Magic – Page 4 – Sneak Peek Books

The Prisoner of Cell 25

Michael Vey is a teenager trying to survive high school in Meridian, Idaho. He has Tourette’s syndrome – except that is not all that complicates his survival. Michael also has a secret: he’s electric.

The only person who knows of his electric powers is his best friend Ostin, and his caring mother, Sharon. His mom attempts to protect Michael and keep his secret safe. But a cheerleader at Meridian High School named Taylor, discovers Michael’s powers after he shocks a bully and his gang. Michael realizes there’s more to the picture when Taylor reveals she has powers of her own—she can read and reset minds based on electrical signals.

Michael and Taylor, with the help of Ostin, set out to learn more about Taylor’s and Michael’s powers. The three friends struggle to keep their secrets safe as they navigate high school life. They band together to form a club, the “Electroclan.” The group sets standards for how and when they should use their powers. However, the search for the origin of their abilities entangles the group in a fight for their lives. A mysterious organization called the “Elgen” kidnap Taylor and hold Michael’s mother hostage. In order to rescue them, Michael teams up with Ostin and his ex-bullies from the Elgen’s academy (which is really a laboratory and prison) in Pasadena, California.

The story follows Michael and the other main characters’ limited perspectives, including the manipulative Dr. Hatch, one of the Elgen. Michael learns more about the evil deeds of the corporation that stole his mother and gave him his powers. Hatch tries to convince Michael and Taylor to join him, although Michael doesn’t agree with Hatch’s desire for global domination. Michael is most concerned with protecting those he loves and keeping himself on the right side of history. Despite the changing perspectives, the story’s plot is easy to follow. The Prisoner of Cell 25 also has a host of interesting side characters and unexpected plot twists.

This coming-of-age story is geared towards late middle schoolers and early high schoolers. While this age group may not relate to having superpowers, the Michael Vey series emphasizes staying true to one’s values and being loyal to one’s friends and family. Temptation, torture, and manipulation from the Elgen, the evil side, are common themes in the story. Michael is constantly pressured to choose differently than what he thinks is right, such as when Dr. Hatch wants him to forget his mother and join his academy. The gravity of these themes can be unsettling because the teens in the story are manipulated by an older and more powerful adult: Dr. Hatch. Michael struggles under the responsibility of his power, but all the characters—including the non-electric ones — show that the ability to choose is the greatest power we have.

Sexual Content

Ostin thinks Michael’s mom is attractive. He calls her “hot” and “a babe.”
Taylor is described as very beautiful. Ostin and Michael both think so. At one point, Ostin says, “Taylor’s really a babe. You know she likes you . . . I read this book on body language. And I was watching her body.” Michael says, “Yeah, I bet you were.” Ostin replies, “for scientific purposes.”
Michael has a crush on Taylor. They begin dating towards the end of the story and share a few quick kisses. Michael describes, “She [Taylor] set down the phone and walked over and took my hand… She leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. Then she wrapped her arms around me and we kissed again.”

Violence

Because the Elgen are trying to locate Taylor and Michael, there is a bounty placed on them.
Michael and Ostin are bullied in school by a gang of boys. “It was the second time I’d been locked in my locker by Jack Vranes and his friends that month. This time they put me in upside down and I nearly passed out . . .” The gang also “pantsed” Ostin.
Michael reveals why he left his previous school: “When I was in sixth grade… a bunch of wrestlers put me in the lunchroom garbage can and rolled me across the cafeteria… It took five minutes before I couldn’t take it anymore and I ‘went off,’ as my mother calls it. I wasn’t as good at controlling it back then, and one of the boys was taken to the hospital.”
Knowing of Michael’s powers, Ostin suggests that Michael shocks people that pick on him.
When they suspect Michael of ratting them out, Jack and his gang beat him up. Michael uses his powers to shock them. Michael will frequently use his powers to defend himself from worse threats. The scene is described over four pages. “Jack grabbed me by the hair and pulled my head around… He smacked me again on the nose, which sent a shock of pain through my body. At that moment something snapped… A surge of anger ran through my body so powerful I couldn’t control it. Suddenly a sharp, electric ZAP! pierced the air, like the sound of ice being dropped onto a hot griddle. Electricity flashes and Jack and his posse screamed out as they all fell to their backs and flopped about on the grass like fish on land. I rolled over to my side and wiped the blood from my nose… I stood above Jack, who was frothing at the mouth. ‘I told you to leave me alone. If you ever touch me again, I’ll do worse.’”
When Ostin uses a multimeter to test the levels of Michael’s electricity, he says Michael produced so much electricity that he “could kill someone.”
When investigating birth records, the Electroclan discovers that Michael and Taylor’s birthdays coincide with an increased number of infant fatalities at Pasadena General Hospital. Only 17 of 59 children survived. They discover that the incident is related to Elgen.
While out to dinner with Ostin, Michael and his mom are held at gunpoint by a robber working for the Elgen corporation. Michael shocks him, but it was a test to see his skills. Dr. Hatch – the head of the Elgen’s facility in Pasadena, California – has one of the other 17 electric children, Zeus, shock Michael’s mother. Nichelle, another electric child who is also present, uses her power on Michael to take away his electricity.
Nichelle, one of the electric children, takes pleasure in hurting other people with her powers and frequently does so, even when she’s not under orders by Dr. Hatch. She tortures Michael upon first meeting him: “As the girl neared me I started to feel different… With each step the girl took toward me, my dizziness increased. Then my head began to pound like a bass drum.” She tortures many of the electric children, remarking once of Michael that she “almost killed him.”
Dr. Hatch’s elaborate schemes often involve the forced participation of the electric children. He tries to get Taylor and Michael on board by separating them from their families and bribing them to join him. He has a twisted view of reality. When talking about the babies that died, he says, “Accidents are the price of civilization. Blood oils social progress. Sure, it was awful, but was it worth it? Believe me, it was.”
Tara, Taylor’s twin sister, can produce fear and reset brain signals. She also uses her powers to torture others because she is loyal to Dr. Hatch, such as making people think snakes are crawling on them. This isn’t described by any of the characters until Michael is in Cell 25.
It is implied that the Elgen brought down an airplane, killing the passengers.
Dr. Hatch “broke” Tanner, one of the electric children. Hatch tortured Tanner’s little brother in front of him. Hatch says, “The first time I told him to take down a 747 he refused. Until we let him see his little brother getting nearly electrocuted by one of your peers. It only took ten minutes of his screams before he was quite eager to help out.” It is also implied that they killed another girl’s adopted family in an electrical fire.
Dr. Hatch pressures Taylor into using her powers to “reboot” people. Rebooting is Taylor’s word for making someone forget what they are doing. Hatch makes her do this to a singer at a concert, making the singer forget her lyrics. Taylor learns that Hatch often forces the students to demonstrate their powers as a test of their loyalty to him.
Dr. Hatch punishes the children if they lash out and use their powers on others, such as when Zeus shocks someone at the concert. “Bolts of electricity shot out from Zeus’s fingers. The man cried out and dropped to the ground like a bag of concrete.”
Later, Dr. Hatch tries to make Taylor reboot a motorcycle driver, but she refuses because he could crash and die. Instead, Tara reboots the man for her. Taylor argues, “’He asked me to kill someone.’ ‘So what?’ Tara replies. . . ‘They’re just people!’”
When Taylor refuses to reboot a man, Nichelle tortures her as punishment. Hatch says, “’You have no idea what hurt is. But you will. Nichelle, Miss Ridley needs a little lesson in gratitude—about an hour’s worth to begin with. Oblige me.’ A sadistic smile lit up Nichelle’s face. ‘I’d be happy to.’ Nichelle stepped inside the darkroom and Hatch shut the door behind the girls. He could hear Taylor’s screams even before he reached the other end of the corridor.”
Jack and Wade, Michael’s former bullies, agree to drive him and Ostin to Pasadena. Because they formerly did not get along, name-calling and threats are common. Michael learns from Jack about Wade’s upbringing. Wade’s “parents were alcoholics. His old man used to beat the tar out of him until the state took him away. He lived with foster parents until they put him with his grandma, but she doesn’t really want him. She’s not shy about telling him either.”
After breaking into the academy, Hatch imprisons Michael. Nichelle uses her power to force Michael into submission. When Michael lunges at Hatch, Nichelle protects the doctor by using her powers against Michael, “Pain seared through my entire body, buckling my knees. I fell to the ground screaming.”
Hatch tells Michael that he killed his own father by stopping his heart.
Hatch often threatens to use violence because he will use any means necessary to get Michael on his side, including harming Michael’s mother, who they still have imprisoned. Hatch also wants Michael to shock a GP—the name the academy gives to their human guinea pigs, who are kept with shockable collars that don’t allow them to speak.
Hatch imprisons Michael in Cell 25, which is supposed to be a form of torture. Later, the reader learns that it is a special type of solitary confinement in which Tara creates fear. Michael stays in Cell 25 for twenty-six days, which is described in a short chapter. “I was suddenly filled with fear like I had never felt before. Something evil was crawling around in the cell… Something frightening beyond words.”
After, Michael is still defiant, so Hatch orders Zeus to kill Ostin and Taylor in front of him. However, Michael distracts Zeus and escapes with Taylor and Ostin.
The group of electric children that aren’t loyal to Hatch attempt to escape the academy. The kids use their powers to knock out the guards. The non-electric kids often fight with their fists. “Wade hit first, wrapping his arms around the guard’s legs, while Jack knocked him over. The other inmate grabbed the guard around the neck. The guard was flailing around but had no idea who or what had hit him.” The rest of the fighting is not described in great detail.
During the escape, Hatch attempts to shoot Michael, but Zeus stops the bullet. “Hatch pulled a revolver from beneath his jacket and pointed it at me. ‘You did this, Vey. Now pay.’ He pulled the trigger. As the gun erupted, lightning flashed across the room and hit the bullet inches in front of me, blowing it into nothing.”
The final confrontation is between Michael and Nichelle. He stops her by surging with all he has, which hurts her: “’Stop it!’ Nichelle screamed again, then began convulsing as if she were having a seizure… [She] fell to her knees in agony.” He stops when she’s unconscious.

Drugs and Alcohol

Jack, Michael’s former bully turned ally, is seen smoking a few times.
When Taylor is kidnapped, she “felt as if she’d been drugged.”
Jack’s brother is in prison due to a gunfight over drug money. He tells Michael, “He got really messed up on drugs. He and a guy were stealing snowmobiles to get money for drugs when the owner came out. The guy with [Jack’s brother] had a gun and he shot the man. My brother didn’t even know that he had a gun, but the way the laws are, he’s also guilty.”
Wade’s parents were alcoholics.

Language

Name-calling is frequent, both affectionately and for bullying purposes. Insults include spawn, stupid, wimp, freak, and idiot.
Michael is sometimes made fun of for having Tourette’s. Jack calls him “blinky boy.”
Ostin is made fun of for his weight. He’s called “doughboy.”
Sometimes insults are created to reference powers of the electrical children. For example, Michael is called “glow worm” because the electric children glow in the dark. Ian is called “bat boy” because he uses electrolocation to see, similar to how bats use echolocation.

Supernatural

The seventeen electric children have electric-based powers and have a faint glow in the dark. Michael can “shock,” “pulse,” and “surge” electricity.
Taylor can “reboot” people by resetting electrical brain signals.
Nichelle can cause pain and take away electricity. She calls herself an “electrical vampire.”
Zeus can shock others with lightning bolts.
Tara can induce fear and other emotions.
Bryan can burn through objects.
Kylee is similar to a magnet since she can bring metal objects to her and stick to metal surfaces.
Mckenna can make light and heat.
Abi can take away pain due to stimulating nerve endings.
Tanner can interfere with electrical signals, often with aircraft.
Ian, who is blind, uses electrolocation to see.
Grace works like a computer and can import electric data files into her memory.

Spiritual Content

Hatch remarks that fate favored him. He says, “we never dreamed that we’d be so fortunate that she’d [Taylor] lead us to you. In this matter, fate was truly generous.”
Michael thinks, “Fate sucks.”

by Madison Shooter

The Cruel Prince

Jude, her twin sister Taryn, and half-sister Vivi lived a normal life until their parents were murdered by Madoc, Vivi’s war general faerie father. Despite killing their parents, Madoc takes the three sisters to live with him at his estate in Faerieland. While Vivi is half-faerie, Jude and Taryn are outsiders to their new world and some of the only well-treated mortals in the land. However, being the high general’s “children” does not grant them respect. At school, Taryn and Jude find themselves the butt of many jokes and are tormented by Cardan (a faerie prince), Nicasia, Locke, and Valerian. Jude often feels powerless against the fae and is subject to their glamours and compulsions. Plus, her mortality makes her vulnerable to their cruel jokes.

However, Jude’s life begins to change when she becomes a spy for Prince Dain, Cardan’s brother and next in line to be the High King of Faerie. Given a geas by the prince, which prevents compulsion, Jude begins to stand up to Cardan and his friends. She also begins a romance with Locke, who is the only one of Cardan’s friends that had ever shown her compassion. Jude’s mortality allows her to slip into Hollow Hall (Prince Balekin’s residence; Dain’s main competition for the throne) unnoticed and gather crucial information for Dain’s cause.

At the coronation, Taryn reveals that she is to be married to Locke, shocking everyone, most notably Jude, who believed herself to be Locke’s girlfriend. While Dain is being crowned, chaos breaks out and Balekin, Dain’s brother, challenges Dain for the throne. Madoc, who is secretly working with Balekin, kills Dain, and shortly after, all of Dain’s siblings have been killed or committed suicide—except for Cardan, who is nowhere to be seen. While scrambling for shelter from the bloodshed, Jude stumbles upon Cardan, and decides to take him hostage and use him as a bargaining chip with Balekin and Madoc. While holding him hostage, Jude discovers Cardan’s reason for hating her, which is that he cannot stop thinking about her and shamefully desires her.

Jude becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and discovers her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Told from Jude’s point of view, The Cruel Prince explores the triumph of an outsider. Although the characters feel believable, at times, it can be difficult to root for them, or even like them, because they are cruel. The novel pushes the point that cruelty only begets more cruelty, and that betrayal and ruthlessness are essential in the pursuit of power. The plot is rather complex, and the book is chock-full of events that all seem to be very important. Although some events seem superfluous at first, their relevance is revealed by the end of the novel. The dialogue, at times, can feel a little convoluted and antiquated, but this seems to fit with the holier-than-thou air of the fae. Altogether, The Cruel Prince is an engaging, fast-paced novel showcasing a strong female lead.

Sexual Content

Vivi is revealed to have a girlfriend in the human world. “Vivi is in the photos, her arm draped over the shoulders of a grinning, pink-haired mortal girl. Maybe Taryn isn’t the only one who has decided to fall in love.”
Vivi “kisses Heather,” her mortal girlfriend.
After being forced to consume faerie fruit, which is like a drug to humans, Cardan and his friends convince Jude to take of her dress, until all she is wearing is “mortal underclothes—a mint-and-black polka-dotted bra and underpants.”
Jude begins a romance with Locke, Cardan’s friend. At Locke’s house before a party, she thinks, “I want his mouth on mine, blotting out everything else.”
Jude sees Cardan at a party with a girl. “A horned girl I don’t know is kissing his throat, and another, this one with daffodil hair, presses her mouth against the calf of his leg, just above the top of his boot.”
While Jude is holding Cardan hostage, she realizes that Cardan desires her. Jude leans “toward him, close enough for a kiss. His eyes widen. The look on his face is some commingling of panic and desire.”
After realizing she has power over Cardan, Jude kisses him. “But kissing Locke never felt the way that kissing Cardan does, like taking a dare to run over knives, like an adrenaline strike of lightning, like the moment when you’ve swum too far out in the sea and there is no going back, only cold black water closing over your head . . . Then his hands come up, gentle as they glide over my arms. If I didn’t know better, I’d say his touch was reverent, but I do know better… He doesn’t want this. He doesn’t want to want this…He kisses me hard, with a kind of devouring desperation, fingers digging into my hair. Our mouths slide together, teeth over lips over tongues. Desire hits me like a kick to the stomach. It’s like fighting, except what we’re fighting for is to crawl inside each other’s skin.”

