Magic for Liars

by Sarah Gailey

the books murmuring to each other like a scandalized congregation of origami Presbyterians.

Sometimes when you’re writing a book, you put a line like this together – one that makes you think “oh that’s a good one.” This line – and most of this chapter – helped me establish the rococo noir-y voice I wanted this book to deliver. I wanted to combine rich metaphorical language with the raw honesty of pulp noir and the coziness of a classic magical-school narrative. In this one sentence, I genuinely feel I hit the mark. Also, it was fun as heck to write. I think metaphors and similes have some of the most powerful impact on readers (especially on me). What’s a metaphor you’ve read that really stuck with you?