sometimes).
POPULARITY
5P Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday.
4P Broad general or genre YA appeal.
3P Will appeal with pushing.
2P For the YA reader with a special interest in the subject.
1P No YA will read unless forced to for assignments.
GRADE LEVEL INTEREST
M Middle School (defined as grades 6-8).
J Junior High (defined as grades 7-9).
S Senior High (defined as grades 10-12).
A/YA Adult-marketed book recommended for YAs.
(a) Highlighted Reviews
(G) Graphic Novel Format
Fraser, Betsy
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
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Fraser, Betsy. "Roux, Madeleine. Asylum." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 36, no. 3, Aug. 2013, p. 82. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A339527723/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cc4ebbfd. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine SANCTUM Harper/HarperCollins (Children's Fiction) $17.99 8, 26 ISBN: 978-0-06-222099-8
The eerie atmosphere of Asylum (2013) has a hard time making itself felt in this sequel.After Dan Crawford and his friends were nearly murdered at New Hampshire College, the site of a former mental hospital, they find themselves haunted. Abby and Jordan receive cryptic old carnival photos, and Dan is urged by the boy who almost killed him to return to NHC and "follow" the photographs. Dan, Abby and Jordan pose as prospective freshmen, arriving to find crowds of unrealistic college students and a bizarre mess involving hypnotism, a mysterious stone and a cult called the Scarlets. Plagued by what might be ghosts or hallucinations, Dan uses his vague mental connection with the asylum's former warden to investigate the Scarlets and discovers that he's not the only one with ties to the asylum. The plot meanders, and the characters develop very little beyond a romance between Dan and Abby; Dan's possible relationship with the warden remains unexplored, and his own mental illness is so unspecific that it's unclear whether he's possessed or hallucinating. Mock photos of carnival performers are interesting but don't always match the text, so they feel disruptive. The ending delivers a disturbing moment with creepy implications, but the disorganized buildup still reduces its impact.Fans of Asylum will want to read this, but they shouldn't expect a logical continuation of the first book. (Fiction. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Roux, Madeleine: SANCTUM." Kirkus Reviews, 15 July 2014. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A374693243/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4aeb6cda. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Sanctum. By Madeleine Roux. Aug. 2014.352p. Harper, $17.99 (9780062220998). Gr. 7-10.
The sequel to Asylum (2013) lacks the potency and freshness of the first title, partially because of the need to summarize previous events and circumstances, but primarily because even creepy carnivals can't begin to compete with haunted abandoned madhouses. High-school seniors Daniel, Abby, and Jordan return to New Hampshire College, ostensibly on a college tour, but really to follow the clues poor possessed Felix gives them to solve the mystery of Brookline Asylum's insane warden. This time, the scary elements are a traditional carnival (a campus tradition revived for the visiting prospective students) and a tour of various haunted houses. With plentiful old photographs of carnival acts, Roux works the creepy verisimilitude that made Asylum such a page-turner. The haunted-house explorations are especially cinematic and spooky. While the side plot involving a secret society is more than a little hard to believe, Roux knows how to keep the action rolling and the reader hooked. A confusing and abrupt ending promises a third volume in the series.--Debbie Carton
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Carton, Debbie. "Sanctum." Booklist, vol. 110, no. 22, 1 Aug. 2014, p. 69. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A379569501/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=785776b1. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine. Sanctum: Asylum, Book 2. HarperCollins, 2015. 352p. $17.99. 978-006-222099-8.
Dan, Jordan, and Abby barely survive their summer program for gifted students. Brookline Asylum, now part of New Hampshire College, tries to relive its past and suck the three of them--as well as their friend, Felix--into the dangerous cycle of control. Dan feels like he will never be able to leave the terrible events of the summer behind. Felix, now in a mental health facility after he committed murder, reveals the coordinates of houses near the Brookline campus and begs Dan to follow his directions. Dan convinces Abby and Jordan to join him on the hunt for the rest of the story, in hopes that they will all be able to move on. The terrifying history of the asylum is closer than they expect, however, and wider-spread than they could have imagined.
