title: The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker
author:  Leanna Renee Hieber 
description: Six young men and women are called to protect the living world from the dead in Hieber's Gothic romance debut. Mysterious powers give Alexi and his peers the mission of keeping the restless dead in line and seeking a prophesied seventh guardian. Miss Percy Parker, an albino orphan with a talent for languages, fills none of their expectations, but Alexi is drawn to her all the same. Hieber draws Victorian London as beautiful and grim, with depictions of Jack the Ripper as a nightmarish many-headed hound alongside charming descriptions of the Athens Academy, Percy's boarding school, and Greek mythology that smartly draws together various elements of the story. The supporting characters are nuanced and appealing but given short shrift by the narrow focus on Percy and Alexi, though future sequels may give them more room to play. Hieber's debut shows great potential, and readers will want to revisit her intriguing world. <br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
zlib_text: **A MIDWINTER FANTASY**
  
  LEANNA RENEE HIEBER
  
  > > “Gripping and with an on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense . . . this book is
  > perfect for fans of the paranormal who enjoy a Gothic setting.”
  
  —ParaNormal Romance Reviews on  
   _The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker_
  
  > > “The romance in this book is just swoon worthy . . . _The Darkly Luminous
  > Fight for Persephone Parker_ is a book not to be missed. It is adorable,
  > utterly romantic and while the first book in the series made my favorites
  > list of 2009, Leanna Renee Hieber wrote a second book that I enjoyed even
  > more.”
  
  —Smexy Books
  
  L. J. MCDONALD
  
  > > “Lovers of _Stardust_ and _The Princess Bride_ rejoice! A must for every
  > Fantasy library!”
  
  —Barbara Vey, _Publishers Weekly_ blogger on  
   _The Battle Sylph_
  
  > > “A stunningly original world . . . An amazing start to what promises to be
  > a truly engaging series!”
  
  — _RT Book Reviews_ on _The Battle Sylph_
  
  HELEN SCOTT TAYLOR
  
  > > “This book is so well written that 