A BREATH OF MISCHIEF

The fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a girl and her half-eagle, half-lion companion as they seek her missing guardian, the Wind.

As far as Aria and her gryphling, Gwyn, are concerned, their lives in the clouds are perfect; far above the humans, there is little danger for a windling who can float and her young flying companion. However, when they awaken to find their castle grounded, the air perfectly still, no trace of Aria’s guardian, and strange men far too close for comfort, their search for answers leads to a set of three challenging quests. With the help of a waterling named Bay and an array of other creatures and characters, Aria, who has pale, bluish hair and skin, fights along with Gwyn to unravel a deeper mystery behind the Wind’s disappearance and save their dying world. A snappy pace and exuberant tone keep the pages turning, but there are too few opportunities for readers to connect with Aria and her somewhat abstract parental figure, dampening the narrative’s urgency. Many types of magical and nonmagical creatures are mentioned, some described in much greater detail than others; combined with the four elemental personas (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water) and the otherlings, this makes for many names to track. The relatively short page count and simple magical constructs provide an appealing jumping-off point into fantasy for newer or more hesitant readers.

The high-stakes tension and quirky worldbuilding are fun despite some limited character development.