Violence

Madoc confronts Jude’s mother who faked her death. Madoc says, “The bones of an earthly woman and her unborn child in the burned remains of my estate were convincing.”
Madoc kills Jude’s mother and father as an act of revenge. Madoc is particularly violent when he kills Jude’s father. “The man plunged the sword into Dad’s stomach, pushing it upward. There was a sound, like sticks snapping, and an animal cry.” The scene is described over four pages.
When a faerie doesn’t bow to Cardan, he “grabs one of his wings. It tears like paper. The boy’s scream is thin and reedy. He curls up into himself on the ground, agony plain on his face.”
Madoc is a redcap, meaning that “after every battle, he ritually dips his hood into the blood of his enemies.” In one scene, the cap is described as, “stiff and stained a brown so deep it’s almost black.”
When Jude is awarded a ruby-studded pen from Madoc, one of her classmates becomes angry. “This threw Valerian into such a rage that he cracked me in the back of the head with his wooden practice sword.”
When she was a child, Jude was bullied because she is human. Jude mentions that “when I was nine, one of Madoc’s guards bit off the very top of the ring finger on my left hand.”
After being catcalled by a human in a visit to the mortal world, Jude attacks the catcaller, “I am turning before I can think, my fist cracking into his jaw. My booted foot hits his gut as he falls, rolling him over the pavement. I blink and find myself standing there, staring down at a kid who is gasping for air and starting to cry. My boot is raised to kick him in the throat, to crush his windpipe.”
After answering a question right in school, Jude is harassed and a classmate “slaps [her].”
After sneaking into Cardan’s house, Jude sees Cardan and his brother practicing swordplay. “Balekin brings down his staff hard, smacking him in the side of the head. I wince at the sound of the wood against his skull.”
After Cardan and his brother spar, Balekin punishes him for failure and has a servant whip him. “The servant strikes twice, the slap of the leather echoing loudly in the still air of the room.”
One of Cardan’s friends tries to get Jude to kill herself because she is embarrassing him. Jude retaliates, however, and “pull[s] the knife from my little pocket and stab[s] him in the side. Right between his ribs. If my knife had been longer, I would have punctured his lung.”
Jude tries to take a human servant that she had saved back to the human world. However, the servant, Sophie “tilts to one side, let’s go of the steed’s mane, and lets herself fall.” She falls into the ocean after filling her pockets with stones, committing suicide.
After finding out that Jude has stabbed Valerian after Valerian attempted to kill her, Dain, Jude’s spymaster, begins to question her loyalty to him because she has revealed her inability to be glamoured, putting the whole operation at risk. Because of this, Dain tells her to stab herself and prove her loyalty. Jude’s eyes were “on him, I slam the knife into my hand. The pain is a wave that rises higher and higher but never crashes.”
Angry with Jude for besting him, Valerian sneaks into Jude’s house and attacks her. As he chokes her, Jude retaliates. “Despite his fingers against my windpipe, despite the way my vision has begun to go dark around the edges, I make sure of my strike before I drive my knife into his chest. Into his heart,” killing him.
When Jude shoots a faerie spy, “the creature topples over, a flailing arm sending a pyramid of golden apples spilling to the dirt.”
At the coronation, while Dain is being crowned, “Madoc thrusts his sword through Dain’s chest with such force that the blade emerges on the other side. He drags it up, through his rib cage, to his heart.”
At the coronation, Jude takes Cardan hostage and “press[es] the tip of the knife against his skin so he can feel the bite.”
It is revealed that “Dain poisoned his own child, still in the womb.”
Locke has been secretly dating both Jude and Taryn. When Jude finds out, she challenges Taryn to a fight. Afterward, Madoc questions Taryn, “Did she thrust a sword into your hand and make you swing it? Do you really think that your sister has no honor, that she would chop you into pieces while you stood by, unarmed?’”
Jude challenges Madoc to a duel, and they fight for about 5 pages. Jude feigns “left and then land[s] a clever slice to his side. It’s a shallow hit, but it surprises us both when a line of red wets his coat. He thrusts toward me. I jump to one side, and he elbows me in the face, knocking me back to the ground. Blood gushes over my mouth from my nose.” She knows that she cannot win the fight, but she poisoned Madoc and just has to outlast him until the poison takes effect.

Drugs and Alcohol

There are many instances where people drink wine at faerie parties and also at dinner. At parties, people are described to, “drink themselves sick and numb themselves with poisonous and delightful powders.”
At the first revel Jude attends, Cardan is drunk. “His breath is heavy with the scent of honey wine.”
At dinner, Madoc and his wife, Oriana, “drink canary wine,” while the children “mix [theirs] with water.”
At one party, Jude is glamoured by a faerie to drink. “So [Jude] drank; the grass-green faerie wine slipping down my throat like nectar.”
Faerie fruit is dangerous for humans to consume. It “muddles the mind, which makes humans crave it enough to starve themselves for another taste, which makes us pliant and suggestible and ridiculous.”
When first introduced to Dain’s spies, Jude is offered a drink. The Ghost, one of Dain’s spies, “pours out four shots.” Then he says, “Have a drink. And don’t worry . . . It won’t befuddle you any more than any other drink.”
Jude talks about the various poisons that exist in Faerieland. Jude read “about the blusher mushroom, a pale fungus that blooms with beads of a red liquid that looks uncomfortably like blood. Small doses cause paralysis, while large doses are lethal, even for the Folk. Then there is deathsweet, which causes a sleep that lasts a hundred years. And wraithberry, which makes your blood race until your heart stops. And faerie fruit, of course, which one book called everapple.”
Jude begins to poison herself to build up immunity to poisoning. She consumes “a leaf of wraithberry from the palace garden. A petal from a flower of deathsweet. The tiniest bead of juice from the blusher mushroom. From each, I cut away a tinier portion and swallow. Mithridatism, it’s called. Isn’t that a funny name? The process of eating poison to build up immunity. So long as I don’t die from it, I’ll be harder to kill.”
While at a party, Jude and Locke “drink pale green wine that tastes of herbs out of massive goblets that Locke finds in the back of a cabinet.”
Jude worries about going to a party, but Locke reassures her by saying, “They’ll quickly be too drunk to notice.”
While in someone’s study, Jude notices that he has various herbs, and “a few are poisonous, but most are just narcotic.”
During Dain’s coronation, Jude sees Cardan, “unsteady on his feet and with a wine-skin in one hand. He appears to have gotten himself riotously drunk.”
Jude tricks Madoc into drinking a glass of poisoned wine. Jude gives “him a quick smile, pouring two glasses of wine—one light and the other dark. I am careful with them, sly-fingered. I do not spill a drop. . . I offer them both up for Madoc to choose between. Smiling, he takes the one the color of heart’s blood. I take the other.”
While at a coronation, Cardan drinks “directly from the neck” of a bottle of wine.

Language

Profanity is used rarely. Profanity includes bitch. For example, when Jude fights a stranger, the stranger’s friend screams, “Bitch. . . Crazy Bitch!”

Supernatural

Supernatural elements play a large part in the novel, as it takes place in Faerieland, a place ruled and inhabited by the fae.
Vivi, Jude’s half-sister, who is half-fae, is described as having a “split-pupiled gaze” and “lightly furred points of her ears.”
Jude describes the precautions that humans must take in Faerieland, and how her housemaid, Tatterfell protected her. “It was Tatterfell who smeared stinging faerie ointment over my eyes to give me True Sight so that I could see through most glamours, who brushed the mud from my boots, and who strung dried rowan berries for me to wear around my neck so I might resist enchantments. She wiped my wet nose and reminded me to wear my stockings inside out, so I’d never be led astray in the forest.”
When Tatterfell is doing Jude’s hair, she notes, “’I put in three knots for luck.”
One of Madoc’s spies is “a wrinkled creature with a nose like a parsnip and a back hunched higher than her head.”
While attending a faeire party, Jude describes the folk who are in attendance. “There are dozens of the Folk here, crowding around the entrance to the vast throne room, where Court is being held—long-nosed pixies with tattered wings; elegant, green-skinned ladies in long gowns with goblins holding up their trains; tricksy boggans; laughing foxkin; a boy in an owl mask and a golden headdress; an elderly woman with crows crowding her shoulders; a gaggle of girls with wild roses in their hair; a bark-skinned boy with feathers around his neck; a group of knights all in scarab-green armor.”
Prince Dain, a faerie, has “hooves and deer legs.”
Cardan has a tail, “with a tuft on the end! It coils up under his clothes and unfurls like a whip.”
As Jude and Taryn walk to school, they “spot mermaids and merrows sunning themselves near craggy caves, their scales reflecting the amber glow of the late-afternoon sun.”
The Lake of Masks is a magical lake, that “doesn’t reflect your own face—it shows you someone else who has looked or will look into it.”
Jude describes some of the fae. “There are hobs born with lined faces like tiny, hairless cats and smooth-limbed nixies whose true age shows only in their ancient eyes.”
Jude is compelled by a faerie to drink and dance at a party. Jude isn’t able to stop of her own accord because a stranger “compelled me to drink, and so I drank; the grass-green faerie wine slipping down my throat like nectar. He danced me around the hill. It was fun at first, the kind of terrifying fun that makes you screech to be put down half the time and feel dizzy and sick the rest. But when the fun wore off and I still couldn’t stop, it was just terrifying. It turned out that my fear was equally amusing to him, though.”
Vivi can summon beings called ragwort ponies and, “They look a little like sea horses and will ride over land and sky, according to Vivi’s command, keeping their seeming for hours before collapsing back into weeds.”
After rescuing a human servant, Jude explains the world of Faerie. The girl responds, “I always wanted there to be magic. Isn’t that funny? I wanted there to be an Easter Bunny and a Santa Claus. And Tinker Bell, I remember Tinker Bell. But I don’t want it. I don’t want it anymore.”

Spiritual Content

None

by Sara Mansfield

Fablehaven #1

Siblings Kendra and Seth spend the summer visiting their grandparents. The first week of their visit is confined by their grandfather’s strict rules to stay in the yard and not explore the property. Then Kendra uncovers a secret journal with a single note in it, “Drink the milk.”

Kendra and Seth drink the milk the caretaker leaves out every morning for the butterflies, and suddenly their eyes are opened. The insects surrounding them transform into beautiful fairies and they learn the property, called Fablehaven, is a home for magical, mystical creatures. The siblings are not allowed to explore the property beyond the yard because it is full of dangerous beings. Then, on Midsummer’s Eve, the yard and home’s protections are lifted, and all creatures are allowed to roam free. The terror of the evening leads to a dangerous adventure that will require courage from the young siblings in order to save their family.

Fablehaven highlights the importance of courage, following rules, and loyalty. Seth and Kendra struggle with following rules they feel are unfair, even though the rules are in place to protect them. In the end, the siblings must surmount their fears and face a terrifying situation to overcome evil forces and save their family. The magical fights and demons in the book may be disturbing for some readers, but the scenes are brief and general in their description. However, some readers might find several of the scenes upsetting. For example, during the story, the children see their grandmother naked. Plus, she teaches them how to give a troll a massage, which sends him into a state of ecstasy.

Middle school readers will find they are able to relate to the siblings. Seth is a lovable, mischievous brother whose curiosity tends to get him into trouble. Kendra is more cautious and is frequently led out of her comfort zone by Seth. This novel is entertaining and largely plot-driven, following Seth and Kendra as they mature with their increasing responsibilities and knowledge.

Mull’s story has a slow start but the adventures that follow are worth the wait. The story’s interesting characters include witches, fairies, satyrs, imps, a troll, and a strange chicken. Despite the fantastical characters, Fablehaven’s world needs more descriptions. Still, the novel will leave the reader excited to pick up the next book in the series, Rise of the Evening Star. Readers who want a less upsetting and greatly suspenseful story that takes you into the fairy world, should read The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black.

Sexual Content

Fallen fairies, called imps, would be turned back into fairies if they were kissed by a true fairy. “In radiant bursts and sparks, every imp that was kissed transformed into a human-sized fairy!”

Violence

Kendra and Seth are warned of the dangers of the property’s pond by Lena, their grandfather’s associate. Lena says, “The pond can be a hazardous place. Return there now, and you would find friendly naiads beckoning you near the water in order to pull you under and drown you.”
When demons break into Seth and Kendra’s bedroom, one of the demons touches salt surrounding their bed. The salt causes the demon great pain and “his face and chest were charred.”
The siblings’ grandmother explains the necessity of taking a dangerous dart to visit the witch. She says, “This dart will slay any being that was ever mortal, including the enchanted or undead, if I can lodge it in a lethal place.”
Grandma Sorenson fires the dangerous dart at the witch. “The arrow took flight. . . Muriel shrieked and toppled back against the net of knotted ropes, a manicured hand covering the front of her shoulder. She rebounded forward, falling on her knees, panting, still clutching her shoulder, black feathers protruding between her slender fingers.”
Kendra needs some of the property’s giant cow’s blood for an elixir. She climbs up a ladder to get to its udder and “plunges the weed digger into the spongy flesh. The tool sank almost to the handle, and Viola made a terrified bellow.”
Kendra also needs her own blood for the elixir. “Gritting her teeth, she stuck her thumb with the pin and then squeezed two drops of blood into the mixture.”
The fairies and demons fight to try and imprison the escaped demon, Bahumat. The fighting begins when, “The winged beasts clawed their smaller opponents, but the fairies adroitly evaded the blows and slashed off their wings.” This violence is described over five pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

While the kids are asleep, Grandpa Sorenson has satyrs over for a party. He explains, “It was not a party for young people. As caretaker, your grandfather would never drink, but I can’t vouch for the satyrs.”
The satyrs lecture Seth and Kendra for foiling their plan to steal the ogresses’ soup, saying, “If you spoiled our wine, that would be another story.”
The satyrs explain they would like batteries for their television. The satyrs say, “Then we can trade for more. Gold, booze, you name it.”
Grandma Sorenson warns Kendra against smelling beautiful flowers. Grandma Sorenson says the flowers are “more addictive than most drugs. Sampling a lotus blossom awakens a craving that will never be silenced. Many have wasted their lives pursuing and consuming the petals of those bewitching flowers.”

Language

After meeting the satyrs, Seth describes them as “idiots.”

Supernatural

Grandpa Sorenson explains the dangers of Muriel, the witch. “Before long, she became enamored with the power of witchcraft. . . Her husband tried to help her, but she was already too demented.”
Grandpa Sorenson discusses the dangers of the Society of the Evening Star saying, “members of the Society consort with demons and practitioners of the black arts.”
Grandma Sorenson discusses the imprisoned demon. “Long ago, this land was possessed by a powerful demon named Bahumat. . . The natives made whatever offerings the demons seemed to require, but still they lived in fear.”
Grandma Sorenson discusses the danger of the witch, saying, “Muriel is a student of evil.”
At the end of the battle against the demon, Kendra looks around at the fairies surrounding her and reflects that she “had seen many fairies fall during the battle, but most had been revived and healed by the magic of their comrades.”

Spiritual Content

None

by Paige Smith

Maggie and the Wish Fish

Eight-year-old Maggie isn’t like other girls who live in the Enchanted Forest. She notices magical animals around her that no one else does – like flying pigs and geese that lay golden eggs.

Maggie hasn’t been getting along with her stepmother and stepbrother. It doesn’t help that flying pigs keep messing up her chores and getting her into trouble! One day while she’s near a lake, she catches a magical fish who promises to make her wish come true, but only if she frees him. Maggie wants a new family more than anything, but can she really trust a talking fish?

Even though Maggie works hard, her stepmother keeps punishing her. Every time Maggie gets into trouble, her stepmother withholds food. It’s a good thing there are wild berry bushes in the Enchanted Forest! Maggie’s stepmother is convinced that Maggie is a liar and a thief, so she throws Maggie out into the cold. Like a Disney fairytale, Maggie and the Wish Fish concludes with a happy ending where Maggie has a new home and a new friend.

Maggie and the creatures who live in the Enchanted Forest appear in black and white illustrations. The cute illustrations appear every 2 to 7 pages. Even though the trolls and the goblins are dangerous, they look cartoonish instead of frighteningly scary. One of the characters shares his journal with Maggie. The illustrated journal gives information about the magical animals and their habits. Readers who are not fluent will need help with some of the vocabulary. However, with short paragraphs, large text, and a simple plot, Maggie and the Wish Fish is accessible to readers ready for chapter books.

Young readers will enjoy the fairytale elements of Maggie and the Wish Fish. A mean step-family, arguing goblins, and talking animals combine to make a sweet story. The story contains enough suspense to keep readers interested and a satisfying ending that will leave readers with a smile. Readers who enjoy fairytales should add the Once Upon a Fairy Tale Series by Anna Staniszewski to their reading list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Maggie meets a girl who has a goose that lays golden eggs.
When goblins see Maggie, she chases them away with a piece of unicorn horn. “Unicorn horns destroyed poison. There was poison in goblins’ blood. Any goblin that even touched a unicorn horn would go poof! and vanish.”

Spiritual Content

None

Beneath the Citadel

Prophecies have ruled the city of Eldra for centuries. With each new prophecy, the ruling high council tightens their control on the city, crushing any who would rebel against them. For Cassa Valera, the council and their leader, the chancellor, are her number one targets for revenge. After her parents led a rebellion and were killed, Cassa has been looking for a chance to free the city from the council’s clutches. Along with her friends Evander, Alys, Newt, and Vesper, she hatches a plan to infiltrate the mighty citadel where the council resides.

But even if Cassa and her friends are brave enough to fight against the citadel, their plans won’t go smoothly. The council will hound their every step, as they use their diviners to foresee the future. Old friends will betray them. Their loved ones will be in danger. And most of all, their relationships will be strained.

The fight against the council will be a hard one. Yet, with the unexpected help of a stranger, they may just be able to pull it off. That stranger, however, may turn out to be more monstrous than the council. Will Cassa and her friends be able to save the city they love?

Beneath the Citadel is a fun read that follows the main characters Cassa, Evander, Alys, Newt, and Vesper. The story jumps from each character’s point of view. Each character is unique, with their own realistic troubles and fears. For instance, Alys deals with anxiety that affects her everyday life. Alys’ younger brother, Evander, is afraid he won’t be able to protect his family. Newt was abused by his father, and worries he doesn’t matter to anyone. And Cassa is always afraid that nothing she does will ever matter. But while these characters have flaws and fears, they work to overcome them, making them likable. Readers will root for them to triumph in the end.

While the characters will pull readers in, the plot is strong as well. The plot is simple to understand, but complex enough to make readers think about each character’s actions and decisions. At the start, the group’s goal is simply to take down the citadel, but by the end, each member is fighting against a monster more destructive than the council: a man named Solan. Solan is the main villain who has numerous powers including being able to see the future and steal people’s memories. Readers will enjoy the thrill of watching the four young heroes fight to stop Solan in his tracks before he destroys Eldra.

