The Merchant's Daughter

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson, 2011 Zondervan

     The youngest daughter of a rich merchant is expected to make an advantageous match or enter a convent in medieval England. Annabel Chapman is no exception--dreaming of entering a convent where she can avoid the lurking Bailiff Tom atte Water and study the Bible--until her father's ships sink and her father is killed by a nation-wide pestilence. Poor and fatherless, Annabel is not a preferred candidate for the convent. 
     Three years after her father's death the lord of the manse, the elder Lord leWyse dies and her family's fortunes shift again. Her mother and older brothers refused to do their fair share of the work or pay the censum - a fee in place of their work. The local jury rules that the Chapmans will immediately do their share and pay the three years' censum owed. When their penury cannot allow them to pay, the jury's alternate punishment is for a member of the family to serve their new lord for three years. 
     Lord Ranulf leWyse is considered a beast: he is cruel-tempered, scarred, and his changes are abrupt. Though his goal is to make life better for his villeins, change is difficult. Though ensuring the baker doesn't steal grain or the butcher doesn't overcharge for meat creates animosity with those who take advantage of their power, it ultimately is for the betterment of the community as a whole. Annabel's older brothers and mother cannot pay the past-due censum and refuse to be indentured to the new lord, so she takes matters into her own hands and goes to the manor. 
     Despite his reputation as a difficult master, life under the roof of Lord leWyse seems to be a better deal than the life her brothers have planned for Annabel. They plan to marry her off to Tom atte Water in exchange for the censum payment - what they don't realize is that Tom has worded the agreement to his benefit. At the manse, Annabel learns how to work for her new lord and develops a fragile friendship with him. Her dream to join a convent and study the Bible looks like it could become more than just a dream. Ranulf provides a copy of the holy writ when their local priest refuses to teach the girl--insisting women are temptation and evil. The lord disagrees and doesn't stop at allowing Annabel to read the book, but also discusses theology with her leading to a deeper relationship. 
     Ranulf leWyse is intrigued by the young woman who is afraid of something she cannot, or will not, reveal. He is an honorable man and believes - insists that the people of his domain are treated fairly and with respect. His insistence leads to dissatisfied members of the community who challenge his rule. 
     Annabel and Ranulf are attracted to each other, however, their beliefs about their individual roles in the community, and society in general, prevent any relationship between them. It takes courage for the pair to put to rest the discord in the community and to maintain their separation from each other. 
     Ranulf and Annabel are unrelated to the characters of the first Hagenheim story, becoming interwoven with their story as the series continues. Set in the era of the Holy Roman Empire the characters' Christian faith is a key theme especially how it directs their actions. The Merchant's Daughter is a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale with elements of the Cinderella story thrown in. Teen and young adult readers who enjoyed The Healer's Apprentice will enjoy the second tale set in Dickerson's Hagenheim. 

A Discovery of Witches

 A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, 2011 Viking Penguin

     Hiding from her family history by becoming a leading scholar of Elizabethan science has served Diana Bishop well. She is on track to become one of the youngest scholars to obtain tenure at a top United States University. She is working on a research project in Oxford's Bodleian library when she meets Matthew de Clairmont. 

     The suave Monsieur de Clairmont is a vampire, older than the institution Diana has tied her future to. He immediately recognizes her as a witch - one who rarely uses her magic - and it is by her rarely used magic that she draws the attention of Witches, Vampires, and Daemons. The Ashmole Manuscript she calls for her research has been missing for decades when Diana recalls it from the stacks. 

     Rumor has it the missing manuscript tells the origin of Creatures. Diana's interest is only in the alchemical message of the text. But the fact that she can find Ashmole draws even more attention and ire when she refuses to hand over the document despite pressure from every creature of significant political power. 

     Matthew's interest starts with the manuscript but he finds Diana more and more compelling. When her own kind turns against Diana for refusing to provide the much-coveted Ashmole Manuscript, Matthew de Clairmont is her rescuer. The two remove from Oxford for her safety despite the Covenant of Creatures. 

     As they become more enraptured with one another Matthew and Diana seek to understand why the manuscript comes to Diana despite stronger magic's failure to call it forth. At the de Clairmont fortress in France Diana also discovers more about her magic and her personal history. 

     When the Congregation kidnaps Diana from the property - violating the de Clairmont sovereignty in their own lands - Matthew realizes how his life and that of the witch mirror her observations of the missing manuscript. He will violate his own laws to find and protect her and their growing relationship. 

