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The Moonlight Market
Urban moths have evolved to blend in with a world of concrete and stone, rather than a woodland environment. What if fairies did the same?
The wait is over... Million-copy bestseller Joanne Harris is back with her first fantasy novel in 6 years - and this time it's a love story.
Orphaned, lonely, and lost in his photography work, Tom has no intention of falling in love. And yet, love finds him in the shape of beautiful Vanessa, who lives a dangerous double life in the heart of London's King's Cross.
Tom's pursuit of Vanessa leads him to discover an alternate world, hidden amongst the streets and rooftops of London - and inhabited by strange and colourful beings. In this mysterious realm, two ancient factions - one of night, one of day - have waged war for centuries over a forbidden love and a long-lost prince of sun and starlight.
But when Tom finds a secret market that appears only in moonlight, where charms and spells are bought with memories, he starts to wonder whether he's been here before...
Romeo and Juliet meets Neil Gaiman in this spellbinding modern fairytale of fae courts, forbidden love, magical wars, lost princes, and secret worlds hidden just out of sight in the cavernous shadows of contemporary London - perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Samantha Shannon.
The wait is over... Million-copy bestseller Joanne Harris is back with her first fantasy novel in 6 years - and this time it's a love story.
Orphaned, lonely, and lost in his photography work, Tom has no intention of falling in love. And yet, love finds him in the shape of beautiful Vanessa, who lives a dangerous double life in the heart of London's King's Cross.
Tom's pursuit of Vanessa leads him to discover an alternate world, hidden amongst the streets and rooftops of London - and inhabited by strange and colourful beings. In this mysterious realm, two ancient factions - one of night, one of day - have waged war for centuries over a forbidden love and a long-lost prince of sun and starlight.
But when Tom finds a secret market that appears only in moonlight, where charms and spells are bought with memories, he starts to wonder whether he's been here before...
Romeo and Juliet meets Neil Gaiman in this spellbinding modern fairytale of fae courts, forbidden love, magical wars, lost princes, and secret worlds hidden just out of sight in the cavernous shadows of contemporary London - perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Samantha Shannon.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 20, 2024
334 people are currently reading
3897 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Harris
124 books6,272 followersJoanne Harris is also known as Joanne M. Harris
Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include fourteen novels, two cookbooks and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. She has also written a DR WHO novella for the BBC, has scripted guest episodes for the game ZOMBIES, RUN!, and is currently engaged in a number of musical theatre projects as well as developing an original drama for television.
In 2000, her 1999 novel CHOCOLAT was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE by the Queen.
Her hobbies are listed in Who's Who as 'mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion'. She also spends too much time on Twitter; plays flute and bass guitar in a band first formed when she was 16; and works from a shed in her garden at her home in Yorkshire.
Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include fourteen novels, two cookbooks and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. She has also written a DR WHO novella for the BBC, has scripted guest episodes for the game ZOMBIES, RUN!, and is currently engaged in a number of musical theatre projects as well as developing an original drama for television.
In 2000, her 1999 novel CHOCOLAT was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE by the Queen.
Her hobbies are listed in Who's Who as 'mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion'. She also spends too much time on Twitter; plays flute and bass guitar in a band first formed when she was 16; and works from a shed in her garden at her home in Yorkshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews
November 29, 2024
This magical fairy tale was just the refreshing palate cleanse this reader needed.🦋
July 31, 2024
Joanne Harris’s writing is so beautiful - she is incredible at crafting stories and makes you feel like you are falling into a world of dreams and fairytales.
But I’m unfortunately giving this book two stars because I couldn’t stand Tom, the main character. He is so irritatingly stubborn and stupidly clueless and has a penchant for disregarding everyone around him and just launching himself into immediate danger.
It got SO tiring to read about Tom obsessing over Vanessa, ignoring everyone’s advice (which was also frustratingly cryptic for most of the book), choosing to do the most dangerous thing possible in every scenario, and then being saved just in the nick of time by another character. This situation played out over and over again in the book, to the point where I started to wish that other characters would give up already and stop saving him!
