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The Tales of Tarya #1
Harlequin's Riddle
When Mina joins a troupe of travelling actors, her aim is to find her missing brother, but her search unlocks a series of secrets that will change the world she knows forever.
Tarya, the mystical realm spoken of in tales, is real, and her gift for story telling opens a way to it. But Tarya has a shadow side, and someone in the troupe of actors is using it to harm people. Mina soon realises she may be the only one with the power to stop them. Harlequin’s Riddle is the first book in a Young Adult fantasy trilogy about the gift of creativity and where it can take you.
Tarya, the mystical realm spoken of in tales, is real, and her gift for story telling opens a way to it. But Tarya has a shadow side, and someone in the troupe of actors is using it to harm people. Mina soon realises she may be the only one with the power to stop them. Harlequin’s Riddle is the first book in a Young Adult fantasy trilogy about the gift of creativity and where it can take you.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 12, 2017
About the author
Rachel Nightingale
10 books50 followersRachel Nightingale was a highly imaginative child who used to pretend she was wandering the woods looking for adventures on her way home from school. Once she understood creating stories gave her magical powers she decided to become a writer. Some years, and many diversions later, she is an award-winning playwright, and the author of The Tales of Tarya trilogy, a fantasy series published by Odyssey Books. Having survived improv theatre, travelled the world and immersed herself endlessly in research and creative practice, she often finds herself at the mercy of stories that demand to be written.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 21, 2017
The stories I like best are those that whisk me away effortlessly from everyday life and this historical fantasy did just that. The gorgeous cover of Harlequin’s Riddle kept calling me to explore the rich world created within and I wasn’t disappointed. The playbill at the start reveals what we may expect from the pages within, and also announces Mina, the protagonist of the story.
A rich, entertaining story follows, told with great flourish, just as the playbill promises. I bonded early on with the main character, seventeen-year-old Mina who has been endowed with a special gift. Because of her unusual talents, she is offered a position in a troupe fashioned after the Commedia Dell’Arte, an improvised style of theatre featuring stock characters. Mina is on the cusp of adulthood and exploring the new, including a growing attraction to Dario. She is also on a mission to find out what happened to her long missing brother, whose disappearance may be connected with the players and perhaps the secrets of Tarya.
Harlequin’s Riddle glides between the real and surreal with ease, rather like the Gazini Players’ caravan which seamlessly transforms each night into the stage. The story was like a rich puzzle box, slowly unveiling its secrets and twists at a satisfying pace. This debut novel hooked me in from the first chapter with an alchemical weave of words that didn’t lift their magic once.
A rich, entertaining story follows, told with great flourish, just as the playbill promises. I bonded early on with the main character, seventeen-year-old Mina who has been endowed with a special gift. Because of her unusual talents, she is offered a position in a troupe fashioned after the Commedia Dell’Arte, an improvised style of theatre featuring stock characters. Mina is on the cusp of adulthood and exploring the new, including a growing attraction to Dario. She is also on a mission to find out what happened to her long missing brother, whose disappearance may be connected with the players and perhaps the secrets of Tarya.
Harlequin’s Riddle glides between the real and surreal with ease, rather like the Gazini Players’ caravan which seamlessly transforms each night into the stage. The story was like a rich puzzle box, slowly unveiling its secrets and twists at a satisfying pace. This debut novel hooked me in from the first chapter with an alchemical weave of words that didn’t lift their magic once.
July 1, 2017
A really well-written and captivating fantasy novel.
June 23, 2017
Harlequin's Riddle instantly transports the reader to Mina's world of magical creativity from the first page. Casual readers will be relieved to find that no great feat of concentration is necessary to get through the first chapter - this is the kind of novel one sinks into completely, rendering the mundane world all but forgotten as the words flow from the page.
The story moves along at a comfortable pace. Every last word has been carefully chosen by Nightingale to conjure a detailed, colourful picture of a world rich in personality and culture, without holding the story down with verbose descriptions.
A satisfying segment of the Tales of Tarya, and I can't wait to find out what happens in Book 2!
The story moves along at a comfortable pace. Every last word has been carefully chosen by Nightingale to conjure a detailed, colourful picture of a world rich in personality and culture, without holding the story down with verbose descriptions.
A satisfying segment of the Tales of Tarya, and I can't wait to find out what happens in Book 2!
October 2, 2017
'Harlequin's Riddle' has an involving charm based on a homage to storytelling and performers through the ages. It is also keenly observed with well created settings. Lots of historic research behind the story of the travelling players. It's rather like an involving painting of a period in which you can lose yourself as you discover more details. I'd recommend it for those who enjoy magic realism and period fantasy. It's the type of novel which will have passionate followers for the proposed trilogy.
September 2, 2018
The Tales of Tarya fantasy trilogy is presented for Young Adults, but it’s an engrossing read for anyone aged 109 or under fascinated by that most mysterious thing, the act or the moment of creativity. What happens to artists, writers, composers, actors, as they disappear into where 'the magic happens'? Do they go to another place? Do they go to Tarya? The Tales will especially appeal, I think, to anyone who has stepped onto a stage and entered that terrifying in-between moment being being oneself and playing the role.
‘Thunder rolled heavily as Mina neared her house, her steps weighed down by the endless years ahead, fulfilling everyone’s needs but her own.’
Mina’s quiet days consist of helping her family, particularly Uncle Tonio who had some sort of breakdown years before. She had enlivened her hours by telling stories but her father forced her to stop – he feared them for some reason.
Players arrive in her backcountry town of Andon in Litonya. When the disturbing Harlequin invites Mina to join the troupe she accepts with hope of learning what happened to her brother who disappeared years before. Her father now reveals that her story telling is a special gift: she can call visions into being with her words.