     The more she learns about the Creatures' world the more Diana wishes she could return to the safety of her American ignorance. Her aunts--powerful witches in their magic-- do not have the political strength to protect her and her parents' magic - both rare and powerful - has been absent most of Diana's life. 

     Diana and Matthew risk more than just censure from the Congregation for an interspecies relationship. Something in the Ashmole manuscript has drawn the attention of the most powerful elements of their world and their ire. At heart, this is a romance with elements of The DaVinci Code and Charlaine Harris' Snookie Stackhouse series meant for mature readers with vivid violence. 

Pale Demon

Pale Demon by Kim Harrison, 2011 Harper Voyager

     After the Coven agreed to grant her immunity for the black magic she'd used, Rachel Morgan, independent runner, spunky smart-ass, and day-walking demon, leaves Cincinnati to attend her formal pardon at the annual witches' meeting in San Francisco. She ends up ferrying Trent Kalamack, and her roommates Ivy and Jenks across the country in her mother's Buick.
     In St. Louis Trent releases the genetically engineered demon Ku'Sox from his prison. Like Rachel, Ku'Sox is a day-walking demon, but unlike Rachel he has no soul. Ku'Sox creates trouble along the way and very nearly kills Rachel. He was intended to be the bridge between witches and demons, but went crazy and was trapped magically and physically under the St. Louis Arch. Ku'Sox follows Rachel and her carload West to the Witches' Convention creating havoc.
     Rachel insists on believing the Coven will keep their promise, despite Ivy, Jenks, and Trent telling her otherwise. When she picks up the Coven's spy and the menagerie makes it to San Francisco Ku'Sox continues to cause problems for Rachel. Trent disappears on some Elven quest and all hell breaks loose.
     Despite everything the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards has done to show Rachel they have no intention of upholding their deal when they can kill her, Rachel believes they will. When the Coven requires her aid to survive they have no choice but to agree to her terms. Rachel continues to battle internally with what it means to be a demon and whether she can remain a good person while still protecting her friends, family, and society as she knows it.
     Readers will enjoy the fast-paced action of Pale Demon along with its dose of inappropriate humor, uneasy friendships, and unexpected romance, all shoved into a Buick traveling from Cincinnati to San Francisco.

Beautiful Days

Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen, 2011 HarperCollins

     Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are no longer country bumpkins after a month in the Big Apple. Astrid Donal has drawn the girls into her plush world of the elite and privileged. But the money and fame comes at a price.
     While Cordelia works to understand her newly discovered family and enjoys the perks of being the daughter of bootlegging mogul Darius Grey she is still reeling from Thom Hale's betrayal and her father's death. She allows her brother, Charlie, to draw her deeper and deeper into the family business. Cordelia plots her revenge on Thom as the summer days grow longer, but is distracted by the young aviator Max Darby, his disdain for her lifestyle, his immunity to her charms, and his aeroplane.
     Letty has come to New York in hopes of becoming a star and she won't let anyone stand in her way. Her initial surprise at the number of pretty, talented, young girls flooding the city is pushed aside when the position offered in Cordelia's speakeasy is offered to another. Letty feels betrayed by her friend and decides to join the chorus line, stressing her relationship with Grady Lodge - who is not has he seemed. As she struggles to maintain her standards everything Letty has worked for threatens to come tumbling down around her now-fashionable shoulders.
     Astrid is swept up by Charlie and the glittering world he offers her. Believing herself ready to marry Charlie Astrid moves into the Grey mansion, but Charlie is a different man after his father's death. When Charlie's ambitions have business pushing into dangerous territory it may be the girls who suffer the consequences when Astrid is kidnapped by Thom Hale and his gang.
     Set in the glistening last days of the Roaring Twenties Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty enjoy the height of fashion and danger as they flaunt the Prohibition restrictions on alcohol. As the stakes rise the three young women focus on the ties that bind them both as an anchor and lodestone linking their futures. Aimed at teens, readers who enjoyed Godbersen's Luxe series will enjoy this second installment of the Bright Young Things series.

