I cannot recommend this book enough, whether you've read Maresi or not. If you enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale or Only Ever Yours then you'll love this. It's tragic and painful and hopeful and empowering and I just loved it

Maia and a Little Moore (blog)

Interesting, engaging and unpredictable

SCOOP

Reading it, I felt empowered. I felt proud to be a woman, and of who I am

Once Upon a Bookcase (blog)

A great read for teens and adults alike... the lives of so many women described in this book is heart breaking and yet ultimately empowering. Either one of these books could have been book one, both brilliant yet different

Independent Book Reviews

This novel absolutely blew me away, tore my heart out and rebuilt me. It was far more than I ever expected, even though my expectations were high

Little Huxtales (blog)

I just had to read on and on

Bookwitch (blog)

5 Words: Power, control, feminism, survival, magic

Tea Party Princess (blog)

The Bookseller magazine named this book as 'An unforgettable feminist epic, shot through with hypnotic dark charm' - I could not have summed it up better myself

Everything I Wished For (blog)

Exquisite... I could talk forever about how much I love Maria Turtschaninoff's writing

Ink Drops Books (blog)

Bears comparison with the best of Ursula K. Le Guin

Helsingin Sanomat

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

Maresi is rich, powerful vision - thrilling, harrowing and exhilarating by turns. It conjures up a startlingly well-fashioned world that's different to ours, yet disturbingly familiar. It grips like a vice and enchants like a distant song. It's tale-telling as strong, complex and admirable as its heroine

Jonathan Stroud, author of The Amulet of Samarkand

Turtschaninoff weaves a hypnotic spell... at once contemporary and timeless

Guardian

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 and Stars

A haunting fable

Suzy Feay, Financial Times

Should appeal to fans of Ursula Le Guin... A lucid, layered, deeply engaging story

Metro

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

This feminist novel will be devoured by girls, as dark secrets and eerie happenings make for a marvellous and memorable read

The Bay