From Booklist
Jack the Ripper wreaks terror in Whitechapel, and Madeline Fell dreams of becoming a whore of Babylon. In this particular 1888 London, Babylon is another world, a relic of the Mesopotamian city, which the priestesses of Ishtar rule, though their power is waning on Earth, mostly because of the plots of the Black Order to destroy the rule of sex. Yet the priestesses remain a force to be reckoned with. When Maddy's parents discover that she has volunteered to become a novice of Babylon, they forbid her; she and fellow would-be novice Cliticia run away to the ancient ruins of Babylon under the auspices of Lord Azrael and Mr. Malachi, who are involved with the Black Order. While the girls fantasize about forbidden love, they are embroiled in the plot to destroy Babylon and its women, once and for all. Calder's re-imagined Victorian world is stellar, and his teen protagonists are both terribly alien and all-too recognizable in their dreams and relationships. Calder continues to write wild stories that resonate long after they're read.
Regina SchroederCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
