Tag: fantasy

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Hollow Dolls takes the Shadow Weaver duology in a new direction

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hollow Dolls, by MarcyKate Connolly, (Jan. 2020, Sourcebooks), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1-4926-8819-8

Ages 9-14

Picking up immediately after the events in Shadow Weaver (2018) and Comet Rising (2019), Hollow Dolls, set in the Shadow Weaver universe, follows Simone and Sebastian, two of Lady Aisling’s captives, as they try and rebuild their lives. Simone is a mind reader, determined to find her lost family – but she has no idea how old she is, having been Lady Aisling’s prisoner, suspended in time, for so long. Sebastian, a memory thief, invites her to stay with him and his sister, Jemma, as she begins her search, and the three decide to head to the Archives to seek information about Simone’s village. After visiting Lady Aisling in prison, Simone and Sebastian discover that a body walker – someone with a talent to control another person – has taken over Jemma, and the two head off on their journey alone. When they meet a woman named Maeve, also headed to the Archives to learn what happened to her family, they’re so relieved to have found someone they can trust, but strange things start happening when the group arrives at the Archives, too.

Hollow Dolls is an expansion of the Shadow Weaver universe, but there’s enough background in the book that new readers should be able to follow along (and most likely, head for the Shadow Weaver books when they’re finished). Simone and Sebastian’s friendship is a strong part of the story, and the Archives staff and other guests have mixed emotions over their presence there, but there’s not enough meat to the characters to invest readers. The world-building is solid and interesting, and I wanted to know more about the Archives. The unraveling revelations are well-played, and readers will like the overall smooth pace of the novel. In short, Hollow Dolls is good; I just wanted more – which is a pretty good thing, overall. Shadow Weaver readers will likely get much more from this.

Author MarcyKate Connolly’s website has more about her books, a link to her blog, and information about her appearances.

 

Posted in Science Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Space Opera: How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse, by K. Eason, (Oct. 2019, DAW), $26, ISBN: 978-0-7564-1529-7

Ages 14+

The first in a duology, How Rory Thorne Broke the Universe starts out with a hard fairy tale line: the new princess is born to the Thorne family line, and fairies come to bestow gifts on her. One fairy is pretty teed off that her invitation… got lost in the mail, let’s say, but there’s no spindle and no curse here. She bestows a dubious gift on the princess; the gift to see through lies of flattery and kiss-uppance. Rory is the first female baby to be born to the Thorne line for a while, so her birth throws things into a bit of a tizzy; it’s a tizzy that’s even more stirred up when a terrorist attack kills her father and the king of a neighboring planetary federation. Her mother gives birth to a male Thorne heir around the same time, which gives us an antagonist to watch out for in the next book.

Rory’s betrothed to the prince of the neighboring federation, and sent to live there while she waits to turn 18 and become his wife. Meanwhile, the Regent –  not her betrothed’s mother, since she also managed to get killed off – is a sleazy minister with his own power game at play. Rory, her body-maid (a badass half-cyborg named Grytt), her Vizier, Rupert, and two guards under Grytt, Thorsdottir and Zhang, keep an eye on things, because the Regent is up to no good. When the Vizier is arrested after trying to poke around and find out the Regent’s deal, Rory takes over and discovers a plot that will have major consequences for Rory, her family, and their corner of the universe. She enters her own Game of Thrones to outwit, outplay, and outlast the Regent.

Rory Thorne is a great character. She’s a smart, savvy teen princess who is ready to defend herself and throw down with anyone who gets in her way. But the book falls a little flat for me. There’s a great deal of worldbuilding, but tends to drone on at points and left me putting down the book to find something else to pique my interest between chapters. Is it YA? It’s definitely YA crossover material. Nothing too violent or overt for teen audiences, but it may not hold your usual readers’ attention. Talk this up with your space opera readers.