As the troupe rolls through Litonya in their wagons, Mina tests her story telling powers and discovers a mysterious other world called Tarya. But her new friends evade her questions, even Dario to whom she feels attracted. They pass through villages afraid of the Players and some people in them seem to be empty of soul, like Uncle Tonio. She grows more and more uneasy.
Rachel Nightingale’s story looks at the paradox of power. When you can affect the lives of others you can do great good but also unwittingly cause harm. And always there are those who take power for themselves and abuse it anyway.
‘Darkness can come from what seems to help others’.
The descriptions of the other-world of Tarya are lyrical, dreamy, haunting. I couldn’t get enough of it. I will never think about creativity again without Tarya in mind.
Columbine’s Tale, Book two of the series, is out now. I recommend also the the website for Rachael Nightingale, novelist, playwright, performer and thespian, where she speaks of the power of story and fantasy in our lives. Readers can learn more there about the Commedia dell’Arte.
‘Thunder rolled heavily as Mina neared her house, her steps weighed down by the endless years ahead, fulfilling everyone’s needs but her own.’
Mina’s quiet days consist of helping her family, particularly Uncle Tonio who had some sort of breakdown years before. She had enlivened her hours by telling stories but her father forced her to stop – he feared them for some reason.
Players arrive in her backcountry town of Andon in Litonya. When the disturbing Harlequin invites Mina to join the troupe she accepts with hope of learning what happened to her brother who disappeared years before. Her father now reveals that her story telling is a special gift: she can call visions into being with her words.
As the troupe rolls through Litonya in their wagons, Mina tests her story telling powers and discovers a mysterious other world called Tarya. But her new friends evade her questions, even Dario to whom she feels attracted. They pass through villages afraid of the Players and some people in them seem to be empty of soul, like Uncle Tonio. She grows more and more uneasy.
Rachel Nightingale’s story looks at the paradox of power. When you can affect the lives of others you can do great good but also unwittingly cause harm. And always there are those who take power for themselves and abuse it anyway.
‘Darkness can come from what seems to help others’.
The descriptions of the other-world of Tarya are lyrical, dreamy, haunting. I couldn’t get enough of it. I will never think about creativity again without Tarya in mind.
Columbine’s Tale, Book two of the series, is out now. I recommend also the the website for Rachael Nightingale, novelist, playwright, performer and thespian, where she speaks of the power of story and fantasy in our lives. Readers can learn more there about the Commedia dell’Arte.
July 2, 2017
A wonderfully engaging and deftly told tale, Harlequin’s Riddle is at its heart a story about the power and magic of creativity. The story opens with seventeen-year-old Mina wanting to leave her family and birthplace – Andon, an isolated seaside town in this well realised fantasy world. It is not only because she is on the brink of adulthood and “bored with the steady, unchanging routine of her days, longing for colour and change”, but because she also hopes to solve a mystery. When Mina was a child of seven, Paolo, her beloved brother, joined a troupe of travelling players and vanished from her life. Now another troupe players comes to her village, and their leader invites Mina to join them. The troupe’s arrival awakes in Mina painful memories of her childhood – memories confirmed by her father when he confesses he stopped her telling stories as a child. He stopped her, with violence, because of his fear of her power; through the very act of her storytelling, Mina brings to life her stories. Drawn to the players because of their colour, their mystery, their promise of excitement, and also hoping she might find out what happened to her brother by travelling with them, Mina packs her bag to begin her adventure of discovery.
Mystery is one of the driving forces of this novel. With Mina, the reader attempts to unravel the mystery of her brother’s disappearance alongside the sinister mystery of the players themselves. Mina learns from the travelling players that her storytelling gift comes from Tarya, a realm of mystery; a realm where dreams become true. By the time the reader reaches the final page, Mina has truly seized her power as a storyteller. It is a power that – despite painful betrayals by those she gave her trust and love - allows her to pursue the mystery of her brother’s fate, and her own destiny.
Clearly written with a lot of passion, this is an impressive debut novel from a gifted storyteller. Nightingale weaves into the fabric of her novel an almost philosophical pondering about the power of creativity in all its forms. I’m now eagerly waiting for book two.
Mystery is one of the driving forces of this novel. With Mina, the reader attempts to unravel the mystery of her brother’s disappearance alongside the sinister mystery of the players themselves. Mina learns from the travelling players that her storytelling gift comes from Tarya, a realm of mystery; a realm where dreams become true. By the time the reader reaches the final page, Mina has truly seized her power as a storyteller. It is a power that – despite painful betrayals by those she gave her trust and love - allows her to pursue the mystery of her brother’s fate, and her own destiny.
Clearly written with a lot of passion, this is an impressive debut novel from a gifted storyteller. Nightingale weaves into the fabric of her novel an almost philosophical pondering about the power of creativity in all its forms. I’m now eagerly waiting for book two.
February 10, 2018
It is a stark fact that for the last few decades the major players in the book publishing industry have chosen to be led by their sales teams, and commissioning editors must bow to their publisher’s bottom line. Editors may fall in love with a story, want to praise it from the rooftops, but they are stuck with having to tell the author the harsh truth that their sales department, not known for vision and decidedly risk averse, have deemed the work unsaleable. It happens time and again that a truly great work slips through the cracks and ends up – because it IS truly a great work – being picked up by one of the lesser known small presses. If you want to read excellent original fiction, hunt out works released by reputable small presses.
Harlequin’s Riddle is one of those books, for Rachel Nightingale has composed a work of remarkable vision and depth of insight, a work narrated in an accessible and enchanting style; gentle, inviting, sensory, like silk and gossamer. The pace is slow at first, but never meandering, and quickens at each plot point, as what begins as a quest evolves into a dark mystery.
