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The Grimoire of Kensington Market
The downtown core of Toronto is being consumed by Elysium, a drug that allows its users to slip through the permeable edges of this world and then consumes them utterly. Peddled by the icy Srebrenka, few have managed to escape the drug and its dealer. But Maggie has.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," The Grimoire of Kensington Market is the story of Maggie, guardian of The Grimoire bookstore, which expands and contracts as stories are born . . . or die. Only those who are destined to find The Grimoire enter through its front door. But one day a messenger arrives with a mysterious note that reads, "follow me." The next day, another note arrives and then another. The messages, Maggie realizes, are from her brother, Kyle, who has fallen under the influence of the Elysium. Kyle has gone too far into the Silver World and needs his sister, a recovering addict herself, to rescue him.
Driven by guilt and love in equal measure, Maggie sets off on a quest where bands of robbers stalk the woods, tavern keepers weave clouds to hide mountains and caribou fly on the Northern Lights. A journey where dreams and the dead both come to life.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," The Grimoire of Kensington Market is the story of Maggie, guardian of The Grimoire bookstore, which expands and contracts as stories are born . . . or die. Only those who are destined to find The Grimoire enter through its front door. But one day a messenger arrives with a mysterious note that reads, "follow me." The next day, another note arrives and then another. The messages, Maggie realizes, are from her brother, Kyle, who has fallen under the influence of the Elysium. Kyle has gone too far into the Silver World and needs his sister, a recovering addict herself, to rescue him.
Driven by guilt and love in equal measure, Maggie sets off on a quest where bands of robbers stalk the woods, tavern keepers weave clouds to hide mountains and caribou fly on the Northern Lights. A journey where dreams and the dead both come to life.
328 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2018
16 people are currently reading
762 people want to read
About the author
Lauren B. Davis
11 books240 followersLauren B. Davis’s most recent work is EVEN SO, to be published by Dundurn Press in the autumn of 2021. It is the story of what happens when compassion and passion collide. Love, faith, lust, guilt, redemption, and the moment of transformation of two women, one a privileged Princeton matron, the other a Catholic nun suffering the silence of god. Can we care about those who do harm? Who deserves forgiveness, and what does redemption mean? Read EVEN SO to explore these questions.
THE GRIMOIRE OF KENSINGTON MARKET (named one of the best books of 2018 by the Globe & Mail, and a finalist for the Fred Lerner, Canadian Authors Association Best Book of the Year), is a story about a bookstore that is the repository of all the stories in the world, and that no one finds unless intended to do so. It is also about addiction, love, guilt, and flying caribous.
Davis is also the author of AGAINST A DARKENING SKY, a novel set in 7th c. Northumbria, as well as THE EMPTY ROOM, published in 2013. A searing, raw and powerful a portrayal of the chaos and pain of alcoholism. Named one of the “Best Books of the Year” by The National Post, and the Winnipeg Free Press, “Editors’ Pick” by Amazon and a “Critics’ Pick” by The Coast (Nova Scotia). Told with compassion, insight and an irresistible gallows humor, THE EMPTY ROOM takes us to the depths of addiction, only to find a revelation at its heart: the importance and grace of one person reaching out to another.
OUR DAILY BREAD (2011), was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and named as one of the “Best Books of the Year” by The Globe & Mail and The Boston Globe.
She is also the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed novels, THE RADIANT CITY (2006), a finalist for the Rogers Writers Trust Fiction Prize; and THE STUBBORN SEASON (2002), a named as one of the Top 15 Bestselling First Novels by Amazon.ca and Books in Canada. She has published two short story collections, AN UNREHEARSED DESIRE (2008) and RAT MEDICINE & OTHER UNLIKELY CURATIVES (2000). Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the CBC Literary Awards, the ReLit Award and she is the recipient of two Mid-Career Writer Sustaining grants from the Canadian Council for the Arts. A well-respected creative writing teacher who has taught in Geneva, Paris and Ireland, as well as in the USA and Canada, she is also a past Mentor with the Humber College Creative Writing by Correspondence Program, and past Writer-in-Residence at Trinity Church, Princeton. She now leads monthly SHARPENING THE QUILL writing workshops in Princeton, New Jersey.
THE GRIMOIRE OF KENSINGTON MARKET (named one of the best books of 2018 by the Globe & Mail, and a finalist for the Fred Lerner, Canadian Authors Association Best Book of the Year), is a story about a bookstore that is the repository of all the stories in the world, and that no one finds unless intended to do so. It is also about addiction, love, guilt, and flying caribous.
