Muddles through to a properly happy ending.
Riley rescues her fellow islanders, human and otherwise, from fairies and their curses in this series closeout.
To finish off, O’Hearn adds two new strife-ridden realms to the hidden isle of Atlantis—one an undersea cavern where dwell two camps of spell-singing merfolk and the other a quarter of the hidden island belonging to the fairy folk. She sends her peace-loving protagonist to both for two brief but savage climactic battles. What’s really at war here is the author’s chosen plotline juxtaposed against her strenuous efforts to downplay its implicit violence. Despite apparently seeking to distract readers by adding flower-strewing pixies and polka-dot hippos with fairy heads to the crook-horned unicorn colt, adorable talking koala, and other plushy members of the teeming cast, she trots in evil fairies who can only be deprived of their powers by having their wings ripped off, for instance. And then, when the ripping is done, why not gather for a joyous feast? Moreover, doubtless to the disappointment of readers who like to see the fighting as it happens rather than just be told about it later, she forces the finale of the second battle and the death of a vicious predator to occur entirely offstage. Still, by the end, not only have all the magical, mythical, and hybrid human-animal Atlanteans come together in harmony, but a broken contraceptive spell allows the nearly extinct gargoyles to have baby gargoyles again. Baby gargoyles!
Muddles through to a properly happy ending. (map) (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9781534456976
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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
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