Splinters of Scarlet

by Emily Bain Murphy

"In nineteenth-century Copenhagen, an orphaned seamstress goes to work for a retired ballerina and uses her magic to investigate her father's mysterious death while working for the same family years ago"--

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Historical, Romance, Mystery, Fiction

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 21, 2020

About the author

Emily Bain Murphy is a critically acclaimed author of books for adults and young adults. She was born in Indiana and raised in Hong Kong and Japan. She graduated from Tufts University and has also called Massachusetts, Connecticut, and California home.

Murphy is the author of the YA fantasies The Disappearances, which was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and Splinters of Scarlet, which received starred reviews from School Library Journal and Bookpage and was nominated for the MASL Truman Readers’ Award. Both are available now from HarperCollins.

Murphy’s adult historical mystery Enchanted Hill is available now from Union Square and Co./Hachette. The Ivory City, a standalone adult historical mystery set at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, will be published in November 2025 from Union Square and Co./Hachette.

Murphys’s debut middle grade fantasy trilogy Lightseekers will be published in March 2026 from WaterBrook Multnomah/Penguin Randomhouse.

Murphy is represented by Peter Knapp at Park, Fine & Brower Literary and Media. She currently lives in the St. Louis area with her husband, three children, and a rescue bunny. Find her online at Instagram @emilybainmurphy and Facebook @emilybainmurphy.

Reviews

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Emily Bain Murphy's debut, The Disappearances, so I was super excited to find out she had another book in the works. Full disclosure, Emily is one of my very best friends—but my love for her first book was one of the things that made me want to *become* good friends with her. I had the joy of seeing an early version of Splinters of Scarlet and of watching Emily diligently work for years at chiseling away and refining it—when I finally got my hands on the ARC to read the product of all her hard work, it was absolutely worth the wait. It's the most excellent combination of ballet + jewels + magic + mystery + secrets + Denmark, every bit the "Downton Abbey meets Frozen" mashup I'd hoped it would be, and I'm so excited for the world to finally be able to get their hands on it. I hope you'll love Marit and this magical, sparkling world as much as I did!

[Allison Tebo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five shining, shining stars.

Hannah Williams, you did it to me again: recommended a book to me that sliced through my heart and caused tears to flow. Thank you - it was beautiful, and I did love it, as you thought I would.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

I feel so weird about having an unpopular opinion about this book, but I just didn't like it. It was just so boring and average, and there was nothing in this book that kept me compelled to read even more.

The entire book follows a girl named Marit who is attempting to solve the murder mystery of how her father and the hundreds of people working in the mines were killed. Throughout the story, she gets closer and closer to the Vestergaard family, whom she suspects. I feel like this concept could be interesting in theory, but it just didn't appeal to me at all. I actually found the reveal to be quite interesting, but the 300 pages or so it took to get there was just lackluster.

The characters in the book also didn't have anything about them that kept me rooting for them. I didn't really care for the romance, and everyone else was just so forgettable.

I'm also just going to talk about the ending here in this spoiler, because the ending of the book was actually decent, until we got to this part, which just annoyed me. The main character, Marit, has the Firn (which is a deadly disease that kills people who have used too much magic. Except, surprise, she survives! Everything is all happy, and she lives happily ever after with Jakob. But why did she *happen* to survive when everyone else before her died? I feel like that entire plotpoint was done to maintain the happy ending of the story, when it would have been more dramatic if she died. I feel like this could have been a character death that made sense and I don't know, I'm just not a fan of people coming back to life.

I am still rating this book a 2.5/5 because it interested me enough to not DNF it. It wasn't necessarily a bad book, but it wasn't a good one either. I was kind of interested in seeing what happened, but it's not something I will remember a couple weeks from now. This book could definitely work for the right audience (and I've seen plenty of 4-5 star reviews), but it just wasn't for me. Still, if you like the sound of it, I'd read the first 30 pages or so and see if it intrigues you!

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Note: I listened to this on audio, therefore I haven't the least clue how to spell a few characters names. Please excuse any misspellings.