Overall, Beneath the Citadel has a nice pacing and is a fun read from start to finish. It focuses on the theme of teens dealing with the mistakes of their parents and predecessors, as well as the smaller themes of handling anxiety and discovering a new love. As a standalone novel, everything is neatly wrapped up by the end of the story. Destiny Soria’s novel is a great choice for any reader of YA fantasy fiction.

Sexual Content

Before the start of the story, Evander and Cassa were romantically involved. “They had broken off their romance six months ago. It had been a mutual decision and very amicable, but you don’t just forget almost a year of your life being so closely intertwined with another person’”
Newt recalls when he first met Evander and Cassa. They were still an item and Newt watched as Cassa turned to Evander and “leaned down and kissed him.”
Evander is bisexual and falls head over heels for Newt. “Evander had figured out he was bisexual around the same time he’d figured out what sex was. But Newt held a strange fascination for him, ever since their first chance meeting years ago.”
Newt realizes he has feelings for Evander too. “There was a thrill of new energy inside him, a tingling in his fingertips, and the dawning certainty that one day he was going to fall in love with Evander Sera.” When they’re outside of the city walls, Newt and Evander kiss each other. “It wasn’t Newt’s first kiss, but it was the first one that mattered. His thoughts were deliciously hazy. He was kissing Evander Sera. Evander Sera was kissing him.”

Violence

Evander recalls being beaten during an interrogation. “He’d already earned a few bruises during the interrogation. It wasn’t supposed to be a painful process, but the sentient who was reading his memories hadn’t appreciated his sense of humor and had called in a burly guard to impart the wisdom of keeping his mouth shut.”
Newt can contort his body in order to get in and out of bad situations. “Newt breathed in deeply through his mouth and, with a wince, popped his left thumb out of its socket. It didn’t hurt, but he’d never grown used to the uncanny sensation.” That contortion takes a toll on his body. “He’d never told them about the alarming frequency of sprains when he didn’t use the braces, that while he could bend his body in fantastic fashion, it came at a price.”
Alys watches Newt knock out a guard. “She didn’t see Newt until he was only a few feet away from the guard and was swinging something—a lantern—in a high arc toward the back of the man’s head. There was a terrific thump, followed by another thump as the man fell to the floor, his gun clattering beside him.”
Alys often thinks she’s dead weight. At one point she thinks, “Maybe it would be better if she just died before they caught up. Maybe it would be better if she died now. Maybe it would be better. Maybe it would.”
When Mira, the Blacksmith’s daughter, performs the blood-bonding ritual on Solan, she has to cut open his arm. “Mira leaned in beside Cassa and slit a long, deep line into the inside of Solan’s left arm, a mirror to Evander’s own scar.”

Drugs and Alcohol

The group originally sneaks into the citadel in barrels. “The kitchen workers had unknowingly smuggled all four of them into the basement storerooms in barrels of beer that were only half full.”
Cassa talks to Alys about possibly becoming a legend in the streets of Eldra. Cassa then tells Alys, “We’ll get a whole tavern drunk one night and spread the rumor.”

Language

Damn, ass and shit are used frequently. For example, when her friends break her out of a prison cell, Cassa says, “Just open the damn door.” Another time, Evander talks to Cassa about her terrible escape plan. “I doubt your half-assed escape plan would work a second time.”
Bitch and bastard are both used a few times. For example, the Dream Merchant, a man who buys and sells dreams, tells off Cassa. “This is none of your business, you little bitch.”
The Dream Merchant calls Cassa’s parents, “scum parents.”

Supernatural

Eldra, and the country it’s a part of, Teruvia, are ruled by ancient prophecies. These prophecies dictate life for the vast majority of people in the city of Eldra. Pretty much everything in Eldra revolves around prophecies, and many characters use these powers to see the future. The Chancellor says, “The teachings laid down by Teruvia’s forefathers tell us that the elder seers saw every thread of the tapestry that is our present and future.”
There are official gatherings in Eldra to talk about prophecies. For example, “Most of the citadel’s inhabitants would be at the monthly council session, where any new prophecies were discussed and the fulfillment of old prophecies was speculated on.”
Solan uses runes to foresee Cassa and her friends stumbling across him in the dungeons beneath the citadel. Solan has “known for a while that you [Cassa] would be coming. I saw it in the runes.”
Bloodbonding is a process by which an individual is magically connected to some metal or other substance. The Chancellor thinks about bloodbonding after meeting with Evander. “With a bloodbond’s complete control over a particular metal, any number of everyday items could become weapons.”
Evander is bloodbonded to silver. “He could feel the silver like an extension of himself, moving farther and farther away, the connection weakening more and more.”
People who can manipulate other’s memories, or take them, are called Rooks. Vesper is a rook. She thinks about how “Rooks had to be patient and gentle, so very gentle. Memories were fragile. They could be torn or teased out too thin.”
When Cassa visits the Dream Merchant, a man who barters in dreams, she’s afraid he’ll take too many of her memories. “She had no doubt that Gaz would try to take far more than the memories she’d offered. And she didn’t know if she’d be able to stop him—or pull away once he’d started.”
Those that can magically read a person’s immediate past in their face are called sentients. Newt thinks, “He’d heard that skilled sentients could read so quickly and thoroughly that they might as well be reading someone’s mind instead of just their past.”

Spiritual Content

In Eldra, people worship the Slain God. Vesper, in a church, listened as, “The choir began to sing a gentle, haunting requiem in Teruvia’s dead language. The tale of the god who had once cradled Teruvia, protecting it from those who, in envy and greed, would do her harm.” Soon after the choir sings, “The tale of their dying god, who used the last of his strength to scatter his omniscience across Teruvia, a gift for the chosen devout few.”
It is believed the Slain God gave a few people his power, allowing them to foresee the future.
Before people pass on, they are typically given death rites. Death rites often involve taking one’s memories. Cassa thinks about the practice. “She did know that the devouring of memories was meant to be a cleansing of sorts, a final penitence in honor of the Slain God.”
Alys thinks about the typical rituals. “Normally, even if someone died without death rites, a priest would be on hand to talk about how every person’s greatest honor is to join the Slain God in blissful oblivion. Candles would be lit and doused at intervals. Sometimes someone would sing a verse from the Slain God’s requiem.”
Solan very much hates the religion of the Slain God. He tells off the chancellor, saying, “What a strange way of describing the duty that your pathetic religion demands of me.”

by Jonathan Planman

Deathcaster

In the Fells, the war with Arden couldn’t get any worse. The Queen is sick and out of the picture. The young Ardenine King, Jarat, is marching his army to the capital of Fells. And the heir to the gray wolf throne, Alyssa ana’Raisa, has been captured by the ruthless Empress Celestine.

For Ash, prince of the Fells, the only way forward is to rescue his sister, Lyss, from the Empress. But now that Celestine is on the war path, her armies ravaging the coast, that isn’t going to be an easy task. To cross the ocean and take on Celestine’s bloodsworn army, he’ll need help from unlikely allies and former enemies.

The rebel Ardenine general Hal wants nothing more than to see Lyss safe and in his arms. Yet to do that, he has to find a way to crush Celestine’s invading army. Between the arrogant King Jarat and his stubborn father, fielding an army to help the Fells drive off Celestine won’t be a walk in the park. Will Hal succeed in freeing Arden and the Fells from Jarat and Celestine’s grasp? Will Ash succeed in bringing his sister home to take her rightful place on the throne? Only time will tell.

Chima’s final entry in the Shattered Realms series is a wonderful conclusion to the saga. Focusing on the epic battles between the three nations and royal families, Deathcaster doesn’t disappoint in its suspense and action. Since this is the final book, the main theme of war is much more prevalent as multiple armies battle each other. These battles are each unique and well thought out, creating exciting and heart-pounding scenes.

The book splits its chapters into many points of view, including all of the main characters such as Ash, Lila, Jenna, Lyss, Hal, Destin, and Evan. While the sheer amount of main characters might appear to be overwhelming, the ease with which each chapter transitions to different points of view will pull readers in and never make them feel overwhelmed. Plus, each character is unique and interesting, with their own problems and personality that will hook readers.

The events of the story are believable, from the civil war in Arden to Ash’s journey across the ocean to save his sister. The ending feels a bit rushed, while some parts of the novel drag on, but overall the story is very well paced. The writing is easy to read and flows well, with each character getting a distinct voice. Overall, Deathcaster is a satisfying final entry to Chima’s Shattered Realms series.

Sexual Content

After a year apart, Ash meets Jenna. “There were many kisses but few words. His questions drew brief, vague answers, punctuated with the vivid images she delivered through touch.” Ash and Jenna have sex. “Making love with Jenna Bandelow was a twining of minds as well as bodies, a mingling of imagery and sensation so complete that sometimes it was hard to tell who owned what—who was giving, who receiving.”
Jenna tells Ash about dragon mating, “Dragons often mate in flight, so they twine their tails in order to, you know, maintain their—.”
Empress Celestine believes Lyss and Breon are lovers, and often tries to break them up. During dinner, Lyss thinks, “Celestine often included some handsome young men for Lyss, and a lovely young woman for Breon, or vice versa. She seemed determined to distract the erstwhile lovers with new options.” Later on, Lyss nearly shouts, “If I go to bed with someone, I want it to mean something.”
Samara, Celestine’s attendant, says, “I find that a bout between the sheets stirs my blood and prepares me to shed the blood of others.”
Ash gives Evan a massage to help ease the pain in Evan’s body after a fight. Evan then teases Ash, saying, “According to customs here in the drylands we are married now, and you are bound to perform this service every day.”
A soldier tells Hal, “There’s a rumor going around that you died at Delphi but the witch queen brought you back to life because she fell in love with your dead body.”

Violence

Lyss thinks about the fighting tournaments Celestine holds. “Sometimes the empress would choose two women to fight, or a mixed pair, or three against three. In one case, she blinded two soldiers, and then set them against each other.”
Evan and his subordinates are ambushed in his home. “Blood spattered Evan’s face and the floor around him. He lay on his back, helpless, though fully conscious, while the fighting went on around him. He was stepped on at least once.”
Hal is told that, “Karn’s disgraced, dead, and hanging from the city walls.”
Jenna’s dragon, Cas, attacks a member of the empress’ army. “He struck the bloodsworn, hard, just as he took his shot. The shot went wild and the soldier ended up pinned to the ground, screaming, bleeding from a dozen wounds.”
A group of dragons attacks the empress’ fortress city, “They burned everything that was burnable, from the quays to the houses that were tucked into the terraces on the hillside, to the small fishing boats that were all that remained in the harbor.”
Lila discovers a dead body in the woods. “It was what was left of one of the Darian Brothers, blood spattered all around. A knife lay in the mud nearby. He looked like he’d been torn apart by wolves.”
A servant is killed during a coup. “Before he could get there, the maiden lay dead in a pool of blood, run through by one of the blackbirds.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Hal’s younger brother says, “This drunk stumbled up to me, and I thought she was going to ask me for money or something.”
Ash and Sasha get drunk on a beach after being stranded at sea. Evan, the only one sober, “got the impression that they’d been at the cider for a while.”

Language

Bastard is used several times. A soldier tells Hal about a general’s death. “The scum-sucking bastard’s dead, thank the Maker.”
Ass is used frequently. When King Jarat orders Destin to lead a company of mages, Destin thinks, “And I will pull mages out of my ass.”

Supernatural

Jenna can see images of a person’s true self. “When Jenna gripped the Commander’s hands, images slid through her mind—a much younger Adam and Alyssa, dressed in elaborately stitched clothing, holding hands, watching a funeral procession, both weeping.”
Evan binds his followers to him with a blood ritual. “One dose was enough to bind a person; after that, they had an unquenchable thirst for more.”
Ash travels to the dream world, Aediion. “He was swept into a swirling black vortex. Gradually, he rebuilt the scene at Drovers’ Inn from memory.” In Aediion, spirits can meet with the living. Ash meets his father there, and his deceased father says, “Thank the Maker. I was close to giving up.” In Aediion, Ash also meets a demon. “It resembled a demon’s face—thin-lipped, hollow-cheeked in a cowl and prelate’s robes.”
When Ash enters Aediion, a demon attacks him with shadows. “It took everything Ash had to stand fast with shades flying into his face, swiping around his body, sliding under his clothes.”
Hadley DeVilliers uses her magic to sound proof a room, “Back at Kendall House, Shadow pulled glasses down from the shelf while DeVilliers circled the room, her hand on her amulet, putting up barriers to eavesdroppers.”
In Arden, mages are collared to keep them in check. Hal tells a mage about a key that can unlock every collar. “One key opens all of the collars. One key controls all of the collars. Nearly all the mages fighting for the Ardenine king are wearing them now.”

Spiritual Content

Magic is viewed as a heresy in Arden. Father Fosnaught condemns a group of mages. “You will burn for this, I promise you. We will wipe the scourge of magic from every corner of the Seven Realms.”
The Church of Malthus is the primary religion in Arden. Destin Karn, a spymaster, thinks about a saint, “There was plenty of information about Saint Darian, one of the patriarchs of the Church of Malthus a thousand years ago, and his followers, known as Darian Brothers, who were bent on eliminating the gifted from the Realms.”

by Jonathan Planman

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest, to keep the witch from terrorizing their town. But the witch, Xan, is really kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children left in the woods and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest.

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby with moonlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl, who she calls Luna, as her own. As Luna’s thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge with unpredictable consequences, just as it’s time for Xan to go collect another child. Meanwhile, a young man is determined to free his people by killing the witch. And a volcano, dormant for centuries, rumbles within the earth. . .

The Girl Who Drank the Moon has many elements of a classical fairytale. A witch who lives in the woods, a swamp monster who recites poetry, a tiny dragon, and a curious girl filled with magic. Like a classical fairytale, the story is often dark, scary, and teaches a lesson. Despite this, readers may get bogged down in the long, repetitive descriptive passages that often use difficult vocabulary words. Between some of the chapters, there is a one-sided conversation between an anonymous speaker and another person. Because the speaker is unknown, these pages are more confusing than interesting.

The complex story uses an omniscient point of view so the reader can understand all of the characters’ thoughts. However, the story jumps to many characters—Xan, Glerk, Fyrian, Luna, the Madwoman, Sister Ignatia, Antain, Grand Elder Gherland, and Ethyne. While all the stories merge at the end, the large cast of characters and the winding plot make The Girl Who Drank the Moon best for strong readers.

Xan, a beautifully complex witch, shows love through every action. When she collects the abandoned babies and finds them new homes, she truly believes that she is doing what is right. Later she realizes that “I was wrong not to be curious. I was so wrong not to wonder.” Xan’s compassion allows her to understand others’ pain, and her love gives her the strength to fight for others.

The story deals with the difficult topics of death, grief, and political corruption. But beauty is woven into each page as the characters realize that family is not always determined by one’s birth, but by love. Luna’s family—Xan, the swamp monster, and the tiny dragon—is formed by love, loyalty, and the willingness to sacrifice for each other.

Even though The Girl Who Drank the Moon won the Newbery Award, the story may hold more appeal to adults than to middle-grade and teen readers. While the story has some interesting elements, the length of the story, the long descriptive passages, and the slow world-building make the story difficult to complete. Readers looking for a story about a witch that steals children may want to skip The Girl Who Drank the Moon and read Nightbooks by J.A. White instead.

Sexual Content

An anonymous speaker dreams about her son. She says, “Last night I dreamed that he waited next to a tree for a girl to walk by. And he called her name, and held her hand, and his heart pounded when he kissed her.”

Violence

Every year, the youngest child in the village is sacrificed to a witch. The town Elders take the baby into a clearing in the woods and leave the child there.
Paper birds come alive and attack a boy called Antain. “A paper raven swooped across the room, slicing its wing across Antain’s cheek, cutting it open, letting him bleed. . .” The birds permanently disfigure the boy’s face.
A man tries to take a sacrificed baby, but Xan stops him. “She could feel her magic rush from the center of the earth. . . like massive waves pushing and pulling the shore. She reached out and grabbed the man with both hands. He cried out as a surge hit him square in the solar plexus, knocking his breath clear away.” Xan turned into a bird and “lifted the baby into the sky.” Both the man and Xan were trying to keep the baby safe, but they did not realize it.
Xan turns into a sparrow. She flies over a frightened man. She tries to comfort him. “She fluttered out of her hiding place and circled over the figure. A young man. He screamed, loosed the stone in his hand, and hit Xan on the left wing. She fell to the ground without so much as a peep.” The sparrow’s wing is broken so the man binds the wing and carries the bird with him.
The Sorrow Eater feeds off of grief. In order to feed, she finds a starling nest. “She reached in and grabbed a tiny, wriggling nestling. She crushed it in one fist as the horrified mother looked on. The mother sparrow’s sorrow was thin. But it was enough. Sister Ignatia licked her lips and crushed another nestling.”
Sister Ignatia threatens Luna. In order to protect the girl, paper birds attack Sister Ignatia. “The birds cut her hands. They cut her forehead. They attacked without mercy.”
Sister Ignatia tries to take magical boots off of a woman. Sister Ignatia “balled her hands into two tight fists and raised them over her head. When she swept them back down, uncurling her fingers, they had four sharp knives. Without hesitating she reared back and snapped her hands forward, shooting the knife blades directly for the madwoman’s heart.” The madwoman moves just in time and is not injured.

Drugs and Alcohol

The town Elders “grew big and strong on beef and butter and beer.
Luna gave “ale to the geese to see if it made them walk funny (it did).”
A woman goes mad after her baby is sacrificed. She is given “special potions to keep her calm.”
The Elders drink wine with lunch.

