Ever since Thorin Oakenshield’s company of dwarves recruited Bilbo Baggins to their quest with a song in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the fantasy genre has been intertwined with music.  It goes both ways as well – plenty of rock and metal bands have written songs or whole albums about their favorite fantasy novels!  My personal theory is that since just about everyone can relate to being moved by music, the incorporation of music into a fantasy story can help to ground the fantasy elements in something real.  This allows the reader to suspend their disbelief and become truly immersed within the story and world.  Today, I’ll be spotlighting a few books where music and dance are truly magic, sure to appeal to readers who are fans of fantasy, the fine arts, or both.

Nocturne by Alyssa Wees

Grace Dragotta has devoted her life to becoming a ballerina, enduring the scars left by personal tragedy to pursue her dream.  When she brings down the house in the starring role of The Firebird, she is suddenly on the cusp of everything she’s ever wanted.  But her talent attracts the attention of a mysterious and demanding patron, Master La Rosa, who is certainly not all that he seems.  This book has the feeling of a fairy tale retelling, but rather than putting a new twist on a single story, it incorporates elements of many.  Familiar motifs from Beauty and the Beast, the Phantom of the Opera and the myth of Eros and Psyche are all present.  The story feels strongly reminiscent of the myth of Hades and Persephone for the first half, but a plot twist reveals to both Grace and the audience that she is not in the story she thinks she’s in.  Combine that with beautiful prose excellently matched to the elegance of ballet, and you have a book worth treasuring.