Harlequin’s Riddle is a story of illusion and make believe in art and theatre. The novel opens with Mina watching a travelling theatre troupe perform in her village as she misses her older brother, Paolo, who took off with a troupe a decade before, and never returned. She was seven when he left, and she’s seventeen when with her mother’s blessing she joins the theatre troupe in the hope of finding him. The reader is swept along on the aspirations, hopes and dreams of innocence, a false innocence for Mina’s childhood scars are many, and the grief and anguish and betrayal are buried so deep Mina is numb to them, until they surface and form a destabilising force, propelling her into understanding and ultimately wholeness.
Despite the fictitious setting, Nightingale paints an evocative portrait of medieval Italy with its rugged coastline, its quaint villages, forests and northern lakes. The author’s depiction of the theatre troupe with their colourful sets and costumes is vibrant and alive and enthralling, the reader provided a privileged view, looking over Mina’s shoulder at the other players and the audience. Much of the story involves the travellers journeying in their wagons to the Festival of Lights held in the large city of Aurea, and again, the reader is swept along for the ride as the troupe cope with various dramas and adventures along the way. There is much here to entertain every reader, young and old, the final quarter of the novel dripping with visual splendour.
On another level, Harlequin’s Riddle is less a tale of Mina’s quest to find her brother, and more a study of the nature of imagination and creativity, that curious moment of conjuring, bringing into being that which we inwardly see, and seeing that which we inwardly describe – words and pictures, which comes first? The creative process, at the moment of conception, differs between the arts and among artists, but always there is a point of manifestation and it is this that fills the pages of Harlequin’s Riddle.
Coupled with the theme of creativity and the creative process are ideas of spirituality and healing, the very quality we access when we transcend ordinary reality in creative imaginative acts, is also a powerful source of beneficial transformation and healing. Nightingale calls this multidimensional realm Tarya. It is what esotericists call the ‘inner planes’, and it is here that the deeper essence of Harlequin’s Riddle is apparent.
Entering Tarya involves altering your state of awareness, undergoing an out of body experience, and engaging in astral travel. Tarya is the realm of the shaman, the magus, the trickster, the psychopomp. Here is a small taste of Tarya.
“A subtle buzzing of hidden energy surrounded her. She looked down on distant mountains, and nearby trees, and people, many people, and each shape glimmered with light, layer upon layer of light, blurring outlines of real objects. There were intricate spiderwebs laid across the whole scene, gold threads wrapped around and over everything.”
In the villages, the players are feared for it is known they have occult or arcane power, one that destroys as it sets out to give joy. Unlike the players, Mina has the gift of storytelling, and she accesses Tarya differently, going far beyond the realms accessed by the players, realms that are connected to the living earth, to enter the purer planes of existence, where spiritual wisdom resides. This innate ability sets her apart, leads her into danger and ultimately drives her quest.
There is much to reflect on in Harlequin’s Riddle, and much to appreciate. Harlequin’s Riddle is a story to lose yourself in, and can be read on many levels. It isn’t necessary to understand anything about the occult or arcani to appreciate the novel, although the astute reader will recognise Harlequin’s Riddle as a transpersonal journey, one of initiation and healing. Nightingale has penned a unique and exquisite tale that deserves to be widely known, a story with a depth of awareness and understanding that will hold special appeal to those with an interest in alternative spiritualities. In the final analysis, Harlequin’s Riddle a work of intelligence and refinement that I can only compare to an Ursula le Guin, with overtones of Umberto Eco in theme but not in compositional style. A visionary fiction masterpiece.
Harlequin’s Riddle is one of those books, for Rachel Nightingale has composed a work of remarkable vision and depth of insight, a work narrated in an accessible and enchanting style; gentle, inviting, sensory, like silk and gossamer. The pace is slow at first, but never meandering, and quickens at each plot point, as what begins as a quest evolves into a dark mystery.
Harlequin’s Riddle is a story of illusion and make believe in art and theatre. The novel opens with Mina watching a travelling theatre troupe perform in her village as she misses her older brother, Paolo, who took off with a troupe a decade before, and never returned. She was seven when he left, and she’s seventeen when with her mother’s blessing she joins the theatre troupe in the hope of finding him. The reader is swept along on the aspirations, hopes and dreams of innocence, a false innocence for Mina’s childhood scars are many, and the grief and anguish and betrayal are buried so deep Mina is numb to them, until they surface and form a destabilising force, propelling her into understanding and ultimately wholeness.
Despite the fictitious setting, Nightingale paints an evocative portrait of medieval Italy with its rugged coastline, its quaint villages, forests and northern lakes. The author’s depiction of the theatre troupe with their colourful sets and costumes is vibrant and alive and enthralling, the reader provided a privileged view, looking over Mina’s shoulder at the other players and the audience. Much of the story involves the travellers journeying in their wagons to the Festival of Lights held in the large city of Aurea, and again, the reader is swept along for the ride as the troupe cope with various dramas and adventures along the way. There is much here to entertain every reader, young and old, the final quarter of the novel dripping with visual splendour.
On another level, Harlequin’s Riddle is less a tale of Mina’s quest to find her brother, and more a study of the nature of imagination and creativity, that curious moment of conjuring, bringing into being that which we inwardly see, and seeing that which we inwardly describe – words and pictures, which comes first? The creative process, at the moment of conception, differs between the arts and among artists, but always there is a point of manifestation and it is this that fills the pages of Harlequin’s Riddle.