Language

A monster says, “As the Poet famously said, dear lady: ‘I don’t give a rat’s—‘” The monster stops talking when he is interrupted.
“My god” is used as an exclamation once.
When Antain asks to see the Elders, which is unusual, his uncle says, “Tradition be damned. The council will be ever so pleased to see you.”

Supernatural

Sister Ignatia is a Sorrow Eater, who “spreads misery and devours sorrow.” When someone feels grief, Sister Ignatia’s “tongue quickly darted out and disappeared back into her mouth. She closed her eyes as her cheeks flushed. As though she had just tasted the most delicious flavor in the world.”
Xan is a witch and can change forms. She picks up the sacrificed infants and feeds them starlight. “Once it was dark enough to see the stars, she reached up one hand and gathered starlight in her fingers. . . and fed it to the child.”
In order to hide from the Elder, Xan “transformed herself into a tree—a craggy thing of leaf and lichen and deep-grooved bark, similar in shape and texture to the other ancient sycamores standing guard over the small grove.”
When Luna was an infant, she drank moonlight, which “enmagicked” her.
Xan believes that “magic should never be used to influence the will of another person.” Despite this, she uses magic to make Luna sleep. When Luna begins transforming things, such as turning bread dough into a hat, Xan uses a spell to keep Luna from using magic. Xan is afraid Luna will hurt herself or someone else.
Xan uses her magic to cure a young woman of headaches.
Xan has a memory of protecting people “who lived in a castle. . . She remembered how she put protective spells on each of them—well, each of them but one—and prayed to the stars that each spell would hold as they ran.”
A girl is told a story about a witch who had boots that “could travel seven leagues in a single step.” The witch ate “sorrow, or souls, or volcanoes, or babies, or brave little wizards.” Soon, the girl discovers that the witch and the magical shoes are not just a story, but are real.
A woman learns how to transform herself into small things such as a cricket, a spider, or a waterbug.
Luna discovers a library, where the books are eager to have their voices heard. “Each book and each paper, as it turned out, had quite a bit to say. They murmured and rambled; they talked over one another; they stepped on each other’s voices.”
A flock of paper birds helps a “madwoman” escape from prison. The paper birds appear several times in the story.

Spiritual Content

A creation story explains how everything came from a bog. “In the beginning there was the Bog. And the Bog covered the world and the Bog was the world and the world was the Bog. . . But the Bog was lonely.” So the Bog created life on earth.
Xan remembers another time in her life when “she could remember climbing into her bed and clutching her hands to her heart, praying to the stars that she might have a night free from bad dreams. She never did.”

Maggie and the Flying Horse

Eight-year-old Maggie isn’t like other girls who live in the Enchanted Forest. She notices magical animals around her that no one else does—like unicorns, griffins, and even talking horses.

One day, Maggie stumbles upon a tiny, injured flying horse. The only way to help the horse is to take it to a kindly stableman her grandmother once told her about. But in order to do so, Maggie must journey through the forest, which is full of dangerous trolls and goblins. Will Maggie reach the stable in time to save her new friend?

Fans of fairytales will fall in love with Maggie and the magical animals that live in the Enchanted Forest. Similar to Cinderella, Maggie has a mean stepmother who makes her do all of the work. She also has a mean stepbrother, who blames her for everything. Despite this, Maggie is always cheerful and kind to others. In addition, she is willing to help the injured horse even though she knows it will displease her stepmother.

Maggie and the creatures who live in the Enchanted Forest appear in black and white illustrations. The cute illustrations appear every 2 to 7 pages. Even though the trolls and the goblins are dangerous, they look cartoonish instead of frighteningly scary. One of the characters shares his journal with Maggie. The illustrated journal gives information about the magical animals and their habits. Readers who are not fluent will need help with some of the vocabulary. However, with short paragraphs, large text, and a simple plot, Maggie and the Flying Horse is accessible to readers ready for chapter books.

Maggie and the Flying Horse is the first in the Magic Animal Rescue Series and sets up the background for many adventures to come. With plenty of suspense, magical animals, and a hungry troll, Maggie and the Flying Horse will keep young readers entertained until the very end. Parents will appreciate Maggie, who is a kind protagonist and doesn’t complain despite her stepmother’s harsh treatment. The story is perfect for readers who love animals and fairytales. Readers will be eager to read the next book in the series, Maggie and the Wish Fish.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

A griffin tries to peck Maggie. “Maggie picked up a small stone and threw it. . . The next stone grazed its wing. Startled, the griffin flew back into the forest.”
Maggie is hiding from goblins when a flying horse lands on her. “Soon, an entire herd of little horses landed on Maggie. Some nipped her with their tiny teeth. Others kicked her with their tiny hooves.” When a horsefly begins tickling her, Maggie “moved her hand just enough to brush it off. The tiny horse fell to the ground and looked up at her with terrified eyes.” Maggie takes the horse to someone who can fix its wing.
A troll chases Maggie in the hopes of eating her. Maggie climbs up a tree and the troll follows. “And then he was there, drooling as he stretched his arm toward her.” When sunlight touches the troll, he turns to stone.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Maggie lives near an enchanted forest that has magical creatures. One day she talks to a frog, who tells her, “I’m a human prince. A wicked witch turned me into a frog, and I need a human princess to kiss me so I can become my old self again.”
Maggie sees a cabbit. Maggie’s friend says, “A witch combined a cat and a rabbit. She thought they’d be extra cuddly. She was right.”

Spiritual Content

None

Caterflies and Ice

Zoey is excited when an unexpected spring snowstorm covers the ground in snow. Then Zoey learns that the snow is causing trouble for some of the magical creatures of the forest. Zoey and Sassafras come to their rescue. But their first attempt to save trapped caterflies eggs results in a big mistake. Can they figure out a way to fix things before the baby caterflies hatch?

Like the previous book in the series, Zoey uses science to solve problems. Her mom gives a demonstration showing what salt does to plants. This demonstration would be easy for readers to recreate. When Zoey tries, and accidentally hurts the plants that the caterflies babies will need to eat, Zoey’s mother doesn’t scold her. Instead, she says, “We all make mistakes.” Then her mother helps Zoey find a workable solution. Zoey documents her experiences in her science journal, and when Zoey writes in the journal, the font changes to large, kid-like font. Instead of telling Zoey what to do, her mom asks Zoey questions in order to guide her to a workable solution.

Younger readers will love the cute caterflies that look similar to kittens with wings and will love when Sassafras jumps in and helps keep the caterflies safe and warm. As Zoey helps the caterflies, the reader will learn about plants, caterpillars, and how they change into butterflies. Zoey’s adventure is shown through large black and white illustrations that appear on almost every page. Readers who are not fluent will need help with some of the vocabulary. However, with short paragraphs, plenty of dialogue, and a simple plot, Dragons and Marshmallows is accessible to most readers.

Caterflies and Ice will appeal to younger readers as well as parents. With her mom’s help, Zoey is able to come up with creative solutions to problems. For example, when Sassafras doesn’t like the wet snow, Zoey makes protective feet covers. In addition, Zoey is a relatable character who loves exploring, bugs, and using science to solve problems. Her cat Sassafras adds some humor to the story. In addition, her parents are portrayed in a positive manner and encourage Zoey to continue trying new things, even when she makes a mistake.

Zoey and Sassafras show the fun of science and the importance of taking care of the environment. The story ends with a glossary. Even though Zoey and Sassafras is a series, the books do not need to be read in order. Caterflies and Ice is an entertaining story that has a little bit of magic and a whole lot of important lessons. Readers who love science should also add The Data Set Series by Ada Hopper to their must-read list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Zoey and her mom are the only people that can see and talk to the magical creatures that live in the forest.
When Zoey takes a picture of a magical creature, “every photo saves a bit of magic with it.”

Spiritual Content

None

Merhorses and Bubbles

Zoey and Sassafras go to a stream to look for bugs, but they discover that there are no bugs! Things get even more urgent when they learn that the magical creatures living in the stream are in danger because the bugs that the merhorses eat to survive have all disappeared. Zoey and her mom must solve the mystery of the stream. Can Sassafras, Zoey, and her mom find where all the bugs went? Will they be able to save the merhorses?

In Merhorses and Bubbles, Zoey uses everyday objects to create an underwater viewer. When Zoey goes to the stream, she teaches her cat, Sassafras, about her favorite stream bugs. Sassafras loves bugs and loves to chase and eat them. However, when Zoey and Sassafras can’t find any bugs, her mom helps test the water and they discover that the water is polluted. The remainder of the story focuses on investigating how the stream is being polluted and finding a way to fix the problem.

Readers will relate to the adventurous Zoey and her desire to help the merhorses. Zoey uses her “thinking goggles” and data to conclude that the stream is polluted. She relies on her parents’ help and eventually meets the magical frog named Pip. Zoey’s father cannot see the magical creatures and this creates some humorous situations that will have readers giggling. With the help of her parents, a magical frog, and Sassafras, Zoey is able to use the scientific method to save the stream.

Even though the merhorses do not play a major role in the story, readers will still enjoy the mystery of the polluted stream. Throughout the story, many lessons are taught about the environment, including how pollution affects pond creatures, how pollution gets into streams, and how something like soap can be harmful. Zoey and her parents finally discover that the pollution is caused by a group of teens who are raising money by having a car wash. Instead of taking over, Zoey’s parents allow Zoey to educate the teens, and then her parents help the teens come up with an alternative fundraiser.

Zoey’s adventure is shown through large black and white illustrations that appear on almost every page. When Zoey writes in her science journal, the font changes to large, kid-like font. While Sassafras plays a tiny role in the story, the cat appears in many of the pictures. Readers who are not fluent will need help with some of the vocabulary. However, with short paragraphs, plenty of dialogue, and a simple plot, Merhorses and Bubbles is accessible to most readers. Even though Zoey and Sassafras is a series, the books do not need to be read in order.

Zoey is a strong girl who uses science to solve problems. Through her experiences, readers will be encouraged to positively change their world for the better. Even though Zoey is a child, she still finds a way to help keep pollution out of streams. Zoey’s parents are portrayed in a positive manner and they exhibit healthy communication skills. Merhorses and Bubbles teaches valuable lessons about nature by using a fun story and a relatable character. The end of the book has a glossary that explains unfamiliar terms.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Zoey calls Sassafras a goofball.

Supernatural

Zoey and her mom are the only people that can see and talk to the magical creatures that live in the forest.

Spiritual Content

None

Shadowcaster

Alyssa ana’Raisa, the reluctant heir to the Gray Wolf Throne, must overcome the impossible. After suffering the loss of her sister, brother and father, as well as an attempt on her own life, she wants nothing more than to end the war that’s consumed her world for decades. To protect her mother and her friends, Lyss will do whatever it takes to strike a blow against Arden.

Halston Matelon is simply trying to survive the king of Arden’s wrath. Once Hal’s father betrays the king, a target is put on Hal’s back, forcing him into dire situations that could end his life. But when Hal’s captured by an enemy commander, he must confront his own prejudices, as well as a budding, forbidden love for the woman who bested him.

Breon d’Tarvos has stayed far away from the front lines of the war. Performing as a street musician for a little bit of coin, Breon has managed to survive on the streets. Yet that all comes to an end when he’s pulled into an assassination attempt on Princess Alyssa. Now Breon is on the run, hoping to escape to a safe haven on the coast. But nothing is ever that easy.

Shadowcaster is a great follow-up to Chima’s first entry in the Shattered Realms series, Flamecaster. Following three main characters, Lyss, Hal, and Breon, the story unfolds in the northern Queendom of the Fells. Whereas the first book focused on the fanatical religious state of Arden, its prejudices against wizards, and the political intrigue of King Gerard’s court, the sequel explores the different cultures of the north, where wizards are both respected and free, and where many cultures co-exist.

Each of the main characters is linked to the various themes present within the story. For instance, Lyss’ storyline explores dealing with grief. Throughout the novel, Lyss’s motivation stems from the deaths of her family, and she’s forced to confront the pain of finding out her brother may still be alive.

The theme of confronting prejudice is squarely placed in Hal’s storyline. When Hal is captured by Lyss, he is forced to see the northerners as people, and he even falls in love with her. This opens Hal’s eyes to the idea that his prejudices are wrong.

Breon’s story focuses on struggling to survive. As a poor street musician, Breon fights to get food on a daily basis. He also struggles with addiction to a drug known as “leaf.” With little money, no home, and few friends, Breon represents the civilians who are trying to survive amidst a war. Each of these themes is well written, and each is powerful in its own right.

Lyss, Hal, and Breon are all likable, relatable characters. Lyss is relatable because she struggles to fit into people’s expectations of a princess. Rather than lead, Lyss wants to continue as a soldier, fighting for what she believes in. Both Hal and Lyss want to protect their family. Plus, Hal is fiercely loyal to his men, wanting to protect them in dire situations. Breon, while suffering from drug addiction, is likable for his desire to make honest coin and to live with his sweetheart, Aubrey. These three, combined with some thrilling battle scenes, will keep readers on the edge of their seats. In addition, the romance between Hal and Lyss will leave readers wanting more. Their romance sets a fun, exciting pace that ends in a cliffhanger. Readers will look forward to continuing this epic story continues in the third book, Stormcaster.

Sexual Content

Lyss has a crush on her friend, Finn. Later on, she admits to herself, “She’d had a crush on Finn sul’Mander since she was eleven years old.”
When Finn gets engaged to Julianna, they were “blushing and Finn was smiling. Julianna held up their joined hands to display her engagement ring.” Later on, Lyss watches as “He kissed Julianna again. And again.”
The diplomat tells Lyss, “You’re not the beauty that your mother is, or your sister, Hana, may she rest in peace, or your cousin Julianna—such a lovely girl—but there’s a lot can be done with the proper staging.”
Hal overhears Bosley, a member of Lyss’ squad, talking about his conquest of Lyss. Hal thinks, “Bosley had described a series of recent trysts with her in embarrassingly graphic detail. Maybe customs were different here in the north, but it seemed crude and dishonorable to share that.”
Hal thinks, “If Bosley was sleeping with his commanding officer, the last thing Hal wanted was to get caught in that crossfire.”
Hal and Lyss begin a short romance. After falling on top of her by accident, Hal thinks, “it took everything that was in him not to finish their match with a kiss.” Later, Hal thinks, “The truth was, he wanted to kiss this northern girl, and go on from there. He wanted her more than any woman he’d ever known.”

Violence

In a battle between squadrons, Lyss sees Hal “lean down from his horse and scoop up a soldier who was staggering around aimlessly, blood pouring from a head wound.”
In the Clans, a group residing in the Fells, the amount of braids one has indicates how many people they’ve killed. Less notices “The many braids in Shadow’s hair were evident that he rarely said no to a fight, and that he usually came away with a kill.”
Hal thinks back on the people he’s killed. “Several times in the past, Hal had discovered that the man he’d just killed was actually a woman.”
When thinking of his friends, Breon thinks, “And Goose? He’d cut your throat for a wad of leaf, but other than that he’d always been a harmless sort.”
In an assassination attempt on Lyss, one of her squad is hit with an arrow. Lyss “ran her hand over his uniform tunic until she found the arrow shaft embedded in his right lower back.” Just after that, she’s attacked again. An assassin strangles her, and “his fingers didn’t loosen until Lyss’s shiv transfixed his throat and blood spilled over her leathers.”
In the city of Delphi, the residents have been fighting back against Arden’s occupation. The former mayor “was found dead in an alley, his throat cut, his body wrapped in an Ardenine flag.”
When arguing with Hal, Lyss tells him, “When Princess Hanalea was murdered, your king sent her head to her mother in a golden casket with a note, in case she didn’t give credit where credit is due.”
Sasha tells Breon that he’ll be executed for the attack on Lyss. She says, “But two of her escorts were killed in the attack. That ought to be enough to hang you.”
Someone says, “Whenever Montaigne got a little down, he just murdered a few people, and that set him to rights.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Breon and his friends often use leaf, which is a street drug. Breon thinks, “People said that leaf fried the brain, and maybe that was true. He could quit anytime, and maybe he should.”
On a trip to the coast, Breon thinks, “Or maybe it just seemed longer because Breon has passed much of the trip in a pleasant haze of leaf.”

Language

Ass is used several times. For example, when trying on a pair of pants, Breon thinks, “he had to cinch in the breeches to keep them from sliding down his bony ass.”
Asshole is used several times. Lyss tells off someone, saying “At least that’s fixable. Being an asshole isn’t.” Asshole is used a few times in the novel.
Hell and damn are used a few times. For example, when asked if he’s a wizard, Breon retorts, “Damn right I am.”
Sasha tells Breon, “Poke me, and I’ll poke you back, you scaly, scum-sucking sneaksby.”

Supernatural

Flashcraft refers to magical items that are created by the Clans in the Fells. Lyss receives a flash craft locket. “When she touched it, the portraits would shift, displaying first one person and then another.
In Arden, wizards are called mages and are typically slaves.
Hal, who is from Arden, believes witches like Lyss can turn humans into animals. However, this isn’t true.
Mystwerk is a school where wizards learn magic.
In the Fells, the ruling line of Queens can see wolves that bring prophetic dreams and visions. Less tells Ash, “I just keep having these dreams, where everyone’s dead and I’m all alone on Hanalea Peak, just me and the wolves.” Just after that, Ash tries to soothe her with his magic. Lyss snaps at him, “Stop soothing me!”
While Breon is imprisoned someone threatens to use magic on him to get him talking. Breon thinks, “What did he mean by persuasion? Magic? Torture? Hypnosis? Could this mage really make him tell the truth?”