Davis is also the author of AGAINST A DARKENING SKY, a novel set in 7th c. Northumbria, as well as THE EMPTY ROOM, published in 2013. A searing, raw and powerful a portrayal of the chaos and pain of alcoholism. Named one of the “Best Books of the Year” by The National Post, and the Winnipeg Free Press, “Editors’ Pick” by Amazon and a “Critics’ Pick” by The Coast (Nova Scotia). Told with compassion, insight and an irresistible gallows humor, THE EMPTY ROOM takes us to the depths of addiction, only to find a revelation at its heart: the importance and grace of one person reaching out to another.
OUR DAILY BREAD (2011), was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and named as one of the “Best Books of the Year” by The Globe & Mail and The Boston Globe.
She is also the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed novels, THE RADIANT CITY (2006), a finalist for the Rogers Writers Trust Fiction Prize; and THE STUBBORN SEASON (2002), a named as one of the Top 15 Bestselling First Novels by Amazon.ca and Books in Canada. She has published two short story collections, AN UNREHEARSED DESIRE (2008) and RAT MEDICINE & OTHER UNLIKELY CURATIVES (2000). Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the CBC Literary Awards, the ReLit Award and she is the recipient of two Mid-Career Writer Sustaining grants from the Canadian Council for the Arts. A well-respected creative writing teacher who has taught in Geneva, Paris and Ireland, as well as in the USA and Canada, she is also a past Mentor with the Humber College Creative Writing by Correspondence Program, and past Writer-in-Residence at Trinity Church, Princeton. She now leads monthly SHARPENING THE QUILL writing workshops in Princeton, New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
October 27, 2018
First, my tagline for this book is "The dog doesn't die." Just in case you're worried.
So, okay, I wrote the book. And it's inspired by the addiction and death by suicide of my brother, Ronnie. Fun, right? Well, it's also inspired by THE SNOW QUEEN by Hans Christian Andersen, which means it's an adventure tale and a fable. Plus, there are flying caribou and magickal bookshops and roads that roll up behind you and a drug called Elysium, and a city made of clouds.... and, oh, heck, I have to love it after spending nearly 10 years writing it, don't you think? Snort.
And... I'm delighted to say THE TORONTO STAR gave the book a rave review:
Imagine downtown Toronto transformed into a fairytale world, a city where streets contract at will and charmless laneways contain portals into magic underworlds. Now picture a tiny bookshop hidden on a side street in Kensington Market, crammed with books that glow like neon. You’ll get a feel for the kind of shape-shifting landscape Lauren B. Davis conjures in her latest novel, The Grimoire of Kensington Market.
Maggie is a recovering addict, one of the few surviving “pipers” ravaged by the mind-altering drug elysium. Her brother Kyle is less fortunate. He’s in thrall to Srebrenka, the evil and powerful ice queen who controls the local drug trade. When Maggie — now living a quiet life as the proprietor of the magical bookshop — receives a call for help from her missing brother, she must make an agonizing decision. Should she descend through the dark underworld to confront Srebrenka and rescue Kyle, even at the risk of sliding back into the grips of elysium herself?
In this compelling novel, Davis manages several feats at once. At heart, it’s the sort of dark fairytale inspired by Hans Christian Andersen. In Davis’ altered world, we meet a crone named Mother Ratigan, a pair of cloaked ravens, and a family of castaway thieves living in the gloom of a decrepit manor house. Time and again, Maggie is left to her own devices, with only a few magical aids at her disposal. By relying on her own wisdom and intuition, Maggie’s quest is a deeply moral tale. At pivotal moments in the narrative, she is forced to name and confront her past, unpacking her childhood backstory of trauma and neglect. Davis does a fine job balancing these fraught moments of tension with lighter, magical scenes, such as her various luxurious sleepovers at mystical hotels and loving monologues with her canine sidekick Badger.
Beneath the fairytale lies a probing exploration of the current opioid crisis. Davis highlights how the collapse of social supports and the marginalization of addicts creates the perfect storm, hollowing out inner-city Toronto and leaving wounded orphans and ruined lives in its wake. When Maggie reaches her final destination to confront Srebrenka, the author spins the kinds of pyrotechnics appropriate to the climax of such a dramatic quest.