Coupled with the theme of creativity and the creative process are ideas of spirituality and healing, the very quality we access when we transcend ordinary reality in creative imaginative acts, is also a powerful source of beneficial transformation and healing. Nightingale calls this multidimensional realm Tarya. It is what esotericists call the ‘inner planes’, and it is here that the deeper essence of Harlequin’s Riddle is apparent.
Entering Tarya involves altering your state of awareness, undergoing an out of body experience, and engaging in astral travel. Tarya is the realm of the shaman, the magus, the trickster, the psychopomp. Here is a small taste of Tarya.
“A subtle buzzing of hidden energy surrounded her. She looked down on distant mountains, and nearby trees, and people, many people, and each shape glimmered with light, layer upon layer of light, blurring outlines of real objects. There were intricate spiderwebs laid across the whole scene, gold threads wrapped around and over everything.”
In the villages, the players are feared for it is known they have occult or arcane power, one that destroys as it sets out to give joy. Unlike the players, Mina has the gift of storytelling, and she accesses Tarya differently, going far beyond the realms accessed by the players, realms that are connected to the living earth, to enter the purer planes of existence, where spiritual wisdom resides. This innate ability sets her apart, leads her into danger and ultimately drives her quest.
There is much to reflect on in Harlequin’s Riddle, and much to appreciate. Harlequin’s Riddle is a story to lose yourself in, and can be read on many levels. It isn’t necessary to understand anything about the occult or arcani to appreciate the novel, although the astute reader will recognise Harlequin’s Riddle as a transpersonal journey, one of initiation and healing. Nightingale has penned a unique and exquisite tale that deserves to be widely known, a story with a depth of awareness and understanding that will hold special appeal to those with an interest in alternative spiritualities. In the final analysis, Harlequin’s Riddle a work of intelligence and refinement that I can only compare to an Ursula le Guin, with overtones of Umberto Eco in theme but not in compositional style. A visionary fiction masterpiece.
July 21, 2017
"This is best book I've ever read." - Me
"Better than Harry Potter." - Also me
There are stories that change you. When you're so drawn into the experience that every word on every page might as well be playing out before your very eyes. You finish it, and reality returns, but you are never quite the same again. You became a part of this story, and it became a part of you.
Harlequin's Riddle is about a girl who learns the power of a story, and we learn it with her. This one is a story that will never leave you.
"Better than Harry Potter." - Also me
There are stories that change you. When you're so drawn into the experience that every word on every page might as well be playing out before your very eyes. You finish it, and reality returns, but you are never quite the same again. You became a part of this story, and it became a part of you.
Harlequin's Riddle is about a girl who learns the power of a story, and we learn it with her. This one is a story that will never leave you.
June 21, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as it blends the theatre of the commedia dell'arte, the magical wonder of new world, and glorious writing that carries through into this new place. Set in a place similar to renaissance Italy, the story follows a young woman from a small coastal town to the royal palace on her journey in to the secrets of Tarya.
July 8, 2017
A delightful, captivating and highly original historical fantasy novel. The evocation of renaissance players give the setting and descriptions of this novel a strong sense of authenticity. The heroine Mina is innocent, gifted, and likable, her journey believable, her decision at the end heart wrenching. I can't wait for the next installment.
July 22, 2017
This novel feels like it should be spoken about on two levels.
Firstly, on the surface it tells the story of a young girl searching for her missing brother while travelling with a group of lovable rag-tag performers, and everything is not as it seems (of course). On this level, I could talk about the effective individualism of each character, the strength and solidness of Mina's character. I could talk about the believability and the complex design of the world, the historical backdrop and the wonder of its fantastical and fantastic counterpart. I could talk about how the plot weaves in and out of suspense and excitement and wonder at a pace so well done and engaging that I only wish I had the ability to read faster. I could also talk about how all of these worked and weaved together in such a beautiful and comepelling way that I really have no other way to describe it without spoiling every detail.
On another level I could talk about how the layers underneath the narrative are just as engaging and thought provoking. In this novel the idea of stories being magic moves from a symbolic idea to a literal one, and in it captures everything that is to love about stories. They are compelling. They are wonderous. They are impossible. They are dangerous. They have layers we can never fully understand but we will always be searching for the answers. They are what readers love about stories, and it is the very thing I love about this book.
Firstly, on the surface it tells the story of a young girl searching for her missing brother while travelling with a group of lovable rag-tag performers, and everything is not as it seems (of course). On this level, I could talk about the effective individualism of each character, the strength and solidness of Mina's character. I could talk about the believability and the complex design of the world, the historical backdrop and the wonder of its fantastical and fantastic counterpart. I could talk about how the plot weaves in and out of suspense and excitement and wonder at a pace so well done and engaging that I only wish I had the ability to read faster. I could also talk about how all of these worked and weaved together in such a beautiful and comepelling way that I really have no other way to describe it without spoiling every detail.
On another level I could talk about how the layers underneath the narrative are just as engaging and thought provoking. In this novel the idea of stories being magic moves from a symbolic idea to a literal one, and in it captures everything that is to love about stories. They are compelling. They are wonderous. They are impossible. They are dangerous. They have layers we can never fully understand but we will always be searching for the answers. They are what readers love about stories, and it is the very thing I love about this book.
July 6, 2017
When you finish a book and want to find out what happens to the lead character on the next leg of the journey, you know it has got you in.
Do you like theatre, have you heard of Commedia Del'Arte? Well then the way this troupe of players leave their audiences spell bound will have you questioning the skills of the actors you have seen.
A quest to find her brother takes Mina away from her sheltered life in a small remote village of the country, to learn more of life and to see larger towns and cities. He left some years before, and has not returned as promised.
Along the way she comes to learn that the players are not always welcome, that some want to hurt them, but why?