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse has a starred review from Kirkus.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Is Lily the Thief in over her head?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Lily the Thief, by Janne Kukkonen, (Nov. 2019, First Second), $14.99, ISBN: 9781250196972

Ages 10-14

Originally released in Finland in 2016, Lily the Thief is a middle grade fantasy adventure starring a young thief who’s desperate to break out of the apprentice role and take on bigger and better assignments in the thieves guild. The Guildmaster only gives her the little jobs, the low-profile stuff: pick-pocketing; trespassing; stealing little things here and there. Durine one little assignment, though, she stumbles onto a big job, but it puts her and her mentor into some very dangerous crosshairs. There are cults, gods, and treasure to be found, but there’s also blackmail and danger. Lily’s got to keep herself alive!

Lily is a good pick for your fantasy readers and your graphic novel fans who love Ben Hatke’s Zita and Mighty Jack books, and Faith Erin Hicks’ epic Nameless City epic series. Colors are earthy, and Janne Kukkonen creates moody settings for the thief’s tale and uses shadows and light to create an almost sinister, creeping feeling as Lily gets closer to uncovering big secrets that could cost her more than her wages. Lily is a likable character; a street urchin-turned-thief, who uses her brains and her skills to get out of tough situations.

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Tween Reads

Happy Book Birthday to Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Weird Little Robots, by Carolyn Crimi/Illustrated by Corinna Luyken, (Oct. 2019, Candlewick), $16.99, ISBN: 9780763694937

Ages 8-12

Two girls discover their mutual love of tinkering and science in this quirky, fun, illustrated novel. Eleven-year-old Penny Rose is new in town, and doesn’t really have any friends yet – unless you count the little robots she makes in her shed. She makes them out of found objects, and tinkers lovingly with them, giving them names and looking after them every day. Lark, her neighbor, is a quirky girl next door who loves birds and tinkers with found objects given to her by the crows; she makes birdhouses to keep her friends safe from the elements. The two girls become friends and create an entire town for the little robots… and when a mysterious wind sweeps through their town, it brings some surprises with it! But while Penny and Lark enjoy one another’s company, a secret science club at school offers Penny membership in their society. Penny feels the tug between her new best friend and a group of like-minded science friends, but making the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons could cost Penny her best friend and the robots that she loves so much.

This is such an unconventional, enjoyable book! I love the idea of making creations out of found objects, and the touch of magical realism infused in this story makes it a joy to read. It’s a STEM story, a friendship story, and a comforting story about second chances. The little robots have their own personalities, each reflected in their names, bestowed on them by Penny. Penny is more tech-focused, while Lark prefers the world around her, showing that making and tinkering presents endless creations. The black and white illustrations throughout give life to the story and keep readers interested as they move through the book.

There’s a downloadable guide with discussion questions and activities, making this a good idea for an ELA/Science partnership or book club/Discovery Club program. I can’t wait until my library’s copy arrives, so I can start telling kids how much they need to read this book. Maybe it’s time for a secret science society at MY library… hmmmm…

 

“[A]uthor Crimi infuses this unassuming transitional novel with compassion, humor, and a refreshing storyline in which girls organically weave a love for science into their everyday lives. Illustrations by Luyken add to the guileless sensibility. A contemplation on the magic of friendship told with sweetness, simplicity, and science.”—Kirkus Reviews

 

Carolyn Crimi enjoys snacking, pugs, Halloween, and writing, although not necessarily in that order. Over the years she has published 15 funny books for children, including Don’t Need Friends, Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, Where’s My Mummy?, There Might Be Lobsters, and I Am The Boss of This Chair. Weird Little Robots is her first novel.

For more information, and to download a free classroom guide for Weird Little Robots, visit her website.

Twitter: @crims10

Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of The Book of Mistakes. She lives with her husband and daughter in Olympia, Washington.
Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

The team-up I’ve been waiting for: Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl, by Ben Hatke, (Sept. 2019, First Second), $14.99, ISBN: 9781250191731

Ages 8-12

The latest Ben Hatke graphic novel brings together two of his best series: Zita the Spacegirl and Mighty Jack. It’s a team-up he teased in 2017’s Mighty Jack and the Goblin King, and I have been waiting patiently for two years to find out what was going to happen.