Davis takes creative risks here and Maggie is a likable and familiar character. But it’s her deft handling of the ravages of addiction that makes The Grimoire of Kensington Market such a timely and important read. --- Trevor Corkum Oct. 26, 2018
So, okay, I wrote the book. And it's inspired by the addiction and death by suicide of my brother, Ronnie. Fun, right? Well, it's also inspired by THE SNOW QUEEN by Hans Christian Andersen, which means it's an adventure tale and a fable. Plus, there are flying caribou and magickal bookshops and roads that roll up behind you and a drug called Elysium, and a city made of clouds.... and, oh, heck, I have to love it after spending nearly 10 years writing it, don't you think? Snort.
And... I'm delighted to say THE TORONTO STAR gave the book a rave review:
Imagine downtown Toronto transformed into a fairytale world, a city where streets contract at will and charmless laneways contain portals into magic underworlds. Now picture a tiny bookshop hidden on a side street in Kensington Market, crammed with books that glow like neon. You’ll get a feel for the kind of shape-shifting landscape Lauren B. Davis conjures in her latest novel, The Grimoire of Kensington Market.
Maggie is a recovering addict, one of the few surviving “pipers” ravaged by the mind-altering drug elysium. Her brother Kyle is less fortunate. He’s in thrall to Srebrenka, the evil and powerful ice queen who controls the local drug trade. When Maggie — now living a quiet life as the proprietor of the magical bookshop — receives a call for help from her missing brother, she must make an agonizing decision. Should she descend through the dark underworld to confront Srebrenka and rescue Kyle, even at the risk of sliding back into the grips of elysium herself?
In this compelling novel, Davis manages several feats at once. At heart, it’s the sort of dark fairytale inspired by Hans Christian Andersen. In Davis’ altered world, we meet a crone named Mother Ratigan, a pair of cloaked ravens, and a family of castaway thieves living in the gloom of a decrepit manor house. Time and again, Maggie is left to her own devices, with only a few magical aids at her disposal. By relying on her own wisdom and intuition, Maggie’s quest is a deeply moral tale. At pivotal moments in the narrative, she is forced to name and confront her past, unpacking her childhood backstory of trauma and neglect. Davis does a fine job balancing these fraught moments of tension with lighter, magical scenes, such as her various luxurious sleepovers at mystical hotels and loving monologues with her canine sidekick Badger.
Beneath the fairytale lies a probing exploration of the current opioid crisis. Davis highlights how the collapse of social supports and the marginalization of addicts creates the perfect storm, hollowing out inner-city Toronto and leaving wounded orphans and ruined lives in its wake. When Maggie reaches her final destination to confront Srebrenka, the author spins the kinds of pyrotechnics appropriate to the climax of such a dramatic quest.
Davis takes creative risks here and Maggie is a likable and familiar character. But it’s her deft handling of the ravages of addiction that makes The Grimoire of Kensington Market such a timely and important read. --- Trevor Corkum Oct. 26, 2018
October 14, 2018
The Grimoire of Kensington Market is full of the stuff that I love. A Canadian setting, flights of whimsy (as well as caribou), and real loveable characters. The Grimoire holds a childlike sense of wonder with fantastic creatures and marvelous settings, while dealing with some deep adult issues such as addiction, psychological trauma and carnal desires, without ever becoming melodramatic or preachy. Lauren's protagonist Maggie is a flawed, uncertain but innately strong woman, full of love in a world full of avarice and vice, and you find yourself at her side, faithfully rooting her on, urging her to succeed and save her embattled brother, Kyle. I also love the fact that the backdrop is my much beloved Kensington Market, which in the workaday world is already an amazing and fantastic place full of exotic discoveries at every turn. I burned through this book, always wanting to know where Maggie ends up next on her mystical and dangerous journey. 5 stars, no hesitation.
November 21, 2018
At that moment, downstairs in the shop, a small golden light flashes and a book appears on the desk. The book is blue, the colour of the centre of an iceberg. On the cover are the words The Grimoire of Kensington Market.
In both her Acknowledgements at the end of this book and in her own review here on Goodreads, author Lauren B. Davis explains that The Grimoire of Kensington Market was inspired by both Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen and the addiction and suicide of her own brother. The first thing I did after finishing this book was to revisit The Snow Queen, and I thought that the concept was so fitting: Anderson starts his classic tale with a hobgoblin, “a real demon”, who had invented a mirror “which had the power of making everything good or beautiful that was reflected in it almost shrink to nothing, while everything that was worthless and bad increased in size and worse than ever”; and doesn't that just sound like the despair of an addict? When that mirror breaks and shards pierce a boy's eye and heart – blinding him to goodness, numbing him to love – he is easily led astray by false glamour, starting the sister who loves him on a quest of rescue. By updating this story to the present, with both magical mirror shards and a powerful new drug transforming the landscape and people of Toronto, Davis brings a really interesting concept to life. The narrative feels like a fairytale, and is itself filled with shorter dreams and fables, but it also addresses the addictions crisis that is currently transforming the landscape and people of so many communities. Interesting and timely isn't quite enough though: I wish this book was twice as long and went deeper than it does (but if I tell myself that it's only meant to be a modern fairytale, I do find it more satisfying). I'll put the rest of my review under spoiler tags – I agree with the author that I wouldn't want to ruin anyone else's fun of discovery.