This frightening second offering in the Asylum series will not disappoint fans who enjoyed the first book, and should also appeal to older readers who enjoyed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Antique photos of carnival performers add to the creepy setting and help build anticipation for the resolution of the story. This is a solid horror offering for teens who do not mind graphic descriptions of medical procedures and torture.--Kate Conklin.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
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Conklin, Kate. "Roux, Madeleine. Sanctum: Asylum, Book 2." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 38, no. 5, Dec. 2015, p. 74. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A438130246/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=01ea9a7f. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine. Catacomb: Asylum, Book 3. HarperCollins, 2015. 336p. $17.99. 978-0-06-236405-0.
The third book in the Asylum series brings Dan, Abby, and Jordan on a road trip to New Orleans. Along the way, coincidences connect Dans family history mystery to New Orleans bone collectors. When Dan begins to get Facebook messages from his deceased friend's account and discovers that they are being followed by a motorcyclist, it becomes an increasingly creepy road trip. Once they arrive at their destination, they become connected with Oliver, Micah's former friend who is also receiving texts from the spirit. Whether Micah's spirit will help or hinder Dan in his search for answers is just one of many questions that arise in this continuation of the Asylum series.
While the mystery is a new one, readers will enjoy the story more if they are familiar with the other two titles in the series (Asylum [HarperCollins, 2013/VOYA August 2013] and Sanctum [HarperCollins, 2014]). Roux gives enough information from the previous novels to remind readers know how everything connects together, but those unfamiliar will experience some confusion throughout their reading. At the beginning of the novel, Abby's photography research of bootlegger Jimmy Orsini during the trip connects to the Artificer bone collector once in New Orleans and then ties neatly to Dan's family history giving a conclusive feel to the series. The additional "found" photographs throughout the novel add to the moody, creepy atmosphere. Librarians should purchase this where the previous titles are popular.--Kristin Fletcher-Spear.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
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Fletcher-Spear, Kristin. "Roux, Madeleine. Catacomb: Asylum, Book 3." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 38, no. 3, Aug. 2015, p. 83. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A425811514/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a9503a7b. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine HOUSE OF FURIES HarperTeen (Children's Fiction) $17.99 5, 30 ISBN: 978-0-06-249861-8
A runaway works at a boardinghouse for the damned in late-Georgian-period England.In a prologue, Louisa informs readers that she works for the Devil among other odd and cursed employees, cleaning up after the deaths of those who visit Coldthistle House. After fleeing an abusive, governess-training boarding school, Louisa scrapes by telling fortunes until she's rescued from a sticky situation by a crone who promises employment at Coldthistle House. On the way, they're joined by fellow Coldthistle-bound travelers: a wealthy (if unpleasant) man and his charming nephew, Lee, who takes to Louisa right away despite the fact that he's a guest and she's to be a new servant. Once they arrive, the crone quickly transforms into the much more proper house matron and manager, Mrs. Haylam, and Louisa's other new co-workers quickly befriend her. But soon Louisa uncovers just how supernatural the eerie proprietor, Mr. Morningside, and the rest of the residents are. All guests are sinners marked for death. Louisa must help Lee with a mystery of his own and prove he doesn't deserve a grisly end--or discover if he does. Characters' emotional connections create wonderful tension. Periodic illustrations and excerpts from fictional supernatural texts provide concise exposition. Most characters are white, while many are inhuman. Louisa's a classic Gothic narrator, her diction recalling genre standards. The ending is satisfying without ruling out sequels. Atmospheric, moody, and great fun. (Horror. 13-adult)
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"Roux, Madeleine: HOUSE OF FURIES." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A485105181/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=275efa44. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
House of Furies
Madeleine Roux. HarperTeen, $17.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-06-249861-8
It's 1809 in Malton, England, and Louisa Rose Ditton barely scrapes by telling fortunes in the market. When an old woman approaches Louisa with an offer of employment and a warm bed, she is soon on her way to Coldthistle House, "a place for the wayward and lost." There, she meets the strange staff: Poppy, a girl whose voice holds terrible power; the tall, enigmatic Chijioke, who has a certain way with the dead; and the inscrutable master of the house, Mr. Morningside. She also finds friendship in Coldthistle's new guest, Lee Brimble, who is there to research his claim to an inheritance. When Louisa discovers that Mr. Morningside's motives toward his guests are anything but benign and that Lee may be in danger, she is determined to help. Roux (the Asylum series) brings her gothic setting to rich life in this darkly delightful (and frequently gruesome) series opener. Snippets and sketches from a fictitious book, Rare Myths and Legends, complement the unsettling atmosphere, offering clues to what otherworldly creature readers, and brave Louisa, will face next. Ages 14-up. Agent: Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary. (May)
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"House of Furies." Publishers Weekly, vol. 264, no. 11, 13 Mar. 2017, pp. 86+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A485971738/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=fc90039a. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine. House of Furies. Illus. by Iris Compiet. HarperTeen, 2017. 416p. $17.99. 978-0-06-249861-8.
