A lush, haunting story that I can’t stop thinking about

Marie Lu’s first historical fiction novel is a dreamlike story about music, magic, and the Mozart siblings. The Kingdom of Back focuses on Nannerl Mozart, a musical prodigy who hopes her talent and compositions will become world renowned. As her younger brother, Wolfgang, attains the type of fame Nannerl dreams of, she meets a mysterious stranger from the Kingdom of Back. He offers Nannerl a chance at immortality—but at what cost? Lu weaves magic and intrigue into the true story of Nannerl’s life, and the end result is spellbinding.

I can’t recommend The Kingdom of Back enough. Lu’s fantasy was inspired by the Mozart siblings’ fantasy. As children, they really did create a world called the Kingdom of Back. Lu took that wonderful, interesting fact and spun it into this dreamy, addictive read.