October 29, 2018
Five stars for so many reasons. This story strikes soul deep.
First of all, no other author does dialogue like Lauren B. Davis. It’s always a joy to read the exchanges between her characters. And her gift for description—the worlds in this novel are rich and detailed. Not only can you smell them and feel them, you are IN them.
The author has told a story in the old ways—to nurture the reader’s spirit and guide her/him to a new way of being. The story reveals much about our society and our planet. I enjoyed how the author riffed on symbols in Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen and other fairy tales. The shards of broken mirror are metaphors for how the heart of the human race has been pierced. And a metaphor for how we too, have pierced the earth, our mother, who nurtures us. She is sick and dying, and our world is more entrenched in fantasy than ever before in history.
Fairy tales are meant to take one on a deeply symbolic journey within, and that is what the author succeeds at so brilliantly here. You might very well realize that you too have been devastated by childhood trauma and strayed from your true path, medicating sorrow through various addictions that keep you lulled and bewitched by the empty dreams they offer, removed from reality and far from love. All good magic brings healing, and that is what this story offers as a gift. Read it!
First of all, no other author does dialogue like Lauren B. Davis. It’s always a joy to read the exchanges between her characters. And her gift for description—the worlds in this novel are rich and detailed. Not only can you smell them and feel them, you are IN them.
The author has told a story in the old ways—to nurture the reader’s spirit and guide her/him to a new way of being. The story reveals much about our society and our planet. I enjoyed how the author riffed on symbols in Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen and other fairy tales. The shards of broken mirror are metaphors for how the heart of the human race has been pierced. And a metaphor for how we too, have pierced the earth, our mother, who nurtures us. She is sick and dying, and our world is more entrenched in fantasy than ever before in history.
Fairy tales are meant to take one on a deeply symbolic journey within, and that is what the author succeeds at so brilliantly here. You might very well realize that you too have been devastated by childhood trauma and strayed from your true path, medicating sorrow through various addictions that keep you lulled and bewitched by the empty dreams they offer, removed from reality and far from love. All good magic brings healing, and that is what this story offers as a gift. Read it!
November 26, 2018
It could not have been easy to create this dark and dangerous fairy tale fueled by love: a young woman who has just shaken off drug addiction plunges into strange, shifting, dangerous worlds to rescue her younger addicted brother Kyle. But this is just what the prodigiously gifted Lauren B. Davis has done. Maggie’s devotion to the missing Kyle bursts through the pages as she leaves her small bookstore to find him, accompanied by her beloved dog. Houses grow, paths change to frozen mountains, encountered strangers are unpredictable and dangerous...one indeed would kill to keep both brother and sister in her malevolent world. The writing sings on the page. "I am incandescent with anger." "The night was thick as a boiled wool cloak around them." "Each of us has our own path, our own destiny, and the road is longer for some than others." By the last chapters, you want to stand up and cheer for Maggie to find her brother, "thin as a birch tree, brittle as spun glass." What beautiful writing! What a gifted author!
October 24, 2018
Pure magic!! I loved it :).
November 25, 2018
Having read and greatly enjoyed several previous novels by Lauren B. Davis I decided to step outside my comfort zone and read The Grimoire of Kensington Market. I primarily read contemporary fiction (with some historical fiction for good measure) and whenever I delve in to a novel that could be classified in the magical realism or fantasy genres there is a high risk that I will not finish it or even it like it all. This, however, was not the case with this novel ... in fact, quite the opposite. I was utterly enchanted from the first page until the last.
I grew up visiting the famed Kensington Market whenever we traveled to Toronto to visit my relatives. It is a place that holds fond memories for me and I do think that added to the overall appeal for me. Also, the fact that a book store and reading are central to the plot appealed to me. However, it is the characters and ever-changing plot with unexpected twists and turns that really kept me reading.