I wanted much less of Tom and more of the magical moonlight market, more of the Victorian mourning photography, and more of the fairytale stories woven throughout (I thought it was especially cool that Harris linked this book to Orfeia, one of her previous novels).
But I’m unfortunately giving this book two stars because I couldn’t stand Tom, the main character. He is so irritatingly stubborn and stupidly clueless and has a penchant for disregarding everyone around him and just launching himself into immediate danger.
It got SO tiring to read about Tom obsessing over Vanessa, ignoring everyone’s advice (which was also frustratingly cryptic for most of the book), choosing to do the most dangerous thing possible in every scenario, and then being saved just in the nick of time by another character. This situation played out over and over again in the book, to the point where I started to wish that other characters would give up already and stop saving him!
I wanted much less of Tom and more of the magical moonlight market, more of the Victorian mourning photography, and more of the fairytale stories woven throughout (I thought it was especially cool that Harris linked this book to Orfeia, one of her previous novels).
September 17, 2024
2.5 stars - very meh! The atmosphere at the start was beautiful but other than that the obnoxiousness (is that a word?) of the main character completely ruined this story for me. He was SO dumb and annoying and no one should have forgiven him in this story lol. It is still unclear to me why he was so special to everyone. This is one of those books where the idea sounds absolutely amazing but the execution is just not it
June 18, 2025
“What does real mean? Is love real? or magic, or hope, or joy, or quest for enlightenment? Or any of those things that’s just because they’re woven in words? Only you would question the existence of what you can’t see. Fairy stories matter. They’re how we understand what’s true.” ✨
This is a magical fairy tale, based in modern day London. It is a story of love and transformation. Think of how a butterfly comes into being…that is similar to what this book holds within its narrative 🦋
(no kidding, a butterfly just flew into me as I was writing this…)
Okay, so I really wanted to love this book. And, when I started reading I was convinced I was going to love it; Harris kick started this short fairy tale with a promising prologue. I launched into the book waiting for that moment that would give the entire story a new meaning, and life…sadly, that moment never came 😕
While this definitely was not my favourite of Harris’s books, it was still an interesting, and magical, read. There were elements I did enjoy, and characters that touched my heart ❤️ I loved how she intertwined magic with modern day London, including places that are recognisable. However, I think the main issue was there was a lot of vague details, I was constantly looking for clarity, but only came up with more grey areas.
Overall, it was a fun and refreshing read, that certainly stretched the imagination of the modern day. Worth picking up from the library: yeah 🤏🏼 Worth hunting down to buy: no rush 🙃
🌟🌟🌟
This is a magical fairy tale, based in modern day London. It is a story of love and transformation. Think of how a butterfly comes into being…that is similar to what this book holds within its narrative 🦋
(no kidding, a butterfly just flew into me as I was writing this…)
Okay, so I really wanted to love this book. And, when I started reading I was convinced I was going to love it; Harris kick started this short fairy tale with a promising prologue. I launched into the book waiting for that moment that would give the entire story a new meaning, and life…sadly, that moment never came 😕
While this definitely was not my favourite of Harris’s books, it was still an interesting, and magical, read. There were elements I did enjoy, and characters that touched my heart ❤️ I loved how she intertwined magic with modern day London, including places that are recognisable. However, I think the main issue was there was a lot of vague details, I was constantly looking for clarity, but only came up with more grey areas.
Overall, it was a fun and refreshing read, that certainly stretched the imagination of the modern day. Worth picking up from the library: yeah 🤏🏼 Worth hunting down to buy: no rush 🙃
🌟🌟🌟
Read
May 16, 2025✅Alternate world
✅Warring factions
✅Magical setting
Pre read : I've had my eye on this one for a while, so I'm a little excited.
Very thankful to see the back of that book slump, excited to read again!
✅Warring factions
✅Magical setting
Pre read : I've had my eye on this one for a while, so I'm a little excited.
Very thankful to see the back of that book slump, excited to read again!
