Magic plus boarding school plus unicorns equals a fun girl-power adventure.
A girl without magic hopes that a new school will teach her the skills necessary to be a credit to her family.
Twelve-year-old Olivia Hayes comes from a family of Tillers, but as a dormant, she lacks the guild members’ ability to “coax magic from plants.” Determined to do something impressive, she signs her own invitation to the Unicorn Academy of Artistical and Magical Learning, scrawls a note for her sister, and presents herself at the school. There, a teacher suggests that Olivia is in fact a Spinner rather than a Tiller. She meets roommates Paisley, Camlet, and Gabardine and feels that she’s finally where she belongs. A horrific Guild War led to the extinction of unicorns and their pure magic, but at the academy, Tillers, Spinners, Forgers, and Gemmers work together to usher in the Age of Unicorns. When Olivia’s sister is accused of being a unicorn hunter, however, most of her classmates drop her, save for fellow dormant Violet, frenemy Kessa, and Tourmaline, a Gemmer. The setting of the land of Arden will be familiar to readers of The Unicorn Quest, Benko’s companion series. While devoted unicorn fans may wish for less of the serpentlike Devourer, the cliffhanger ending points the way for more unicorns to come. Olivia is a worthy role model, the worldbuilding contains ample whimsy, and the overall takeaway is positive. Most main characters read white; Kessa is cued Black.
Magic plus boarding school plus unicorns equals a fun girl-power adventure. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9781547608829
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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