This book popped up on my radar once or twice as I saw people talking about it on Instagram, but I didn't think anything about it until multiple friends recommended it. Even then, I went into it having no idea if I would like it or not since I hadn't read much like it. (Nadine Brandes's Fawkes might be the closest comparison I've read that I can think of and they're still very different from each other.) But having finished it, I'm happy to report that I really enjoyed it!

The thing that pulled me in immediately was Marit and Eve's friendship. It was so beautiful and pure the way they cared about each other and how Marit watched over Eve, and I LOVED LOVED LOVED that their friendship didn't get pushed to the background at any point, especially when Marit began to fall in love. Marit was allowed to have more to herself and her story than just romance and WE NEED MORE BOOKS THAT KEEP THIS BALANCE. (I also really liked that Marit's love interest was a little nerdy instead of the typical YA hunk.) In a similar vein, the way Eve's adopted mother immediately loved and integrated her into the family was very nice to see. And the other servants Marit met were fun. I really enjoyed reading about them and the way they cared for, supported, and protected each other.

The way that the author wove magic into the alternate historical setting was really interesting and fun, too. I liked that there was a physical consequence for using magic so it wasn't a bunch of overpowered people running around doing whatever they wanted. They had to be careful how much they did or it could kill them. (Related to this, having now read the book, I appreciate the cover art so much more now. Not that I didn't think it was nice before, but I didn't realize just how many references to the story it featured. So cool!)

AND THAT MYSTERY! I looooove some mystery elements in my stories and wow, I was not expecting all the twists and turns. It really kept me engrossed and the truth that came out in the end surprised me. I hadn't guessed at it at all. And the author did a good job of making the villain not completely evil. You don't agree with the harmful things they're doing but you do understand the reasoning that got them to the point of thinking that it was excusable.

To be honest, there isn't anything that springs to mind as something I didn't like. The climax was a bit intense and violent, but I felt like the author did well in not taking the descriptions too far. I did have the audio going a little fast at that point because of the intensity and wanting to know that the characters would be okay in the end, but I never had to completely skip anything. (This is coming from someone who can be sensitive to particularly bloody, violent descriptions. A couple slightly nasty things did happen in the climax, but they weren't lingered upon, and that can make a big difference for me.)

Overall, I'm really, really glad I took a chance on this and enjoyed it. (I wouldn't even mind tracking down a physical copy for future rereads, and I only do that when I liked an audiobook A LOT.) I'll be keeping an eye on this author's future works.



Content advisory:

Language:
3 uses of d***
1 use of h***

Romance:
Marit and a young man fall in love. Their romance is not obsessed upon, but they do start out by always being very aware of each other's closeness. When they touch they experience tingly feelings. The two kisses they share on the page involve some description of tingly and warm feelings, and Marit briefly has a thought about the feeling of "wanting more" but neither one ever pushes it farther than kissing.

Magic:
The story happens in an alternate history setting. It's like our real world with some references to real history/rulers/wars but it's alternate because some people are born with magical abilities. Each person has a unique thing their magic can do. Marit's magic allows her control over threads so she uses it for her work as a seamstress. She meets people who have other powers including control over plants growing, etc etc.

There's mention of some people in the past having been burned at the stake for their magic because it was thought evil and unnatural, but that eventually stopped because it was realized that these people were born with their magical talents just like anyone else is born with any other talent.

The consequence of using magic is that it can create ice-like deposits (called firn) in the blood of the user that can eventually kill them. Marit states that because the firn freezes people from the inside out they tend to die frozen in positions that make them look still alive, therefore, their bodies are always cremated because people are superstitiously afraid they'll come back to life. (They won't.)

Violence:

The majority if not all the violence is in the latter half of the story.

A character who was previously in the military recalls fighting in a war and one instance of the violence he witnessed. This instance, in which a soldier standing close to him was killed, included hearing a gunshot and then there's a very brief mention of brain on his face, but no further description.

