SHADOW OF THE SPIDER

A set of triplets must save a magical realm from an evil goddess in Burgess’ YA fantasy debut.

Fourteen years ago, in the realm of Eleusia, Queen Sharra vanished from Dundarden Castle. The wizard Azmodeus helped hide her young triplets from Hera, who’s targeted the family as revenge on her husband, Zeus, who believed Sharra to be the reincarnation of a “young, mortal river nymph” he loved. Now Hera presents a challenge: If the triplets can answer six riddles, Hera will lift a curse from the land. Two of the kids, 16-year-olds Jamie and Jeremiah, return to Eleusia from the Earth dimension, where Azmodeus sent them; the third triplet is among a ragtag group of teens with unusual but untested powers who live in rural Glockamar. (Hera has charged a woman called the Spider with collecting such special children at a place called the Sanctuary.) After Azmodeus gathers his adventurers together, they learn about the riddles and the necessity of saving the Laurel Tree, which controls their troll pursuers. Should they fail, Eleusia will fall to darkness—and other dimensions, including Earth, might be next. Can the group, which includes Mikel, Tovan, Petre, Portia, and Melisande, outwit beings from Earth mythology along the way? Burgess offers YA fantasy readers an intriguing conceptual jam session. The premise that magical beings—including deities, pixies, dragons, and characters from literature, such as Ali Baba—fled Earth long ago is a particularly fertile one. The main characters’ mission doesn’t truly begin for about 100 pages, but then Burgess effectively gives each player a chance to stand out. Mikel, for example, learns he’s a wizard, and unlikable Portia solves a tough riddle and feels a sense of belonging. The oldest hero, Melisande, is 17, but the narrative has the energy of a middle-grade epic; the tale’s barrage of colorful creatures—including two different shape-changing sidekicks—and shocking revelations will keep young readers engaged. A bit more emphasis on the teens’ inner lives, however, might make the plot feel less cluttered in future installments.

An epic mashup that will reward readers of both contemporary and classic fantasy.