An undeniably fun fantasy adventure that also works on a much deeper level.
A middle-grade fantasy sequel returns to the magical realm of Somewhere, where a fairy must come to grips with her newfound powers.
Mirror is a young fairy who showed up in Somewhere with no family to speak of. But after befriending other adolescent fairies like Bosco and Mica and beginning an apprenticeship with “fairy seer extraordinaire” Lady Flo to help her understand her burgeoning abilities to foresee the future, Mirror is enjoying a seemingly idyllic life. When an orphaned baby bobcat that the group is rehabilitating gets caught in a steel trap, Mirror rescues the animal by sending a burst of energy to destroy the device. The release of energy is so potent it gets the attention of the Royal Court, which travels to Somewhere to investigate. But shortly after the Fairy Queen and her entourage arrive, a wildfire approaches Somewhere, threatening to destroy the entire fairy community. Although some see Mirror’s unparalleled power as dangerous, it may be the only hope to save the inhabitants of Somewhere. The main fantasy-fueled storyline revolving around Mirror and her search for her place in the world is certainly compelling and filled with rich descriptions and nonstop action throughout. But what separates Ritchie’s book from other comparable genre novels for young readers is the deep, existential wisdom. In one sequence, for example, Mirror communicates with the spirit of a legendary queen who asks her an unfathomably deep question: “You are shaping your future now, by your actions. And by how you will choose to use your powers. Out of kindness and love? Or out of anger and hatred? Therein lies the trap.” In another scene, Bosco is given invaluable advice: “Don’t ever be afraid to love someone just cause you’re worried you might lose them.”
An undeniably fun fantasy adventure that also works on a much deeper level.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63988-501-5
Page Count: 170
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An epic fantasy with timeless themes and unforgettable characters.
Two young people save the world and all the magic in it in this series opener.
When tall, dark-haired, white-skinned Christopher Forrester goes to stay with his grandfather in Scotland, he ventures to the top of a forbidden hill and discovers astonishing magical creatures. His grandfather explains that Christopher’s family are guardians of the “way through” to the Archipelago, where the Glimourie Tree grows—the source of glimourie, or the world’s magic. Black-haired, olive-skinned Mal Arvorian, a girl from the Archipelago, is being pursued by a murderer, and she asks Christopher for help, launching them both on a wild, dangerous journey to discover why the glimourie is disappearing and how to stop it. Together with a part-nereid woman, a ratatoska, a dragon, and a Berserker, they face an odyssey of dangerous tasks to find the Immortal, the only one who can reverse the draining of magic. Like Lyra and Will from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, Mal and Christopher sacrifice their innocence for experience, meeting every challenge with depthless courage until they finally reach the maze at the heart of it all. Rundell throws myriad obstacles in her characters’ way, but she gives them tools both tangible (a casapasaran, which always points the way home, and the glamry blade, which cuts through anything) and intangible (the desire “to protect something worth protecting” and an “insistence that the world is worth loving”). Final art not seen.
An epic fantasy with timeless themes and unforgettable characters. (map, bestiary) (Fantasy. 10-16)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9780593809860
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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