A couple of characters are attacked "off screen". One is reported to have been killed. The other returns with injuries. The description of the wounds includes brief mentions of blood but is not graphic. Someone uses magic to stitch the wounds closed.

It is discovered that murder is part of the mystery Marit and friends are trying to solve. Big spoiler: Certain people have been kidnapping and killing magic users and mining their blood for firn in order to create glass stones imbued with magic. However, none of the murder is described.

The big climax, in which our heroes have to face down and try to escape the antagonists, has violence throughout. Someone gets run through with a sword. (Not described except for Marit later noticing flecks of blood on the clothes of people standing nearby.) Someone tries and fails to crush someone else with falling chandeliers. There are many threats of being shot with a gun and bullets do fly. Someone does get killed (mention of their body falling to the floor, but no other description). Possibly the nastiest moment is when one of the antagonists gets thrown through a window and there's mention of the sound of a body being punctured by a large piece of glass, but there is no visual description because he falls out of sight of the characters. Two magic users experience the effects of the firn as they are forced to use their magic to defend themselves and others. Mention of feeling freezing cold and pain. They do survive, though. A second antagonist gets shot in the side and left to bleed out. This antagonist had some previous chapters from his perspective and we get his perspective again as he lies on the floor watching the protagonists trying to save their friends. There is mention of "so much blood" coming from his wound, and brief mention of pain and increasing weakness, but his narrative is mainly focused on what the protagonists are doing, as well as reflecting on the decisions he made that led to his death.

Drug/alcohol:

In trying to solve the mystery, Marrit and friends create a plan to drug a man (with laudanum, a narcotic painkiller commonly used for medical purposes in historical times) so he'll sleep soundly enough for them to take a ring off his finger and examine it.

A pre-teen girl is given a small dose of laudanum after an injury she obtains in the middle of an emergency situation.

[Caitlin Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have nothing but good things to say about this book 😭♥️

[Gohnar23 · Rating 1 out of 5]

#️⃣3️⃣1️⃣0️⃣ Read & Reviewed in 2025 ⛈️⚡🚨
Date : 📢 Tuesday, June 24, 2025 🍙⚔️
Word Count📃: 98k Words 🏕️

──★ ˙💥🪨💣🪨💥 ̟ ⋆✮˚.*⋆

ദ്ദി ≽^⎚˕⎚^≼ .ᐟ My 48th read in "Explosive Impactful Reads June"

1️⃣🌟, wow, a fantasy book that thinks she's tryna do a Stephen king bro but naaaaaaah, she did it so horribly 😭😭😭😭😭
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➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗

Thank you for @Prisha for the buddy readd 🥰🥰🥰

Soooo, there's too many characters in here, all doing whatever just happens in this book, so many things happen but at the same time nothing ever happens. There's people dying like Ivy but when that happened i was just like...WHOOOO?????????? WHO??????? This book is trying to do a stephen king where the author introduces so many characters but fails to realize that the characters must actually be well developed and not just tools for the shit ton of random events that happens all around.

All of the characters are also boring and basic, it's a typical murder mystery avengers looking for suspects and over analyzing the actions of the family who you really really suspect is to be the suspect of the crimeee whichh, ok, have already seen that on too many mystery already, justttt being so obsessed with exactly someone being the supposed "suspect" of your case buttttttt ye.

And then there is this disease somehow (yeah when i tell you too many things is happening at the same time, TOO MANY THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME) and then this disease subplot just kindaaaa,

Omg wow she miraculously survive because yes she's the main character and of course she's supposed to survive in the end cuzz..wow happy ending, the incurable deadly disease is no no more ❌❌❌, she's the main character and the main character survives at the end because tooooooootally 'good' writing.

[Erin Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really took me by surprise! I loved all the characters and all the twists! But the magic system was really fun and probably my favorite part, because it was an illustration of the themes of the story. Absolutely beautiful and had me gasping every other page at the end!

“What will I look like on the inside at the end of my life?”

“What is love if not life, siphoned out and given away and spent freely for others each day?”