I look forward to the next book,the sad side to coming to a series of books early in the piece is that you have to wait for the next book to be published.
Do you like theatre, have you heard of Commedia Del'Arte? Well then the way this troupe of players leave their audiences spell bound will have you questioning the skills of the actors you have seen.
A quest to find her brother takes Mina away from her sheltered life in a small remote village of the country, to learn more of life and to see larger towns and cities. He left some years before, and has not returned as promised.
Along the way she comes to learn that the players are not always welcome, that some want to hurt them, but why?
I look forward to the next book,the sad side to coming to a series of books early in the piece is that you have to wait for the next book to be published.
April 21, 2019
An unusual charm
If you are familiar with Commedia dell’Arte characters and masks you will find this a very interesting read. The author has woven a very clever world-building around this dramatic form without actually involving it in the events. It is not about the art or the characters but instead the author weaves parts to her suit own purpose with originality, and it works very well.
The plot contains intrigue, romance and betrayal and there are also bizarre and perhaps evil mysteries to be solved. It is a trilogy and too often with trilogies the middle book is only there to draw the story out. I don’t think this will happen with this series and I look forward to seeing just what the second book brings to Mina’s confusing life.
If you are familiar with Commedia dell’Arte characters and masks you will find this a very interesting read. The author has woven a very clever world-building around this dramatic form without actually involving it in the events. It is not about the art or the characters but instead the author weaves parts to her suit own purpose with originality, and it works very well.
The plot contains intrigue, romance and betrayal and there are also bizarre and perhaps evil mysteries to be solved. It is a trilogy and too often with trilogies the middle book is only there to draw the story out. I don’t think this will happen with this series and I look forward to seeing just what the second book brings to Mina’s confusing life.
January 11, 2018
Full disclosure: I received a free ebook of this through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and I'd like to thank the publisher for the opportunity to read this!
I had a push-pull relationship with this book as I read it; I had a really hard time getting into the book, as I found the early chapters to be somewhat slow. Part of that is my own struggle with diving into new worlds, but I think part of it was because I weirdly couldn't tell if this was supposed to be set in the real world or in a fantasy land? So much of it is pretty clearly drawn from research, to the point where sometimes, especially early on, it felt like something of an infodump, things that were included to show off the research. That isn't terrible per se, just not really my thing when it comes to incorporating it into the story.
That being said, once I got past the initial hump, I really blew through this book and mostly enjoyed myself! The plot is pretty compelling and moves at a good rapid pace and The characters slowly came to life and the magical aspects of the book are really pretty damn cool and interesting.
I have sort of two major things that make me feel :\ about this book though. The first is a spoiler.
The second thing that made me uncomfortable was the whole thing where it seemed like Nightingale was implying--and maybe I was reading too much into this--that the players were like Rromani people? Which? I had a lot of uncomfortable feelings about in terms of if that was supposed to be taken literally, how I was supposed to grapple with that, were there things being appropriated I just missed out on? I did not see any thanks to a sensitivity reader, maybe Nightingale had one, I'm not sure, but it was something that made me uncomfortable that I wanted to highlight.
I did overall enjoy the story of the book though, and was glad for the opportunity to read it! If you like theater and fantasy Renaissance Europe especially this may really be your thing.
I had a push-pull relationship with this book as I read it; I had a really hard time getting into the book, as I found the early chapters to be somewhat slow. Part of that is my own struggle with diving into new worlds, but I think part of it was because I weirdly couldn't tell if this was supposed to be set in the real world or in a fantasy land? So much of it is pretty clearly drawn from research, to the point where sometimes, especially early on, it felt like something of an infodump, things that were included to show off the research. That isn't terrible per se, just not really my thing when it comes to incorporating it into the story.
That being said, once I got past the initial hump, I really blew through this book and mostly enjoyed myself! The plot is pretty compelling and moves at a good rapid pace and The characters slowly came to life and the magical aspects of the book are really pretty damn cool and interesting.
I have sort of two major things that make me feel :\ about this book though. The first is a spoiler.
The second thing that made me uncomfortable was the whole thing where it seemed like Nightingale was implying--and maybe I was reading too much into this--that the players were like Rromani people? Which? I had a lot of uncomfortable feelings about in terms of if that was supposed to be taken literally, how I was supposed to grapple with that, were there things being appropriated I just missed out on? I did not see any thanks to a sensitivity reader, maybe Nightingale had one, I'm not sure, but it was something that made me uncomfortable that I wanted to highlight.
I did overall enjoy the story of the book though, and was glad for the opportunity to read it! If you like theater and fantasy Renaissance Europe especially this may really be your thing.
September 28, 2017
I wasn’t entirely certain what to expect when I opened this book. Which is exactly how I like my books to be. If a book has a pretty premise, a pretty cover (and wow, what a cover!) the promise of a new world to explore, and a hint of magic, then I’m willing to give it a go. Harlequin did not disappoint.
Young Mina has a talent for creating stories, and is clearly destined for more excitement than her small village has to offer. When she joins the travelling Players, she learns that there is a magical foundation to her creativity. But is it really magic or just illusion? And why do some of the townsfolk they encounter revile their kind? Perhaps they are simply ignorant and distrustful – or perhaps they know more than Mina does about her new adopted family.
This story is so rich in flavour and colour that it should be served in one of those fancy glasses and sprinkled with glitter.
“Yet the whole rainbow was tiny, no more than a thumbnail in length. She reached out to it with star-shadowed hands, and connected.”
Yet not everything is Happy Rainbow Ponies. There is drama and danger enough to satisfy the most hardened YA reader, and Harlequin’s Riddle draws you in just as deftly as the Harlequin himself.
