GHOST SHIP

Two royal children set out to rescue a younger sibling they had thought dead, in this slim setup volume. In hiding since the sorcerer Flood had killed their parents and taken over the Star Lands, Asa and Rollo discover that their baby sister Una is being kept in a witch’s tower. They also have hidden allies—notably the magician Ragni, who has secretly endowed all three children with magical powers, and Egil Cripplehand, a jailer who brings both the news of Una’s survival and an invisible ship. Cornish’s occasional drawings of grotesque monsters and dark human figures with windswept hair reinforce the tale’s Nordic feel. Airborne spy ships, a run-in with a hideous Sea Hag and an attack by spiders give this episode plenty of memorable moments; Magic Tree House graduates and fans of Tony Abbott’s Secrets of Droon series and the like will enjoy it. (Fantasy. 10-12)