Spiritual Content

A dedicate at a temple hands out food to those who need it. Breon notices “The dedicate offered a blessing along with the bread and fruit.
The Church of Malthus is the state religion of Arden. Lyss asks Hal, “Is there any way your war-weary people and your bloodthirsty church would allow them to live?”

by Jonathan Planman

Piper

Maggie lives in a small village in the middle of a dark forest. Because she is deaf, the people in her small village have shunned her. An elderly woman, Agathe, is the only person who has shown Maggie kindness. In the evening, Maggie uses her imagination to weave stories that Agathe writes down. Despite Agathe’s company, Maggie dreams of finding her fairytale love.

The village is plagued by rats, who are devouring the food and biting the people. A mysterious Piper comes to town, promising to rid the village of rats. Maggie is captivated by the Piper and thinks she has finally met her true love. However, Maggie soon discovers that the Piper has a dark side. The boy of Maggie’s dreams might just turn out to be her worst nightmare…

The graphic novel’s artwork is amazing and beautiful. Jeff Stokely uses a variety of colors that help enhance the scene’s mood. Each illustration highlights the character’s emotions, and the village is painted in vivid detail. Piper’s artwork is by far the best part of the graphic novel; each picture tells so much of the story in detail.

While the artwork is fantastic, both the characters and the plot are underdeveloped. Maggie’s backstory is confusing, and the reason the village shunned her is unclear. Maggie is deaf but has taught herself how to read lips. However, in most of the panels she isn’t looking at the person who is talking, yet can somehow understand their words. Even though the readers should empathize with Maggie, she is so underdeveloped and predictable that her story doesn’t evoke an emotional reaction.

The plot jumps around from Maggie, to the village, and then flashbacks of the past. In addition, Maggie makes up stories about the town folk. The story’s transitions are often awkward and confusing. So little information is given about the Piper that he is difficult to understand. The conclusion is quick and leaves the reader with too many questions.

As a retelling of the Pied Piper, Piper is a dark story that lacks depth. While readers will enjoy the artwork, the actual story and characters are not memorable. However, the story does touch on the theme of greed. When the villagers refuse to pay the Piper for his services, one person says, “So much evil is traced back to greed. And greed makes us choose what we believe.”

Readers who want to add a little fright to their life may want to leave Piper on the shelf. If you’re looking for a spectacularly spooky story, Nightbooks by J.A. White and City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwa would make an excellent addition to your reading list.

Sexual Content

Someone asks the rat catcher, “Do you think the rats stop fornicating when you get distracted?”
Maggie kisses the Piper.

Violence

Rats infest a village. They destroy food and crops. They also bite a baby; the illustration shows the crying child with a bloody bite on the arm.
Maggie tells a story about boys that lost a coin. They couldn’t find the coin “so they put their heads in the holes! Their heads become stuck in the holes. The rabbit mistook their ugly faces for cabbage. And it was very hungry.” The last illustration shows the rabbit’s huge teeth.
Any angry woman flicks a seed and hits Maggie in the head. Maggie runs away crying.
When Maggie and her brother were children, a group of boys shoved them into a barrel, shut the lid, and threw it into a river. A man jumped in to save the children, but Maggie’s brother died.
A drunk man yells at Maggie. The man grabs her, pinches her face, and puts his finger in her ear. Maggie falls to the ground and begins crying.
After the man yells at Maggie, the Piper uses a dart to put the drunk man to sleep. The Piper throws the man into the river by the water wheel. The next day, someone says, “I warned him, if he was going to stumble about drunk at night, stay away from the river. I was not even thinking of the water wheel.” Another man says, “I never imagined it could take a man’s head off his shoulders.” The illustration shows the man being thrown into the water.
A boy gets his shirt caught in a grinding stone. The Piper hears the boy’s yells. The Piper holds a knife against the boy’s throat and says, “It’s not what you did to me that makes me want to kill you.” Even though the Piper is upset that the boy was mean to Maggie, he cuts the boy free.
Angry that the village leaders refuse to pay him, the Piper uses his flute to lead the children out of the village. Maggie finds the children and takes them home.
The villagers burn the church with the Piper and “many many others” inside of it.

Drugs and Alcohol

A man tries to poison the rats, but “it killed all the cats!”
When a strange man comes into the village, he says he can get rid of the rats for a price. When he tells his price, a man says, “You must have chugged your drink too quickly.”
Maggie tells a story about a blacksmith. His wife “shut him out of their home one winter evening after he’d been out drinking too many nights. In the morning she found him passed out on a stump.” The blacksmith was frozen.

Language

Maggie tells the story about a blacksmith. “The drunken fool pissed himself frozen to the stump.”
When the village children disappear, one of the women says, “Oh God!”

Supernatural

The Piper plays a “cursed flute. Its magic will make anything obey.”
The Piper plays his flute and leads the village rats into the river where they die. Four panels show the rats’ death.

Spiritual Content

After a wedding, the guests dance near the church’s graveyard. The priest says, “I would think those who have passed would be pleased by the joy of the living… The Lord knows they deserve one evening of merriment.”
Maggie’s caretaker says, “We should pray for the well-being of everyone, but it is great fun to imagine how they may seal their own fate.”
A man who is cleaning the church window says, “I pray my soul is always like this window, pure and clean.”
When a man expresses his fear of the Piper, the priest says, “Ephesians calls us to be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might…not our own strength, or that of a magical flute.”
Maggie tells the Piper, “I will pray that they give you what was promised.”

Mooncakes

Teen witch, Nova, hears rumors of strange lights in the forest. When she goes to investigate, she sees a white wolf and discovers her childhood crush—werewolf Tam Lang. Tam is trying to outrun a cult of witches, who want to use his werewolf magic to unleash a demon. With the help of Nova’s Nanas, Tam and Nova try to stop the dark forces that want to claim Tam’s magic for evil.

Mooncakes’ illustrations use darker fall colors to beautifully show a world where magic exists. One of the best aspects of Mooncakes is its large cast of diverse characters. Both Nova and Tam are Chinese American, and Tam is non-binary and uses the pronoun “they.” Nova’s family is completely accepting of Nova and Tam’s romantic relationship. Nova’s two Nana’s are charming, accepting, and support both Nova and Tam. In addition, Nova relies on hearing aids and even uses them as part of her magic.

Mooncakes is a story of friendship, family, and romance. One of the best aspects of the story is the characters who accept and support each other. Despite this, the character development and the weak plot leave a lot to be desired. While the story shows some of Nova’s and Tam’s backstory, the plot moves too quickly for readers to really care about the two main characters. They fall in love quickly, and predictably. It is this love that allows Tam to overcome the demon.

The story revolves around magic, and the characters are seen making potions several times. However, the magic is mostly represented through bright lights, and the scenes that rely on magic are often confusing. Likewise, when Tam is introduced to Nova’s family, their celebration is too short and leaves too many questions. For example, why are Nova’s parents ghosts? Why do Nova’s parents want her to move away from her Nanas? Why does her uncle have the head of a bird?

Mooncakes will appeal to a large audience and is a good choice for reluctant readers. The pages are broken up into panels and have 2 to 7 simple sentences on each page. The illustrations show the characters’ emotions and use colors to switch from the warm feelings of Nova’s house to darker colors for the creepy, dangerous scenes. Readers interested in magic and romance will enjoy Mooncakes’ fast pace; however, the characters will quickly fade from their memory.

Sexual Content

Nova and Tam kiss on two separate occasions.

Violence

Nova goes to investigate strange lights in the forest, and sees a white wolf. A large horse attacks the wolf and a bloody fight ensures. Nova uses magic to chase the horse away. The fight is illustrated over four pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

When Nova’s friend shows up unexpectedly, Nova tells her, “You’re an asshole, you know that?”
Nova says both damn and crap one time.
When Nova sees a horse attacking a wolf, she says, “Screw horses.”
Nova introduces her friend to Tam, saying, “this is Tatyana royal pain in my ass.”
“Oh my God” is used as an exclamation twice.

Supernatural

Most of the characters are witches who study magic and make magic potions. For example, when Nova’s friend is injured, she makes them a healing potion.
A book of magic tries to bite Nova.
A cult wants to use Tam’s magic to release a bound demon. Tam says, “There’s a bound demon buried in the forest. Legend says that only the power of a wolf can raise it.” However, Tam doesn’t understand wolf magic enough to know how the cult will use him.
One of the Nana’s tells Nova to be careful when trying new spells because once Nana tried a spell and “was stuck in a jar for a week.”
The two Nanas use magic to bind a demon and put him in a cage. Most of the spell is shown through different colored lights. The scene is illustrated over four pages. Once the demon is put in a cage, spirit animals come out.
When Nova’s relatives come to visit, an uncle has the head of a bird. Her dead parents also appear as ghosts.
Nova uses stones “that allow witches to enter each other’s minds. It’s meant to strengthen connections, get new perspectives.” Nova uses the stones on herself and Tam. Six pages show both Nova’s and Tam’s past and thoughts.
When a witch tries to uncage the demon, Nova steps in and uses magic to stop the witch, who is seen lying on the ground.
When Tam tries to banish the demon, a witch stops him. The witch tells him, “you are the creature’s vessel child. It was meant to take hold of you.” The witch captures Tam and puts him in a cage until she and others can perform the ritual.
Nova and the Nanas use a location spell to find Tam. “The smoke from the cauldron rises and points to the place on the map where Tam is being held captive.” With the aid of animal spirits, Nova and the Nanas try to help Tam.
During the battle, the demon and Tam begin to meld. However, when the demon and Tam connect, Tam realizes that “I guess we’re not so different after all. . . But see, there’s someone out there who believes in me. Loves me even. I have to go back to her.” The demon releases Tam’s body and Tam uses magic to change the demon back into spirit form.

Spiritual Content

None

Children of Virtue and Vengeance

Since the ritual that brought magic back to Orïsha, rebel maji have been concentrating their forces in preparation to take down the corrupt monarchy that has oppressed them for so long. Not only have the white-haired maji regained their magic, but nobles inside the monarchy have also begun to gain magical powers, heightening the stakes of the upcoming war.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance picks up shortly after the conclusion of Children of Blood and Bone. The second installment in the Legacy of Orïsha series showcases the political struggles of the Orïsha’s rebel army. The story is told from the rotating perspectives of Inan, Zélie, and Amari. Inan, the crown prince of Orïsha, returns to his mother’s inner circle and struggles to understand which side he should take in the war. Amari, once the princess of Orïsha, has joined the rebellion and is hoping to lead the people to victory and take her place as their new queen. Zélie has become one of the most powerful maji in the rebellion. While she hones her new powers, she also must grapple with processing the traumas she underwent in the first part of her adventure, which was detailed in Children of Blood and Bone.

Amidst endless political turmoil and battles, the reader will likely find the most compelling part of the story to be the relationships between the characters. Amari and Zélie had a strong friendship in the first installment, but political stressors test their bond. Meanwhile, Zélie’s feelings for Inan, which were romantic in the first book, solidify into hatred. Consequently, Zélie begins a new romance with pirate mercenary Roen, while her brother Tzain continues seeing Amari.

Audiences may find the plot unsatisfying, as its pacing does little to hold the reader’s attention. The prolonged battles are difficult to follow and visualize. Characters talk abstractly about the deaths of soldiers and rebels while discussing war strategy, but this limits the battle’s emotional effect. The most compelling parts of this book are the emotional struggles that the characters experience. Zélie, Inan, and Amari all struggle with anxiety, grief, and the long-lasting effects of trauma. They make messy decisions, and their relationships break apart due to stress. Readers who rooted for the friendships forged in the first book may find themselves disappointed when these friendships fall apart.

The politics are hard to follow, and the constant switch of perspectives makes the battle scenes difficult to understand. Despite this, fans of the first book will be happy to have a continuation of the story. However, they won’t find the same adventure and excitement that made the first book so memorable.

Sexual Content

Tzain and Amari share an intimate moment. Amari burrows “back into Tzain’s neck, running my fingers across the new stubble along his chin… He runs his thumb along my jaw, igniting a surge almost as powerful as my magic.”
When Roen takes his shirt off, Zélie’s “face warms at the sight of his sculpted muscles.”
Zélie sees Inan and remembers his “lips that promised me the world. Hands that caressed my skin.”
Inan’s cousin jokingly tells him, “I’ve heard the legends of what greatness lies beneath your robes, but I fear I’m far too pure to see it for myself.”
Roen touches Zélie’s face, and she thinks, “Though I don’t want to feel anything, his touch makes an ember flicker in my stomach.”
During a romantic moment with Tzain, Amari notices “his sandalwood scent, I realize how much I want him. How much I want more… I imagine what a few hours with him might entail. How his kiss might feel.” When they kiss, their “lips meet, and the rush is so strong it spreads through my entire body. A flutter erupts between my legs as I shift, pressing into him.” They are interrupted and don’t go any further.
At a celebration, Amari slow dances with Tzain. “Tzain dips his chin and kisses the top of my head. He places his hands along my waist, making my skin tingle when his thumbs brush a sliver of bare skin.” Later, they leave the party and kiss more. Amari’s “fingers curl the moment his lips meet mine. I sink into him, tasting the sweet remnants of palm wine… I think of how many times I’ve imagined this moment. Imagined being here with him. My pulse races as I slip my fingers under the hem of his tunic.”
As they’re about to move further, Tzain makes her stop because he’s afraid she’s only consenting to intimacy because she’s afraid she’ll die soon. Amari says, “I don’t want to be with you because I’m afraid of dying. I want to be with you because I love you.” They take off their clothes and lay on a bed together, but the narrative skips over the actual act.
During an outing with Roen, Zélie asks him, “Is this a ploy to get me naked?” Roen says, “You know I don’t need ploys for that.”
Zélie sees something and says, “That’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!” Roen tells her, “That’s usually what my lovers say about me.”
Zélie and Roen have an intimate moment. Zélie surrenders “to his touch. To the feel of his lips against my ear. He makes me lose myself in his arms, stealing the air from my lungs with every caress. ‘Is this okay?’ he whispers. My breath hitches as he squeezes my waist, hands lingering at the hem of my tunic.” They stop soon afterwards.

Violence

A lot of the battle scenes are magic-centered. For example, when Amari launches an attack on the enemy in battle, she magically “strikes them in an endless blue wave.”
Later in the battle, someone uses magic to turn the army’s mounts rabid. “Soldiers scream as they’re flung form their panthenaires’ backs. The riders foam at the mouth… A rabid panthenaire sinks its fangs into its soldier’s throat.”
While discussing military strategy, someone floats the possibility of the queen using innocent villagers “as shields.”
Zélie recalls how the mercenary Roen “once told me that his torturers carved a new line [in his arms] every time they killed a member of his crew before his eyes; twenty-three tally marks for twenty-three lives.”
As Amari begins to practice magic, she finds it painful. “Midnight-blue tendrils shoot from my fingertips like sparks from a flint. My palms sting as my skin splits. My scars rip open at the seams… I stumble into the mirror. Crimson smears across my reflection. Blood trickles down my chest as I fall to my knees.”
During a battle, the royal army releases majacite gas into the air, which is toxic to maji. Maji “scream like their nails are being ripped off.” A maji’s skin “sizzles and burns. He struggles to scream as he chokes on the black smoke.”
Zélie is hit by the toxic gas and describes how “smoke burns my skin like a branding iron… The poison sears the skin of my calf. Another cloud hits the scars on my back.”
The rebellion uses a large stone dome as their base of operations. Amari watches the queen use magic to collapse it. The queen “punches her fists into the ground. The earth splits open at her touch… Screams fill the dome as Nehanda’s fracture cuts across the sand… Then I hear the crack. The crack cuts through the dome’s wall… The dome crumbles.”
While recklessly riding her lionaire, Zélie crashes and nearly falls off a cliff. “I claw at the sky as I fly toward the forest. My body smashes through wiry branches before slamming into a tree. I wheeze as my chest collides with hard bark. My ribs fracture with a loud crack. Blood flies from my lips as my vision blacks out and I tumble to the ground.”
In their dreamscape, Zélie sees Inan “hold the scarred flesh of his abdomen as if it still leaks blood. I can almost see his memories coming back to him. The pain of his father’s sword driving into his gut.” He is physically unharmed. The wound he is remembering was detailed in the first book.
During a magical dreamscape, Zélie gets mad at Inan and makes “black vines tighten around his throat, cutting off his words as he chokes. Blood drips down his back, oozing as the jagged bark scrapes into his skin.”
While escaping the palace, Inan punches guards in the throat. The guards “wheeze… their grips loosen and I break free, ignoring the way they scream.”
Inan watches from a distance as Lagos comes under attack. “Countless balls of fire arc through the air. They explode when they hit the ground… Screams ring through the night as the firebombs ravage Lagos all at once.”
When Inan uses magic, he raises his hand “and my magic explodes with such force I hear the bones shatter in my arm.”
Inan sees someone from the royal military kill a maji by injecting them with majacite. The torturer says, “Do you know what it feels like to have majacite in your veins? First it blocks the illness you call a gift. Then it burns you from within.” Inan watches as the torturer “yanks the girl’s head to the side, exposing her neck… The girl cries out when the needle pierces her skin. She tumbles like a brick, body seizing in the dirt as the majacite kills her from within.”
During a fight, a fellow rebel maji attacks Amari with magic. “A cobalt cloud roars from [the maji’s] hand, searing into me. The cloud engulfs my mind like a match ignited in my skull… Her magic feels like thousands of nails drilling through my bones.” The fight is described over three pages.
The maji tells Amari during the fight, “Kill your vile family. Kill yourself.”
Amari fights the maji, and she screams “as I dig my hand into [her] hair and pull, driving my elbow into her temple… I straddle her body as a cobalt blaze ignites in my hands.”
When Zélie encounters Inan, she attacks him. Zélie shifts her “weight, twisting Inan’s sword from his hands. Before he can react, I extend my blades. My spear slices through his side… I drive my knee into his gut.”
Inan gets into a fight with a trusted friend. Inan pulls “a dagger from my belt, throwing it at his thigh.” The friend stops the dagger with magic, avoiding injury.
Zélie is caught in a massive chain of explosions and falls into water. “My ears ring from the string of explosions. I can’t see anything. Falling rocks slice through my skin… The collision knocks precious seconds of air from my lungs.”
A character loses a limb in the explosions, and “his severed arm lies underneath the boulder.”
A character dies when a column of earth is magically thrusted through his stomach. His “eyes bulge as it punctures his stomach… he slumps forward as blood leaks from his gut, pooling onto the silver floor.”
A maji summons a magical gas during battle. “The gas unleashes its attack, launching the wall of death… The cloud moves like a wave, crashing over everything in its path. Birds squawk as they try to escape… One’s wings fold as it’s flung into the cloud. The second it’s hit by the gas, its body shrivels. It plummets to the ground.”
Zélie watches the gas hit a young mother. “Blood shoots from her mouth on impact. Her skin shrivels as it turns black. I see the moment she realizes that she won’t make it. The baby falls from her hands.” The mother dies, but the baby is safe.
A maji attacks Amari. The maji “opens her hands and dark shadows of death shoot forth. Pain rips through me as they wrap around my body and my throat.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Roen has “a cigarette tucked between his teeth.”
The rebel maji drink palm wine during a celebration. Amari takes a cup and joins in a toast.
During the celebration, “music and laughter bounce against the sanctuary walls. Palm wine runs free.”
A couple makes a scene during the celebration. As a man tells a woman, “I love you!” the woman says, “You’re drunk!”
Amari doesn’t drink palm wine because “Father wouldn’t drink before battle. Neither can I.”
Inan drugs the queen by putting her own sedatives in a flute of wine.

