GEORGIE KARRAS AND THE NIDDLE OF NERN (THE KINGDOM OF NERN)

A girl hoping to save her father braves a strange world teeming with dangers in Mathos’ debut middle-grade fantasy novel.

In 1941, 10-year-old Georgie Karras spots a glowing green light in her Chicago home’s attic. That’s where she discovers a letter addressed to her from Ned, who seems to know her (but whom she definitely doesn’t know). She and her neighbor, Sam, somehow find themselves in the mist-laden kingdom of Nern, which contains such fantastical elements as pixies and dragons. Amazingly, Georgie’s father Nick helps the friends make it home. A year-and-a-half later, after Nick has died in the war, the green light in the attic returns— this time accompanied by Ned, a “purple fuzzball” who promises Georgie and Sam that he’ll help save her dad. This task requires an amulet that they must snatch from the nefarious “King Twinkle,” who has stolen the throne. The mission puts Georgie and Sam in the company of trolls, a mermaid, and plenty of dragons (some obliging, others not so much). A shocking secret Georgie soon learns may change everything. A colorful cast fuels Mathos’ brisk tale. The villains include a “giant” who holds Georgie captive as well as the monstrous Leecher, which is mostly black smoke and red eyes. The characters are full of surprises, like those plotting behind Georgie’s back and someone who unexpectedly pops up in Nern. Parts of this narrative, however, are overcomplicated; for example, Ned, as an apprentice to the Keeper of Histories, can “seam” through time, an ability that’s only somewhat clarified. This vagueness may indicate the author’s plan to develop these ideas over the course of a series, which would also explain a notable character’s essential disappearance from the story. Readers will certainly hope for a follow-up and more opportunities to enjoy Mathos’ pithy prose: “She woke the next morning with a head full of questions and a tummy on empty.”

This thoroughly absorbing, sometimes-bewildering fantasy boasts series potential.