“Misery fights so hard to gain the upper hand, but there's always something left in its glean-ings: the seed of something good that ensures despair can never quite win.”

[Permanently_Booked · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.”

Murphy you have a new fan. I have to admit that the cover is what drew me in. Didn’t even look at the synopsis just saw the magical words “YA Historical fiction” and knew I wanted to read this beauty.

This was everything I needed it to be. In Denmark in the 19th century magic is seen as an infliction. As magic is used it leaves behind an ice-like build-up in the veins called the Firn. After the loss of her father and sister, Marit befriends Eve at the orphanage who becomes like a sister to her. Hiding her abilities from Eve she does everything in her power to find Eve a forever home until one day the Vestergaard family adopts little Eve. There’s only one problem, her family is dead because of the Vestergaards.

This was such an intoxicating read. There is mystery, history, magic and connection that sucks you in and when you finally come up to breathe you just want to relive it all over again. Marit has a tragic past like most orphans we meet in YA reads. I liked how her past is what drives the mystery behind the Vestergaards. She has a well-crafted MC mold with a flawed and closed off persona that blossoms as she finds her place in life. Murphy did a wonderful job fleshing out each of the characters (even the miniscule ones) to the point you feel as if you have known them all for eternity.

The world building is set in 19th century Denmark and you can easily imagine yourself walking the dilapidated streets of the poor and the avenues for the wealthy. The magic system ties in to the location and war wrought era. It’s a simple magic that is easy to follow. Only towards the end did I question a few things but it all still fits.

I highly recommend this read to individuals who enjoy young adult novels with a bit of magic and mystery tied into historical fiction. Thank you Emily Bain Murphy and HMH Books for Young Readers for the ability to read and review this novel for an honest and unbiased opinion.

True rating 4.5/5, rounded for Goodreads.

[Katerina Kondrenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

7 out of 10

Not sure why this read didn't turn out to be as awesome as The Disappearances. It's a unique and magical story, with touching moments, kind messages, a beautiful atmosphere, but we didn't click.

However, I'd recommend it to anyone who loves creative concepts (here, we if you use magic you can die from a mysterious illness), unusual settings (Denmark), character depth, fast pacing, grey moral, and such.

This book is similar to its predecessor, in many ways from characters and how they act to twists and plot structure. If I read this story first, my emotions might be different, and The Disappearances instead of Splinters of Scarlet might feel derivative.

Still, this one is a solid read and you can pick it up expecting the best.

[Cassandra Hamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book immediately became one of my favorite reads of 2022. I binged it in pretty much a day.

First of all, it’s refreshingly unique. I mean, historical fantasy set in nineteenth century Denmark?? Plus sewing magic and ballet and being able to read a book just by touching it (which is a power I would LOVE, okay)?? And let’s not forget that using magic could KILL you. And only the servants have it. Classism right there.

Jakob was so sweet and I adored him. <3 and one of my best friends is named Marit, so I’m partial to the MC’s name. Also, the mystery, when it was revealed, made me gasp. I just have so many thoughts and feelings and basically it was pretty much perfect.

Please read this book. I beg you.

[H.S.J. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous. Also, best food descriptions I’ve read in a while. So long as one can stomach a pretty intense and violent climax, I recommend this to basically everyone. Full review to come soon!

[Ashleigh (edwardanddamon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I don’t even know where to start. I feel like my words have left me. This book was absolutely AMAZING! Emily Bain Murphy captivated me from the very first page. I love the setting which is 19th Century Denmark. The way that Emily described everything, it felt so tangible. The imagery is so lush and vivid. The main character of the story is Marit Olsen, and I head over heels fell in love with her. I could definitely see myself being her BFF, she’s such a kindred spirit.