Language

A piece of fabric is “not fit to wipe a leopanaire’s ass.”
“Gods” and “my gods” are used as invectives infrequently.
“Skies” is used frequently as an invective. For example, “What in the skies?”
Maggots is a slur that refers to the white-haired maji. People in the royal family often use the slur as a hateful pejorative.
Twice, specific gods are invoked by name: “For Yemoja’s sake” and “By the grace of Oya.”
Dammit is used four times.

Supernatural

Several chapters concern the effects of a ritual wherein Zélie binds her lifeforce to that of another maji. Zélie “used the moonstone to connect our lifeforces. But without a blood sacrifice to bind our connection, neither of us can survive.” While they are connected, if one sustains an injury, both of them will suffer.
An elder volunteers herself in a blood sacrifice. “Blood magic spreads inside her, glowing through every vein… With the final chant, the shine around her becomes too bright. She lights up the night like a comet flying through the sky.” Instead of physically dying, the elder magically disappears. This ritual marks a turning point in a battle and gives the rebel maji enormous advantage over their enemy.
Zélie and Inan meet in a dreamscape, a magical landscape that exists only in their dreams.

Spiritual Content

Much of the spiritual content concerns the magic system, and there is little separation between the spiritual and the supernatural. Maji get their powers from the same gods that they pray to.
In a moment of hopelessness, Zélie thinks that her dead mother “was wrong to keep me on the earth.” The spiritual beliefs are as real as the magic system, and Zélie previously met her dead mother during a magical ritual. The existence of an afterlife is treated not as speculation, but as fact.
Zélie says, “From the gods comes the gift of life… to the gods, that gift must be returned.”
Zélie says, “This is destiny. The gods don’t make mistakes.” She’s referring to her new role as a maji with the rebellion.

by Caroline Galdi

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Vol 3

Link continues on his quest to save the children from his village and dispel the dark clouds that are threatening to take over the land. Link returns to the Twilight Realm in the form of a wolf and quickly discovers that the children are stuck in the Twilight Realm as lost souls! With the help of an unlikely wolf ally, Link must learn to become a much stronger warrior if he wants a chance to save those he loves.

Much like the previous two installments, this graphic novel closely follows the plot of the video game with a few diversions and added elements. For intense Zelda fans, another taste of Twilight Princess will make this graphic novel enjoyable. However, casual gamers will likely be bored due to the repetitive plot, and those who are not familiar with the Twilight Princess game may be confused in a few places. All in all, this graphic novel is best for readers who are already a part of the Link fandom.

Link is a lovable character that will capture readers’ interests. While one of the children becomes slightly more developed in this installment, Link is mostly surrounded by two-dimensional characters. There is more action in this book than in the first book, but aside from the last battle, most of the battle images are not graphic. In Twilight Princess Vol 3, Link continues to explore what true strength really is, and he finally realizes that strength lies in protecting the innocent.

Twilight Princess Vol 3 has intense fighting and a dark tone. Even though the manga artwork is incredible, the fight scenes are a bit confusing because there is so much going on. Unlike the previous books, this volume shows different characters’ points of view, which helps develop the characters and gives the story an interesting twist. Twilight Princess Vol 3 continues to develop Link and his world. Although Twilight Princess Vol 3 contains action and adventure, the slow pace of world-building may make it difficult for some readers to get through the story.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

While in his wolf form, Link kills two monsters by ripping them apart with his teeth.
Link fights a skeleton warrior as part of a training session. At the end of their fight, Link cuts off the skeleton warrior’s head. The skeleton warrior then stands up, picks up his head, and congratulates Link.
A captured village girl considers committing suicide. The girl wonders, “Rather than living alone with monsters…” and almost cuts her wrist with the pottery shard, but is interrupted by a kitten that needs her help.
Link battles a monster and his minions during a 32-page battle. In the end, Link slashes the monster across the chest with his sword, and the reader sees the monster bleeding profusely before he falls into a gorge.
A monster clubs a village boy in the head, and then is attacked by a mob of village children.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Link lives in a world with magic, shadow beasts, and demons. When people from the land of light are engulfed by the Twilight Realm, they turn into lost souls. This is what happens to the children from Link’s village. When he finds them, he cannot interact with them, as they are merely lost souls.
When Link travels to the Twilight Realm, he is transformed into a giant wolf. While in his wolf form, Link can communicate with animals.
Link learns that “humans aren’t the only race living in Hyrule” when he meets a Goron. Gorons are giant rock-like creatures that “live in Death Mountain and eat rocks.”
Link meets a magical wolf that transports Link to his realm in the clouds. Once there, the wolf shows himself as a skeleton warrior and trains Link to be a better swordsman.

Spiritual Content

There is a legend that when evil people tried to use magic to take over the land, “the goddesses grew angry at this affront and sent four spirits of light to seal the upstarts’ magical power away in the shadow crystal. Furthermore, the mirror of shadow prevented these wizards from entering the world of light. They were exiled to the twilight realm.”
Renado, a shaman and physician, takes the children to his village to protect them.
The children hide from the monsters in a house. There is a statue of a spirit in the house. The shaman says, “perhaps the power of the spirit Eldin does not allow the monsters to enter.” Link later meets the Eldin, “one of the spirits of light who gather in Hyrule and protect this land.”
Renado says, “thank the gods,” when his daughter is saved by monsters.

by Morgan Lynn

The Siege of MacIndaw

The kingdom is in danger. Renegade Knight Sir Keren has succeeded in overtaking Castle MacIndaw and now is conspiring with the Scotti. The fate of Aralean rests in the hands of two young adventurers: the Ranger, Will, and his warrior friend, Horace. Yet for Will, the stakes are even higher because inside the castle, held hostage, is someone he loves. Now the time has come for this once apprentice to grow up.

Will and Horace join together to free Alyss, defeat Keren, and return the castle to its rightful leader. Along the way, Will and Horace must work with the Sorcerer of the North and the Skandians. As the allies work together, they learn that things are not always as they seem. The group of unlikely allies will put their lives on the line when they siege the castle MacIndaw.

Fans of the Ranger’s Apprentice series will enjoy this action-packed story that shows Will’s and Horace’s personal growth. They are no longer apprentices who can rely on others for advice. In order to survive, they need to use their individual strengths to overcome Sir Keren. Unlike previous books in the series, Sir Keren is a well-developed villain who shows moments of weakness and uncertainty. Sir Keren’s behavior highlights the importance of keeping a vow and the unintended consequences of being an oath breaker.

The sixth installment of the Ranger’s Apprentice series is full of action, intrigue, and unexpected twists. The story explores how people react to things that they don’t understand. When strange lights are seen in the forest, people believe that a powerful sorcerer is using black magic. Will and Horace are able to use this belief to their advantage. Even though the reader knows that the “sorcerer” uses illusions to trick people, the illusions still add interest to the story.

The Siege of MacIndaw ends with an epic battle. However, the battle for MacIndaw is more violent, bloody, and descriptive than the previous books. In The Siege of MacIndaw both Will and Horace have grown into adults, so the story hits on more mature topics such as loyalty, love, and sacrifice. However, the story leaves the reader with a satisfying picture of Will and Horace, who have built a stronger friendship and turned into trustworthy men who have each other’s backs. The Siege of MacIndaw will satisfy fans of the Ranger’s Apprentice series and leave readers reaching for the next book, Erak’s Ransom.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

The Skandians plan to sell Buttle into slavery. When the Skandians’ ship begins to sink, they unchain Buttle. He “seized his chance. He grabbed a knife from one man’s belt and slashed it across his throat. Another rower tried to stop him, but he was off balance, and Buttle struck him down as well. Then he was over the rail and swimming for the bank.”
A Skandian wearing a horned helmet questions Horace’s ability to lead. “Horace stepped forward, grabbed a horn in each hand and lifted the helmet clear of the head. Before the man could properly protest, Horace had slammed the unpadded heavy iron headpiece back down, causing Nile’s knees to buckle and his eyes to cross slightly under the impact… He felt the iron grip seize his beard and was jerked violently forward.”
Will, Horace, and a group of Skandians ambush a party of Scotti in order to get information. Will shoots an arrow at a Scotti general, and “the arrow seared through the tendons and nerves in the wrist, the immediate shock of the wound depriving the hand of all feeling… robbing MacHaddish of the strength to brandish the huge sword.” Two other Scotti come to MacHaddish’s defense. Will fired an arrow “dropping one of them to the snow, dead in this tracks. Then the other was all over him, screaming hate and revenge, sword going back for a killing stroke.” Horace jumps in and throws “a solid right uppercut to his [the Scotti’s] jaw. The Scotti’s eyes rolled up in his head and his knees collapsed under him. He fell face down in the soft snow, unconscious.” The battle is described over three pages.
When MacHaddish escapes, Will goes after him. When MacHaddish sees Will, he “reacted almost without thinking, hurling himself forward… he lowered his shoulder and drove it into the cloaked figure.” As they fight, MacHaddish slashes with his dirk. Will “felt the blade slice easily through his cloak and kicked out flatfooted at the Scotti’s left knee.” When Will reaches for his scabbard, MacHaddish attacks. “Desperately, Will skipped backward, feeling the blade slash through his jerkin, a trickle of blood running down his ribs. His mouth had gone dry with fear.”
As Will and MacHaddish fight, MacHaddish uses his body weight to pin Will down. Horace appears just in time. “The heavy brass pommel of Horace’s sword slammed into the Scotti’s temple twice in rapid succession,” knocking MacHaddish unconscious. The fight between Will and MacHaddish is described over seven pages.
While seizing the castle, Horace uses a ladder to get over the castle walls. Horace “cut the first man down with ease. The second came at him, Horace deflected his halberd thrust, seized his collar and propelled him over the inner edge of the walkway. The man’s startled cry cut off abruptly with a heavy thud as he hit the flagstones of the courtyard.”
Will joins the fight and begins firing arrows. One of the men “staggered, screaming, as an arrow appeared in his thigh. Three men dead or wounded in a matter of seconds.”
In order to free a prisoner, Will tries to climb the stairs leading to the tower. Will surprised a man who was waiting above him. Will “continued his upward movement and lunged, feeling the saxe knife bite into flesh. The man cried out in pain and stumbled forward.” In order to get up the stairs, Will sends a “volley of ricocheting shots” up the stairs and injures the man. “Will grabbed his shirt front and heaved him down the stairs, sending him crashing into the outer wall, then tumbling head over heels down the staircase. Then he was silent, the only sound his inert body sliding a few meters farther down the stairs.”
During the attack, Horace and Buttle fight. Another man joins in to help Horace. When Horace looked back, “he saw the club fall from Trobar’s nerveless fingers as Buttle withdrew the sword from a thrust in the giant’s side. Trobar clutched at the sudden fierce pain, feeling his own hot blood course over his fingers… He saw that Buttle was about to thrust at him again and, hopelessly, threw up his arm to ward off the sword. The point of the blade thrust into his massive forearm, sliding through muscle and flesh, jarring the bone.”
Horace steps in to defend Trobar. When Buttle realizes he will lose the fight, he begs for mercy. When Horace thinks back to all of Buttle’s cruel deeds, he “grabbed Buttle by the front of his shirt and heaved him to his feet. As part of the same movement, Horace hit him with a short, savage right cross, perfectly timed, perfectly weighed, perfectly executed… Buttle screamed as he felt his jaw dislocate.”
Keren mesmerizes Alyss and commands her to kill Will. Will is able to break Alyss’s trance. While Will is comforting Alyss, Keren attacks. “Will regained his feet, the saxe knife sliding from its scabbard just in time to parry a side cut.” When Keren gets the upper hand on Will, Alyss picks up a bottle of acid. “She seized the weapon and moved to where Keren had trapped Will in a corner. The point of the sword was now leveled at Will’s throat… Keren smashed Will’s grip by the massive force of a two-handed overhead stroke.” Alyss throws the acid at Keren, and “his scream was terrible as the acid burned into his skin and eyes. The pain was excruciating, and he dropped the sword, clawing at his face, trying to ease the dreadful burning.” Keren eventually falls out the window. “His scream was long and drawn out—a mixture of pain and blind fear. It hung in the night above his falling body, like a long ribbon trailing behind him. Then, abruptly, it stopped.” Keren dies. The seize of the castle is described over 36 pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

Will thinks back to a banquet where ale was served.
Buttle went to the inn and demanded: “the finest food, wine and ale when he was visiting…”
Many of the Skandians had “bellies on them that suggested they might be overly fond of ale.”
A Skandian gave Horace a “beaker full of spirit.”
After Alyss broke out of her prison, a “healer had given her a sleeping potion and had put her to bed.”

Language

Will surprised a Skandian who cried, “Thurank’s horns! Where the devil did you spring from?”
Horace jokingly calls Will an oaf.
A man calls someone an idiot.
A man calls someone a fool.
After MacHaddish almost kills Will, Will yells, “Of course I’m not all right, you idiot! He damn near killed me!”
“For god’s sake” is used as an exclamation three times. For example, when Horace questions Will, Will says, “For god’s sake! Stop trying to make me worry!”
“My god” is used as an exclamation twice.
Damn and hell are used occasionally. For example, when a man interrupts Keren, he yells, “Get out, damn you!”
Hell is used several times. For example one of the Skandians says, “He’d better be one hell of a warrior.”
The Skandians use the exclamations “For Loka’s sake” and “Gorlog’s beard.”
Keren yells at one of the soldiers, “Get up, you yellow-skinned coward!”
A man calls Keren a fool.
Horace asks a man, “You really are a gutless piece of scum, aren’t you?”

Supernatural

Keren used a blue gemstone to hypnotize Alyss. “The stone had become the trigger for his posthypnotic suggestions. All he had to do was order her to look at it and within a few seconds, she would be mesmerized again.” When Keren uses the stone, Alyss’s “eyes fell to the beautiful orb as he rolled it gently back and forth on the tabletop. As ever, she could feel it drawing her in, filling her consciousness.”

Spiritual Content

Horace saves Will from being killed. “Thank God, he thought, he had made it just in time.”
In order to get information out of MacHaddish, trickery is used. MacHaddish is lead to believe that “the dark demon Serthreck’nish is abroad in this forest, watching us stand here.” Serthreck’nish is a demon that is known as the soul stealer, “the flesh eater, the renderer, the tearer of limbs—Serthreck’nish was all these things and more. It was the demon, the ultimate evil in Scotti superstition. Serthreck’nish didn’t just kill his victims. He stole their souls and their very being, feeding on them to make himself stronger. If Serthreck’nish had your soul, there was no hereafter, no peace at the end of the long mountain road. And there was no memory of the victim either…”
“Gorlog was a lesser Skandian deity who had a long beard, curved horns and fanglike teeth.”
While seizing the castle, Will “breathed a silent prayer of thanks that there were not archers with longbows or recurve bows on the castle wall.”
After saying goodbye to his friends, Will tells his horse, “Thank God I still have you.”

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Vol 2

When Link travels to the Twilight Realm to save Ilia, he is transformed into a wolf and is quickly captured. A Twilight imp named Minda takes a liking to Link and helps him escape. Minda introduces Link to Princess Zelda, who explains how the King of Shadows has cast the kingdom of Hyrule into perpetual twilight. The King of Shadows seeks to rule everything under the light and dark. Princess Zelda is powerless to stop him. She prays every day that the gods will save her people. Is Link the prayed-for hero?

