INKBOUND

The lives of Meticulous Jones and her loved ones are endangered as Metty attempts to join a secret magical society.

A year after the events of the series opener, Metty finds herself invited into the League of Shadows, a powerful organization of people gifted with natural magic. In exchange for favors, the League will protect Metty and Magnificent, her aunt—they can both resurrect the dead using their life force. Bringing inanimate objects to life is illegal in New London, however, and Aunt Mag is hiding Sundar, the clockwork boy she animated years ago, in her home. If anyone finds out, Aunt Mag risks imprisonment, and Sundar could be disenchanted—a fate that’s akin to death. Despite these dangers, Aunt Mag forbids Metty to join the League. When Aunt Mag is threatened by a blackmailer and comes under police suspicion, Metty resolves to join anyway. To do so, she must pass three tests before the next full moon. But time is short, and each trial increasingly taxes her magical, physical, and emotional resilience. And can Metty really trust the League’s members? Leathley balances rising tension with humorous details, such as school satchels that tattle on their owners and an animated feline book. Metty’s relationships with friends and family are nuanced, and her frustration with her dad’s and aunt’s protectiveness is sympathetic. Metty has dark hair, like her father and aunt, who are olive-skinned. Final art not seen.

An enchanting second outing.