Do yourself a favour. Go light the Coonara, Spotify some lute or harp music (I’m sure there’s some on there if you look hard enough), pour yourself a mulled goldberry wine, and run away with the travelling folk – just for a little while. You won’t regret it.
Young Mina has a talent for creating stories, and is clearly destined for more excitement than her small village has to offer. When she joins the travelling Players, she learns that there is a magical foundation to her creativity. But is it really magic or just illusion? And why do some of the townsfolk they encounter revile their kind? Perhaps they are simply ignorant and distrustful – or perhaps they know more than Mina does about her new adopted family.
This story is so rich in flavour and colour that it should be served in one of those fancy glasses and sprinkled with glitter.
“Yet the whole rainbow was tiny, no more than a thumbnail in length. She reached out to it with star-shadowed hands, and connected.”
Yet not everything is Happy Rainbow Ponies. There is drama and danger enough to satisfy the most hardened YA reader, and Harlequin’s Riddle draws you in just as deftly as the Harlequin himself.
Do yourself a favour. Go light the Coonara, Spotify some lute or harp music (I’m sure there’s some on there if you look hard enough), pour yourself a mulled goldberry wine, and run away with the travelling folk – just for a little while. You won’t regret it.
February 27, 2019
I really enjoyed this magical fantasy. It tells of Mina, a beautiful girl from a remote seaside village, who has had her extraordinary gift for storytelling forcibly silenced since childhood. She joins a travelling theatre troupe in the hopes of finding her brother who left with a company of players years ago and never returned.
All performers harness forces from within themselves in order to put on another persona, but what if they could use an outside force to bring their performances to vivid life? Mina soon discovers that the Gazini Players she now travels with are able to do just that - by drawing on a magical but dangerous power that comes from Tarya, the land of dreams.
Only those with creative talents can reach Tarya, and Mina, as her storytelling abilities reawaken, finds herself able to travel deeper and further into Tarya than any of her colleagues. There she discovers a dark secret that, if revealed, could threaten the livelihood of all the players.
As she travels, drawing ever closer to the great city of Aurea and the king’s magnificent palace, she wonders who she can trust; can she confide in the elusive Uberto (the Harlequin of the title), or tall handsome Dario, with whom she is falling in love?
Harlequin’s Riddle introduces us to some strong and fascinating characters and a well-drawn world. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy!
All performers harness forces from within themselves in order to put on another persona, but what if they could use an outside force to bring their performances to vivid life? Mina soon discovers that the Gazini Players she now travels with are able to do just that - by drawing on a magical but dangerous power that comes from Tarya, the land of dreams.
Only those with creative talents can reach Tarya, and Mina, as her storytelling abilities reawaken, finds herself able to travel deeper and further into Tarya than any of her colleagues. There she discovers a dark secret that, if revealed, could threaten the livelihood of all the players.
As she travels, drawing ever closer to the great city of Aurea and the king’s magnificent palace, she wonders who she can trust; can she confide in the elusive Uberto (the Harlequin of the title), or tall handsome Dario, with whom she is falling in love?
Harlequin’s Riddle introduces us to some strong and fascinating characters and a well-drawn world. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy!
February 22, 2018
I love reading novels and I don’t mind if the narrative begins slowly. As the story-telling engages me, I will enter the offered world with all its hinted backstory. But the acid test of any book is this; does it keep me reading into the wee small hours? Harlequin’s Riddle did.
Mina is a plucky seventeen year old who joins a group of travelling players. Her new life draws her deep into the lives of mysterious artists and their magical theatre. All the while she watches for the smallest clues; she’s not there just for the excitement and the experience. She is desperate to find her older brother, Paolo. He left home to join a group of players and his family has not had news of him for many years.
As Mina’s journey lengthens, she immerses herself in the tapestry of a player’s life on the road, with all its joys, trickery, and danger. For the reader swept along with her, the story is not only an immersion into the strange and mystical world of Tarya, but a plunge into the horror of stolen Dreams and broken Threads. The bloodless cruelty of a person separated from their soul crept up on me in a slow burn.
The world of Tarya is illusory, dream-like, but Rachel Nightingale knows this place well, as she does the country of Litonya with its idylls and tiny villages. Her writing has a rare truthful quality and I look forward to the rest of Mina’s odyssey.
Mina is a plucky seventeen year old who joins a group of travelling players. Her new life draws her deep into the lives of mysterious artists and their magical theatre. All the while she watches for the smallest clues; she’s not there just for the excitement and the experience. She is desperate to find her older brother, Paolo. He left home to join a group of players and his family has not had news of him for many years.
As Mina’s journey lengthens, she immerses herself in the tapestry of a player’s life on the road, with all its joys, trickery, and danger. For the reader swept along with her, the story is not only an immersion into the strange and mystical world of Tarya, but a plunge into the horror of stolen Dreams and broken Threads. The bloodless cruelty of a person separated from their soul crept up on me in a slow burn.
The world of Tarya is illusory, dream-like, but Rachel Nightingale knows this place well, as she does the country of Litonya with its idylls and tiny villages. Her writing has a rare truthful quality and I look forward to the rest of Mina’s odyssey.
August 22, 2018
I've read this book 4 times since it came out a year ago. I have also bought several copies for family and friends. I love this book!
Basically it's about travelling actors who steal dreams. The world is so rich. The descriptions so vivid. I go to Tarya (The place of dreams in this book) everytime I read it. Cannot wait for the next book to come out.
Basically it's about travelling actors who steal dreams. The world is so rich. The descriptions so vivid. I go to Tarya (The place of dreams in this book) everytime I read it. Cannot wait for the next book to come out.