After Zita and her friends arrive from their space-hopping adventures, Jack and his family have been housing and feeding the group. Lily, Jack’s neighbor, who helped him fight the giants and rescue Maddy, his sister, is on edge, though. Is she jealous of Zita, or is there something more to it? Meanwhile, the giants are growing stronger and getting ready to invade above-ground: the gate between worlds is growing weaker, and they’re ready to use it to their advantage. Zita, Jack, Lily, and Maddy have to get ready to battle once more.

I’ve been a fan of Ben Hatke since 2012, when I first read Zita the Spacegirl. I love Hatke’s art, I love his storytelling and world-building, and I love sharing his books with the kids at my libraries. Hatke is a great storyteller, giving each of his characters a rich backstory and exciting quest. He also weaves the fantastic with the everyday, giving us robots, dragons, giants, goblins alongside a terrified mother, the complexity of navigating tween friendships, and the frustration of being “ordinary”.

Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl is a wonderful chapter in the Zita/Jack saga. Is it the end? Well… you just have to pick it up and read it for yourself. Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl has a starred review from Kirkus.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

The Great TBR Readdown: Hello, Neighbor and The Land of Broken Time

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

My Great TBR Readdown continues!

Hello Neighbor: Missing Pieces (Hello Neighbor, Book 1), by Carly Anne West/Illustrated by Tim Heitz, (Sept. 2018, Scholastic), $7.99, ISBN: 978-1-338-28009-8

Ages 10-14

Based on the horror video game, Hello Neighbor, this is the first book in a middle school-and-up series introducing Nicky Roth, a new kid in the town of Raven Brooks, and their neighbors, the Petersons. Nicky and Aaron, the Peterson’s son, become friends over their shared interest in tinkering, but when Nicky visits Aaron’s home, he’s uncomfortable. Aaron’s father makes him uneasy, and Nicky notices that Aaron, his mother, and sister are equally uncomfortable around him. The kids at school seem afraid of Aaron, and secrets and rumors about his father run wild. What’s the Peterson family’s dark secret, and why does Nicky feel like Aaron’s father is stalking him?

Knowing nothing about the Hello Neighbor game, I picked this book up and discovered a quietly creepy, light horror novel for tweens. If you have horror fans, this should be a good book to hand them. There are three in the series so far; the characters have a good background to build on, and the suspense builds nicely throughout the book. Illustrations throughout keep the pages turning.

 

In the Land of Broken Time, by Max Evan/Illustrated by Maria Evan, (Aug. 2016, self-published), $7.99, ISBN: 978-1520569291

Ages 8-10

A self-published novella by husband-wife team Max and Maria Evan, we’ve got a time-traveling fantasy starring a boy, a girl, and a talking dog, taking place in a fantasy land ruled by time – or the lack of it. Christopher sneaks out of his house to go to a nearby traveling circus, meets a girl named Sophie, and ends up hijacking a hot-air balloon, where the two meet a talking circus dog named Duke. They end up in a land where sibling scientists work at opposite ends: one seek to help them repair time, while the other wants to use time to manipulate his own power struggle.

The books is only about 50 pages, and is a quick enough read. I’d like to see something a little more fleshed out, because the world-building felt a little rushed, but was promising. Where is this land? What are the origin stories for the scientists, gnomes, and townspeople who waited for the prince? How did this power struggle between the two scientists begin? There are Narnian influences here that I enjoyed spotting, and there’s obviously more backstory to draw on; the story’s end leaves a sequel – or a prequel? – open to possibility. Maria Evan’s illustrations are beautiful, bright, and colorful, and brought the land and its characters to life. I’d like to see more. Let’s hope we get it.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade

The Root of Magic: Fantasy middle grade and a giveaway!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Root of Magic, by Kathleen Benner Duble, (June 2019, Delacorte Books for Young Readers), $16.99, ISBN: 978-0525578505