Coldthistle House is owned by the Devil. In 1809, seventeen-year-old Louisa is taken to Coldthistle to work as a maid. She is told the work is hard, but honest. One of the residents looks strangely like Louisa's childhood imaginary friend. One night, driven by curiosity, Louisa wanders up to the fourth floor ballroom that houses only one, lone, dark book, to which she is mystically. When she touches it, she is burned. When she sees dark, wraith-like creatures floating around the ballroom, she flees down the stairs where she discovered by the housekeeper and taken to the owner. He explains to Louisa that the true purpose of the house is to punish evil-doers, to pass judgment on the guests and to carry out their executions. Louisa tries to flee but experiences great pain when she tries to go past the fence at the perimeter of the house's grounds. Because she touched the book, she is now tied forever to Coldthistle. The first guest to die is a widow who killed her husband and son. The next is a doctor who ate his daughter and tries to eat Louisa on a trip to town. Then, a colonel dies by falling down the stairs. A young guest at the house has befriended Louisa and, convinced of his innocence of any evil-doing, she vows to prove it. The young man's uncle is there, as well, to kill the Devil, but accidently shoots (and kills) his nephew instead. Louisa begs for the young man to be brought back to life no matter what the cost, knowing full well he may not be the same person as he was. The cost, she finds out, is the life of the girl who looks like Louisa's imaginary friend.
This book is slow to start which could make it a hard sell. The story is original and entertaining, however, once it gets going. It leaves much to be desired to be classified as an actual "gothic horror story," as it portends to be. There is some suspense (although not too much) as the author seems to give away just enough to leave the reader with questions--answers to which may be divulged in future books, given that this is a series opener.--Barbara Allen.
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Allen, Barbara. "Roux, Madeleine. House of Furies." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 40, no. 2, June 2017, p. 83. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A497860404/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=683a68cb. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Salvaged. By Madeleine Roux. Oct. 2019. 368p. Ace, paper, $16 (9780451491831).
