A fantasy novel by Stephen Evans
An “engaging modern-day fairy tale.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Whose Beauty is Past Change may tell the story of a young girl who journeys through beautiful distractions to reach a fantastic undersea realm from which she may never return. Or it may tell the story of a grieving poet imagining a beautiful life for a daughter lost to the sea. Or perhaps, both.
At sunset in Key West, twelve-year-old Lissa falls into the gulf and is swept out along a golden path. Using her knowledge of art and poetry (learned from her parents), she navigates past the beautiful entanglements and curious guardians of the reef.
Finally she arrives in the realm of Kwest, where all are devoted to creating each sunrise and sunset. There Lissa is offered a choice: to return to her old life or stay and become a painter of sunsets.
Author’s Note: This book was previously published under the title Painting Sunsets.
Print ISBN: 978-1953725103
Epub ISBN: 9781953725431
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What the Critics are Saying:
An “engaging modern-day fairy tale.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Aiming to inspire young artists, this fantasy story hits its mark, conveying that art is essential to everyday life and that beauty is everywhere for those who take the time to look at the sunset and listen for the artistry that can be unleashed by the written word.”
—Foreword Clarion Reviews
“Stephen Evans imaginative young adult fantasy invents a vivid, perpetually lit world that abounds in swirls of luminescence and kaleidoscopic color. Above all, Evans’s elegant prose emphasizes the aesthetic value of art and the act of creation. Painting Sunsets’s fantasy elements are spot on, and the novel’s coming-of-age narrative will be equally engaging to YA readers.”
—BlueInk Reviews, Starred Review
Excerpt:
“Lissa looked deep within the sunset, seeking the mysterious pattern of the color. Her gaze drifted down to the mirrored sea that chopped and swept the color back and forth, mixing and intensifying.
“In all the merging hypnotic hues, one color was pure, gleaming and brilliant, leading like a Golden Path in a straight line to the setting sun.
“Lissa leaned forward, enthralled. The path seemed to call to her, to her deepest yearnings, beckoning.
“There was no splash as she passed beneath the waves.”
