WHERE THERE BE MONSTERS

A preteen travels across worlds to help a lost boy and finds herself at the center of a nefarious conspiracy.

Eleven-year-old Glory Brown lives in the magical Light Inn in the Seam, a world that exists in perennial dusklight. Full of Moxie (a monster-repelling magic powered by curiosity), Glory dreams of exploring the Outersphere by joining the Parliamentarium of Junior Spherinauts, just like her mom. Sadly, between the worst monster surge in years and her mazyheadedness, her parents don’t think she’s ready. When the inn rescues a boy named Marcus Williams—a lost Parliament on a secret mission—Glory sees an opportunity to prove Mama and Daddy wrong. Helping Marcus get home, she sneaks off, but they quickly find themselves at the center of a magical political controversy that threatens the future of the Parliamentarium and the Outersphere itself. Overwhelmed by the adventure and secrets she uncovers about her mother’s past, Glory must dig deep to find the courage and knowledge she needs to save what she loves. The richly imagined setting combines fantasy and science in fun, creative ways. The story weaves together many plot threads but doesn’t balance their development well, however, throwing off the pacing and flattening characters into pawns of the plot. Unfortunately, an unfocused racial allegory further complicates this issue. Readers will enjoy the whimsy but may find certain elements confusing. Main characters are Black, and Glory reads as neurodivergent.

An enchanting story that’s overrun by its plot.