A rapidly expanding quest with a seemingly endless supply of mischief and surprises.
Zhong presents a middle-grade fantasy novel starring a rebellious youngster.
The trouble begins in ancient times in the fantasy realm of Auyasku, where a stone marten (a weasel-like animal) decides she is going to catch the sun. The marten winds up in the Heavenly Realm, where she unwittingly releases evil spirits (“Demons called their brethren from the farthest corners of the world, and soon the Heavens were teeming with demons of all stripes and shades”). When the demons make their way to the Earthly Realm, havoc ensues. Many years later, a blacksmith’s son named Hatsukoi proves to be quite the trickster in his home village of Koto. Hatsukoi is mischievous and clever, always managing to think up an exit strategy in a tight spot. When he runs afoul of a greedy local governor named Tu Fang, however, it would seem his goose is finally cooked. Hatsukoi’s father sends him to a monastery to hide him. At the monastery, Hatsukoi takes on the name Takuan and gets up to his old pranks, though he also manages to learn some useful things. Takuan goes back to his home village only to learn that his father has been killed and his sister and mother have moved on; he sets back out on the road. The tale of Takuan unfolds in a breezy, fairytale-like fashion. Rather than overburdening the reader with too many details or backstories, the narrative keeps moving forward. Even the somewhat complex tale of the stone marten moves rapidly, helped along by the comedic effect of a marten, of all creatures, causing so much trouble. There is a lot of ground to cover in the 600-some pages of this volume; the narrative often strays from Takuan for several pages, leaving the reader curious about, say, what role a fearful monk named Soliang might play. Yet even with such detours, the pace is sprightly—there is no telling what angry honey badger or sassy demon lies just around the bend.
A rapidly expanding quest with a seemingly endless supply of mischief and surprises.Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2023
ISBN: 9789083346007
Page Count: 549
Publisher: Anno Ruini Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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