The Silent Songbird

The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson, 2016 Thomas Nelson Publishers

     As the king's ward and cousin, Evangeline has lived a privileged life of luxury. She sings for the king's pleasure yet dreams of a life beyond the castle walls. When Richard II betroths his cousin to his closest advisor, Lord Shively, Evangeline can no longer stand for the life laid out for her. 
     Eva and her maid run away and hide among servants returning from the king's castle. Evangeline pretends to be mute, but regrets her deception as she grows closer to Westley leWyse, who she learns isn't just the servants' leader, but the son and heir of their lord. 
    The fleeing women take positions in the le Wyse household, but it soon becomes clear that Eva has no experience with the labor expected of a servant. When Westley discovers the pretty girl can read he helps her find a place in the household. His obvious favor does not make Eva friends among the servants or the daughters of the freemen. And their growing friendship tests the boundaries of propriety. 
     Lady le Wyse is concerned her son has fallen for an unsuitable young lady despite Westley's firm insistence that the two are only friends and will never be more. Though fond of the clever young woman, the lady wants the best for her son and believes there's much more to Eva than meets the eye. 
     When news of the king's missing ward reaches the le Wyse household Eva knows she must tell the truth. Her relationship with Westley sours when he is blindsided by her identity and the nebulous anxiety about Lord Shively reveals itself as something more sinister. 

     Returning to England and the setting of her second Hagenheim story, Glynval, Dickerson weaves the expectations of medieval life with political intrigue to create this new installment of the Hagenheim series. 

White Witch, Black Curse

White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison, 2009 Eos

     Rachel is a demon, well, kind of. When Trent’s father altered her DNA to save her from Rosewood Syndrome he reversed the elf curse that made demons unable to reproduce. Rachel continues the agreed-upon lessons with Al, learning to become a demon in exchange for Trent’s life and release from the Ever After.

     When Glenn, a FIB officer, is sent to the hospital during an off-book investigation Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks are called in to figure out what happened. Rachel and Ivy discover the woman they’re searching for is a banshee, Mia Harbor, sucking the emotion from the people around her and feeding her banshee child.

     In between hunting down the banshee, searching for Kisten’s killer, and spending time with Robbie, Rachel’s brother, Rachel, Ivy and Jenks discover a ghost from Rachel’s past has been haunting the church for nearly a year. Jenks is irate at the discovery of a spy in their midst. Ivy is ambivalent, and Rachel is excited at the prospect of Pierce’s return.

     The FIB finds Mia and calls Rachel to help bring her in. Rachel is sent to the hospital when the child sucks her aura and life force away before Rachel can escape. While her aura is regenerating Al kidnaps Pierce from the ley line he’s talking to Rachel in and Rachel goes after him, or tries to.

     The witch community decides to shun Rachel when Mia causes a riot between inderlanders at the mall in order to feed her child (the same incident that sent her to the hospital) and the media blames it on Rachel. Rachel discovers the Shunning when the FIB brings in another banshee, “The Walker”, to find and bring Mia in.

     Meanwhile Ivy and Rachel try to get Skimmer to reveal to whom Piscary sold Kisten, in order to find his killer. Skimmer is in jail for Piscary’s murder and won’t talk to Ivy unless Rachel is there. The visit becomes a power play, bringing some of Rachel’s memories to the surface and kicking Ivy’s hard-won control out of gear. However the memories that reappear after the incident lead to justice for Kisten.

     Ivy, Jenks and Rachel manage to find Mia and her child. After the child nearly kills Rachel again, Ford (the FIB psychologist) gets custody of the girl, who can keep him from experiencing every emotion from the people around him.

     Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks fight to complete the job, find the banshee child and bring her mother to justice through the many challenges in the way. Their friendship brings them through every obstacle they face; White Witch, Black Curse is about accepting and loving our friends and family through both the good and bad times. Rachel’s story flirts with her boundaries: what makes a black witch, how strongly does she care about Ivy and in what way, who is Rachel, and what do her decisions say about her?

     Some content of White Witch, Black Curse makes it a book better suited for older readers—sixteen and older. It is the eighth book in Harrison’s Hallows Series. 

Lord Sunday

Lord Sunday by Garth Nix, 2010 Scholastic Books

     After seemingly falling to his death, Arthur Penhalion manages to escape into the Secondary Realms using the Improbable Stair. Under attack by giant insects Arthur cannot concentrate to use the key to protect himself or escape the bugs.
     Suzy Turquoise Blue, meanwhile, is being held by Superior Saturday's minion but manages to escape into Sunday's Incomparable Gardens where she tries to seek out the seventh part of the Will. Arthur's friend Leaf is back on Earth dealing with the results of nuclear strike (how the government dealt with Friday's Sleepers) when Sunday's Dusk attempts to bring her into the house for ransom. The plan fails when the Front door is under attack and Leaf remains as guardian.
    The house is at risk of collapse from Nothing and it appears Sunday, the last trustee, has little or no plan to save the House and its surrounding realms. Arthur attempts to unite the Architect's children against the Nothing which threatens total destruction: if the House falls all of existence will fall with it.
     Can Arthur unite all seen parts of the Will and save the House with all it entails? Or will the Piper, the Mariner, and the Old One stand in his way? In the conclusion to The Keys to the Kingdom Arthur Penhalion decides whether his journey has been worth the efforts or if he will give up the power and opportunity presented in the House to return to a world which has completely changed since he was swept away. Middle Grade readers will find the end of this epic satisfying, if somewhat predictable.

