Shadow Cadets of the Pennyroyal Academy

Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy by M. A. Larson, 2016 Putnam's Sons

     Evie is on summer break after her first year at Pennyroyal Academy and has been advanced to cadet second-class. At home with her dragon family, Evie feels her difference and is missing her friends. After a particularly difficult day, Evie decides to leave for school early and treks across the continent to see Demetra.
     Along the way a kindly innkeeper and his wife take Evie in and shower her in praise for the work in defeating the countess Hardcastle. Evie is uncomfortable with her new fame but when the innkeeper's wife is murdered by Princesses Evie discovers there's still more of the human world she is ignorant of. She flees and hurries to Demetra's home.
     Demetra enlists the help of their friend Anissette and the local Princess, her older sister, to discover who the murderous princesses could be. The resounding response is that they must be witches, and something about it continues to bother Evie.
     She is distracted as they return to the Academy. The news of what happened the year before has spread and hundreds of girls flocked to the academy hoping to become famous like Evie. With so many third-class princess cadets the first and second-class cadets are expected to supplement the staff. Evie and her friends find themselves in the kitchens. In addition to helping cook and serve meals, the cadets are thrust into further training.
     Though she's handed off the mystery of the evil princess
es to authorities better suited to investigation, Evie cannot let the mystery go. When the witches and Shadow Cadets are both searching for Cinderella the fight comes to Pennyroyal Academy once again. The headmistress doesn't seem to believe the results of Evie and her friends' investigation.
     She goes outside the usual plan of action and their quest to save Cinderella ends with help from an unexpected source.
     Evie is still uncomfortable with the prophecy which claims she is the Warrior Princess destined to save them all from witches. She only wants to become the best she can be, enjoy her time with her friends, and learn a little more about being human. Events conspire to draw Evie constantly into the spotlight, no matter how hard she tries to escape.
     Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy continues the story of a girl raised by dragons and trained to defend the powerless against witches. Themes of friendship, honor, kindness, and following what you know is right about in this journey. Evie is still discovering who she is and where she is going - a journey young readers can understand posed against the fight between personal wants and external expectations.