March 9, 2024
The Moonlight Market was a delightful fantasy read. I was captivated with the story and characters right from the first chapter and devoured the book in just two nights. Essentially a modern fairytale, the story moved at just the right pace and the world building was nicely handled throughout. Perhaps the ending felt a tad rushed, but that is my only minor gripe. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book immensely. It perhaps helped that I'd read a few less stellar books ahead of this one, but it felt great to be truly caught up in a story again. I am giving it 4.5 stars. Recommended to fans of fairytale-based fantasy standalone novels.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2025
So disappointed by this!! So utterly unconvincing from the writing to the characterisation to the worldbuilding. It doesn't do faerie anywhere near as wild or as dark or as deep as it keeps insisting it does and I can't remember disliking a protagonist so much in a very long time - Tom is an utter drip who bumbles from one encounter to the next, always a dozen steps behind both the characters he encounters and the reader, and the encounters themselves are lacklustre and feel bizarrely artificial. I can see this working as a children's book or maybe even as YA lit, and the concept itself seems promising, but it really does not work as adult fiction.
July 8, 2024
The Moonlight Market was a breath of fresh air, providing a much-needed escape into a dreamy fairytale world. We follow Tom, whose mundane life working in a quiet London photography shop takes an unexpected turn when the mysterious Vanessa, a captivating woman, enters his life. From there, shadowy figures start appearing in his photographic negatives, leading him to discover a hidden Moonlight Market where memories are traded for goods. Tom becomes entangled in an ancient war between daylight and midnight folk between the seen and unseen.
The novel addresses significant themes, such as the nature of love (and the corrupting nature of sustained hatred), the plight of those we do not see, the power of names, and language the nature of belief. Tom's obliviousness and obtuseness to the unseen world was a bit frustrating, a consequence of his enchanting love presumably. The seamless blend of fairytale backstories with scenes of London, including relevant social commentary, was captivating. My overall experience was a delightful and enchanting reading experience.
The novel addresses significant themes, such as the nature of love (and the corrupting nature of sustained hatred), the plight of those we do not see, the power of names, and language the nature of belief. Tom's obliviousness and obtuseness to the unseen world was a bit frustrating, a consequence of his enchanting love presumably. The seamless blend of fairytale backstories with scenes of London, including relevant social commentary, was captivating. My overall experience was a delightful and enchanting reading experience.
July 29, 2025
Adored this read! Wonderful magical story. Great audio narration by the author herself. I loved hearing about this magical world, loved the characters. Tom, he was a bit thick, but it made me laugh at times. I think what made me love this one even more was the fairytale story weaved within about the 'butterflies' and 'moths'and that character names came from butterflies and moths. The title drew me in but the story kept me immersed. I would read this one again to visit this magical world.
October 20, 2024
Damn, am really continuing to not love these latest pseudo-fairytale offerings from Harris. I hadn't realised this was connected to her Honeycomb world, and the same issues I had with that book carried over for me here. It feels... like an attempt at a fairytale, that only skims the surface and misses all the core of it. The constant repetition of information didn't feel like rhythm but rather a fear of forgetting, and the main characters were so exceptional irritating that there was no real respite — . There's enough in this that I wouldn't give it a single one star rating, but... honestly, for me? Only just. Disappointing, I probably won't attempt any future ones in this vein.
July 22, 2024
For a book about magic, this really lacked any magic for me. The main character, Tom, just stumbles from disaster to disaster, always somehow being saved despite his complete lack of any idea about what is going on around him. It becomes quite repetitive at times, and he never really seems to take much direct action himself, just wanders around blindly and somehow managing to escape every time.
There are some nice ideas, and its written well, but following a clueless hero lost in a world where he has no idea what is going on gets irritating after a while.
There are some nice ideas, and its written well, but following a clueless hero lost in a world where he has no idea what is going on gets irritating after a while.
July 18, 2024
I can’t think when I last read a more disappointing book. I love Harris’s other works and found her previous fairy tales enchanting, but this was just so uninspired. One problem is that delightful moonlight market of the title appears briefly in one chapter only and we spend most of the book with the unbelievably clueless main character, Tom. More market and a less idiotic main character would have made a much better book.
