A review by kittykornerlibrarian
Creatures of Will and Temper by Molly Tanzer

5.0

All the reviews will tell you this is a spinoff of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. It's got the Edwardian setting, the beautiful portrait... but it adds demons and demonology to make it a fascinating story of truth, beauty, and the power of experience. Two sisters, Evadne Gray (the elder, who is a fencer) and the younger, Dorina (see that there?) Gray, who wants to study art and become an art critic, go to London to stay with an artist relation, their painter uncle Basil Hallward. And yes, he's the one with the beautiful portrait. It's not so straightforward as Dorian Gray, though; it's harder to tell how the portrait fits into the plot, and it's harder to know what is good and what is evil as the story unfolds. The author keeps you guessing until very close to the end, so it's suspenseful as well. It's beautifully written and well-paced. Can't wait to see another from this author.