BRAVE FALLS

Teens race to save their world from destruction with magic and determination in Gouveia’s middle-grade fantasy novel, one in a series.

Hundreds of years in Earth’s future, young people live in a world called Drifters Realm; they are sent there at age 12 to become magic-wielding “Life Givers,” “Chemists,” “Knowledge Bearers,” “Navigators,” and more. Carrying the tools of their callings in magical backpacks while watched over by benevolent beings called Guardians, the teens learn to use their powers until they reach the age of 18, when they return to Earth. But something has gone wrong: Zane, the villainous adult ruler of Drifters Realm, plots to destroy it, turning the Guardians into killers. Now, 12-year-old Roe (a healing Life-Giver and a newly minted Sorcerer) is in Zane’s crosshairs. With her disgruntled brother Ori, storm-bringing sister Tora, older brother and shape-shifter Theo, and assorted companions, Roe races to fulfill a prophecy that could mean the Realm’s salvation (“From the Unforgettable Forest’s wildflower meadows and Sleeping Giants’ redwood trees…to the gusty winds of the Wandering Plains, ‘Every living thing is counting on me to save Drifters Realm’”). The author gives the teens (and readers) something new to think about by revealing the cause of Zane’s obsessive hatred of Drifters Realm, Roe, and her family. The young protagonists—with Roe at their center—convincingly overcome self-doubt and grow together through physical challenges, painful betrayals, and grueling tests of character as their powers expand. This volume provides a satisfying conclusion to the complex, multicharacter plot that has unfolded over the two previous novels in the series. Those new to the Drifters Realm world may be willing to go along for the ride without knowing the characters’ backstories or what has come before, but a much more rewarding experience begins with book one.

Vivid storytelling with strong teen protagonists and epic magical struggles.