But as a wolf, what can Link do? He can talk to animals in his wolf form, but he cannot communicate with his friends or wield a weapon. As Minda leads Link on a quest, it is unclear to readers and to Link himself whether Minda is helping Link save his people or tricking him for her own gain. While this graphic novel has more action than the first book, video gamers who have played Twilight Princess may become bored, as this graphic novel follows the game so closely that it begins to feel like a recap. For readers unfamiliar with the games, this installment may be more interesting.

Link is a relatable character that readers will root for, but the other characters in the story remain two-dimensional, leaving much to be desired. This story has several battle scenes scattered throughout, but there are only a few violent images where Link is shown slashing monsters with his sword or attacking in his wolf-form. The images are not gory. The theme of Twilight Princess Vol 2 follows Link’s struggle to find his inner strength in order to protect his loved ones.

Twilight Princess Vol 2 is darker than the video game. However, the story will appeal to reluctant readers because the Manga-style illustrations tell the story through pictures and uses a limited amount of words. Each page contains 1-6 simple sentences, which appear in thought bubbles. Similar to the original Batman comics, Twilight Princess’s battle scenes use onomatopoeia words, such as “Bwommm” and “gyaaah.” Overall, Link fans may be better off sticking with the video game and skipping the graphic novels altogether.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

A “demon thief” is banished to the Twilight Realm. He is stabbed with a sword, and the flesh melts from his face before he is sucked into the Twilight Realm.
When Princess Zelda tells the story of her kingdom being attacked, the illustrations depict an explosion and a monster slowly crushing a guard to death.
Link battles a shadow monster and eventually kills it. The fight is illustrated over six pages.
A demon monkey lashes out with fire, burning the forest and killing several animals, who are drawn terrified, aflame, and wounded.
Link fights the demon monkey. Their first battle takes place over three pages. Their second battle takes place over five pages.
Link battles a giant plant monster and slays it. This battle takes place over nine pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Link lives in a world with magic, shadow beasts, and demons. When people from the land of light are engulfed by the Twilight Realm, they turn into lost souls.
When Link travels to the Twilight Realm, he is transformed into a giant wolf. While in his wolf form, Link can communicate with animals.
Link meets an alpha monkey who “absorbed the power of shadow… He was originally a monkey, but now he’s a demon. He can’t tell friend from foe.”
When Link unlocks his instinctive wolf senses, he’s able to see the insects that are “the true form of the shadow demons.” One of the insects is controlling the monkey demon, making him act cruelly.
Link finds a boomerang, which speaks to him. It says, “I am the fairy of winds that inhabits the boomerang. You freed me from an evil force, so I can reclaim my true power… Please, use the boomerang in which my power resides.”

Spiritual Content

There is a legend that when evil people tried to use magic to take over the land, “the goddesses grew angry at this affront and sent four spirits of light to seal the upstarts’ magical power away in the shadow crystal. Furthermore, the mirror of shadow prevented these wizards from entering the world of light. They were exiled to the twilight realm.”
Link meets a light spirit who tells him, “By orders of the gods, I am one of the four spirits of light who protect Hyrule.” The spirit asks Link for his help in saving the land from darkness.

by Morgan Lynn

The Sky Unicorn

Ava travels to different towns with her parents as a part of a traveling troupe. As the group travels downriver, Ava sees a herd of unicorns. Ava sees Sir Fitzroy and his guards trying to capture the unicorns. Ava is horrified when Clover, a baby unicorn, is stolen from his herd by the evil Sir Fitzroy.

Then Ava meets a girl named Sophy, who gives her a magical stone. With the help of the magical stone, Ava and Sophy plan to rescue Clover. The two girls dress as page boys and sneak into town. Will the two girls be able to rescue Clover, or will Sir Fitzroy catch them first?

Sophy and Ava are sweet girls who care about animals. Several times throughout the story, the girls use creative problem-solving skills in order to help the unicorns. As the girls work together, they help and encourage each other. Even though the story’s setting is similar to a fairy tale, the girls are not princesses. Instead, Sophy is a castle maid and Ava performs in a traveling troupe, making the characters more relatable.

The story uses easy vocabulary, simple sentence structure, and black and white illustrations to make The Sky Unicorn accessible to younger readers. Illustrations appear every 1-3 pages, and they help readers understand the story’s plot. The Sky Unicorn has a high-interest topic, a non-scary villain, and two girls who save the day. Ava and Sophy are characters that readers will want to emulate; both girls are kind to animals, brave in the face of danger, and have positive attributes. Animal-loving, fairy tale fans should also add the Diary of an Ice Princess series by Christina Soontornvat to their reading list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Ava sees a knight and some guards chase the unicorn herd. The herd is able to safely hide.
Sir Fitzroy and his guards try to sneak up on the unicorn herd. “The men searched the path and peered at the lake, but after a few minutes they gave up and went back into town.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Ava and Sophy both have a Speaking Stone. The stone “lets you talk to magical animals.”
When Ava cuts her finger, a unicorn uses “secret magic” to heal Ava’s injury. “Ava watched in astonishment as the little unicorn bent his golden horn to touch her finger. Slowly the cut on her hand healed until it looked as if it had never been there at all.”
In order to send a message to a dragon, Sophy “called a golden songbird by whistling a special tune that Windrunner the dragon had taught her. Soon one of the birds heard her call. It flew down to perch on her hand and looked at her with bright black eyes.” The bird agrees to carry the message.

Spiritual Content

None

Fairest of All

Once upon a time, a mirror slurped up Abby and her brother Johan. When Abby and Johan are magically transported into the fairy tale world, they don’t mean to change Snow White’s happily-ever-after. Because of them, Snow doesn’t eat the poisonous apple. Snow doesn’t meet the prince. Abby is determined to fix Snow’s story; she’s just not sure how to make the prince meet and fall in love with Snow.

Abby and Johan are complete opposites, which adds humor to the story. Abby needs a plan for everything and constantly tries to curb Johan’s adventurous spirit. The one thing that remains constant is their desire to help Snow. Unlike the original fairy tale, in this story Snow White’s personality is multifaceted. She proves that a girl doesn’t need a prince in order to live happily ever after. Instead of following the traditional plot, Fairest of All takes the reader down a winding path where danger is behind every corner.

Fairest of All is an imaginative retelling of Snow White’s fairy tale. Told from Abby’s point of view, the story’s start is slow, but once the siblings show up at the dwarves’ cottage, the action picks up. With short chapters, easy vocabulary, and an interesting narrator, Fairest of All will appeal to a wide range of readers. The story leaves several questions unanswered, which will have readers reaching for the next book in the series, If the Shoe Fits. More advanced readers should add The Secret Rescuers series by Paula Harrison to their reading list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Evil Evelyn tries to give Snow a poisoned apple. While arguing with Snow, Evelyn begins to sweat, and “makeup starts to smear down her face,” which allows Snow to recognize her stepmother. Johan retells the story, “Snow’s stepmom was trying to kill her with a poisoned apple, and that’s why she was wearing a disguise.”
Snow explains how she came to live with the dwarves. Snow’s stepmom “sends Xavier, her huntsmen, to kill me. He let me get away, but then I got lost in the forest… I came across the cottage… So I fell asleep on an empty bed, and the next thing I knew, there were seven little people staring at me.”
Johan tells Snow that the huntsman “told the queen that he had done it. And I think he gave her the lungs and liver of some animal, pretending it was you.” This comes up several times throughout the book.
Evil Evelyn tried to kill Snow using laces. The stepmother “tied them so tight Snow couldn’t breathe. We [the dwarves] came home and found Snow lying on the floor. We untied them just in time.”
When Prince Trevor was two, he threw a rock at a stranger.
Disguised as a child, Evil Evelyn offers to give Snow a cookie. Snow takes the cookie and her stepmother was “lifting the hammer and swinging it toward Snow’s head.” Abby sees the hammer and she “jumps towards Snow and push her out of the way… At the same time, the young girl’s hammer swings through the air and misses its target.” Evil Evelyn flees.
Snow, Johan, and Abby sneak into the castle. If they are caught, Snow says Evil Evelyn will kill them. Then Johan askes, “Do you think she’d eat our lungs and livers too?”
In order to try to “fix” Snow’s story, Snow pretends to be dead. As she lays in the coffin, she puts her head on a poisoned pillow. Snow screams. “Snow pops up, the tips of her hair burnt off like she stood too close to a fire.” To get the poison out of Snow’s hair, Abby dumps water on her head.
In order to get into the castle, Snow, Abby, and Johan swim the moat. Two crocodiles snap at the three friends. “Baby Crocodile blocks our path from behind and snaps her baby teeth… Mama Crocodile lunges again.” Johan throws stew sandwiches at the crocodile, who gobble them up. The three are able to escape.
Snow, Johan, and Abby try to leave the castle. They are on the drawbridge when soldiers appear. Evil Evelyn “aims a bowstring at Snow and pulls the trigger… In what seems like slow motion, he [Prince Trevor] jumps in front of Snow.” Trevor is injured, but Snow is saved.
The arrow hit Prince Trevor “square in the chest… Prince Trevor is still standing, but he’s shaking. After a few dramatic moments, his knees buckle, and he falls right over the bridge and into the water. Splash!”
Snow is able to drag Prince Trevor to shore. Trevor wakes up and says, “You kissed me. I was dead, and your kiss woke me up.” Snow explains that she didn’t kiss Trevor, but that “it was mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.” The escape scene is described over 10 pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Jonah and Abby travel through a mirror and end up in Snow White’s fairy tale. When Jonah knocks on the mirror three times, the mirror sucks Jonah and Abby into it.
Time in the real world travels slower than in Snow White’s world. Every hour in the real world equals one day in Snow’s world.

Spiritual Content

None

The Dragon Thief

Jaxon had just one job—to return three baby dragons to the realm of magic. When he got there, only two dragons were left in the bag. His best friend’s sister, Kavita, is a dragon thief!

Kavita only wanted what was best for the baby dragon. Now every time she feeds it, the dragon grows and grows! How can she possibly keep it secret? Even worse, stealing the dragon has upset the balance between the worlds, and the gates to the other realm have shut tight! Jaxon needs all the help he can get to find Kavita, outsmart a trickster named Blue, and return the baby dragon to its true home.

The sequel to Dragons in a Bag continues Jaxon’s story; however, many of the characters from the first book only make a very brief appearance. Instead, The Dragon Thief jumps back and forth between Jaxon’s and Kavita’s points of view. Jaxon and Kavita both want to return the dragon to the realm of magic, but they don’t work together until the very end. Much of the story focuses on both Jaxon and Kavita trying to figure out how to return the dragon. With talking animals, magic, and a cast of helpful characters, the story has many interesting elements.

Readers may be disappointed that the dragon rarely appears in the story. However, several new characters add interest to the story. Jaxon meets a feisty fairy and gains the help of a classmate. At one point Jaxon thinks, “A week ago, a talking pigeon would have freaked me out. But over the past few days, I’ve encountered a very determined squirrel, actual dinosaurs, a talking rat, and three baby dragons. I’ve learned to take it all in stride.”

The Dragon Thief hints at some important themes, but they are undeveloped. Several times the story mentions slavery and freedom, but the information is not integrated into the story and seems random. Jaxon’s family only appears at the end of the story, but he thinks, “This is my family. Sure, we’re different from other families. Ma’s a witch, and I’m her apprentice. Mama’s a widow, and Trub’s reformed thief. We’ve all made mistakes—big and small—but we stick together because that’s what you do when you love someone.”

The Dragon Thief has some interesting elements, but the undeveloped plot will leave readers with many questions. One positive aspect of the story is that both Jaxon and Kavita are diverse characters who want what’s best for the dragon. Overall, The Dragon Thief has enough mystery and magic to interest fantasy fans, but the abrupt ending and the many characters may confuse some readers.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

At the end of the story, Ma tells Jaxon, “Then let’s get this party started boy! Bring me a beer!” Ma means a root beer, but readers won’t know that unless they’ve read the first book in the series.”

Language

As Jaxon is walking in a park, he almost steps on “a pile of dog crap.”
Kavita’s brother tells his friend that Kavita is a brat and a “pain in the butt.”
A boy tells Jaxon that “a lot of kids at our school are jerks.” Later, the same boy says Blue is a jerk.
While looking for Blue, Jaxon asks a rat for help. The rat tells Jaxon, “Blue’s a nasty piece of work. Trash, really…He hasn’t got a selfless bone in his freaky blue body.”
A boy calls Blue a creep.
Three times, someone calls the trickster Blue a fool.
Blue calls Jaxon and his friends “rotten brats.”

Supernatural

Ma is a witch who can travel to another dimension where magic exists.
Kavita and Aunty go to see Bejan, an astrologer and psychic. Bejan explains, “Jyotisha, or the science of light, involves the study of the stars and planets.” Bejan uses a dragon’s birthday to give Kavita and Aunty advice.
Jaxon can talk to animals.
Jeff, a fairy, “raises his arms once more, but this time when he lowers them, a circle of blue light appears. It’s as if the fairy traced a bubble in the air and then willed it into existence.” The bubble allows Jaxon to talk to someone who is in another dimension.
Blue takes animals from another dimension and turns them into tattoos. Blue explains, “These are my guests… We share space and show respect… Real tattoos are permanent, but these…are just temporary.” Later, Blue’s tattoos are taken away. “We see movement beneath his clothing and hear a faint clamor as Sis extracts the creatures tattooed on Blue’s skin. One by one the mermaid, parrot, sea serpent, unicorn, and others peel off and float toward Sis. Still in miniature, the creatures huddle together and are soon encased in a clear spear that forms above Sis’s outstretched palm.” The creatures are taken back to the realm of magic.
Blue uses the tattoos to give him power. He creates “potions, spells, curses, and hexes. Everything humans most desire—love, wealth, revenge, success. Put it in a bottle and slap on a price tag.”
A dragon appears and then changes into a “human form.”
Jaxon is given a potion that will wake up Ma. He is instructed to put three drops in a glass of water “before the moon wanes.” When Ma drinks the potion, she awakens.
In order to transport the dragon to the proper diminution, “Sis points at the creature and draws a circle around it once, twice, and by the third time another elastic sphere has formed. Unlike Blue’s tattoos, however, the dragon doesn’t accept its fate. It whines and claws against the sphere, but to no avail.”

Spiritual Content

None

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Vol 1

Link is a simple boy in a small, peaceful village. However, he lived a very different life before he came to the village less than two years ago. Before, he had been training with the sword to become a border guard. Then, in a tragic accident, Link’s entire town was sucked into the blackness by a Death God and vanished. Link fled in terror and has been hiding ever since, though he hasn’t been able to escape his guilt.

When monsters invade Link’s safe haven, he springs into action to defend his new home. But these strange creatures are nothing like Link has ever seen before. Will he be able to redeem himself and save his new home? Or is Link doomed to watch another town be swallowed by the darkness?

Link himself is an enjoyable and relatable hero. He has a sense of humor despite his tragic past. He tries to be patient with the children of the village, and when he loses his temper, he regrets it later. However, the other supporting characters in the story are undeveloped caricatures.

There are some mild violent and sexual images, though these do not abound. Specifically, the monsters and Death God may be frightening to younger readers, and parents may not appreciate the bikini-clad princess that appears in the first chapter. However, for the 13+ recommended age range, the images in this graphic novel are much less graphic and sexual than other popular teen graphic novels. Still, the graphic novel is noticeably darker than the video game, such as when the Death God is introduced, Link suffers a gruesome injury.

For fans of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess video game, this graphic novel will be an enjoyable read. Though the graphic novel diverges from the video game, there are enough similarities that gamers will recognize and enjoy. Link is given a different backstory in this graphic novel, which provides enough of a difference that it is not simply a repeat of the game. For readers who have not played the video game and are meeting Link for the first time, they may find that the plot drags. While there is plenty of action at the end, the first half of the book meanders around, introducing characters and aspects of Link’s life from the video game. While interesting enough to gamers, there might not be enough action to hook new readers.

Sexual Content

The Twilight Princess, who only appears in chapter one, is dressed in a bikini top and sarong skirt that bares most of her legs.
When Link gets rammed by a goat, he thinks, “It’s weird for Ordon goats to be so aggressive. Is it mating season?”

Violence

The sorcerer Zant attacks the Twilight Princess. There is a giant explosion as he overpowers her.
A village girl is shot in the shoulder with an arrow and then kidnapped.
Link fights the monster trying to kidnap a village girl. The fight is depicted over 11 pages. At the end of it, Link’s arm is cut off.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Link lives in a world with magic and monsters.
The sorcerer, Zant, turns the people who live in the Twilight Realm into monsters to serve his evil plans.
When Link pulls a sword from a stone, his village is sucked into darkness by a terrifying Death God, who appears like a skeleton with glowing eyes.
There are drawings of goblins, skeletons, and other monsters that invade the realm and terrify the villagers. Most of this attack is not shown. One of the monsters threatens the people who don’t live in the twilight realm, saying, “I will curse them all.”
When Link travels to the Twilight Realm, he is transformed into a giant wolf.

Spiritual Content

The villagers speak of the spirits that protect them several times. For instance, a village woman tells Link, “The spirits give strength to all manner of things. They bring light and consciousness to all things.”
There is a legend that when evil people tried to use magic to take over the land, “the goddesses grew angry at this affront and sent four spirits of light to seal the upstarts’ magical power away in the shadow crystal. Furthermore, the mirror of shadow prevented these wizards from entering the world of light. They were exiled to the twilight realm.”
A spirit of light heals Link’s arm after it is cut off in a battle.

by Morgan Lynn

The Storm Dragon

Sophy was picking apples in an orchard when a cute dragon falls from the sky. The injured little dragon, named Cloudy, is in danger. The queen and the captain of the guard don’t like magical creatures. Sir Fitzroy and his guards are searching everywhere for Cloudy. They want to lock him in the dungeon.

