INTO THE SHADOW MIST

A group of young Novices at a magic school learn more about using their powers to protect the land.

Plum has passed the first test necessary to remain at the Guardian Academy and now is a true Novice, training to use her magic in service of the Santipap Islands. Like her classmates, Plum has the ability to shape-shift into a fantastic creature, the mark of a Guardian. But unlike her classmates, Plum does not seem to have a Guardian power, at least not one that makes sense. Plum worries that she may be like another one of her classmates who had to leave the academy because she used unauthorized workarounds to pass a test. And Plum’s next test is fast approaching: She and a few of her friends must journey to another island in the archipelago to use their magic in the field. Something is threatening the trees on Bokati Island, and Plum and her friends must help—but will Plum be able to use her magic and live up to being a Guardian? Touching on friendship, confidence, environmentalism, belonging, and the notion that sometimes actions aren’t black-and-white, this second installment of the Legends of Lotus Island series sheds more light on Plum’s mysterious powers but still hints at more to come. Plum and her friends live in a loose fantasy version of Thailand.

A fun, magical journey featuring a relatably conflicted protagonist.