I loved that the inspiration for this book was Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," and that elements of several other northern folk tales can be found within the story line. Despite the whimsy of having folk tales woven throughout, this is not a light read at all. At the center of the story is a tale of a city being consumed by the ravages of a highly addictive drug called elysium and Maggie, the owner of the bookstore in Kensington Market, sets off on a journey to save her brother from its clutches and bring him home to safety.
Having heard the author speak at a recent event, I know that this is a book that took her 10 years to write and several attempts at format in order to be able to tell the story. I am so glad that she kept at it through many versions and rewrites as she has told the story perfectly in this format.
I grew up visiting the famed Kensington Market whenever we traveled to Toronto to visit my relatives. It is a place that holds fond memories for me and I do think that added to the overall appeal for me. Also, the fact that a book store and reading are central to the plot appealed to me. However, it is the characters and ever-changing plot with unexpected twists and turns that really kept me reading.
I loved that the inspiration for this book was Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," and that elements of several other northern folk tales can be found within the story line. Despite the whimsy of having folk tales woven throughout, this is not a light read at all. At the center of the story is a tale of a city being consumed by the ravages of a highly addictive drug called elysium and Maggie, the owner of the bookstore in Kensington Market, sets off on a journey to save her brother from its clutches and bring him home to safety.
Having heard the author speak at a recent event, I know that this is a book that took her 10 years to write and several attempts at format in order to be able to tell the story. I am so glad that she kept at it through many versions and rewrites as she has told the story perfectly in this format.
November 8, 2018
Excellent! Like a fairytale for grownups. The ending was a tad rushed and awkward but besides that it was great.
November 9, 2018
Excellent dark but whimsical fantasy quest novel, with the added bonus of wonderful writing about Toronto. Recommended.
January 31, 2019
My first 5-star of 2019! Loved this book! Davis has created a stunning modern day fairy tale based on the classic story The Snow Queen, updated and relevant to today's society.
Full review at: http://bit.ly/2Rv69Dg
Full review at: http://bit.ly/2Rv69Dg
November 23, 2018
I was looking forward to read this new novel from Lauren B. Davis and it was delightful. The setting of The Grimoire bookstore swept me away, I'd love to hang out in that kind of bookstore. Maggie is the lead character and she is a well developed person with all the normal doubts and family issues many of us have. I loved seeing a woman taking on this magical adventure, too often these kinds of roles are given to male characters. Maggie had me rooting for her and her dog Badger right from the beginning. Superbly written with great pacing, I finished it in 2 days, and it had a terrific and very satisfying ending.
July 21, 2022
In The Grimoire of Kensington Market, Lauren B. Davis captures the terror of addiction in a most imaginative, mythopoeic manner that is as engaging as it is all too realistic in the age of opiods. The Grimoire weaves in myth, dreams, adventure and an addict’s illusions of 'reality' in this shape-shifting, endearing marvel of a book. Addiction is embodied as a sly, silver enchantress who tempts with false promise. Toronto will never look the same: Beware, this book will invade your dream life and have you looking over your shoulder in Kensington Market! Perfect pre- and post-holiday reading!
December 18, 2018
A wonderful dark fairy tale for adults. Wander into the Grimoire and get lost between worlds.
November 24, 2018
Just finished reading this today. Absolutely loved it. Kept me reading late into the night and could not wait to see what happened with Maggie and her brother Kyle. Loved the fairytale structure and the writing was superb.
Look forward to reading more from Lauren B. Davis.
Look forward to reading more from Lauren B. Davis.
October 29, 2019
I wasn't sure what kind of rating I would give this book. I have spent the last couple of years reading mysteries, biographies and World War stories. This book is a fantasy and thus requires your mind to be open and your imagination to go with the flow.
It was a slow start, and I would say the middle too, but my interest was piqued and I had to keep going. Then it sped up -- I had to know how it ended!
A very different read that I have been used to too -- but it was well worth it.
It was a slow start, and I would say the middle too, but my interest was piqued and I had to keep going. Then it sped up -- I had to know how it ended!
A very different read that I have been used to too -- but it was well worth it.
December 6, 2018
Wow. That was amazing. What a story. What an imagination, and she writes beautifully, too.
April 17, 2025
I love a book set in Toronto, and I was excited to read
The Grimoire of Kensington Market
by Lauren B. Davis.
It's about a woman named Maggie, her very cute dog Badger and the strange bookstore she's inherited that can only be found by people with a purpose there.
If you're not from Toronto, Kensington is a market, artist collective, and increasingly gentrified bohemian neighbourhood slightly to the west of the downtown core. With Chinatown and the University of Toronto's St. George campus as its immediate neighbours, it's part of what makes the city's pocket landscape of distinct neighbourhoods so interesting.