August 9, 2017
Wonderful dark magic
The best fantasy works on two levels, telling a thrilling story and showing real life in e new light at the same time. This does that.
The best fantasy works on two levels, telling a thrilling story and showing real life in e new light at the same time. This does that.
August 29, 2018
“There is a moment, just before the dreamer stirs, when the mysteries of the world offer up their meanings. There is a moment, just beyond ordinary life, when perfection can be reached playing a melody or Telling a Tale. This moment is born in a world that lies between reality and dream.” – Mina, Harlequins Riddle.
At its heart, Harlequins Riddle is a story about adolescence, dreaming and facades. Detailing the innocence and naivety of youth, specifically for young adolescent females, Rachel Nightingale writes a mysterious, yet, detailed tale through the eyes of Mina, the young girl trying to find her brother Paolo. Nightingale presents the delicate transformation between fantasy and reality through the use of facades, which are depicted by the ‘Players’ – the group of Artisans that Mina joins, akin to a group of bards or musicians found in many fantasy films, shows and games. But the author makes this familiar trope fresh and new.
Nightingale uses evocative depictions of environments along with the naivety of adolescent ideals within Mina to bring readers the emotional aspect of being inside the mind of an adolescent female within a lower class medieval fantastical society. We, along with her are brought into the world of the Artisans, their facades and the harlequin characters behind the delicate transforming masks.
This reader, like many other readers, is particularly picky when it comes to what we read. Despite having an inquisitive title as “Harlequins Riddle”, this reader was sceptical in regards to the content that Nightingale is writing about and whether or not this reader’s interest would be piqued. Nightingale has brought to life a fantastical adventure following protagonist Mina on a journey of self-development which had kept this reader’s attention on edge.
Nightingale invites us to dream with her as we travel along the same path as Mina and the Artisan Players. We get the thrill and speculation regarding what is occurring and what might come to pass in the next few pages, we get to wonder whether or not the players are sinister in their intentions or if they are pure-hearted dreamers like the rest of us. This reader, for one, will be kept in the moment just before he stirs, waiting for the next tale of Mina, Paolo and the Players that is produced in the fabulous mind of Rachel Nightingale.
This review by Joe Bosa has featured in the Swinburne Journal 'Backstory', Issue 3.
At its heart, Harlequins Riddle is a story about adolescence, dreaming and facades. Detailing the innocence and naivety of youth, specifically for young adolescent females, Rachel Nightingale writes a mysterious, yet, detailed tale through the eyes of Mina, the young girl trying to find her brother Paolo. Nightingale presents the delicate transformation between fantasy and reality through the use of facades, which are depicted by the ‘Players’ – the group of Artisans that Mina joins, akin to a group of bards or musicians found in many fantasy films, shows and games. But the author makes this familiar trope fresh and new.
Nightingale uses evocative depictions of environments along with the naivety of adolescent ideals within Mina to bring readers the emotional aspect of being inside the mind of an adolescent female within a lower class medieval fantastical society. We, along with her are brought into the world of the Artisans, their facades and the harlequin characters behind the delicate transforming masks.
This reader, like many other readers, is particularly picky when it comes to what we read. Despite having an inquisitive title as “Harlequins Riddle”, this reader was sceptical in regards to the content that Nightingale is writing about and whether or not this reader’s interest would be piqued. Nightingale has brought to life a fantastical adventure following protagonist Mina on a journey of self-development which had kept this reader’s attention on edge.
Nightingale invites us to dream with her as we travel along the same path as Mina and the Artisan Players. We get the thrill and speculation regarding what is occurring and what might come to pass in the next few pages, we get to wonder whether or not the players are sinister in their intentions or if they are pure-hearted dreamers like the rest of us. This reader, for one, will be kept in the moment just before he stirs, waiting for the next tale of Mina, Paolo and the Players that is produced in the fabulous mind of Rachel Nightingale.
This review by Joe Bosa has featured in the Swinburne Journal 'Backstory', Issue 3.
November 24, 2018
The moment I started reading this book I was transported to an amazing new world. The writing was lyrical as it painted the scene and introduced me to Mina, a young girl with a remarkable gift for storytelling that had been silenced for many years. Now, as she joins the troupe of travelling players in hope of finding her missing brother, her gift returns. She is able to bring visions of the world of Tarya to life as she narrates each performance. She also learns that the illusions cast by the players as they transform into different characters have a dark history, one that forces her to question everything she believes.
The story gave an intriguing glimpse into the lives of the travelling players, a behind the scenes view of what happens with each performance that added to my enjoyment. There was laughter, love, anger, grief and even fear as they travelled toward Aurea to perform for the King and Queen. As a former audience member, it felt like I was given a taste of what really happens backstage, and I was as enchanted and then disturbed as Mina delved deeper into the secret world at the heart of the Gazini Players. Each new discovery leads her to question what it was the players did and how it affected others.
I really liked Mina as a main character. She was strong and honest, not willing to let others distort the way she saw herself. Her quest to find her brother means she has to keep part of herself back and makes it hard for her to know who to trust to seek answers. The more she comes to see the players as friend and family, the more she realises one of them has a dangerous secret, one that puts her in danger. Her determination to do what is right sets her on a course that could spell disaster for every player, and forces Mina to take action that could irrevocably change her life.
I really enjoyed this story, being as caught up in the creation of each performance as I was in Mina’s story. The scenery was breathtaking, the description of what Mina sees in Tarya vivid, the lives of the players engrossing. I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series, ‘Columbine’s Tale’, and finding out what Mina does next.
