The story revolves around Beatrice Shakespeare Smith, lovingly referred to as Bertie, who lives on the stage of the Theatre Illuminata. Theatre Illuminata is a magical theater that relies on the magic of The Book which binds all the players, who are not just actors, but the actually characters, to the theater. Bertie was brought to the theater by the Mistress of Revels when she was just a baby and ever since Bertie could wonder about her origins she has been trying to figure out who her mother is. However Bertie comes across more problems then her unknown parents when the Theater Manager tells Bertie she can no longer stay in the Theater due to her reckless actions and the effect she has on the players. Bertie convinces the Theater Manager to let her stay if she can restage Hamlet in Egypt and sell out the theater. However while Bertie tries to find her way as the newly appointed director with the help of her fairy companions in only a week to restage the play, the mischievous air elemental Ariel tries to complicate everything by attempting to escape the theater. Nate give Bertie a scrimshaw to protect her from Ariel's magic, but when she takes it off and Ariel steals The Book, Bertie's tears summon Sedna. The angry goddess of the sea tries to capture Bertie, but some magic protects her, so she takes Nate instead. Things become even more complicated when Ariel rips the pages out of the book and set the players free. Now Bertie has to repair the book, fix the Theater, restage Hamlet, and somehow save Nate.
Bertie is a wonderful main character who is both funny, sarcastic, intelligent, and trying to find her way through her changing world. Sometime she can seem rather dense, but we you realize that the only world Bertie knows are those that she sees in the scenes created on stage it is more understandable. What I really loved is that in most coming of age stories the main character is trying to leave, but Bertie wants nothing but to stay in the theater. Bertie is not perfect, she makes mistake, and let her emotions overrun her better judgement, but that is what it is like to be a teenage girl. She is a character that is easy to want to be friends with and to cheer for while she faces the challenges in front of her.
Now the two male leads in this act are Nate, a minor player from The Little Mermaid, and Ariel from The Tempest. Nate is Bertie's best friend as well as a steady personality while Bertie is all about impulse. Nate obviously cares deeply for Bertie, but it isn't until the play progresses further that we see it might be more then just friendship that the two feel for each other. Nate is by far one of the most likable pirates I have come across in novels and it still breaks my heart when Sedna takes him. That being said, Ariel is my favorite male lead. Ariel was Bertie's childhood playmate until Mrs. Edith told Bertie she could no longer play with him because she feared he had a bad influence on her. He is so human, well as human as an air elemental can be, with both his actions and his wishes. I wish I had words to properly describe Ariel, but there are none for his wonderful and complex character. I can't wait to see how Bertie's relationship with both boys plays out in the other two novels.
However my favorite characters in the novel are the fairies that are Bertie's companions and best friends. Cobweb, Mustardseed, Peaseblossom, and Moth are players from A Midsummer Night's Dream from Shakespeare. They are the comedic relief, Bertie's support system, and all around difficult to not like. Now I don't remember what the genders are of the fairies in the actually play, if they are specified at all, but I liked how Peaseblossom was the only girl of the many band of fairies. They quickly capture your heart and unlike some other comic relief figures are not just for laughs.
Overall I give this book a 5 out of 5. I wish I could go into more detail, but I refuse to ruin the book for anyone by giving away the end. From a student trying desperately to learn how to write young adult fantasy I am even more deeply in love with the author Lisa Mantchev's work. She creates a world that is so easy to believe even though it makes the most loved characters from plays into a very everyday world. The dialogue is absolutely wonderful and so realistic that this has to be one of the most quotable books I have come across. I can not rave enough about this novel and I can't wait until I get the other books in the series to see how Mantchev pulls the whole story line together.
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