November 23, 2024
The plot sounded so good, but unfortunately the writing and execution fell flat. This book was written so poorly (or it was just not my style?!). It could have been a children’s book with the way it was written, and for someone like Joanne Harris, I had higher expectations.
November 16, 2025
3.75⭐️
The beginning of this book convinced me that it was going to be an all-time new favourite of mine, so you can imagine how gutted I feel at giving it less than 4 stars😭💔
Right from the bat, I fell in love with the world that Joanne Harris was spinning. The dark streets of London at night, the whimsical moonlight market at Old London Bridge and the folk-like prologue detailing a mythical war between The Moths and The Butterflies?!! 🦋 It all felt so utterly magical and evoked that Studio Ghibli wonder.
Unfortunately, our MC Tom spoils it all - I don’t think I’ve read about a more pathetic character😭😭 there was very little character development, making him a very exasperating character to read about :(
I loved so much about this book (especially the fairytale stories about The Moths and The Butterflies at the start of each act), and wish that I could give it all the stars in the world. So I’m just going to pretend that Tom wasn’t so bland/thick-headed/dim, and revel in all the other whimsical moments instead😗✨
The beginning of this book convinced me that it was going to be an all-time new favourite of mine, so you can imagine how gutted I feel at giving it less than 4 stars😭💔
Right from the bat, I fell in love with the world that Joanne Harris was spinning. The dark streets of London at night, the whimsical moonlight market at Old London Bridge and the folk-like prologue detailing a mythical war between The Moths and The Butterflies?!! 🦋 It all felt so utterly magical and evoked that Studio Ghibli wonder.
Unfortunately, our MC Tom spoils it all - I don’t think I’ve read about a more pathetic character😭😭 there was very little character development, making him a very exasperating character to read about :(
I loved so much about this book (especially the fairytale stories about The Moths and The Butterflies at the start of each act), and wish that I could give it all the stars in the world. So I’m just going to pretend that Tom wasn’t so bland/thick-headed/dim, and revel in all the other whimsical moments instead😗✨
February 13, 2025
Actual rating 3.5.5 stars.
Tom sees the city through his camera lens and with each photo he takes he starts to uncover beings living between the cracks of humanity. They come at sunrise or sunset and have their own clans, their own customs, their own wars. Tom falls in love and forgets them again and again, but his photos never lie and never fade and so he quests to understand just who dwells in the city he has always lived in and just what lies at the heart of the unrest between them all.
This was whimsical and magical but not exactly suited to the type of fantastical stories I like to consume. I did have a good time with the style of storytelling, however. It felt like a soothing fairy tale, told to me as a child at bedtime. This isn't to say it was without its darker moments or darker figures, as all good fairy tales are, but that the cadence was somehow soothing and lulled me into a dreamlike state, whilst reading this.
I prefer my fantasy stories more medieval than urban and more gritty than magical but I had a fun time discovering the truths at the heart of this gem of a story and just know it will be many readers' new favourite story.
Tom sees the city through his camera lens and with each photo he takes he starts to uncover beings living between the cracks of humanity. They come at sunrise or sunset and have their own clans, their own customs, their own wars. Tom falls in love and forgets them again and again, but his photos never lie and never fade and so he quests to understand just who dwells in the city he has always lived in and just what lies at the heart of the unrest between them all.
This was whimsical and magical but not exactly suited to the type of fantastical stories I like to consume. I did have a good time with the style of storytelling, however. It felt like a soothing fairy tale, told to me as a child at bedtime. This isn't to say it was without its darker moments or darker figures, as all good fairy tales are, but that the cadence was somehow soothing and lulled me into a dreamlike state, whilst reading this.
I prefer my fantasy stories more medieval than urban and more gritty than magical but I had a fun time discovering the truths at the heart of this gem of a story and just know it will be many readers' new favourite story.
July 5, 2024
For me, this was a much-needed slice of dreamy, escapist fantasy. Tom's life drifts along in a rather dull and isolated bubble, working in a quiet London photography shop. Until Vanessa walks in and buys one of his photographs, completely stealing Tom's heart. Mystery figures start to appear in his photographic negatives that are not there. It leads to a visit to the hidden Moonlight Market, where things are bought in exchange for memories, and Tom is plunged into an ages-old battle alongside his quest for love.
