The Mark of the Dragonfly

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaliegh Johnson, 2014 Scholastic

     Nearly a year ago Piper's father died from factory smoke poisoning. Since then she has harbored deep-seated anger for the Dragonfly King and her own King of the Merrow Kingdom. The two countries battle over iron - Merrow to build weapons, the southern kingdom to build exploratory ships to spread over Solace. But Piper's life in the far north revolved around those things which fall to the ground from other worlds.
     Piper grew up in Scrap Town 16 and is the best machinist there. Her neighbors bring the thirteen-year-old their broken finds and she fixes them. When her friend Michah risks the storm to salvage some of the best scrap available Piper follows and witnesses a caravan being destroyed. In the caravan, she finds a lifeless girl with the mark of the Dragonfly King's protection.
     The girl could be Piper's last chance to escape the scrap town. She helps Anna escape the man following her by jumping the 401, a train which travels the reaches fo both the Merrow and Dragonfly Territories. On the train, Piper learns more about Anna and her strange tendency to remember everything. Grudgingly the girls become more like sisters than friends.
     When they discover the man chasing Anna is a powerful and dangerous enemy Piper must challenge her tendency toward secrecy to trust the crew of the 401. Jeyne Steel, her fireman, and Gee unite to help the girls discover the secrets behind Anna's amnesia.
     This steampunk adventure has touches of romance, danger, and fantasy as Piper learns to find her place and to find a home. Older elementary and middle school readers will enjoy the imaginative adventure across Solace.

Daughter of the Pirate King

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller, 2017 Feiwel and Friends

     Pirates battle with her crew and kidnap Captain Alosa from her ship. Alosa is the seventeen-year-old captain of a specialized ship with trawls the ocean plundering and pillaging for her father, the Pirate King. This ship is special though and the crew is not Alosa's own, nor is her capture accidental.
     The Pirate King has heard about a legendary treasure map part of it hidden somewhere about the enemy ship Nightfarer and he sends his daughter to retrieve it. The crew of the Nightfarer has no idea what they face in the king's daughter, but the first mate is far too observant for Alosa's liking. Riden is also distractingly attractive and tasked with getting any and all information he can from the pirate princess for his captain.
     Alosa and Riden are pitted against each other in a flirtatious battle of wills and skills. As her timeframe becomes more restricted and her cat-and-mouse dance with Riden becomes about more than secrets and politics Alosa is pitched into the struggler her father fights against rebel pirates.
     Riden isn't above using their mutual attraction against Alosa but the girl has secrets of her own to keep. Alosa is in turns snarky and sassy with the crew and Draxen, Riden's brother and captain, as her search for the map is continually thwarted. Draxen is domineering and expectant of favors Alosa refuses to allow.
     Riden discovers something magical about their captive when he impinges on her search for the missing map piece--something which signals danger to the seafarer. But Alosa's secret siren abilities save them when a third player interrupts Alosa's quest for the map and takes her hostage to learn more about the Pirate King's secret weapon.
     Life as the daughter of the Pirate King is not the typical life of a princess, but it makes Alosa a powerful young woman and a likable character. As she fights to succeed in her mission she finds romance with her captor as she discovers his humanity and clings to her own when her siren nature tries to pull her from herself.
     Daughter of the Pirate King is followed by Daughter of the Siren Queen as Alosa's adventures continue. Levenseller's debut novel introduces a truly human young woman dealing with normal issues in a magical and fantastical setting. Violence and danger pervade this adventure meant for young adult readers.

The Great Hunt

The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins, 2016 HarperCollins

     Princess Aerity and her water-bound kingdom are terrorized by a monster which seems to be undefeatable. The monster has killed dozens of good people, always men who would defend their people against the beast.
     The king has exhausted his resources and his last resort is to offer the eldest princess's hand in marriage. Aerity has always dreamed of marrying for love. Since her cousin and best friend's fiancee was killed by the beast Aerity wants to do anything she can to help her cousin and her people; she knows the promise of her hand will bring the ablest hunters in their world.
     Dozens of hunters appear to battle the beast. After several encounters, the ranks are decimated and only a few hunters remain - their comrades either killed or fled the creature's rampage. Aerity meets the hunters who remain: some from her own country, some from the Northlands of Eurona, and the legendary women-warriors from the southern deserts. Though the lord from the Northlands, Leif Alvi, appears to be a good political choice, Aerity is fascinated by the local boy Paxton Seabolt.
     Paxton and his younger brother joined the hunt hoping to survive and rid the kingdom of its menace. But the Seabolt boys find the two princesses fascinating and, despite Paxton's efforts, develop deeper relationships with both Aerity and Vixie.
     The hunters are narrowed to fewer and fewer contenders as traditional techniques fail to secure the nation's safety. Paxton and Lord Alvi take the lead in the hunt for the creature, though each is hiding their own secrets.
     At counterpoint to Aerity's dilemma is entertaining the men vying for her hand, a mysterious woman wanders the land stirring up dissent. Some of Eurona's citizens can practice magic -- but their ability and magic use are revealed by streaks of purple under their nails. They are the lashed - named for the dark lashings under their nails. Rozaria Rocato is the granddaughter of the great rebel Rocato who encouraged the lashed to rise against Eurona's monarchies to rule their world and the resulting fear drove the lashed to be persecuted.
     As the monster picks off the armies of Lochlanach, Rozaria's lashed turn the people against each other and bring the nation to the brink of civil war.
     Aerity knows her country demands more from her than she thought would be necessary, but the hope of a romantic marriage still beckons as long as Paxton is in the hunt. When disaster strikes Aerity's choice is made for her and the question becomes who will survive through the monster's defeat.
     Followed by The Great Pursuit, The Great Hunt takes on the traditional hunt's characteristics. The princess is sacrificed for the good fo the kingdom and the beast is not the only monster roaming Lochlanoch. Teens will enjoy this first installment of Higgin's romance.

Beware Princess Elizabeth

Beware Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer, 2001 Houghton Mifflin for Young Readers

     Young Elizabeth has been outcast from court since her mother's execution. When her father dies it takes three days for Elizabeth Tudor to learn of her brother's ascension. Along with her brother Edward, Elizabeth travels to London where she is met by her father's sixth wife, Catherine.
     After the funeral and coronation, Catherine invites the princess and her governess to stay at her house in London. Elizabeth is enamored of her stepmother and happy to have some status in the household. Joining Catherine's house is also Thomas Seymour - the new king's uncle. Elizabeth and her governess Kat notice something between the dowager queen and the king's advisor. The word around the court is that they are lovers.
     But Catherine indicates Thomas Seymour is interested in an alliance with the young princess when she becomes of marriageable age. Kat encourages the romance and Elizabeth is stunned when the arrangement is superseded by a secret marriage between Catherine and her stepson's guardian. Thomas Seymour is at the center of a plot against the throne and is punished accordingly.
    When young King Edward VII falls prey to childhood illness Elizabeth's older half-sister, Mary, becomes queen. Mary is vindictive and seeks to purge the nation of Protestantism, blaming it for the breakdown and destruction of her family. The nation finds hope in its young princess and Mary is threatened by Elizabeth's supporters, she takes steps to prevent outright revolt.
     Beware, Princess Elizabeth is a dramatic telling of real events in Queen Elizabeth I's childhood. Meyer paints a picture of one of England's beloved monarchs for young readers - a picture which fills history's gaps. This tale is intended for middle-grade readers and glosses some of the more sensitive realities of Elizabeth's young life.