Magic in Liza’s barren town is verboten due to a disastrous war with Faerie, and those who are magical are thought to be evil. When Liza realizes she can no longer deny her own magic and becomes plagued by visions of her runaway mother, she leaves town accompanied by her shape-shifting friend, Matthew. The two find their way to a community where magic is the norm. There, Liza is encouraged to follow her visions and find her mother in a place that used to be called St. Louis. The setting, characters and plot are ones every fantasy and science-fiction reader has seen before: the dystopian world, evil faeries, a protagonist with extra-strong, extra-special magic, a hunt for a lost mother. Simner keeps things interesting with a fair amount of action and the constant introduction of new characters. The postapocalyptic environment is haunting but not downright scary—the most frightening things are the people, not the magic. With its dark, sharply imagined world, this will appeal to readers of Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. (Science fiction/fantasy. 12-16)