Unfortunately, the bookstore, market and the city don't figure much in the novel, which is more about Maggie's struggle to come to terms with her relationship with her brother, his active addiction, and Maggie's history with it. Books about addiction aren't my sweet spot, and I didn't realize it would be such a big theme.
The writing is excellent. In the middle, it also becomes a fairy-tale like adventure as Maggie navigates a mythical dreamworld to find her brother. I admire the detail and world building, but this section dragged for me.
Overall, I'd recommend for people who enjoy an urban fairy tale.
It's about a woman named Maggie, her very cute dog Badger and the strange bookstore she's inherited that can only be found by people with a purpose there.
If you're not from Toronto, Kensington is a market, artist collective, and increasingly gentrified bohemian neighbourhood slightly to the west of the downtown core. With Chinatown and the University of Toronto's St. George campus as its immediate neighbours, it's part of what makes the city's pocket landscape of distinct neighbourhoods so interesting.
Unfortunately, the bookstore, market and the city don't figure much in the novel, which is more about Maggie's struggle to come to terms with her relationship with her brother, his active addiction, and Maggie's history with it. Books about addiction aren't my sweet spot, and I didn't realize it would be such a big theme.
The writing is excellent. In the middle, it also becomes a fairy-tale like adventure as Maggie navigates a mythical dreamworld to find her brother. I admire the detail and world building, but this section dragged for me.
Overall, I'd recommend for people who enjoy an urban fairy tale.
Want to read
January 8, 2019The Globe 100: Our favourite books of 2018
October 12, 2021
I really like this book.
I was surprised and pleased to read a fantasy novel set in Toronto’s Kensington market, a place I once knew very well. I lived nearby, I shopped there, I dreamed there, because of the wonderful things I found – the cheese shop, where I could taste any manner of cheese from all over Europe before settling on my choice; Courage My Love, the wonderful second hand clothing shop where I discovered tuxedo pants and all manner of fun garb; the fish store that to my horror had a real shark hanging from a sign pole; hot Jamaican patties; and George Brown College, which I attended for several months, studying Mixology and bar management.
To find a magical rendition of this once beloved place was a joy.
I went into the reading with a little trepidation, knowing that addiction would play a large part in the story. The topic is tough and personal, and as well, I live in a city where hundreds of people die every year from bad drugs. Despite that apprehension I loved how the story unfolded, beginning in one of my favourite places, a big old bookstore, with characters and magic and settings that were beautifully rolled out. Davis's language is just lovely, and her grasp of our fears and desires and struggle between the two is sure.
There were moments when I became concerned about how the story was going to go. I realised at one point that this was going to be a quest, and I have to say I have grown very tired of quest novels. Too often there just seems to be supposed wonder after supposed wonder, rather than scenes that are furthering the plot in any way, and I just don’t find that sort of thing entertaining. So there was a little while when I approached my reading with a little worry, but in fact the quest did make sense within the plot and did forward the character toward her goal, not just physically but psychologically.
Although there are two very different books, because of the reference to the Hans Christian Andersen tale, I am reminded of [[Eileen Kernaghan]]‘s book [The Snow Queen]. A beautifully written book which would be a fun one to read in conjunction with the [Grimoire of Kensington Market.]
I have given this book a four rating, which for me is high but not the very highest. That is a completely subjective rating and may have been affected by my inability to get enough reading time recently. I am certain that there are people out there for whom this would be a five, for sure.
I feel grateful to the author for writing this book, which challenges this reader In many ways and which also challenged the writer.
Well done
I was surprised and pleased to read a fantasy novel set in Toronto’s Kensington market, a place I once knew very well. I lived nearby, I shopped there, I dreamed there, because of the wonderful things I found – the cheese shop, where I could taste any manner of cheese from all over Europe before settling on my choice; Courage My Love, the wonderful second hand clothing shop where I discovered tuxedo pants and all manner of fun garb; the fish store that to my horror had a real shark hanging from a sign pole; hot Jamaican patties; and George Brown College, which I attended for several months, studying Mixology and bar management.
To find a magical rendition of this once beloved place was a joy.
I went into the reading with a little trepidation, knowing that addiction would play a large part in the story. The topic is tough and personal, and as well, I live in a city where hundreds of people die every year from bad drugs. Despite that apprehension I loved how the story unfolded, beginning in one of my favourite places, a big old bookstore, with characters and magic and settings that were beautifully rolled out. Davis's language is just lovely, and her grasp of our fears and desires and struggle between the two is sure.