With the help of a magical stone, Sophy is able to talk to Cloudy. It will take courage and creativity to keep Cloudy safe. With the help of a friend, Sophy knows how she can help heal Cloudy’s injured wing…but how can Sophy sneak Cloudy out of the castle, find the healing plant, and save her cute purple friends?

The Dragon Storm shows that you don’t have to be royal in order to be special. Sophy is a castle maid, but she is still able to keep Cloudy safe. Sophy’s kind nature shines as she smuggles Cloudy into the castle. Suspense is created as Sir Fitzroy and his guards hunt for the dragon; however, his exploits are silly and will cause readers to giggle. Readers will enjoy seeing Cloudy using his magic to stop Sir Fitzroy from yelling at Sophy. With a cute dragon, a sweet friendship, and a fairy tale setting, The Dragon Storm will delight younger readers.

The story uses easy vocabulary, simple sentence structure, and black and white illustrations to make The Storm Dragon accessible to younger readers. Illustrations appear every 1-3 pages, and they help readers understand the story’s plot. Readers will fall in love with Sophy and will be excited to read the next book in the series, The Sky Unicorn. Much like Harrison’s Rescue Princess Series, The Secret Rescuers will encourage readers to be kind to animals, brave in the face of danger, and ready to help a friend in need.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

Cloudy eats dragonweed. Sophy picks some of the plant and “Cloudy munched those too and then flapped his wings. This time his injured left wing looked as strong as the right one!”

Language

When a guard says he doesn’t believe a dragon is near the castle, Sir Fitzroy yells, “It was a dragon, you fool!”

Supernatural

Sophy finds a magic “Speaking Stone” that allows her to talk to dragons. A dragon tells Sophy, “A Speaking Stone is very powerful and very precious. Each stone chooses a keeper and will work for the person alone.”
When the Queen and Sir Fitzroy yell at Sophy, Cloudy causes a gust of wind. “Then a sheet floated out of the basket, followed by a pair of the queen’s royal bloomers, trimmed with golden thread… More clothes and sheets sailed into the hall as the wind become wilder… Five small whirlwinds were sneaking across the hall, twisting and turning as if they were dancing. The silverware rattled on the banquet table, and the royal tablecloth flew upward, scattering pie crumbs everywhere.”
Cloudy is a storm dragon. Storm dragons “bring rain clouds from the ocean and blow them across the dry land. My brother says that’s how the trees and flowers and vegetables get the water they need to grow.”

Spiritual Content

None

Star Dreams

Flame meets Jemma Watson in an alley, and this ordinary girl soon realizes that she is dealing with an extraordinary kitten. Flame’s magic powers come in handy as Jemma auditions for dance school while trying to look after her younger siblings. But the fun can’t last forever as Flame senses his enemies close by and must return to his kingdom. . .

Jemma loves having Flame, and she takes him everywhere she goes, including school. Flame often uses his magic to help Jemma out. One time, Flame’s magic is too much, which creates a funny food fight at school. Readers will fall in love with Flame as he uses sparkly magic to help Jemma with everyday problems.

Jemma loves to dance and is excited about trying out for a dance class. When the new girl, Fran, asks Jemma if she can come over, Jemma is nervous. Jemma knows that some kids think Fran is a snob. “But, she [Jemma] hadn’t had the chance to get to know her yet. Anyway, she liked to make up her own mind about people.” Because Fran has new clothes and her mom drives an expensive car, Jemma is worried to invite her over. Jemma doesn’t want Fran to see her run-down house; however, Jemma gets over her fear. When Fran comes over, she doesn’t make a comment on Jemma’s house.

Many readers will relate to Jemma, who worries about her family’s financial situation. However, Jemma doesn’t let this stop her from befriending Fran. Jemma is a positive character who helps her mother by babysitting and helping around the house. The story shows that a person’s character is more important than their financial status.

When Jemma performs, she makes a mistake in the routine, but she keeps going. Jemma was sure that her mistake would disqualify her, but in the end she has a happy surprise. The judges “were impressed because I didn’t let a small mistake get in the way.” Black and white drawings appear every 3-7 pages. Star Dream will engage readers as it teaches positive life lessons. Even though Star Dreams is part of a series, the books do not need to be read in order. Each book introduces a main character as Flame tries to hide from his uncle.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Flame’s uncle is looking for him. His uncle wants to kill Flame so he can keep the throne.
When sandwiches and other foods begin spilling out of Jemma’s brother’s lunch box, the kids go crazy and start a food fight. When Mr. Butler comes over and yells at the kids, Jemma’s brother threw a cherry cake at him. “The cherry cake hit Mr. Butler in the chest. Squish! The teacher’s face reddened with anger and he gave a roar of rage. An enormous chocolate éclair torpedoed into his open mouth as one boy with particularly good aim looked very proud of himself.” Flame uses magic to make all the food disappear and everyone forgets what happened.
A boy picks up Flame and “pretended to throw Flame over a nearby garden wall. Flame gave a terrified wail. His paws clawed at the air. He seemed too scared to do any magic.” When Jemma offers the boy money, he gives Jemma the kitten.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Jemma’s brother “leaped onto the bed and began playing with Flame.” Jemma yells at him and calls him a big jerk.
“Oh, heck” is used twice. When Jemma’s brother drops something, he says, “Oh, heck!”

Supernatural

Flame uses magic to change into a kitten and jump into a different world. When he changes, “sparks crackled in Flame’s fur and there was a flash of dazzling white light. A silky cream kitten with brown spots sat where the young white lion had stood just a moment ago.”
When Flame enters another world, Jemma sees “silver sparkles shot out of Flame’s fur. His green eyes began to glow like coals and his whiskers trembled with electricity. Jemma felt a tingling sensation.”
In order to make Jemma’s baby sister stop crying, Flame “raised a paw and a fountain of silver sparks whooshed into the air. Big, shiny, rainbow-colored bubbles appeared. They floated in the air, tinkling like silvery bells when they bumped gently into each other.”
Flame makes lunch for Jemma’s brother. Jemma “saw piles of ham and cheese sandwiches, cookies, and lemonade.” However, Flame’s magic was too strong. When Jemma’s brother opens his lunch box, “shooting out of it was a multicolored volcano of sandwiches, potato chips, cookies, and candy?”
Flame uses magic to make himself invisible.
When Jemma’s brother makes a mess in the kitchen, Flame cleans it up. “A minute later, the vacuum cleaner burst into action. It zoomed around wildly, making clean trails through the flour. . . The vacuum cleaner whizzed back into the closet. Swish! Cushions, carpets, and curtains flicked back into place. Phloop! Flour and sauce disappeared back into bags and jars.”
When Jemma is going to be late for tryouts, Flame transports her. “Opening the door, she poked her head outside. There was a long line of people twisting all down the hallway.”
Flame transforms Jemma’s backyard. “The flowers were all planted and the lawn had been mowed. The paving stones were in place.”

Spiritual Content

None

Wicked Saints

The war between gods-fearing Kalyazin and heretical Tranavia has gone on for a hundred years. The war began over differing views on the pantheon of gods that once ruled over the two countries: for Kalyazin, the gods are still meant to be revered and feared, while the Tranavia believe they are nothing more than myths or at the very least demons fooling the silly humans that worship them. While the gods and divine magic reign supreme in Kalyazin, blood magic takes hold of Tranavia.

Nadya Lapteva is the last Kalyazin cleric, the last of her kind able to speak with the gods and use their power. When her home is destroyed by Tranavia’s army, she makes it her mission to turn the tide of war and bring the gods back into the heart of Tranavia. Yet she can’t bring the gods back to a heretical country all on her own. Serefin Melesku, High Prince of Tranavia, may have been the one to destroy Nadya’s home and thrust her into a desperate decision, but he has his own part to play in Tranavia’s future. As a general on the war front, Serefin has become renowned for his magical prowess, highlighting his father’s weak abilities. But once the King calls Serefin home to choose a bride, he knows his father is up to something – something that could very well put him in mortal danger.

As Nadya and Serefin contend with the burdens placed on their shoulders, they get closer and closer to changing the world indefinitely. Magic swirls, monsters come out of the shadows, and neither mage will be able to stop what’s coming to shape the world.

Told from a first-person point of view from Nadya’s and Serefin’s separate journeys, the story explores themes of worship, religious skepticism, and hunger for power. Nadya and her companions are constantly debating whether the gods are worth the effort of worship and whether they’re truly gods. The idea of power revolves around this constant discussion; Nadya and Serefin question where their power comes from and why it’s even needed in the first place.

Both Nadya and Serefin are excellent main characters that carry the bulk of the story. Both are believable and relatable. They make decisions that will cause the reader to root for them during their journeys. The overall plot is full of action. While that action can often get bloody, it’s not overly complicated, and it’s full of discourse about the way religion and magic play into both countries. Religion and magic are tied to each other, and when the final twist of the story is revealed, it leads to a satisfying conclusion.

Kalyazin could be easily seen as a picturesque, pagan Russia with its more rigid religious culture. Tranavia could be viewed as inspired by the Polish warrior spirit that fights for its own power and glory. While the book is recommended for ages 13 and up, some younger readers may be disturbed by the many images of blood, whether that blood comes from violent fights or from the simple fact that mages in Tranavia use their own blood to use their magic. However, readers interested in religion and magic will find that Wicked Saints is a great story from start to finish.

Sexual Content

During a battle at the monastery where Nadya grew up, her friend Kostya tries to lead her to safety. Once he does, Kostya “kissed her forehead, lips warm, slipping something cold and metallic against her palm.”
Serefin, the High Prince of Tranavia, thinks about the old woman that binds his spellbooks. “He could never figure out if she treated him like a long dead son or lover. He was disturbed he couldn’t tell the difference.”
Nadya, the main heroine of the novel, meets Malachiasz, who is a runaway Tranavian soldier. Malachiasz “reached down and took Nadya’s hand, pressing it to his lips as if he were a court nobleman and not a renegade blood mage out in the middle of enemy territory.” Later when the two escape, Nadya notices him more. “He had a soft mouth and his nose was stately. His face was lovely, all the feral, unsettling qualities absent when he wasn’t awake. She wasn’t pleased with herself for noticing, especially not now.” Nadya starts to fall in love with Malachiasz. “Why—after being so furious with him—did she find herself desperately yearning to kiss him?”
When Serefin is summoned home from the war front, it’s because of the Rawalyk, which is “the ceremony to choose a royal consort.” As Serefin puts it, “I have to go home and get married.” Later when Serefin is waking from a hangover, his friend Kacper tells him, “You promised Felicíja Krywicka the entire western reaches as a wedding gift.”
When Nadya admits her love to Malachiasz, despite it being heresy, they make out. Malachiasz’s “hands gripped her waist as he pulled her closer. He broke away, his breath ragged and hot. His pale eyes were dark and dangerous as they searched her face.”

Violence

When Nadya is still at the monastery where she grew up, she thinks, “Cannons were a sound every child of Kalyazin knew intimately. It was what they grew up with, their lullabies mixed with firing in the distance.”
Nadya’s home, the monastery, is attacked by Serefin’s army. Nadya fights back with her magic, “[catching a soldier’s] arm, but like a poison, the light blackened his flesh at the point of contact. It spread up his arm to his face, choking his eyes with darkness before he toppled over, dead.” Just after that, Nadya is attacked by another mage. “Flames engulfed her, licking underneath her skin, her blood boiling . . . It was like being burned alive from the inside out.”
Serefin thinks about how he got his eyepatch. “The assassins had gone for their eyes first. Perhaps blinding the children of the enemy before murdering them was a religious thing.”
When Serefin realizes he must torture a prisoner, he thinks, “It didn’t really matter that he was tired of torturing prisoners, tired of this tour.” Just after that, Serefin uses his magic to kill someone. Serefin “tore a third page out of his spellbook and crumpled it in his hands. Ostyia took a step back as the younger boy fell over, dead.”
When Nadya attacks a group of Tranavian soldiers, she kills two of them. “She caught up to one of the figures, stabbing her voryen into his skull just underneath his ear.” Later, when Nadya meets Rashid and Parijahan, two assassins, Nadya says, “We have a clear and obvious reason to be killing Tranavians, in general.” Just moments later, when she meets Malachiasz for the first time, Nadya thinks, “She couldn’t put a name to it, but she knew—intrinsically—he would not hesitate to kill her if she made any indication of hostility.”
When Nadya talks to her patron god Marzenya, Marzenya says, “You will dispose of him soon, yes?”
When talking to Malachiasz, Nadya asks, “And is your destiny worth the torture and mutilation of a century of innocents to reach the means for your magic? Hundreds upon thousands of people.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Serefin, the High Prince of Tranavia and one of the main characters, regularly drinks whatever alcohol he can get his hands on throughout the novel, like wine and ale.
After Serefin’s army takes control of a monastery, Serefin tells his friend Kacper, “Perfect. I want to be blind drunk before the night is out. . . The next morning, Serefin woke with a raging hangover and a prisoner to interrogate.” When Serefin is trying to wake up from another hangover, “He turned back, regretting the motion immediately as the room spun. He pressed a hand to his face, slouching against the doorframe.”
When traveling, Serefin, while drunk, tries to avoid meeting a nobleman. “It wasn’t until Serefin was on his fourth—maybe fifth? It was hard to keep track—tankard of dzalustek that the uncomfortable meeting he had been so ardently avoiding finally came into being.”
Serefin thinks about his hangovers often. For example, “This was worse than any hangover Serefin had ever experienced. And he always kept track of his hangovers and how badly they hurt. He had a list.”

Language

Profanity is sometimes used. Profanity includes hell and damn.
When Serefin and his friend Ostyia speak, Ostyia says, “Yeah, and leave me to work my ass off, keeping you safe.”
When pushing Serefin back to his bedroom, Ostyia tells him, “Well, welcome home, Your Highness, you don’t have a damn choice.”
When Malachiasz leads Nadya through the Tranavian palace, Nadya thinks, “he was leading her farther down into hell, a new level with every door he opened.”

Supernatural

Magic is a backdrop to the story, and it’s intertwined with religion. Kalyazin’s magic is divine and only clerics are allowed to use the power directly bestowed to them by the gods.
Tranavia has blood magic, where a mage will cut themselves to make their blood flow to then use their blood to conjure their magic through a spellbook.
When Nadya is running from Serefin, he attacks her with his magic. “Something brushed Nadya’s ear, heat coming off it in waves. It slammed into the curve of the tunnel before her, bursting into a shower of sparks.”
Magic can be used to communicate over long distances. For example, “The king generally sent messages via courier instead of with magic in an effort to mask the disappointing reality that he was a less than impressive blood mage.”
Tranavian spells come from spellbooks. Serefin “sighed and nodded, picking up the book and riffling through it. He was running out of spells.” When Malachiasz tells Nadya about his Tranavian magic, he says, “I know what you believe about my magic. It’s easy to spread the rumor that blood mages use human sacrifices.”
When Nadya uses her holy magic to blot out the stars in the night sky, her friend Anna says, “We’ll be hearing prophesies about the end of the world for the next twenty years now!”
Nadya uses her magic by touching specific prayer beads and praying to the various gods. Nadya “yanked her glove off and thumbed at her necklace until she found Zlatek’s bead. The god of silence loathed granting Nadya power; he’d once voiced they should revoke her magic completely.”
Only clerics who speak to the gods can use magic in Kalyazin, Nadya’s homeland. “Using [Nadya’s] power was inevitable, and the minute she did, people would know Kalyazin had clerics again after a thirty-year absence.”
In Tranavia, there are people known as Vultures that use so much blood magic they transform into monstrous creatures. “Woven into the darkest of Kalyazin nightmares were the Vultures of Tranavia. Blood mages so twisted by their heretical magic they were no longer human, nothing more than violent monsters.”
Nadya and Malachiasz fight a few Vultures. “The blood moved as if it had a life of its own until it formed into the shape of a girl, materializing in the center of the room. Iron spikes wove through an auburn braid. A thick black book hung from straps on her hip. Her face was covered by a crimson mask crafted in strips.”

Spiritual Content

Religion is a backdrop to the story and intertwined with magic, and the war between the two main nations of Kalyazin and Tranavia. Basically, Kalyazin still believes in the gods, while Tranavia does not. Dozens of gods are worshipped in Kalyazin.
Tranavia is viewed as heretical to most, if not all, devout Kalyazins. “The idea of the High Prince anywhere near the monastery made her shiver. He was rumored to be an extremely powerful blood mage, one of the most terrifying in all of Tranavia, a land rife with heretics.”
When the monastery where Nadya used to live is attacked, Nadya notes, “blood magic meant Tranavians. For a century a holy war had raged between Kalyazin and Tranavia. Tranavians didn’t care that their blood magic profaned the gods.”
Nadya prays to a wide variety of gods during the novel. For example, “She sent a simple prayer to Bozidarka, the goddess of vision. A vivid image took over her sight.”
Another god Nadya prays to is “Horz, the god of the heavens and the stars, who had woken her. Horz had a tendency to be obnoxious but generally left Nadya alone, as a rule.”
When a Kalyazin priest tells Serefin off, the High Prince responds, “Yes, yes, we’re nasty heretics that need to be eradicated from the earth and you’re just doing what’s right.”

by Jonathan Planman