As I Descended

As I Descended
Robin Talley

Amnesty Honour winner Robin Talley is back with a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—but one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey. Golden child Delilah is a legend at exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. But Delilah doesn’t know that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to unseat Delilah for the scholarship. After all, it would lock in Maria’s attendance at Stanford—and assure her and Lily four more years in a shared dorm room.Together, Maria and Lily harness the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school. But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what’s imagined, the girls must attempt to put a stop to the chilling series of events they’ve accidentally set in motion.

Praise for Robin Talley

‘The main characters are terrific in what is a moving YA novel. And an important one’ – The Daily Telegraph

‘This is so thought-provoking it almost hurts to read it, yet every word is needed, is necessary and consequently this is a novel that lingers long after you’ve finished it’ – Lovereading

‘This is an emotional and compelling read that I did not want to put down. It is […]beautifully written and the tension just simmers on the pages’ – Bookbabblers

‘This book packs a very powerful punch’ – Historical Novel Society

‘With great characterisation, tough issues covered, and a plot which had me guessing right up until the last pages, this is a must-read. Massively recommended!’ – The Bookbag

‘This exceptional novel of first love and sexual awakenings is set against a backdrop of shocking racism and prejudice. It is incredibly well written as the tense, riveting story seamlessly combines fiction with historical fact’ – Booktrust

‘Every now and then a Young Adult book comes along that I want to push into every reader’s hands both young and old and Lies We Tell Ourselves is that book for 2014’ – Jess Hearts Books

‘Talley has mixed two controversial topics together to create a firecracker of a story’ – Cheryl M-M’s Book Blog

Winner of the Amnesty CILIP Honour Award 2016 for Lies We Tell Ourselves.

ROBIN TALLEY’S first novel, Lies We Tell Ourselves, about two girls on the front lines of the school desegregation battle in 1959 Virginia, was on the short list for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award.

Robin lives in Washington, D.C., with her wife and their daughter, plus an antisocial cat and a goofy hound dog. You can find her on the web at www.robintalley.com (http://www.robintalley.com) or on Twitter at @robin_talley (https://twitter.com/robin_talley).

Contents

Cover (#udb369e58-39b0-580e-9ca3-19215712ad8d)

Praise (#ulink_26570125-74e2-5e22-9e94-813fa59e1650)

About the Author (#u9e6b3f98-55de-5ede-93d8-b2940505ecb6)

Title Page (#u2b28996b-7b25-535a-90cc-5231c2fa2355)

ACT 1: in thunder (#ulink_f32a10bb-11b3-5512-990e-bc290f6c3d41)

1. THE CHARM’S WOUND UP (#ulink_b5a9ceb7-2aa1-5e33-91ff-8df9f2ce24f2)

2. NOTHING IS BUT WHAT IS NOT (#ulink_97390fc0-11a3-5069-9f75-637e5519cd8e)

3. HOURS DREADFUL AND THINGS STRANGE (#ulink_16275f81-791f-527f-b6bd-43e20b889c4d)

4. LEAVE ALL THE REST TO ME (#ulink_c203d639-5204-5502-9c7b-67ade14de270)

ACT 2: in lightning (#ulink_650a8f13-1dc0-5acf-afb0-a9285a455d6c)

5. CAN THE DEVIL SPEAK TRUE? (#ulink_b2b78a0a-0b03-5e67-b7d8-afff11e20332)

6. THE ATTEMPT AND NOT THE DEED CONFOUNDS US (#litres_trial_promo)

7. PRESENT FEARS ARE LESS THAN HORRIBLE IMAGININGS (#litres_trial_promo)

8. SLEEP NO MORE (#litres_trial_promo)

9. A THING MOST STRANGE AND CERTAIN (#litres_trial_promo)

ACT 3: in rain (#litres_trial_promo)

10. I FEAR YOU PLAYED MOST FOULLY FOR IT (#litres_trial_promo)

11. BLOOD WILL HAVE BLOOD (#litres_trial_promo)

12. WHAT’S TO BE DONE? (#litres_trial_promo)

13. CONSIDER IT NOT SO DEEPLY (#litres_trial_promo)

14. TERRIBLE DREAMS THAT SHAKE US NIGHTLY (#litres_trial_promo)

15. THE VERY PAINTING OF YOUR FEAR (#litres_trial_promo)

ACT 4: when the hurly-hurly’s done (#litres_trial_promo)

16. FOUL WHISPERINGS ARE ABROAD (#litres_trial_promo)

17. COME LIKE SHADOWS, SO DEPART (#litres_trial_promo)

18. THEN THE CHARM IS FIRM AND GOOD (#litres_trial_promo)

ACT 5: when the battle’s lost and won (#litres_trial_promo)

19. HERE’S THE SMELL OF THE BLOOD STILL (#litres_trial_promo)

20. WHAT’S DONE CANNOT BE UNDONE (#litres_trial_promo)

21. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (#litres_trial_promo)

22. FAIR IS FOUL, AND FOUL IS FAIR (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue: TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgments (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#udb369e58-39b0-580e-9ca3-19215712ad8d)

ACT 1 (#ulink_cd0623e1-a891-5cd0-bcaa-6fcd10030081)