Splinters of Scarlet

 Marit Olsen has the gift of thread magic.  She can create beautiful things with her ability, but as with all magic, beauty comes at a cost.  Each time she uses her magic, a crystalline residue called the Firn.  Eventually, she'll reach a point where the Firn will claim her life, like it did her sister's, so she uses her magic sparingly.  

There is only one person left in the world Marit truly loves, a fellow orphan named Eve.  The little girl has become like a younger sister to her, and she both hopes for and dreads the day when Eve might be adopted.  That day comes when famed ballerina and fellow former orphan, Helene Vestergaard, notices Eve's dancing ability.  Marit had planned to let her friend go, but now that the moment is here, she finds it more difficult than she'd thought, so she devises a way to reveal her sewing skills to buy a little more time.  

When Helene Vestergaard realizes Marit has magical skill with her needle, she offers her a job.  Marit is torn.  She has always hated the Vestergaards.  She blames them and their mines for her father's death, but the opportunity to leave her unhappy life behind and stay near Eve in at least some capacity is too good to pass up.  

Working in the Vestergaard home also gives her the opportunity to search for the truth about her father's death.  The circumstances always seemed suspicious, and the more she learns, the more suspicious she becomes.  The mansion is a new world to Marit, not just because of its size and opulence but also because every servant there has magical ability which they are expected to use openly.  The palace is a wonderful place that seems to defy nature, but Marit is nervous about the Firn and wonders how these servants can willingly trade their gifts and inevitable deaths for a position in a fine house.   

Will Marit uncover the truth about her father's death before she succumbs to the Firn herself?

Emily Bain Murphy's stand-alone fantasy novel is an interesting take on the world of magic.  There is always a cost for those who use magic but rarely is it so severe as early death for a natural ability.  Nineteenth century Denmark is also an unusual setting for a fantasy novel, and I enjoyed the setting as well as the mystery of the mines.  Recommended for fantasy fans.