A vivid fantasy that’s packed with magic and imagination.
Whitemarsh-Hoffmann’s middle-grade debut sees a young magic student travel back in time to find the twin whom she was never supposed to meet.
Eleven-year-old Iris resides in the Nearwoods, a realm that’s separate from but connected to Earth. She is the Novice of Light, one of six Novices—the others being of Winter, Summer, Spring, Autumn, and Time—charged with mastering the magic needed to manipulate matter and control the natural elements. (Gratifyingly, this involves a fusion of quantum mechanics and nuclear physics.) The novices are instructed, both collectively and individually, by the Bearers of each element, who, in turn, answer to their own former mentors (the Sages). Iris’ bearer and sage are, respectively, Hesper and Bettima; her mother has virtually disowned her and is preoccupied with summoning Iris’ “timebound twin”—a sibling who was consigned at birth to leave the Nearwoods and live sometime in Earth’s history. Searching for such twins is strictly forbidden, but when the fabled dark sorceress Morith makes an appearance, possessing Iris’ mother and threatening the magic that holds the world together, Iris has no choice but to travel to 1985 Milwaukee to find her timebound twin. Whitemarsh-Hoffmann tells the story through a smooth blend of narrative prose, upbeat dialogue, and poetic descriptions, such as “The River Trillium moved in torrents tonight, teeming with silver-backed trout cresting the water to gobble up the stoneflies.” The worldbuilding fizzes with wonder, and the magic-school setting will naturally evoke Harry Potter comparisons; however, Whitemarsh-Hoffmann is less heavy-handed than J. K. Rowling was in characterizing the novices. Iris’ relationship with her mother, for instance, explores the absence of parental love far more effectively than if she’d been orphaned; her relationships with Hesper and Bettima are also richer, compared to the caricatured Dursleys. White-haired, sneering Verena, Novice of Summer, is a relatively toned-down and believable villain. One criticism, though, is that moments of great import are paced similarly as ordinary events. Nonetheless, the action picks up when Iris travels back in time, which will likely engage young readers.
A vivid fantasy that’s packed with magic and imagination.Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781645385219
Page Count: 188
Publisher: Ten 16 Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 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
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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