Ages 9-13

Twelve-year-old Willow, her mother, and younger brother, called Wisp, are lucky when they survive a car crash while driving home in a snowstorm. They’re luckier when a couple happen to be out on the road to pull them out of their car and bring them to a B&B in the town of Kismet, Maine, to ride out the snowstorm. Willow starts noticing that the people in Kismet are different: sure, they’re friendly, but they have some secrets. And what’s up with always seeming to know when someone is at the door, or what someone’s dinner order is, before things even happen? Willow is busy trying to navigate her overprotective mother, her sick brother, Wisp, and her crush on one of the local boys, but Kismet’s secrets are seductive, and her mother seems to be drawn in.

The Root of Magic pulled right RIGHT in. It’s kind of an M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, with a dash of Invasion of the Body Snatchers thrown in, and Kathleen Benner Duble creates a small, supernatural tale with just enough creeping discomfort to keep readers riveted. She’s got great world-building here; she creates a small, almost claustrophobic town where Willow and her family are the clear outsiders, and adds elements with each chapter that tease readers, tempt readers, into pushing further to find out exactly what Kismet’s deal is. The climax had me sitting straight up in bed, insisting on reading the last few chapters, before I turned the lights out, because I wasn’t going to be able to rest until I had it all sorted.

The Root of Magic is great summer reading for your fantasy and your mystery readers. And, in this 90-degree weather, who doesn’t want to read about snow and ice skating?

Kathleen Benner Duble is a critically acclaimed and award-winning author of many historical novels for children. Her books include Phantoms of the Snow, The Sacrifice, and Quest. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband. Visit her at www.kathleenduble.com and find her recipe for Kismet Blueberry Pie and a free, downloadable discussion guide. You can also find her on Twitter: @KathleenDuble and Instagram: @kathleenbduble.

Want a chance at winning your own copy of The Root of Magic? Check out this Rafflecopter giveaway!

Posted in Fantasy, Teen, Tween Reads

Keira Gillett wraps up Aleks Mickelsen’s trilogy with the Eighth Fox Throne War

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Aleks Mickelsen and the Eighth Fox Throne War, by Keira Gillett/Illustrated by Eoghan Kerrigan/maps by Kaitlin Statz, (May 2019, self-published), $14.99, ISBN: 9781942750123

Ages 10+

The second trilogy in Keira Gillett’s Zaria Fierce series is loaded with the epic battles, dragon fights, and complex relationships that have defined the series, but most important, the friendship between the core characters: Aleks, Zaria, Christoffer, Geirr, and Filip, the original group of friends from Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest, have been through a lot together: kidnapping by trolls; magical fantasy worlds and the discovery that Zaria and Aleks are royalty within this magical realm; fantastic beasts (who always seem to know where to find them), and epic battles, just to name a few. In this last Aleks Mickelsen adventure, Fritjof, the chaos dragon, is still causing trouble in Niffelheim, and Aleks and his friends – the original gang, plus stag lord Henrik, Airi the raven, Aleks’s fey sister, Nori – are ready to take him down. If they can get through the army of dwarf ravagers on their trail and past the warring fey courts, that is.

Aleks continues to grow as a character in the Eighth Fox Throne War. Ever conflicted over whether to embrace his fey gifts or abandon them to remain human, he makes decisions based on the good of a people who don’t want him: he’s a changeling, and is on the receiving end of a lot of prejudice and anger. The fact that he’s king isn’t helping. There’s intrigue and war on a previously untold level here, so upper middle graders and middle schoolers are more the target audience for this series. The characters have grown up, are experiencing first love (Filip and Zaria, now Aleks and Saskia, a Winter Court fey and love interest), and are in fights for their lives and the lives of both Niffleheim and the modern world.