This brings the flavour of Joanne Harris's lovely Honeycomb fairy tales to modern-day London, while a London seen and unseen is reminiscent of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. I particularly liked the segments of fairytale back-story slipped in between scenes of London (with some topical social commentary!). I did want to shout at Tom when he repeatedly failed to see the bleeding obvious, but I guess that's what being enchanted by fairy love does to you. But overall, this is a lovely, light and enjoyable read.
This brings the flavour of Joanne Harris's lovely Honeycomb fairy tales to modern-day London, while a London seen and unseen is reminiscent of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. I particularly liked the segments of fairytale back-story slipped in between scenes of London (with some topical social commentary!). I did want to shout at Tom when he repeatedly failed to see the bleeding obvious, but I guess that's what being enchanted by fairy love does to you. But overall, this is a lovely, light and enjoyable read.
June 19, 2024
The Moonlight Market is not a long book, just short of 300 pages I was able to read this in two sittings. I really enjoyed the modern take on a fairy-tale story, the take on the Butterfly's and Moths was really fascinating and I enjoyed reading the contrast between the two.
I found Tom to be a little flaky and chaotic he seemed to be a little all over the place with his attention solely focused on Vanessa and not on anyone who was advising him. There's a lot of characters who know what's going on but refuse to tell the MC Tom, this went on for sometime and frustrated me a little because I was just waiting for someone to finally explain why everyone was constantly warning Tom away, it did eventually happen but then it felt like the ending was a little too rushed.
Overall I enjoyed as a quick read and would recommend to the right person.
I found Tom to be a little flaky and chaotic he seemed to be a little all over the place with his attention solely focused on Vanessa and not on anyone who was advising him. There's a lot of characters who know what's going on but refuse to tell the MC Tom, this went on for sometime and frustrated me a little because I was just waiting for someone to finally explain why everyone was constantly warning Tom away, it did eventually happen but then it felt like the ending was a little too rushed.
Overall I enjoyed as a quick read and would recommend to the right person.
December 13, 2024
1★ | ‘Dream is a river that leads to all worlds. Which one are you looking for?’
Stupid men suck so much! I honestly wouldn’t have minded if everything our protagonist, Tom Argent, did was as a teenager. But a stubborn 29 y/o mmc, his stupidity (which, if a teen had called curiosity, wouldn’t have felt as bad), his search for ‘true’ love, his desire to become a hero and prove to himself that there is magic in the world, and his lack of using brains for anything that even slightly seemed important or a critical matter was, of course, all it took to make this book below average (=2★) to me. I only kept reading because I liked the story told by the Spider Mage, but even that was disappointing. Too much happened without ever giving as much time to each scene, sub-plot, or character as any of it required or deserved.
To say this was a waste of time is an understatement. It’s not that I don’t dnf books; I do, I just didn’t want to dnf this one because it started off (so?) nice, hence the one star. For me, this book lacked depth in everything that matters; the characters, the story, the world. I might have been hooked in the beginning itself (I can’t even remember why, I think it was the storytelling), but that was it.
To conclude: ugh.
Stupid men suck so much! I honestly wouldn’t have minded if everything our protagonist, Tom Argent, did was as a teenager. But a stubborn 29 y/o mmc, his stupidity (which, if a teen had called curiosity, wouldn’t have felt as bad), his search for ‘true’ love, his desire to become a hero and prove to himself that there is magic in the world, and his lack of using brains for anything that even slightly seemed important or a critical matter was, of course, all it took to make this book below average (=2★) to me. I only kept reading because I liked the story told by the Spider Mage, but even that was disappointing. Too much happened without ever giving as much time to each scene, sub-plot, or character as any of it required or deserved.
To say this was a waste of time is an understatement. It’s not that I don’t dnf books; I do, I just didn’t want to dnf this one because it started off (so?) nice, hence the one star. For me, this book lacked depth in everything that matters; the characters, the story, the world. I might have been hooked in the beginning itself (I can’t even remember why, I think it was the storytelling), but that was it.
