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Divine Powers

A warm tale that establishes a complex new fantasy universe.

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A teen witch explores the extent of her coven’s secrets in this YA debut.

Seventeen-year-old Fiona Mandrake lives with her aunt in Arcadia, Pennsylvania. She and Aunt Kate are witches of the Luna Crescent Coven and also run the Enchanted Books & Beans cafe. Fiona’s life involves the typical teenage complications, like her rival, Scarlett Thorne, and her gorgeous though platonic best friend, Declan Delaney. But when Fiona turns 18, she’s expected to become the next Coven Leader. Kate took the post temporarily when her sister and brother-in-law perished in a car accident. Recently, however, Fiona’s been having intense dreams and visions about a young boy who once saved her life. When that boy, now a grown young man named Sloane Blackwell, shows up in the cafe, Fiona is stunned. She’d thought the entire Blackwell family died tragically. Kate warns her niece that the teen could be a Hexenjager, a creature from the realm of Tartara capable of disguising itself, with the intent to siphon her magical powers and fuel its own immortality. Fiona must tread carefully because Arcadia is a “Gateway City to the otherworlds,” and as her memories of childhood slowly return, she learns about an invasion of dark Fey called the Glamour War and her mother’s pivotal involvement. In her novel, Quinn meticulously constructs a Buffy the Vampire Slayer–style chosen one narrative, layering in a hefty portion of magical spells, enchanted artifacts, and high school drama. Arcadia, with a population below 500, is a quaint but upscale town. Quinn’s unabashedly flowery prose ensconces her fantasy—which often reads like a mystery—in romance; for example, “My eyes fluttered open to a soft breeze that blew open the curtains, revealing rose-pink and amethyst hues as dawn broke over the mountains.” Longtime fantasy readers may grow frustrated with how heavily the plot relies on Fiona’s visions to creep forward. But in the book’s final third, rivalries, secret longings, and near-fatal displays of dark magic all erupt spectacularly. Quinn delivers both a satisfying ending and raised stakes for a sequel.

A warm tale that establishes a complex new fantasy universe.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dog Ear Publisher

Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2016

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JUPITER STORM

In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.

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A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.

Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.

In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.

Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0

Page Count: 212

Publisher: Plum Street Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018

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BROTHERS IN ARMS

BLUFORD HIGH SERIES #9

A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.

In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.

In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.

A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004

ISBN: 978-1591940173

Page Count: 152

Publisher: Townsend Press

Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013

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