A well-developed fantasy spinoff that will transport teen readers.
War simmers in the land of Oz in this YA adventure based on the events in L. Frank Baum’s classic fantasy.
In Quadling Country, Samantha Goodwitch is the 15-year-old daughter of Glinda the Good. Eight years ago, her father, Lucius, disappeared in a green explosion; her stepsister, Elle, is the offspring of Lucius and the long-deceased Wicked Witch of the West. Messengers from Winkie Country arrive and deliver a scroll; Glinda learns of an “enchantress” who’s become Queen of the Winkies and wants to control of the City of Emeralds and the Wizard of Oz’s throne. Glinda decides to visit Rumpart, King of the Winkies, with a contingent of soldiers, including Elle. Sam wants to join them, but Glinda says she must guard the throne. With a sword she received for her 16th birthday, Sam decides to challenge the dragons said to menace nearby villages. She rehabilitates her father’s injured warhorse, researches dragons in the library, and creates a fireproof salve in preparation. She also begins having visions that tell her to “Find the Crow.” Will she, like the famous Dorothy Gale, find friends to help on her quest? Bartlett effectively builds on Baum’s series, which began with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), while also paying homage to other classic fantasy adventures, such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (1937). Readers new to the genre may find the first third of the story too placid, but solid worldbuilding establishes Sam as a magical character who can even fly but who still needs guidance. Overall, the book will be a treat for those who are familiar with previous Oz tales; Sam gradually assembles her own helpers, including Akasha the warrior cat, but Baum’s original heroes eventually do turn up, and warm nostalgia will greet fans as Sam sees “the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion” appear as “small specks on the hillside.” Although the protagonist learns a lesson (“everyone you love is all that matters”), it proves to be a costly one as the narrative unfurls. A grand surprise helps set up a potential sequel.
A well-developed fantasy spinoff that will transport teen readers.Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73390-862-7
Page Count: 354
Publisher: Sandhill Publishers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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PERSPECTIVES
A romance born from danger with a fantastic buildup.
Secrets of the past and familial tensions abound in this sequel that teases forbidden romance.
Quell’s connection to her toushana, or dark magic, poses such a great threat to the magical Order of grand Houses, haughty debutantes, and high-stakes bureaucracy that the powerful Dragun brotherhood has determined she must die. Jordan, a former lover still hurt by Quell’s decision to bind to her toushana, is leading the charge—and unbeknownst to them both, Yagrin, his brother who has long hated the Order, has sided with Quell under false pretenses. The narration alternates among the voices of Quell, Jordan, and Nore, who wants a simpler life than her role as heir to the House of Ambrose can afford her; she’s dedicated to resolving this problem by any means necessary. The racially diverse cast of characters is large and at times unwieldy, but as Quell decides to leave the safe houses that have kept her hidden and reenter the world of lavish magical balls to find her long-lost mother, reminders of the earlier volume—beautiful gowns, cattiness, fish-out-of-water awkwardness—bring all the threads together, allowing for continued worldbuilding and a fuller story. Ultimately, Quell and Jordan’s tension boils over into the passionate romance it was always meant to be as the two partner with Yagrin and Nore to reveal the Order’s biggest secrets and potentially change the future of magic forever.
A romance born from danger with a fantastic buildup. (author’s note, histories of the houses, map, lexicon) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780593527733
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.
Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.
Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
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