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THE THORN QUEEN

A NOVEL

An effervescent fantasy crafted from the heart.

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This middle-grade debut sees a young outcast discover her true potential while on a quest to save others.

In the kingdom of Glendoch, the town of Tyr, 12-year-old Meylyne sits in a willow tree. She’s originally from the cavernous Between-World but has trespassed to the Above-World to find a special black opal belonging to her mother. Hiding in the tree, she waits to see Prince Piam, who only visits once a year. When a woman climbs into the tree with her, the situation gets precarious. The prince passes directly beneath—and Meylyne falls on him. She bolts back to the Between-World, realizing that she’s broken the First Rule by going above. Her mother, the alchemist Ellenyr, and her great-uncle, Prime Minister Groq, could send her to the Shadow Cellars. When she asks advice from the Old Well, it reveals the ultimatum that Queen Emery has offered Ellenyr: She must cure Prince Piam’s fast-aging illness within three months or Meylyne will live among the Snake People. The Old Well then tells the girl to visit the stream between the towns of Tyr and Welke, where she’ll meet a stalliynx (who has a horse’s head and a lion’s body). She does so, beginning a journey to save the prince and possibly all of Glendoch. With social nuance and a crackling wit, Holland presents a deep bench of fabulous creations in her fantasy adventure. Meylyne is only half-human and forbidden to use the magic that should be her birthright from Ellenyr. Her father, Meph, meanwhile, is a garlysle, who’s got a beak and feathers—and is supposedly a criminal. When Meylyne gives her mother the black opal, Ellenyr isn’t quite overjoyed. The stalliynx, named Hopexivaffoplos-ploossenaagen, suggests Meylyne call him Hope for short. Around this pair grows a cohort of heroes who commit to more and more dangerous tasks. Eventually, Meylyne learns that an aspect of herself—which she’s been taught to be ashamed of—proves central to solving a slew of problems. Holland excels in burying twists that flip the whole narrative on its head. Readers should wish for a longer stay in Glendoch.

An effervescent fantasy crafted from the heart.

Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-943006-79-3

Page Count: 245

Publisher: Spark Press

Review Posted Online: June 25, 2018

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MALICE

Well-drawn characters and playful twists keep this thriller fully charged.

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This YA SF novel features a teen who must halt a virus that will kill two-thirds of humanity.

In Silver Oak, Maryland, Alice Sherman is a high school junior enjoying lunch near her campus basketball court. With her is Archie, her brother, a senior and science prodigy who likes equations more than his fellow students. Alice has been Archie’s one true friend since their mother left six years ago. Alice is about to catch up with Lalana Bunyasarn, her best friend, when a sudden “streak of electricity zaps through” her head. The agony intensifies until a Voice enters Alice’s mind, asking her, “Do you want this pain to stop?” The Voice then instructs her to go up to Bandit Sakda, a classmate playing basketball, and say that she loves him. Bandit is a beautiful Thai boy who’s talented and arrogant. Strangely, the Voice calls her Malice and says not to fall for him because “it’ll only make what you have to do later harder.” Eventually, Alice learns that the Voice belongs to someone from 10 years in the future who needs help saving humanity. A virus will be created by a person Alice knows that will wipe out two-thirds of the world population. Following the Voice’s directions can save everyone—except the person Alice is ordered to kill. Dunn’s (Star-Crossed, 2018, etc.) latest YA adventure offers increasingly tantalizing twists that gleam in succession like nested matryoshka dolls. Alice will charm readers with her quirks, especially her devotion to Chris Hemsworth of Marvel’s Avengers films. Tension builds as characters in the large cast, including crushworthy Zeke Cain and the brilliant Cristela Ruiz, become potential targets for Alice’s mission. Details about Thai culture add a splendid dimension to the narrative; for example, Bandit is pronounced “bun-dit” and means “one who is wise.” While the notion of a high school killer may not sit well with some, the author doesn’t use the device lightly. Her book takes a strong anti-bullying stance, doing so through an entertaining narrative that doesn’t resort to preaching. The author’s heart and craftiness make a sequel welcome.

Well-drawn characters and playful twists keep this thriller fully charged.

Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-64063-412-1

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020

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WHEN BUFFALO ROAM

A FANTASY

Any moral that may be gleaned from the tangled narrative is buried in confusion. (Fantasy. YA)

A convoluted fantasy offering a series of morals about justice, mercy, human treatment of animals and human treatment of other humans.

A cluster of animals have been educated by a World War II veteran and his activist wife. The animals, a now-vegetarian mix of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores, live in harmony on Cloudburst Mountain. Following their scriptures (the Bible, Animal Farm and judgments such as “Humans Are Evil”), they plan for the day when they will kill all the humans and rule the world. The tale follows the adventures of their coyote prophet Justice and human ally Cody as they travel the United States preparing other animals for “The Rebellion.” Though they meet mostly repellent, violent humans and mistreated animals, they also encounter enough well-meaning, victimized humans to make Cody question his alliance with the cause of human genocide. Meanwhile, the grandson of the original human missionaries to the animals threatens the entire endeavor as he plans to mine the mountain for uranium. Ultimately, the animals succeed in murdering the vast majority of the human race, giving them hope for a shining new day. This overly complex tale is dense with purple prose and far too many extraneous characters–for example, Gordon “Raindance” Fell, the Shadow Shaman of the Pokihallah tribe; and Forest Victor, who appears for the first time late in the story, saying of his never-mentioned-before dead wife, “if only her hatred of the evil deeds of the baby seal killers hadn’t drawn her and her cameras into a combative stance.”

Any moral that may be gleaned from the tangled narrative is buried in confusion. (Fantasy. YA)

Pub Date: June 21, 2006

ISBN: 0-595-39274-1

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010

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