Burned

Burned by Kristin and P.C. Cast, 2010 St. Martin's Press

   After Zoey battles Neferet and her soul shatters, Stark takes her to the Isle of Sgiach where his kinsman is the queen's guardian. Following a poem from Kramisha, Darius and Aphrodite team with Sgiach to determine what exactly it will take for Zoey to come back.
     Zoey lingers in the Otherworld mourning the loss of her ex-boyfriend Heath. Stark must become a Shaman to find Zoey, especially when she doesn't want to return. Zoey refuses to accept the portions of her soul back and has been trapped in the Otherworld unable to move either forward or backward.
     To get Stark into the Otherworld, even after he becomes a Shaman, takes a long and involved process of summoning one of the Bulls either of Darkness or Light. Stevie Rae and Rephiam mistake the white bull of Darkness for the harbinger of Light.
     When he is led by the White Bull of Darkness into the Otherworld Stark contacts Heath hoping to convince Zoey to return when Heath has moved beyond the Otherworld. Her fear of losing the people she loves is the impetus which brings Zoey back.
     The world Zoey comes back to has been forever changed by the argument between Light and Darkness. Stevie Rae is in Tulsa holding down the fort, the rest of the crew has traveled to the Isle of Sgiach to be with Zoey, all are still reeling from the confrontation in Venice. The group is picking up the pieces, the world of vampyres is constantly changing: Neferet claims she is the goddess Nyx and Kalona her consort Erebus.
     Though only teenagers Zoey, Stevie Rae and their friends are insistent that they can make a change in the world around them. The vampyres fledglings have always trusted have little to say when things are beyond their expectation. Zoey fights to maintain her faith in the people around her as they face life-changing challenges. Burned focuses more on Zoey's friends and what they'll do to keep her around. Their adventures are aimed at older teens who enjoy contemporary paranormal with a touch of romantic triangle.

The Clue in the Old Diary

The Clue in the Old Diary by Carolyn Keene, 1962 Grosset & Dunlap

     Nancy and the girls, Bess and George, are headed home from a carnival with Mrs. Swenson and her daughter when an elaborate estate beside the road bursts into flames. The young women hurry to confirm no one is trapped in the burning building and Nancy finds a diary on the ground.
     While emergency services arrive the girls see someone fleeing the estate and an attractive young man moves Nancy's car. At first Nancy is suspicious of Ned Nickerson, but after he helps her out of a jam Nancy and Ned form a regular acquaintance and sometimes relationship.
     Mrs. Swenson notes that her husband is missing, as is the owner of the estate. Nancy and her friends, along with the police investigators search out the answers to the mystery of the fire and the diary. Nancy's penchant for helping people in need leads her to another new friend in the seventh installment of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, 2007 Arthur A. Levine Books

