Adventure; Young-Adult Literature; Fantasy; Historical Fiction
Adventure
In many ways, Splendors and Glooms has all the makings of a rollicking adventure—one that would probably translate perfectly to the silver screen. After Grisini turns Clara Wintermute into a puppet, the three children in the book travel all the way to Strachan's Ghyll (in a faraway and unfamiliar town) to seek their refuge, and they end up running into terrible, dangerous magic. They have to fight off evil magicians, destroy a cursed stone, and find a way to turn Clara back into a real girl so that she can return to her family. Talk about an exciting adventure.
Young-Adult Literature
Splendors and Glooms is a book for all ages, but it is definitely geared toward the young-adult crowd. The book's main characters are all children, and they can stand up to any adult that crosses their path, including evil magicians and scheming witches. Clara, Lizzie Rose, and Parsefall travel across England, defeat Grisini, and destroy the phoenix-stone without any adult help. In fact, they do what all of the adults in the story can't do, even with the aid of magic. How cool is that?
Fantasy
In addition to harrowing journeys and exciting adventures, Splendors and Glooms is also chock-full of fantastical elements. It's clear from page one that this is going to be a story with fantasy mixed into everyday life. Cassandra is a witch who owns a powerful (but dangerous) magical stone, and Grisini is a puppet master who is also secretly lurking around London and casting spells on unsuspecting children. And, when the children arrive at Strachan's Ghyll, they find even more fantastical things. In fact, Cassandra has a whole tower in her house reserved for the casting of powerful magical spells.
Historical Fiction
Splendors and Glooms takes place in the late 19th century and so it has a historical aspect, despite all of the magical elements. It's a very different place from the modern world, especially when it comes to social status; Clara is discouraged from hanging out with children like Lizzie Rose and Parsefall because they're beneath her station. The story definitely transports readers back to a whole different time period, placing them right in the middle of the action.