There were moments when I became concerned about how the story was going to go. I realised at one point that this was going to be a quest, and I have to say I have grown very tired of quest novels. Too often there just seems to be supposed wonder after supposed wonder, rather than scenes that are furthering the plot in any way, and I just don’t find that sort of thing entertaining. So there was a little while when I approached my reading with a little worry, but in fact the quest did make sense within the plot and did forward the character toward her goal, not just physically but psychologically.
Although there are two very different books, because of the reference to the Hans Christian Andersen tale, I am reminded of [[Eileen Kernaghan]]‘s book [The Snow Queen]. A beautifully written book which would be a fun one to read in conjunction with the [Grimoire of Kensington Market.]
I have given this book a four rating, which for me is high but not the very highest. That is a completely subjective rating and may have been affected by my inability to get enough reading time recently. I am certain that there are people out there for whom this would be a five, for sure.
I feel grateful to the author for writing this book, which challenges this reader In many ways and which also challenged the writer.
Well done
February 3, 2019
This story is a little bit Alice-in-Wonderland. Set in Toronto in the near future, an opioid epidemic is sweeping the city and rendering unusual changes in the landscape. Maggie is a recovered addict and anxious about her younger brother, also addicted. In her quest to rescue him from addiction and death, she learns what strength and compassion she is capable of. Aside from some editing glitches, I really enjoyed this book. Recommended.
March 31, 2019
If you are lucky enough to find your way to The Grimoire of Kensington Market, take the time to see what it holds in store for you. Who doesn't love a story of magical bookstores that give you what you need? I enjoyed Davis' modern fairytale that weaves together images from The Snow Queen and Hansel & Gretel, not to mention her life experiences and imagination. I will be looking for the Grimoire the next time I am in Toronto!
April 15, 2019
A real gem of a read, suitable for mature young readers on up. Although the fantasy genre is not to my taste, Grimoire is quite accessible as a story and would make for an excellent movie with CGI effects to simulate the Silver World Maggie must navigate to find her lost brother Kyle. Great imaginative stuff.
August 9, 2020
This was a fun read. It will always in my mind be attached to memories of lying on a small wharf at the lake by my friend's parents' cottage in rural Nova Scotia, where I started this book on a drowsy Sunday afternoon. And I'm glad I was reading it in such a warm and comfortable context, because this book goes to some dark places: To wintry, semi-recognizable Toronto neighbourhoods, sinisterly contracting around the magical bookshop run by Maggie, who happened to fall into the role of caretaker of every story that exists in the world, and who narrowly escaped her addiction to the magical (though very opiate-like in description) drug, elysium. Maggie is safe but her younger brother, Kyle—both of them orphans—is still held in elysium's grip, and she has to decide how far into the drug netherworld she is willing to go to save him.
The style of this book makes a lot more sense when you know it's based on a fairy tale. The combination of gritty, heartbreaking scenes relating to familial loss, childhood trauma, and drug dependency seem to clash with the matter-of-fact appearance of otherworldly beings and people who all know who Maggie is and who know exactly what they must offer to aid her on her quest. Is Maggie a little bit of a Mary Sue? I felt perhaps she is, but Davis explains this at the end of the book.
I greatly enjoyed this book and sped through it, but the only part I didn't feel satisfied with was the ending. In truly fairy tale-like style, it all wrapped up so quickly—and neatly. All the characters seemed to fall into stock roles with the correct, prescribed behaviours of forgiveness and love (Maggie), ardent shame and repentance (Kyle), unquestioning acceptance and devotion (Alvin) even adorable gratitude (the orphans they meet on the way home). Maybe I was a bit too attached to the grittiness of the world that Davis built up in the earlier parts of the book, and found this tone shift into the mystical ideal a bit too pat, unbelievable. I wanted, or expected, the book to offer a slightly closer allegory to the ongoing *process* of addiction recovery that a person and their whole family and support network will go through, not a perfect happy ending that arrives promptly for those with the courage to believe in it. Especially when there is so much intense emotional realism in those earlier parts of the book—all the memories full of deep sadness that Maggie still feels for her own innocence lost as well as her brother's. However, I can't say the ending should have been otherwise. Fantasy doesn't exist to give us "realistic" endings! All in all, I enjoyed this story a lot and I appreciate its own unique magic.