To conclude: ugh.
June 16, 2025
2,5 stars.
I never thought I would give such a low rating to a Joanne Harris’s book, but there you have it.
I did not like Tom at all. Harris writes beautifully and the magical bits were lovely. But Tom… Gosh, he was infuriating! He was probably the most clueless hero in the history of heroes. And he’s the main character, so the story was pretty much about him.
The end was confusing as well.
Not my cup of tea.
I never thought I would give such a low rating to a Joanne Harris’s book, but there you have it.
I did not like Tom at all. Harris writes beautifully and the magical bits were lovely. But Tom… Gosh, he was infuriating! He was probably the most clueless hero in the history of heroes. And he’s the main character, so the story was pretty much about him.
The end was confusing as well.
Not my cup of tea.
April 15, 2025
Absolutely delightful story. I loved the idea of the day folk (butterflies) and night folk (moths).
Harris succeeds in a fantasy novel with magic, simple world building and a little mystery. She is also a talented narrator and her voice is one of those you could listen too all day. I devoured this in 2 days.
Harris succeeds in a fantasy novel with magic, simple world building and a little mystery. She is also a talented narrator and her voice is one of those you could listen too all day. I devoured this in 2 days.
August 9, 2024
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed the magical, fairytale ambience of The Moonlight Market. However, I found the pace very slow until the latter stages. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is personal preference! It was a rather interesting exploration of memory.
I really enjoyed the magical, fairytale ambience of The Moonlight Market. However, I found the pace very slow until the latter stages. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is personal preference! It was a rather interesting exploration of memory.
July 12, 2024
Lush, beautifully detailed, with a deep understanding of the human condition and how that is best conveyed through storytelling.
June 28, 2025
This book really wasn’t for me. As much as I keep trying to persevere with adult fantasy, I just don’t enjoy and get on with them. Top marks to the author for her creativity and descriptive writing though. One of the main characters, Tom, was very annoying. Very obsessive and kept being saved by the other characters because of his stubbornness and apparent lack of common sense!
June 23, 2025
This ended up being an interesting story! It started out slow for me and I was not that into the book, but as the story progressed I got more inspired by the story line. Thanks to the Montreal Book Club ladies for sharing this with me!
July 10, 2024
I know that Joanne Harris has written quite some books already. I think I even have one of her books on my shelves (and I think it has been there, unread, for several years already). However, when I saw this book on Amazon or Goodreads (I don't know where I encountered it first), I got instantly curious. I love fairytales, I love London, of London mixed with fairytales and magic. The book came in this week and I had to start reading right away.
I really wanted to love this book. I really wanted to give it a perfect review. When I started the book I was convinced I was gonna love it. The prologue promised an interesting tale and I was very curious to see where it all would go. And yet, the moment the book turned out to be brilliant or heartbreakingly beautiful never really came. I was waiting for that one moment giving the entire story a new meaning and even after finishing I'm still waiting.
I'm not entirely sure why the book didn't work for me. There were certainly a lot of elements I did enjoy. I loved the magic and how it entwined with the world of London we know. I loved the magical places we visited while reading this book. I also loved the mystery, the missing memories. I think my main issue is that the characters also stay a little vague. Because of their missing memories or hidden agenda we never really get to know them and therefore it's hard to feel for them.
I also think that by spending so much time in Tom's head, we missed out on a lot of crucial information concerning the history of these characters and what they've been true. The twist in the finale therefore came a little out of nowhere. I saw it coming, I just didn't feel it coming. The chemistry needed for that twist wasn't really there. Maybe this story was, in a way, too much of a fairytale for me.
I really wanted to love this book. I really wanted to give it a perfect review. When I started the book I was convinced I was gonna love it. The prologue promised an interesting tale and I was very curious to see where it all would go. And yet, the moment the book turned out to be brilliant or heartbreakingly beautiful never really came. I was waiting for that one moment giving the entire story a new meaning and even after finishing I'm still waiting.