Marit was born with magic. Magic flows through her blood, but if she uses it, there’s a deadly ice build-up in her veins, called the Firn. She has vowed not to use it, as it killed her sister. Marit’s father also died in the Vestergaard family’s jewel mines and she is left an orphan. In the orphanage, she meets Eve who becomes like a sister to her. I loved the relationship between Marit and Eve. Their bond is so strong, and so pure. Marit is fiercely devoted to Eve. When Eve is adopted by the very wealthy Helen Vestergaard, Marit pulls out all the stops to stay by Eve’s side. Marit also secretly wants to go with Eve to find out what happened in the mine accident that killed her father. Helene brings Marit home with her and Eve as a servant. Helene begins to tutor Eve in ballet, as Eve had shown promise at the orphanage. I loved meeting all of the characters that live in the Vestergaard home and getting to know their distinct personalities. They very much reminded me of the blurb that compares this story to Downton Abbey meets Frozen. Marit begins to develop relationships with the people that she is living and working with. A romance also evolves between a couple of the characters. As the story goes on though, Marit starts getting closer to truth of what happened in the mines, and everyone she loves is in danger. Marit soon discovers that magic may be the only thing that can save her.

If you love stories about sisterhood, magic, mystery, ballet, beautiful gowns, jewels, historical settings, and romance, then this story is for you. Please do yourself a favor and add this beautiful book to your TBR. It is available at retailers for preorder now and you can also request it from your local library.

[♠ TABI⁷ ♠]

I keep thinking this is The Madness Blooms because the covers look the same ahaha

[Ellen McGinty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful tale of life, love, and loss threaded through the snowy streets of Denmark. The magic in this book was sharp and beautiful. The writing exceptional. The themes full of life.

A fantasy with clean slow burn romance, historical setting, lush prose, and enough heart to make it the perfect winter read 🖤 All the stars!

TW: some graphic war/injury descriptions

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the 19th Century Denmark, Splinters of Scarlets weaves magic, fairytales, and mystery - redeeming it a pretty fun read.

What I like:

+ The writing style: the sensory details and the magic jumped right out
+ I found the concept really cool and I think the fairytale / magical elements worked really well
+ Pretty solid characterisation. I think Marit's headspace is pretty well fleshed out.
+ I'm subjective here but I love the Christmas & wintry vibes! It feels really cozy and it's brimming with hygge stage of mind <3

Quotes I love:

"The warm sense of contentment, of home, even when the rest of the world is cold." - this is what I felt with the book. It feels cozy and heartwarming even if it's set during wintertime.

"The best stories are always spun around a kernel of truth." - a wonderful quote on storytelling

"Perhaps each magic makes its own beautiful colour. Perhaps that's how you know what sort of power is waiting inside it." - I really vibed with this poetic quote on the colour of one's aura and how that's related to the magical powers someone possesses

"I always pictured the colour of vengeance to be deep crimson red. The colour of anger and blood, of prostitute, and sometimes of magic." - I love the colourful descriptions like this in the novel. On how it relates to colour theory and directly to the character traits.

What could be better:

- The pacing was a bit slow. While I appreciated the historical details (and it's seems really well researched), there's not much plot until around midway through the novel.
- I wasn't completely sold into Philip's POV since his chapters are significantly shorter than Marit's. But I still found the politics and darker side of the novel quite interesting told from his perspective.

Overall, this is a pretty enjoyable and unique historical fantasy novel. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's into historical fantasy & fairytales.

N.B. This book contains the following content triggers: death, murder, weapons / sharp objects, and blood

(3.5 stars out of 5)

[Kulwinder Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

“𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩. 𝙂𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜. 𝙄𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙬𝙚’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙨. 𝙄𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩. 𝙄𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙚𝙩, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙩, 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙪𝙩.”

I loved the mystery aspect of this book and the setting. Everything else... not so much.

RTC

[Brooke J Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful novel. The characters depth, the story's twist and turns. Everything soaked in beauty and fear much like the magic through the story. The depth of this story is marvelous and I can't recommend it enough.