Rosalyn Devar, fleeing her old life and her old job, now works as a salvager, cleaning up after a variety of messes. The Brigantine is a research ship that's gone dark, which means the crew is dead. When she and her pilot arrive, though, things quickly go bad. The crew isn't dead, they're just infected with a weird, bioluminescent, fungal organism. Some of them are fighting it, the captain most successfully, but the organism wants desperately to survive and spread. Rosalyn, trapped onboard, makes a deal with Captain Aries to work together to warn the rest of humanity. The outlines of Rosalyn's recent history become clear as they discover more about the organism, its origins, and the true extent of its threat. The larger world of the novel is only hinted at as Rosalyn's background is revealed, but the setting is a sound enough framework for this solid piece of survival horror in space. The tension and desperation of the situation meshes perfectly with the characters' development as they struggle to stay themselves and survive. --Regina Schroeder
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 American Library Association
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Schroeder, Regina. "Salvaged." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 3, 1 Oct. 2019, p. 35. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A604002717/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=12846e0b. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Salvaged
Madeleine Roux. Ace, $16 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-0-451-49183-1
This taut thriller/mystery from Roux, best known for YA horror (House of Furies, etc.), pits a girl on the run from her past against a parasitic monster named Mother. In a spacefaring future, Rosalyn Devar is a xenobiologist who takes a job as a salvager--janitor of dead space crews-to get away from her father, his business, and the man who hurt her. When caught drinking on the job, she's given one more chance: clean up the Brigantine, a research ship whose crew is dead. But they aren't. Aboard the Brigantine, she meets Edison Aries, the captain, and his undead crew. They are infected with a mysterious fungus, Foxfire, that has taken root in their minds, convincing them that it is their mother and that Rosalyn needs to join them. Stranded aboard the Brigantine, Rosalyn and Edison try to outwit the other crew members and Mother, while looking for a way to stop Foxfire from spreading and wondering whether her father's business is behind Foxfire and other horrors. Scenes of violence are gory but not gratuitous, and Roux will leave readers wondering whether the real source of evil is in human minds and hearts. This entertaining, deeply disturbing, and clever story hits all the right notes for those who like a little horror with their SF. Agent: Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary. (Oct.)
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"Salvaged." Publishers Weekly, vol. 266, no. 30, 29 July 2019, p. 64. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A595916191/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a78bf7c2. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine SALVAGED Ace/Berkley (Adult Fiction) $15.00 10, 15 ISBN: 978-0-451-49183-1
Put Charlie Huston's The Mystic Art of Erasing All Kinds of Death, Robert Heinlein's The Puppet Masters, and the original Alien movie in a blender, water the mix down, and you'll have this sci-fi thriller.
After her personal and professional lives melt down, talented biochemist Rosalyn Devar leaves Earth for a less-than-glamorous career as a salvager; essentially a janitor cleaning up bodies after traumatic incidents. Her drinking and erratic behavior almost get her fired, but she manages to wangle one last assignment: cleaning up the research ship Brigantine, the latest vessel to mysteriously experience the deaths of all its crew. Or so she thinks until she gets there and discovers that most of the crew is alive but infected by Foxfire, a sentient and weirdly maternal blue fungus that wants Rosalyn to join its hive mind and help "her" take over the rest of humanity. Rosalyn must fight off the ship's brutal and crazed security detail, Piero, and biochemist, Rayan, both of whom have succumbed to Foxfire, while wondering if she can trust the engineer, Misato, and the charming captain, Edison, who are desperately attempting to resist Foxfire's influence. Can Rosalyn avoid becoming invaded, get help without endangering anyone else, and find the link between Foxfire and a potential multicorporation conspiracy that might include her own family's company? The answers aren't much in doubt, and the conspiracy proves to be not too terribly complicated; either the author (Tomb of Ancients, 2019) trusts readers to fill in the details or just couldn't be bothered to take on the job herself. And it's odd that Rosalyn, a former biochemist with a specialty in xenobiology, offers no real scientific speculations about Foxfire, leaving that to other characters; she does eventually come up with a way of combating the thing, but there's no explanation of how she developed it, suggesting that the author didn't do much mushroom research of her own, either. Rosalyn is much more interesting as a troubled janitor than she is as a thriller heroine, and the tenuous attraction between her and Edison seems contrived. A story about her cleanup work could've been interesting, but the book heads toward the formulaic territory of alien threats and corrupt corporate shenanigans far too quickly.
Moderately entertaining at best.
