The Art of Exile

After years of feeling too average to fit into her exceptional family, 17-year-old Ada Castle travels to Florence to recover world-changing magical technology from the Makers, a secret society of artists and scientists that were exiled for heresy during the Roman Inquisition. Soon after she arrives in Italy, 21-year-old Michael rescues her from an attempted kidnapping. Michael claims to be a recruiter for the Genesis Institute, a haven for Makers to practice their skills, and reveals that Ada is a rare wielder of the magic that underpins Maker technology. At the isolated academy, Ada is both charmed by its close-knit community focused on personal expression and disgusted by their pervasive disdain and ignorance of people they consider to be “provincial.” But as her investigations lead her to uncovering dark secrets behind the Makers and her own family, Ada must choose where her allegiances lie. Drawing from Renaissance history and Jewish mythology, Max conjures a whirlwind romp that cursorily explores themes of wealth inequality and discrimination. Imaginative descriptions of the Makers’ hidden world, Ada’s snarky first-person narration, and a steamy love triangle anchor this contemporary fantasy debut. Ada and Michael are white and Jewish. Ages 14–up. Agent: Ali Lake, O’Connor Literary. (May)