[The Nerd Daily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Laura Erne

Splinters of Scarlet is the latest standalone from Emily Bain Murphy and many have deemed it ‘Downton Abbey with magic’ and you know what? That’s pretty accurate. This book has a vast array of characters that showcase the upstairs/downstairs divide commonly found in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This is a story that focuses on Marit Olsen, an orphan with a magical ability that allows her to excel as a seamstress. This isn’t a story about the rich and famous and that’s something I really came to enjoy as I read. The charismatic and cynical outlook from all the servants in the manor reminded me a lot of why I loved Downton Abbey. With their cynical and sarcastic humour that comes with the rich versus poor mentality produces a witty charm that instantly had me entranced.

Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily

[Anna Priemaza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily's books are a light in the darkness. And by that I mean that they are the light and darkness, both.

The brilliant, unique worlds Emily creates are dark--with sinister plots, treachery, and, in this case, magic that literally turns the veins to ice. But her books are also full of characters who, while flawed and imperfect, are motivated by love and caring and goodness. Combining this with her beautiful writing makes scenes and characters sparkle like tiny stars in the black night sky.

This light in darkness is what I loved most in THE DISAPPEARANCES, and it's what I loved most in SPLINTERS OF SCARLET, too.

To put it another way, Emily's books make me feel like it is the dead of winter and there is a swirling, freezing snowstorm outside... but I am inside by the fire, curled up in a blanket and cozy. And I love them to bits for that reason.

[Bryn Shutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 glorious stars to this story!! Mystery, murder, magic and food!! Oh, the food.

Downton Abbey meets Frozen in this powerful story about greed, corruption and fear set against the power of friendship, forgiveness and sacrifice.

"We both know well how concerned some people can be with what we look like on the outside. But we have to make sure we don't start to look like them on the inside."

I highly recommend this lush epic to those who love vivid settings, gorgeous writing and beautiful arcs of friendship and love (both romantic and platonic). Basically, if you can read, you should give this a whirl!

While Splinters of Scarlet is a standalone, I would give my eye teeth for more of these characters and this world some time. *puppy dog eyes*

[Quill&Queer · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Review Copy Provided by Pushkin Press, my review is unbiased]
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📗 Buddy read with Lily @ Home For The Lost! We both read this in 5 chapter chunks at a time which worked really well for remembering plot details when we got back to each other. We were really surprised at just how good this book was.

📕 I've been reading a lot of fantasy lately, and not all of it good. What caught my attention about this story is that it's set in Denmark, and the magic itself is useful - the ability to boil water, sew clothing or absorb the information of any book makes for a household of magical servants, using their magic to keep everything running.

📘 I saw a lot of references to The Snow Queen in this story, which led to me pulling out the equivalent of a crime scene board to try and explain all of them. In particular, the name Helene Lind did not escape my notice as Jenny Lind, the Swedish Opera singer, was said to be the inspiration for Andersen's Snow Queen after she rejected him.

📙 This story is a family mystery, with servant Marit trying to uncover the Vestergaard family's secrets and discover why her father died in their mines several years ago. It's also the story of sisterly bonds, as Marit tries to balance protecting fellow Orphan Eve while letting her grow up and find her own path in life.

📒 The addition of Philip's POV, who is hiding the secrets Marit is trying to unravel, made the story more interesting, because it's not often we get to see the story from the potential villain's perspective. This alongside the possibility of using too much magic and die from the Firn, crystallised ice in your veins, added a constant sense of danger.

📓 This is a standalone fantasy, with most, but not quite all, the answers wrapped up by the end. It was perfectly paced throughout, not a single boring chapter and never rushed. I was so, so sad to leave the story and found myself re-reading the last few lines multiple times before sitting down and having a good cry.

[Meigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Bain Murphy is pure magic. I fell head over heels in love with her first book, THE DISAPPEARANCES, and have been waiting for something new from her ever since. And the wait was worth it because Murphy delivered another gorgeously magical book with SPLINTERS OF SCARLET.

