As part of my quest to further explore the fantasy and horror genres, I just read Libba’s Bray’s duet A Great and  Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels. Set in the late 1800s, they are the story of Gemma Doyle, a British girl raised in India, whose world is turned upside down when she begins experiencing disturbing visions at the exact moment of her mother’s murder. Sent by her father to a British boarding school, Gemma must contend with bratty classmates and a dreary roommate. However, she soon discovers a mysterious diary that tells the story of Mary Dowd and Sarah Rees-Toome, two former students who experienced visions like Gemma’s. Determined to find the two women and understand what is happening to her, Gemma begins to explore her power. She, along with three other students, seeks out the magic of the Realms, a mysterious world that was once controlled by a group of sorceresses called The Order. Heady with their newfound powers, the girls use their magic recklessly, but the consequences soon catch up with them. Gemma is being stalked by a mysterious group called The Rakshana, and eventually discovers her mother’s own terrible connection to The Order. But things turn even worse when Pippa, one of her friends, becomes trapped in the Realms, perhaps forever.

Rebel Angels picks up the story here; it is Chrismastime, and Gemma and her friends Felicity and Ann are spending the holidays in London. But their vacation will not be carefree; in addition to a whirlwind of balls and social engagements, the girls must restore order to the Realms, which have grown wild in the absence of the Order. Gemma must also contend with the attentions of the attractive Simon Middleton, her father’s depression and drug use, and the fate of her friend Pippa, who is still trapped in the Realms. She is also desperately trying to decipher the ravings of a madwoman who knows the secrets of the Realms, all the while dodging the ever-closing net of the evil witch Circe, who longs to take the magic for herself.

An intriguing pair. I’m curious to see whether Bray will make them a trilogy.