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"Roux, Madeleine: SALVAGED." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A597739494/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0e335c93. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Madeleine Roux. Ace, $17 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-451-49185-5
The sole survivor of a suicide cult leaps at an opportunity to have her traumatic memories erased in this tense sci-fi thriller from Roux (Salvaged). Senna Slate is eager to move on from her time in the Dohring-Waugh cult, but overwhelmed by the bustle aboard the Tokyo Bliss space station. When tech pioneer Paxton Dunn offers her a chance to participate in a trial program that promises to erase bad memories, Senna travels to Paxton's facility on Ganymede to participate. She's joined by demanding supermodel Zurri and teenage hacker Han, both of whom have their own traumatic memories they wish erased. Senna, Zurri, and Han's distinct personalities captivate as they settle in on Ganymede, offsetting the more twodimensional Paxton. As they proceed with the program, uncomfortable side effects plague Senna and the others, including disorientation, brutal headaches, and frightening visions. Entertaining as it is to see these characters grapple wirh their sense of self as they realize there's something wrong on Ganymede, rhe focus is more on Paxton's strange technology and the way he abuses it than on the experiment's human consequences, culminating in a reveal which, though thought-provoking, is not entirely convincing. Still, sci-fi fans will be taken with Roux's premise and well-crafted intrigue. Agent: Kate McKean. Morhaim Literary. (Aug.)
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"Reclaimed." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 17, 26 Apr. 2021, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A660548087/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d19cc591. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine NO HUMANS ALLOWED! Harper/HarperCollins (Children's None) $12.99 11, 2 ISBN: 978-0-06-303912-4
A series opener about students at the school that trains monsters for Dungeons & Dragons.
Even though the monsters of Dungeon Academy are penalized for acts of niceness, Zelli still stands up for bullied beings. That's not the biggest way she doesn't fit in, though: The horns and tail she wears are fake; she's secretly a human who was adopted by her minotaur mothers (one a Dungeon Academy teacher). When Zelli notices that the illustration of heroic adventurer Allidora Steelstrike is the spitting image of Zelli herself, she realizes she's actually the daughter of the dungeon dwellers' mortal enemies. When a group of top students goes missing at a nearby village where a Steelstrike's been spotted, Zelli decides to take a chance to find the students--and her birth family. Accompanying her are fellow misfits: a thoughtful vegetarian owlbear named Hugo; Bauble, a book-smart mimic who prefers taking a book form to fighting; and enthusiastic kobold Snabla, who wishes he were scarier than he is. The monstrous party works together to discover the fate of the students and to find Zelli's birth mother. The themes of belonging and purpose are spelled out, but in the setting it works. There's enough humor that even those new to tabletop gaming will find plenty to chuckle at. Humans Zelli and Allidora have black curls and dark skin; Bauble uses they/them pronouns. Final illustrations not seen.
Readers will clamor for the party's next dice-y adventure. (Fantasy. 8-12)
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"Roux, Madeleine: NO HUMANS ALLOWED!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A678748338/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=39fde4ca. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine THE BOOK OF LIVING SECRETS Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins (Teen None) $17.99 3, 1 ISBN: 978-0-06-294142-8
Best friends magically transported into their favorite book find themselves in a nightmarish landscape.
Adelle is a romantic dreamer and fan of the mystical, while closeted Connie prefers sports. But both love Moira, a little-known romance novel set in Victorian-era Boston. When a shopkeeper offers to send them into the world of the book, they accept--but the friends are separated, landing in different parts of the storyline. They realize that while some things are familiar, there are supernatural horrors here that weren't present in the novel they love. In this version, dreams and voices are driving people to walk into the sea. The characters' personalities aren't what they expected either. Adelle finds herself among the rich main characters, while Connie winds up with the Penny-Farthings, poor thieves who only played a minor role in the original tale. As the teens try to find their way back to each other and home, they develop new friendships and romantic interests even as the horrors around them grow worse. The story starts off at a leisurely stroll; the pacing amps up as the story progresses, culminating in an intense, action-packed finale. The setting and atmosphere are exquisitely rendered, and the horrors veer into the splendidly bizarre. The leads are captivating, and the secondary characters round out the story. Main characters are White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast, and racism doesn't seem to exist in this alternate world.
Imaginative, weird, and enthralling. (Dark fantasy. 13-18)
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"Roux, Madeleine: THE BOOK OF LIVING SECRETS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A689340027/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6a87d63f. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
The Book of Living Secrets. By Madeleine Roux. 2022.400p. HarperCollins/Quill Tree, $17.99 (9780062941428). Gr. 9-12.