Set in 19th century Denmark, SPLINTERS OF SCARLET was a delightful exploration of sisterhood and family, which centers around magic, ballet, gems, and, fittingly, Hans Christian Andersen. Marit and Eve come from the same orphanage and while Marit has aged out, she doesn’t want the same thing to happen to 11 year old Eve. All that changes when wealthy ballerina Helene Vestergaard sees Eve perform at the orphanage and offers her a home and Marit a position as a seamstress. Marit has history with the Vestergaard’s, as it was their mines that killed her father, and this provides the perfect opportunity to investigate what really happened in those mines. But trouble soon finds Marit and the rest of the household and she finds herself at the center of something far bigger and more dangerous that she could imagine.

”Magic. To excel in a single area since birth, like a savant, and do things others can do only in their dreams. Magic—the gift that comes with a hefty price.”

I absolutely loved everything about this book from the richly imagined historical setting to the magic to the characters and everything in between. And it really did give off vibes of both Downton Abbey and Frozen, which was an absolutely delightful combination. The magic though was definitely a highlight for me because I love when magic has a cost and magic users eventually have to pay a price. In this case, the price is a blue lace similar to frost on a windowpane, that eventually kills the magic user and is known as the Firn. The characters were also very well developed and I loved the little bit of romance that was thrown in, though it’s not the focus of the tale by any means. My only complaint is the story had a tendency to repeat itself and it felt quite unnecessary. Other than that, SPLINTERS OF SCARLET was pure perfection.

Bottom line — Emily Bain Murphy is a magical storyteller who infuses her books with magic and family and palpably real characters, and you should do yourself a favor and read both THE DISAPPEARANCES and SPLINTERS OF SCARLET. 4.5 glorious stars and I can’t wait to see what Murphy graces us with in the future.

*eARC received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I like glass best. Glass is fragile but strong. It allows us to see through the walls we’ve built around us. It never calls attention to itself but always to what’s beyond it. It can protect things from damage. And yet, when you aren’t careful with it, watch out!”

Can you believe it? I’ve had this book sitting in my book closet since January and it took me six months to pick it up. What is wrong with me?

I’m usually one to say, not to judge a book by its cover but I’m guilty as hell by doing that. This cover is all kinds of stunning and I just kept overlooking it. That irritates me because this was absolutely beautiful and it swept me off of my feet.

This is the first book that I’ve read by this author but I’ve been hearing her name pop up when I discuss books with my colleagues. I didn’t know what I was getting myself involved with, so I jumped right in without hesitation. I’m proud to say that this was dazzling.

RTC

[Ela's Welt der Bücher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dieses Buch habe ich durch Zufall im Katalog entdeckt und da mir das Cover wirklich gut gefällt und der Inhalt gut klang ist es bei mir eingezogen. ☺️ Nachdem ich anfangs nicht verstanden habe, warum ich Philips Sichtweise zum Lesen war, löst sich das im Laufe des Buches auf. Ich möchte den flüssigen Schreibstil und kam deswegen schnell voran. Es war wieder ein bisschen anders als viele Fantasybücher und hat mir daher wirklich gut gefallen.
4 Sterne

[E.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing historical fantasy read with a hint of mystery and memorable characters.

Personally, I wasn't as big a fan of the first 1/3 of the story, but around the middle of it did things really start to happen. ;) The themes of friendship, courage, and the truth all shone beautifully in this novel, and while I didn't like it as much as THE DISAPPEARANCES, the author delivers yet again with her remarkable style and unique twist on stories.

THINGS I LOVED
- The appearance of Hans Christian Andersen and references to THE SNOW QUEEN.
- Characters whom you just can't quite figure out (like Helene ;)).
- Relatable villains ... WHO ACTUALLY HAVE MOTIVES!! xD
- Liljan and her love of gruesome trivia.
- The amazing magical abilities that are unique to each character (am I the only person who thinks Brock having plant-growing powers considering he's so tough is ... kind of ironic, but also insanely cool!?)
- The historical-y feel to it.
- IVYYY 😭

Overall, I'd recommend this book for YA historical fantasy readers. It's very clean, with romance only as a side plot, and the worldbuilding and historical feel are equally intriguing.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But what is love if not life, siphoned out and given away and spent freely for others each day?"