The style of this book makes a lot more sense when you know it's based on a fairy tale. The combination of gritty, heartbreaking scenes relating to familial loss, childhood trauma, and drug dependency seem to clash with the matter-of-fact appearance of otherworldly beings and people who all know who Maggie is and who know exactly what they must offer to aid her on her quest. Is Maggie a little bit of a Mary Sue? I felt perhaps she is, but Davis explains this at the end of the book.
I greatly enjoyed this book and sped through it, but the only part I didn't feel satisfied with was the ending. In truly fairy tale-like style, it all wrapped up so quickly—and neatly. All the characters seemed to fall into stock roles with the correct, prescribed behaviours of forgiveness and love (Maggie), ardent shame and repentance (Kyle), unquestioning acceptance and devotion (Alvin) even adorable gratitude (the orphans they meet on the way home). Maybe I was a bit too attached to the grittiness of the world that Davis built up in the earlier parts of the book, and found this tone shift into the mystical ideal a bit too pat, unbelievable. I wanted, or expected, the book to offer a slightly closer allegory to the ongoing *process* of addiction recovery that a person and their whole family and support network will go through, not a perfect happy ending that arrives promptly for those with the courage to believe in it. Especially when there is so much intense emotional realism in those earlier parts of the book—all the memories full of deep sadness that Maggie still feels for her own innocence lost as well as her brother's. However, I can't say the ending should have been otherwise. Fantasy doesn't exist to give us "realistic" endings! All in all, I enjoyed this story a lot and I appreciate its own unique magic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2019
Loved pretty much all of these characters(esp the strong female villains, and sensitive men), loved the location and casual Canadian/T-Dot references, loved the plot, and liked the execution of said plot. Fun and thought-provoking fantasy read.
August 21, 2019
Lauren B. Davis’s wonderful THE GRIMOIRE OF KENSINGTON MARKET is a sprawling urban(ish) fairy tale of family and addiction, books and mirrors, the thinness of the real, the power of story, and the reliable judgment of dogs.
December 28, 2018
By turns, suspenseful, and heartwrenching, this novel has echoes of The Golden Compass and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as well as The Snow Queen which, according to author, Lauren Davis, was an inspiration for her. Read the acknowledgments first, as learning the background of her family story is significant; we sense that Davis is speaking from painful experience as Maggie understands well and brilliantly describes the exquisite torture of addiction - the blissful pleasure of escape vs. the desire to be free of the drug's power/control and torments herself with guilt about her brother. Dare she plunge back into the world she fought so hard to climb out of in order to save Kyle? Her quest is an extremely dangerous one for her personally. Can she give up on him and walk away? That would be a different kind of lifelong torture. It is a testimony to her talent that Davis can create a magical world with so many layers, one in which there are touches of humour and memorable secondary characters as well as such powerful themes. The memory of the books in The Grimoire Bookshop lighting up - appearing and sometimes vanishing - is one I find fascinating, one that will lodge in my mind forever. Highly recommended for senior high school students as well as adults.
January 1, 2019
This is the first book by Lauren B. Davis I have had the pleasure of reading. I came to add this to my Christmas list because of the review in the Toronto Star. The story, a modern fairytale based on “The Snow Queen” is a dark tale of addiction and self discovery that begins in present day Toronto and tumbles down a rabbit hole to an alternate reality. I have to admit that I found this an unsettling read and ultimately rewarding. That I should begin this book on the heels of finishing “Bellevue Square” and “Son of a Trickster” seems almost too coincidental.
I highly recommend this novel and I am committed to reading more by this gifted author.
I highly recommend this novel and I am committed to reading more by this gifted author.
September 4, 2019
I loved this book, and would recommend it to all.
This book was just what I was looking for: a page turning escape that took me on a journey. I miss books that wholly and completely engulf you into another world, and that is exactly what the Grimoire does. The author masterfully puts you into the shoes of the protagonist, and allows you to feel what she does, when she does. Not since Tolkien have I felt hunger like this when reading a book!
This was a wonderful way to get away. Highly recommended!
This book was just what I was looking for: a page turning escape that took me on a journey. I miss books that wholly and completely engulf you into another world, and that is exactly what the Grimoire does. The author masterfully puts you into the shoes of the protagonist, and allows you to feel what she does, when she does. Not since Tolkien have I felt hunger like this when reading a book!
This was a wonderful way to get away. Highly recommended!
January 22, 2021
I really enjoyed this retelling of The Snow Queen, which elevates a pretty standard magic-bookstore-as-gateway-to-a-hidden-magical-world trope by making it a more complex exploration of family, trauma and addiction.
April 20, 2019
This was a trippy book....part Alice in Wonderland, part Snow Queen, it was a good fantasy story.
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