Relationships are at the heart of every Keira Gillett fantasy, and that’s what makes these books so good. The high fantasy aspects – the dragons, the epic conflicts, the grandiose ceremonies – they’re brilliant, but the emotion, the investment in these characters and their ties to one another, is what makes it all come together. Eoghan Kerrigan’s artwork is as fantastic as ever, bringing Keira Gillett’s incredible creatures and characters to life ; Kaitlin Statz’s maps help readers place themselves in the story.

Aleks Mickelsen and the Eighth Fox Throne War is a strong conclusion to another character arc in the Zaria Fierce series. Give this series to your high fantasy fans and watch them ask for more. (Ahem… nudge your Magnus Chase readers to explore this one!)

Author Keira Gillett is having a virtual book launch party on May 23 from 10:30-midnight! Put on your pajamas and join for a book reading, trivia, bingo, and a Q&A session!

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Pumpkins… Pumpkins Everywhere! Arthur Geisert’s Pumpkin Island is overrun!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Pumpkin Island, by Arthur Geisert, (Nov. 2018, Enchanted Lion Books), $17.95, ISBN: 9781592702657

Ages 4-7

This “what if?” story is inspired by the real-life town of Elkader, Iowa. In Pumpkin Island, a rising river washes away a pumpkin, which cracks and spills open on a small island near Elkader, releasing its seeds, which immediately begin sprouting vines and growing pumpkins. The pumpkins start showing up all over town, prompting the residents to do all sorts of things, from creating delicious recipes to constructing catapults (ever hear of Punkin Chuckin?). But the vines keep growing, and the pumpkins are everywhere. When Halloween arrives, the pumpkins get one last glorious moment, before the townfolk cut the vines and mulch the pumpkins, but even then, pumpkins take on a life of their own, with beautiful flowers sprouting from the compost.

Readers will get a kick out of this “nature gone wild” story, which pairs nicely with Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. It’s a short, simple story with a touch of fantasy and humor that will get kids giggling. The artwork bustles across each spread to give the feel of a busy town trying to accommodate all of these pumpkins!

A fun Fall story that works for collections where seasonal books are popular.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Fablehaven Fans! The Dragon King will see you now.

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Wrath of the Dragon King (Dragonwatch #2), by Brandon Mull, (Oct. 2018, Shadow Mountain Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781629724867

Ages 8-12

If you’re a fantasy fan like I am, the first Dragonwatch book left you yelling at the pages, demanding more. That moment has arrived. Wrath of the Dragon King wastes no time in throwing readers right into the action, as Celebrant, King of Dragons, puts a terrible plan into motion that will put Seth and Kendra’s lives at risk. Celebrant first invites the siblings to his palace, insinuating that it would be an insult if they didn’t attend. Once they arrive, he declares war on Kendra and Seth, and anyone who supports them. Their griffin mounts are slaughtered, and they’re left to find their way back to Blackwell Keep alone in a land full of divided loyalties. Meanwhile, cousins Knox and Tessa have stayed behind, but are figuring things out pretty quickly and want to be where the action is – especially when a murderer is suspected among them. The two cousins discover the secret way to travel between preserves and head off in search of Kendra and Seth.

There’s more action, more battle, and more intrigue than ever in Wrath of the Dragon King. The stakes are high, and there are new players in the story, the most intriguing of which seems to be Ronodin, a Dark Unicorn that toys with his alliances and has his own agenda. I am thoroughly enjoying this series; it’s a more intense pace and story than the Fablehaven books, allowing readers to grow with the series. The Dragonwatch books can stand on their own, but reading them in order is suggested – most of Wrath of the Dragon King won’t work for readers who haven’t read Dragonwatch.

In short, Wrath of the Dragon King is nonstop fantasy, perfect for your dragon-loving fantasy, sword and sorcery, and magic-loving readers. Author Brandon Mull has an excerpt on his webpage, plus Dragonwatch downloadables that you can use to introduce the series to your readers. I’m already thinking of how to incorporate some of the happenings from Wrath of the Dragon King into my summer reading programming for next year.