This had so many of my favorite themes in it. Friendship, forgiveness, sacrifice, loss, grief and what we decide to do with it, and so much more. I really loved this book! I don't usually love historical fantasies, but this one was really good. It had both the heartwarming and sad moments that I love, friendships between both younger and older characters, funny and serious side-characters, and an MC who, though flawed, was ultimately choosing to be selfless. Though it's really brief, I really liked how the ending showed how the characters had to deal with the loss and grief they faced. Not only did we see how they suffered, but we saw how they had to keep going each day and deal with the grief they were facing.
Though I don't always love books focusing on magic systems nowadays (because they're just overdone and not very original), this one had many of the qualities that I love reading about most.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! Everything about it was just magical✨
I will be posting my review soon

[Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had such a fairytale feel and the magic was refreshing and intriguing. I loved the dancing and sewing elemtns and the intirgue of the jewels, all the intrigue was great.

[K.J. Haakenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Thoughts:
Holy cow I loved this book...Review to come!!

Official Review:

I stumbled across this title in a 2020 release post and was instantly captured by the pitch. Little did I know that this book would not only become my favorite read of 2020, but one of my most favorite books of all time. "Splinters of Scarlet" by Emily Bain Murphy is pitched as Downton Abbey meets Frozen which not only sold me on reading this book, but it's actually an amazing representation on what the book is like.

Set in Denmark during the 19th century, this story is centered around Marit Olsen, a destitute seamstress with a dangerous magic running through her veins. Let me start off by saying Marit is an amazing and relatable main character. Her courage and desire to be a good sister to Eve is so inspiring. It was so interesting to see Marit balance the fear of her own magic and the need to keep Eve safe all while trying honor her dead family.

Two of my favorite characters are servants and siblings Lilian and Jakob. Their banter is hilarious and extremely relatable. Liljan is fierce, loyal, quick-witted, loud and loves “grotesque” trivia. Jakob is shy, quiet, bookish, smart, brave, kind and a little bashful (aka my new book boyfriend).

In this book, each and every character has hopes and fears, making them all feel like real people with real lives. I find that this is very rare in stories these days so I was pleasantly surprised that every side character had growth and resolution.

I adored the magic system in this story. If someone had the Firn, it wouldn’t be the same type as another person - there are many different kinds of the magic. Marit has the ability to sew gorgeous things just by touch, other may be able to grow plants, or cook food, or work glass. But each ability is just as dangerous as the next since the more you use it, the more the Firn builds up like ice in your veins until the user is frozen from the inside out. It made reading about each beautiful and magical thing tainted with the fear of death.

One of the biggest themes in this story is family and sibling relationships. There aren’t a lot of books out there that I find are very realistic when it comes to siblings. But this book got it right. All sorts of sibling dynamics are included in the book and I love Emily Bain Murphy for that. We have biological siblings, adopted siblings, siblings by marriage, and even chosen siblings! No relationship was the same or perfect and none of that cheesy "hey little sis" nonsense.

"Splinters of Scarlet" is also a stunning story from start to finish filled with beautiful aesthetics of freezing ice, blooming flowers, and ornate homes as well as the magic of ballet and fashion. This story had mystery and enchantment, worry and wonder. There are sad scenes, intense scenes, and happy fluffy scenes. Even the prose is amazing. Every description seems to have a purpose and aids readers in understanding Marit’s thoughts or state of mind. I was fully immersed in this book, totally invested in the plot, and never wanted to leave. (In fact, I even snuck this book into work so I could finish the last chapters right away. Don’t judge me ;P)

"Splinters of Scarlet" caught my imagination and whisked me away with magic. This story made me laugh and it made me cry and I literally just want to give this book a hug.*

All of these things combined make this book one of my new favorites!

I give "Splinters of Scarlet" 5 out of 5 plums.

[dianis.]

July 21, 2020 – August 16, 2020

I loved The Disappearances, but I'm not feeling this one right now.
Might return later.