I'm not entirely sure why the book didn't work for me. There were certainly a lot of elements I did enjoy. I loved the magic and how it entwined with the world of London we know. I loved the magical places we visited while reading this book. I also loved the mystery, the missing memories. I think my main issue is that the characters also stay a little vague. Because of their missing memories or hidden agenda we never really get to know them and therefore it's hard to feel for them.
I also think that by spending so much time in Tom's head, we missed out on a lot of crucial information concerning the history of these characters and what they've been true. The twist in the finale therefore came a little out of nowhere. I saw it coming, I just didn't feel it coming. The chemistry needed for that twist wasn't really there. Maybe this story was, in a way, too much of a fairytale for me.
September 9, 2024
magical and atmospheric, a dark fairy tale of true love, loss and power
RTC
RTC
October 2, 2024
3.5
A modern fairytale for adults.
Simple and charming with the eerie dream-like feeling of lost memories and déjà vu.
A modern fairytale for adults.
Simple and charming with the eerie dream-like feeling of lost memories and déjà vu.
July 15, 2025
4 stars ⭐️🦋
“Love never ends - but it changes. In some cases, it grows like a tree, stronger and more fruitful. In others, it changes nature, like chrysalis to butterfly.”
What an amazing story, so beautifully written! Such a unique story, I’ve never read anything like this. I loved how fast pace this was, it was so entertaining and I LOVED the ending it was a happy bittersweet ending 🥺
This story follows Tom (a photographer) through the secret layers of London, where there is a magic war, lost worlds, a lost prince, a Moth King & a Butterfly Queen. The moth’s and the butterfly’s have been at war for century’s - this is basically a fairytale come to life in modern day London.
There’s also deeper themes written within the story, of loss, love, and loneliness and how that can change a person. Grief & pain is turned into something beautiful.
“Not all love stories end happily. But that doesn’t mean Love isn’t real, or that it isn’t worth pursuing.”
“Love never ends - but it changes. In some cases, it grows like a tree, stronger and more fruitful. In others, it changes nature, like chrysalis to butterfly.”
What an amazing story, so beautifully written! Such a unique story, I’ve never read anything like this. I loved how fast pace this was, it was so entertaining and I LOVED the ending it was a happy bittersweet ending 🥺
This story follows Tom (a photographer) through the secret layers of London, where there is a magic war, lost worlds, a lost prince, a Moth King & a Butterfly Queen. The moth’s and the butterfly’s have been at war for century’s - this is basically a fairytale come to life in modern day London.
There’s also deeper themes written within the story, of loss, love, and loneliness and how that can change a person. Grief & pain is turned into something beautiful.
“Not all love stories end happily. But that doesn’t mean Love isn’t real, or that it isn’t worth pursuing.”
October 22, 2025
Listened to on audio at 1.25 speed, read by the author. An interesting, creative story that does suffer a bit from an issue that plagues fantasy fiction which is the “clueless MC” and many, many problems that could be solved if only someone paused for a second to explain something to him. It felt like 90% of the book was him wondering what was happening and other people saying “well, if you’d done X, this never would have happened” (but never explaining X—just “no time for that now”). Additionally, there was tons and tons of repetition—it was part of the dreamlike quality of the book and also part of the main character’s experience, he DID actually repeat things over and over without remembering, but it started to wear. Like, if I have to hear “the scent of a flower that blooms once in a lifetime…” I’m going to freak out.
March 24, 2025
Sort of a 3.5 - I was expecting to love this as every other Joanne Harris I've read is a five star for me. Some of the Harris classics I love are in here, beautiful prose, magical fairytale feelings which I did really enjoy. Her imagery of the market especially were absolutely gorgeous with so many intriguing wee details. However, there were two main things that were not great for me. The main character is quite whiny and annoying and a total eejit throughout but to the point where it's a touch painful. Without giving spoilers, this makes sense at first but I think that aspect needed to be resolved quicker to make Tom more likely and me more sympathetic! The other wee thing is in the second half there seemed to be similar scenarios repeating. All in all I loved the setting, ideas and fairytale framings but it wasn't quite right for me.
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