A love of books is behind this magical story, where Adelle and Connie, two friends with different tastes and backgrounds, adore the same gothic-romance novel, Moira. One day, a mysterious shop owner offers the girls the once-in-a-lifetime chance of being transported to the world of the novel. The problem is that once there, the friends are stuck in different parts of the book's story, with Adelle being placed with a rich family and Connie with a group of poor thieves. As the girls explore this beloved world, they realize that the characters in the book have very different personalities from what they had imagined. What's more, eerie dreams and voices are sinisterly leading people into the sea. As Adelle and Connie try to find their way back home, they develop better understandings of themselves and each other and cultivate new friendships and romances. This literary tale twists into an adventure filled with fantasy and horror that leads readers to a satisfying and very interesting end. --Aurora Dominguez
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Dominguez, Aurora. "The Book of Living Secrets." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 15, 1 Apr. 2022, p. 52. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A701067517/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=84c8ac18. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine TOURNEY OF TERROR Harper/HarperCollins (Children's None) $12.99 11, 1 ISBN: 978-0-06-303914-8
The Danger Club faces a dangerous plot during a sports tournament in this sequel.
After the events of No Humans Allowed! (2021), Zelli's dreams are plagued by cryptic nightmares sent by the defeated necromancer, Lord Carrion, held captive in the Dungeon Academy detention room. While the adults, including secretly human Zelli's adoptive minotaur mothers, tell her to leave it to the grown-ups, she's not convinced they're doing enough. She enlists the Danger Club to help research Lord Carrion's clues. But then the school's thrown into chaos, hosting the Waterdeep Dragons for the Tourney of Terror, a monstrous sporting event. Aside from the sports rivalry, there's interspecies tension between the dragons and the monsters. Investigating portals while everyone's distracted, black-haired Zelli discovers a dragon who's actually a human boy. From their shared secret knowledge of each other's identities, Zelli forms a bond with blond Tavian (in a storyline handled with all the subtlety of a brick to the face), and soon he's ignoring the dragons' snobbery to join the Danger Club's investigation. Though the themes are heavy-handed at times, the action delivers on epic battles (especially against skeletal foes), and the storyline gives the characters real stakes and costs along with solid twists, all fitting seamlessly into the humorous Dungeons & Dragons setting. Final art not seen.
Readers will want to level up quickly to tackle the cliffhanger ending. (Fantasy. 8-12)
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"Roux, Madeleine: TOURNEY OF TERROR." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A717107387/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=35437893. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine LAST BEST HOPE Harper/HarperCollins (Children's None) $14.99 5, 7 ISBN: 9780063039162
The stakes go up considerably in this trilogy closer when the multispecies young heroes of the Danger Club set out to rescue their kidnapped friends.
What with Bauble and Flash being in the clutches of necromancer Elgred Morbide, who's on the verge of raising the mighty dragon An'Kizhek in order to give the monsters a decided advantage in their long war with the adventurers, the club members have their work cut out for them. As it turns out, only an alliance between monsters and adventurers will give anyone a chance of surviving the dragon's rise. Forging that connection will require brown-skinned Zellidora Stormclash to shed her false horns and tail, reveal herself as fully human, and accept that since it was Khalira Steelstrike, her own barbarian grandmother, who set these events in motion, it's up to her to make amends. Fortunately for readers who need everything spelled out, not only is Morbide more than willing to crow about all his plans, but so, too, is Roux eager to wallop readers over the head with messages about being true to oneself and one's friends. Unfortunately, the price of ultimate triumph is an event that casts a spell of poignancy over the story's end, with the club's old members making way for a new generation. Probert's delicate grayscale illustrations awash in varying shades of blue add to the story's dynamism and emotional impact.
