A promising premise let down by an overstuffed plot.
A poor, lonely girl’s adventure into unknown territory.
Stub, an orphan, has lived and worked at a subpar tavern for all of her 12 years. She sleeps in an unused chicken shed next to the magically enhanced, oversized animals. With no apparent path out of her wretched circumstances and carrying some trauma from mistreatment, Stub has a rather unhappy life. One of the only things she has to look forward to is the country’s centennial Peace Day celebration, an annual remembrance of a brokered truce with foreign armies. Out of nowhere, a shrunken man appears, a wizard no less, who is now magically attached to Stub—by accident, of course. The wizard serves at the palace of the current Peace Queen, who’s Stub’s age, and he shares with her some troubling information that threatens the queendom and the peace. Stub, her pet chicken, the pocket-sized wizard, and a young, eager tavern cook set off across the queendom to stop the mysterious plot. The characters’ episodic journey and the slow-reveal plot never quite click. Overall, the tale explores some good ideas, but the author tries to pack so much in that the execution suffers. The narrative makes a point of emphasizing this world’s heavily matriarchal society. Physical descriptions are limited, but most people in Maradon are said to have light brown skin.
A promising premise let down by an overstuffed plot. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: April 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-1434-1
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Thrilling and filled with twists; will leave readers eager for the next adventure.
In this follow-up to Isle of Ever (2025), 12-year-old Everly “Benny” Benedict plunges deeper into a world of mystery, hidden clues, and pirate lore.
Benny continues to unravel the puzzle-filled legacy of her ancestor, Evelyn Terry. Although she believes she’s cracked Evelyn’s will, her triumph is short-lived. Upon arriving at the elusive island linked to the Blood Orange Moon, Benny and her friends must break a centuries-old curse by tracking down missing pirate treasure—the only thing that can save both her friends and the inheritance. The novel’s standout feature is its deft use of dual timelines, which take place in 1825 and 2025 and are interwoven with journal entries, notes, and newspaper clippings that add clues and visual texture. The narrative shifts between the enigmatic island and present-day Greenport, where Benny races against time. If she fails, the Isle of Ever will vanish for 200 years and possibly fall into someone else’s hands, making for high stakes that heighten the tension. Benny remains a compelling protagonist, facing betrayal, forming new alliances, and uncovering long-buried family secrets. The mysterious pirate Grace adds a dynamic layer of conflict as she pursues the treasure, becoming both a threat and a catalyst for intense confrontations. Fast-paced and full of peril, this sequel offers answers while opening the door to new mysteries.
Thrilling and filled with twists; will leave readers eager for the next adventure. (map) (Fantasy adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
ISBN: 9781728277066
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
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