     In the final book of the series, Harry is back at Privet Drive and preparing to leave as the Dursleys go into hiding. The Order of the Phoenix arrives to transport Harry to safety beginning a battle with Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
     With losses to their list of allies, Harry, Ron, and Hermione begin travelling the countryside looking for Voldemort's horcruxes. After a meeting with the new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, to receive their inheritance from Dumbledore and a Weasley wedding the trio flee to complete their quest.
     Death Eaters follow and the friends finally find temporary sanctuary in Harry's house, left to him by Sirius: Number 12 Grimmauld Place. There Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover Sirius's brother had stolen a locket-horcrux from Voldemort and left a fake one in its place. The house-elf Kreacher tells Harry that Mundungus Fletcher recently stole the horcrux and lost it to Dolores Umbridge.
     Harry, Ron, and Hermione infiltrate the Ministry to steal the locket back and bring a Death Eater within the protective magics of Grimmauld Place. On the run in forests around Britain Harry continues to have visions of Voldemort. Eavesdropping on a group of goblins helps him realize the Sword of Gryffindor (which Harry had inherited from Dumbledore, but the Minister had refused him) could destroy horcruxes.
     The search for the Sword of Gryffindor frustrates the three friends and Ron loses patience, abandoning Harry and Hermione. Hermione is hurt by Ron's abandonment and suggests they search out Bathilda Bagshot in Godric's Hollow with the hope she will give them the Sword. Bathilda, unfortunately, has been killed and her body inhabited by Nagini, Voldemort's snake. Harry and Hermione barely escape her attack and Harry's wand is destroyed.
     While on watch a doe patronus appears to Harry and leads him to the Sword of Gryffindor at the bottom of a pond. The locket horcrux attempts to strangle Harry, but Ron reappears and saves his best friend, using the Sword to destroy the horcrux. Hermione, again takes the lead and directs her friends to Luna Lovegood's father for an explanation of a symbol she found in Dumbledore's book. Luna's father betrays the trio in hopes of getting his imprisoned daughter back from the Ministry, but first he tells them the story of the Deathly Hallows -- three magical items which can stave off death.
     Captured during their escape, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are taken to Malfoy Manor where Bellatrix interrogates Hermione about the Sword of Gryffindor. They are rescued, along with Luna, Ollivander the wandmaker, and the goblin Griphook, by Dobby the Free House-elf. Bellatrix's behavior indicates something of interest in her vault at Gringotts and the trio finds Hufflepuff's cup, another horcrux.
     The final horcrux leads Harry, Ron, and Hermione back to Hogwarts where they infiltrate the borders through Dumbledore's brother. Aberforth connects the trio with Neville Longbottom who has taken over Dumbledore's Army and been training in the Room of Requirement. Harry enlists the D.A.'s help in finding the final horcrux, they indicate Ravenclaw's Diadem missing for decades.
     While Harry searches, Hogwarts prepares for Voldemort's arrival. With the destruction of Voldemort at hand a massive battle wages over the school, but Harry must sacrifice himself before victory is at hand.
     The conclusion of Harry's seven-year battle with the being who attempted to kill him as an infant is elaborate and the final book in the series illustrates the qualities which allow Harry to survive to adulthood. This novel is aimed at older readers, high school-aged and adults with rampant violence as in any war. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ties many of the loose ends together, ending the saga. Readers who enjoyed the Harry Potter series to this point will find many of their questions answered, and those who enjoy fantasy will enjoy the Harry Potter series.

The Last Battle

The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis, 1956 Geoffrey Bles

     In the final episode of the Chronicles of Narnia things are not as they seem. Peace has reigned since Caspian X in The Silver Chair, and King Tirian rules in peace, but the prophecying centaur Roonwit predicts strange and evil things in the near future.
     Shift, a talking Ape, concocts a plan convincing Puzzle, a simple but well-meaning Donkey, to dress in a lion's skin and pretend to be the Great Lion Aslan. Shift uses Puzzle to convince the Narnians of Aslan's return and coerce them into working for the Calormenes, cutting down the Talking Trees for lumber and paying money into a fund for Shift's own use.
     Tirian believes the rumor of Aslan's return, but becomes suspicious when he overhears Shift proclaiming Aslan and the Calormene god Tash as one and the same. When he challenges the Ape the Calormenes attack and tie the king to a tree. Tirian calls to Aslan for help and is sent a vision of Digory Kirke, Polly Plummer, Lucy, Edmund, and Peter Pevensie, Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole, although he doesn't know who they are. King Tirian appears at a dinner party where the group is gathered to remember Narnia and their adventures and the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve recognize him as a messenger from Narnia.
     Moments later in Narnia, yet a week later on Earth, Jill and Eustace appear and rescue Tirian and the band of loyal Narnians held captive by Shift and the Calormenes. A battle ensues where Tirian, Jill, Eustace and the rescued Narnians attack Shift and the Calormenes, shoving them into the stable where the false Aslan resides. The stable is haunted by Tash who swallows the ape whole, but when the rest of the rescue party is flung inside they discover a vast and beautiful land.
     The group encounters the various people from our land who have traveled to Narnia within the series, with the exception of Susan (she regards Narnia as a game she played while an immature child rather than the real place where she was once a queen). Peter orders Tash to leave and they are joined by Aslan, who proceeds to stand at the portal to Narnia and judge all of the creatures, living and dead, who gather to pass through. Those who have been loyal to Aslan or have upheld his morality are welcomed into Aslan's Country while the rest lose their intelligence and vanish.
     In a spectacular show Narnia ceases to exist and Peter closes the door between Aslan's Country and the shell of what Narnia was. Aslan sends his party further into the "Real Narnia" where they find more companions from previous novels and "Real England". Aslan reveals that the travelers and the Pevensies' parents have died in a train accident from which only Susan survived. He reveals that this is only the beginning of an eternal story in which "every chapter is better than the one before."
     The Last Battle is very much like the biblical Judgement Day. The end of the world and salvation through the Christ-figure Aslan, but it also holds truths about a secular world: the characters who are damned are those who have attempted to take advantage of the honest, hard-working folk and their belief in something greater than themselves; not only do Aslan's followers find eternal joy, but those people of Narnia's world who are morally upright are rewarded; and the memories of their youthful pastimes create camaraderie among the English friends of Narnia--Susan has forgotten the innocence of her past and loses her entire family when they are snatched from England to Real England. Lewis's stories may have a heavy Christian overtone, but they are still stories about self-discovery, honesty, and loyalty to one's own beliefs.
     The intended audience for The Last Battle is later elementary school: between 8 and 13 years old, yet readers of all ages can find something new and interesting in the story.