A brisk concluding round of swords, sorcery, and self-improvement.(Fantasy. 8-12)
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"Roux, Madeleine: LAST BEST HOPE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A804504503/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7e6ef9a3. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Much Ado About Margaret
Madeleine Roux. Dell, $18 trade paper (272p) ISBN 978-0-593-49939-9
Mixing the wit of Jane Austen, plot points borrowed from Shakespeare, and distinctly modern sensibilities, Roux's delightful latest Regency (after The Proposition) turns on an eventful wedding weekend. Margaret Arden is determined to publish her novel--despite the harsh critiques of editor Bridger Darrow, who read the first few pages and dismissed the project as "an overwrought examination of whose misplaced giggle at the ball made Mamma beside herself." This makes Bridger the last man Margaret wants to see at her cousin Lane's wedding. But when the pages of Margaret's manuscript go flying out an open window, Bridger's shocked to see how deeply the guests respond to these scattered pages and gives her book another try. The pair bond over their love of all things literary and the weekend is looking up--until Lane's bride-to-be, Ann, is spotted apparently kissing another man, shattering the newlyweds' bliss. Bridger suspects his rascally cousin is somehow involved, and he and Margaret join forces to get to the bottom of the supposed infidelity. Their dialogue sparkles and their chemistry crackles, but Margaret's aunts are determined she should marry for money, which may doom the relationship before it can begin. Readers will adore both ambitious, strong-willed Margaret and brooding softy Bridger. This is a gem. Agent: Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary. (Oct.)
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"Much Ado About Margaret." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 29, 29 July 2024, p. 43. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A803782797/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=563da62c. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine. Much Ado About Margaret. Dell. Oct. 2024. 272p. ISBN 9780593499399. pap. $18. HISTorical romance
Margaret Arden's novel is her life's work, and she dreams of publishing it. Her aunt has other ideas, insisting she marry for status and forget her writing. Bridger Darrow must save his family from destitution while attempting to start a reputable publishing company. He has no interest in Margaret's writing, until he unknowingly reads her novel. With circumstances pushing them apart, it seems impossible for love to take root. Roux's newest is ripe with scandal, romance, and a mystery to solve. When the story opens, readers will find themselves comfortable in a standard Regency romance novel, but a mystery quickly takes shape, adding intrigue and tension to the plot and pulling readers in. The protagonists' developing relationship and their desire to uncover the truth drives the plot forward, keeping readers engaged. The idyllic country setting is described in exquisite detail that places readers in the novel and connects them to the story. VERDICT Readers who enjoy an enemies-to-lovers romance will love Roux's (The Proposition) historical take on the trope--Jenn Laskosky
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Laskosky, Jenn. "Roux, Madeleine. Much Ado About Margaret." Library Journal, vol. 149, no. 9, Sept. 2024, pp. 75+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A808228703/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=50096914. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Roux, Madeleine MUCH ADO ABOUT MARGARET Dell (Fiction None) $18.00 10, 22 ISBN: 9780593499399
In Regency England, Margaret Arden's aunts want her to find a wealthy husband, but she'd prefer to find a man to publish her novel.
Since their father died, Maggie and her sisters have been reliant on the aid of their aunts. Maggie knows that as the eldest, it's her duty to find a way to support her family and--although it's unconventional--she desperately wants to become an author. After returning from war, Bridger Darrow wants no association with his title of Captain and is focusing on the publishing business he inherited from his mentor. He needs the money because his foolish, philandering older brother has depleted the family's resources. While attending a wedding celebration for his dearest friend, Bridger stumbles on loose pages of a story blowing around in the wind, and he finds himself desperate to publish them--but that becomes tricky when he realizes that not only is the author his friend's cousin Maggie, but they'd met before--and Bridger had huffily rejected her work. When a masquerade ball leads to mistaken identities, drama ensues that throws Maggie and Bridger together to set everything straight, and animosity develops into love. This lushly written, entertaining romp boasts a large cast of captivating characters and is particularly exciting when it revels in the chaos of celebrations and shenanigans, dialing the conflicts and confusion all the way up. Maggie is a winsome, formidable, bookish heroine, and while Bridger is a prickly, flawed hero, his personal growth will endear him to readers, making them a charming pair.
A fun, breezy romance full of delightful hijinks.
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"Roux, Madeleine: MUCH ADO ABOUT MARGARET." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A811898468/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=fe9cb1ee. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.