The story gave an intriguing glimpse into the lives of the travelling players, a behind the scenes view of what happens with each performance that added to my enjoyment. There was laughter, love, anger, grief and even fear as they travelled toward Aurea to perform for the King and Queen. As a former audience member, it felt like I was given a taste of what really happens backstage, and I was as enchanted and then disturbed as Mina delved deeper into the secret world at the heart of the Gazini Players. Each new discovery leads her to question what it was the players did and how it affected others.
I really liked Mina as a main character. She was strong and honest, not willing to let others distort the way she saw herself. Her quest to find her brother means she has to keep part of herself back and makes it hard for her to know who to trust to seek answers. The more she comes to see the players as friend and family, the more she realises one of them has a dangerous secret, one that puts her in danger. Her determination to do what is right sets her on a course that could spell disaster for every player, and forces Mina to take action that could irrevocably change her life.
I really enjoyed this story, being as caught up in the creation of each performance as I was in Mina’s story. The scenery was breathtaking, the description of what Mina sees in Tarya vivid, the lives of the players engrossing. I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series, ‘Columbine’s Tale’, and finding out what Mina does next.
December 28, 2017
Most of us don't think about where stories come from. What I like most about this book is that it is about storytelling. The book follows a troupe of players, in particular, new player and storyteller Mina. Mina joined the troupe to search for her lost brother and finds along the way that there is an "other place' that is both magic and dangerous. The players dive into this place for their inspiration and characters. The world Nightingale has built it lush and beautiful. It made me look up Commedia dell'Arte - so I learnt something! This book is history with a dash of fantasy. Nightingale has done her research and woven time and place throughout. Here you will find the magic that is the entwining of dream and story.
December 10, 2019
This is a unique and wonderful story. I immediately became absorbed in the storyline, a rare feat these days. Ms. Nightengale had decidedly done her homework on historical traveling troupes and I felt just like the veritable fly on the wall, watching this all unfold. It was mystical and magical and before I knew it, I'd suspended my disbelief and traveled along through the entire book, happy as a clam as the dramatic twists and turns occurred. People who love theatre, historical stories, fantasy and the like are sure to be as enchanted as I was.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received this book from the author free of charge after my request and am voluntarily leaving my review. All opinions are my own.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received this book from the author free of charge after my request and am voluntarily leaving my review. All opinions are my own.
October 18, 2021
Harlequin's Riddle tells the story of Mina, who leaves her small town to join the Ganzini players but also to search for her lost brother. The lyrical and visual storytelling in this book is wonderfully done, drawing me into Mina's plight and fearing for her safety as the dark secrets of playing come to light. The author's imagination is intricate - both in creating the concept of Tarya as a world Mina can enter with threads joining a dreaming person to their body, along with her vivid descriptions of lavish banqueting halls, performances and the city of Aurea. The idea of genuine creation versus borrowed creativity was interesting, as well as the idea that some people chase and achieve dreams and others are entertained by them. Looking forward to reading the sequel!
December 17, 2019
My sister gave me this book. "try it" she said, "she's local and you'll love it". I put it on my shelf. I left it there until one day I had a few hours to kill before dinner with friends. I picked it up. I read the first page, the second, third, fourth. I cancelled my plans.
I called my sister the next day and asked when book two was out. All 3 books are out now, you don't have to wait like I did. I would recommend this book for anyone 12 and up who loves fantasy with a good splash of intrigue.
It is as entrancing, engrossing and entertaining as a night at the theater.
I called my sister the next day and asked when book two was out. All 3 books are out now, you don't have to wait like I did. I would recommend this book for anyone 12 and up who loves fantasy with a good splash of intrigue.
It is as entrancing, engrossing and entertaining as a night at the theater.
March 30, 2020
I found this charming, vivid and engaging. Nightingale's writing is near flawless, so you're quickly immersed in a world both similar and different to our own. Enough care is given with characterisation for us to care, and the multitude of characters are deftly handled so the reader isn't left wondering 'wait, who is this again?'.
The only negative is turning the last page, and immediately wanting a continuation of the tale, then having to wait. [shrugs] First-world problems.
Enjoy.
The only negative is turning the last page, and immediately wanting a continuation of the tale, then having to wait. [shrugs] First-world problems.
Enjoy.
September 16, 2018
She needs to find her brother so she joined a troupe of actors but something is going on. She finds she has a power with her story telling and someone is trying to use it for the wrong reasons. See if she will find her brother
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 5, 2019
The start to an engaging and fascinating trilogy, this book swept me away.
When a traveling troupe of players comes to Mina*s small village she begins to remember her own true love for and talent with story telling. When the players leave town, Mina goes along but she has a secret reason for doing so.
Magical, mystical and very well written, this book delights and enchants.
When a traveling troupe of players comes to Mina*s small village she begins to remember her own true love for and talent with story telling. When the players leave town, Mina goes along but she has a secret reason for doing so.
Magical, mystical and very well written, this book delights and enchants.
March 29, 2020
This is a wonderfully written fantasy tale about the essence of creativity, where we draw inspiration from and what we're willing to do with it to reach our goals.
Harlequin's Riddle drew me deeper and deeper into the struggle of Mina and the Gazini players, all embellished with beautifully vivid worldbuilding.
I highly recommend this.
Harlequin's Riddle drew me deeper and deeper into the struggle of Mina and the Gazini players, all embellished with beautifully vivid worldbuilding.
I highly recommend this.
November 6, 2019
Fascinating
Brings comedia del arte to luce and so much more, the story and subplots are all beautiful, incredible, magical and believable at once. One of my favorites I've read this year.
Brings comedia del arte to luce and so much more, the story and subplots are all beautiful, incredible, magical and believable at once. One of my favorites I've read this year.
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