Wonders Never Cease

I do not think of myself as a person of culture, but when I stop to think about it, I have likely been to more theatre productions, museums and Stately Homes than most people. I can thank my mother for this as being forced to go as a youth has made me appreciate them and want to go as an adult. One activity I have yet to see is a ballet. I just do not think it would be for me, but can Lexy Hudson convince me otherwise? Wonders Never Cease has ballet, but also fairy folk, a genre that I have read a lot about – and not always enjoyed.

Trix is a ballerina for the leading trope in Britain, she is slowly making her way up to be a principal player but seems to be missing something to push her that little higher. That push could be the form of enigmatic dancer Sander, a leading man who few can keep up with. He seems to be able to dance forever, jump higher, be one with the music. Trix and Sander start to build a bound over the years; they have things in common, but also great differences.

I am always wary of stories about the Fae as you can never trust them. This is rightly one of their main characteristics but makes the book itself untrustworthy. Too many fairy books end in extravagant magic that undermines the entire purpose of the book, why not just pull out the big magic in the first place? Thankfully, Hudson chooses to create a far gently and mild side of the Fae. Yes, the King and Queen run their Kingdom with mischief and menace, but it is their son, Sander, who is our main entry into the world. A creature who wants to live among the mortals and dance.

The book is a slow burn told over several seasons of ballet in the 80s. Trix starts off as a young dancer and then is promoted alongside Sander as their chemistry on stage is palatable. It is a book as much about the art of ballet as it is magic. There is a lot of time spent discussing the various ballets and how they differ from one another, how Trix and Sander approach them. These sections will either drag for a reader or be one of the main reasons you enjoy the book. I enjoyed learning more about working for a ballet company, but for Act I it is more dance, than magic.

The book is separated into Acts, the first being by far the longest. We only get small glimpses into Sander’s secret life. When in human company he is very quiet, unable to tell a lie, therefore silence seems best. Despite this, a relationship does evolve between the two principal dancers, but it’s treated with care and softer than normal, in keeping with the feel of the book.

It is only in the final act that we start to get a true sense of magic. This section is magical fantasy, but you read a lot of ballet to get there. Although not my favourite artform, I enjoyed the world of ballet as there were many characters flitting around the place making for good gossip. This is a gentle and dreamy tale, like a good Fae book should be, but it is also an interesting take on a relationship, and a solid look at the 80s from a different perspective. Wonders is a book about fairy folk that I enjoyed, and this is not an easy task!