A CAGED AND RESTLESS MAGIC

A shape-shifting fox fights to keep the planes of existence connected and save the innocent from a malignant evil in Christie’s debut YA fantasy novel.

Saida is a shape-shifting fox (“foxan”) who has the ability to travel between planes of reality, each one related to a specific sense. For centuries, the 300-year-old Saida has kept the planes vibrant and closely connected by transplanting magic between the worlds. But now the worlds are dying—the magic is inexplicably being drained from the once-vibrant sensory planes. When the foxan meets Alesio, an amateur singer in the Sound realm who’s half-deaf in one ear, she knows immediately that he is special; his voice is literally magical, but he’s afflicted by “overgrown magic.” Before Saida can trim his excess sorcerous energy, they become entangled with a monstrous being Saida calls Watthe, a creature who’s obsessed with consuming magic—especially Saida’s. With Alesio as her unintended companion, Saida must figure out a way to stop the monster before the worlds become separated forever and all magic is lost. While the uniqueness of the story’s worldbuilding and magic system is noteworthy, it’s the thematic threads throughout that make this novel compelling, particularly for young readers: Saida has been hurt in a previous relationship—she is “fragmented,” just like the sensory planes. (And though she is 300 years old, she has a teenage mentality and naïveté.) During her adventure with Alesio, she discovers not only her inner strength and her self-esteem, but also what love truly means: “Love isn’t about cages, or about someone forcing you to love them back. That’s selfishness. Love, real love, is about helping the other person because you want to. Because you care about them, and that’s all that matters.”

A sweet fantasy adventure that will resonate with YA readers.