Awakened

Awakened by Kristin and P.C. Cast, 2011 St. Martin's Press

    Zoey has returned from the Otherworld to her family and friends on Sgiach, the Island of Skye. She reaffirms her connection with her warrior Stark and Zoey discovers she can call on the ancient fey to support her elemental magic. Aphrodite, Damien, and the twins return home to Stevie Rae who is back in Tulsa with the red fledglings 

     Neferet kills Jack--Damien's boyfriend and a member of the nerd-herd--as a tribute to the Darkness. The loss of their friend draws Zoey and Stark back to their responsibilities. Kalona finds that he has a connection to Stark after breathing some of his immortality into the dying warrior. 

     Neferet uses Jack's funeral as a public display to try regaining the House of Night's trust. Zoey sees through the fake apology but in the same spectacle to order the Sons of Erebus to murder Rephaim and Stevie Rae for their association with Darkness. 

     Stevie Rae asks the nerd herd to protect Rephaim - who has only defended himself rather than actively fighting for his freedom. She asks Kalona to release Rephaim and he grants his son's freedom in a direct contradiction of his oath to Neferet. Not all of the members of the House of Night accept that Rephaim has chosen the path of Light. 

     Their goddess, Nyx, appears and forgives the Raven Mocker. She details her wish for the vampyres to move forward in life - singling out Damien and Dragon after the deaths of Jack and Anastasia. Dragon holds on to his anger and, with Neferet, drives Rephaim from the Tulsa House of Night. 

     To be with their friends Zoey creates her own House of Night in the tunnels beneath the city. Zoey is their leader and Vampyre Queen; Stevie Rae is their High Priestess; Kramisha their poet Laureate; and Aphrodite the Prophetess. The red fledglings and nerd herd are their students trying to maintain Nyx's teachings. 

     Neferet continues her quest for power by striking at those close to Zoey Redbird in her human life. Kalona experiments with the piece of his soul in Stark. Zoey and her friends struggle in the changing world and with the blows to their cause. The Vampyre High Council has cleared Neferet of wrongdoing and Zoey has lost significant supports in her system. Neferet's plan for revenge appears to be on a strong course. 

     Zoey has a more adult take on the events in her life--including a mature relationship with her warrior-protector. Older teen readers who enjoyed the first seven episodes in the House of Night series will enjoy the eighth installment of Zoey Redbird's story. 

A Tale of Two Castles

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine, 2011 HarperTeen

     Elodie leaves her family on an island from the distant reaches of the kingdom to become a mansioner - acting is her dream! But when she arrives the troupes aren't accepting new apprentices. The resident dragon of Two Castles, Meenore, takes her under ITs wings and the two begin an uneasy relationship.
     While still trying to get used to the size and sights of Two Castles (it's the largest town she's ever seen) Elodie battles to be Meenore's apprentice to the best of her ability. The dragon is particular in every aspect of ITs life, but Elodie does make progress: when the Count, an ogre set to be engaged to the Royal Princess, seeks Meenore's assistance Elodie is placed in his castle in the guise of a kitchen maid.
     For twelve-year-old Elodie every day is another act in the play of her life: will she be able to discover who the traitor is and will she be able to continue her work with the dragon Meenore?
     Younger readers will enjoy the surprise of a mystery solved and characters who easily fall into their pre-determined categories. This story is a children's book with themes of persistence and independence woven into the story of a girl trying to pursue her dreams.

The Death Cure

The Death Cure by James Dashner, 2011 Delacorte Books

     Thomas has escaped the Maze, survived the Scorch, and after one last test he and his friends will be free and cured of the Flare. The survivors have been whisked away to WICKED's compound where the last tests will take place.
     The group is allowed to spend time together, but Thomas has been separated and placed in isolation. With no way to tell time the young man begins to lose touch with reality, it takes a force of will to maintain his grasp of reality. Finally the rat-faced man who met the boys before the journey through the Scorch comes to tell Thomas of the next steps.
     Thomas and the rest of the survivors from both Group A and Group B will regain their memories; WICKED tells them this will help them all understand why they joined the experiment. Thomas, Minho, and Newt refuse to go through with the procedure. The Rat Man explains some of the survivors are immune to the Flare, others are not, escape would be worthless as the immune are despised outside the compound. But the trio are adamant; they flee to Denver, Colorado where a large group who have yet to be infected lives.
     Thomas hopes the trio will be able to save the rest of the experiment survivors, but first they have to get WICKED, and its locator chip, out of their heads. While searching for the man who can remove the chips Thomas and Minho discover Newt is among the infected and as he helps them brainstorm a plan the disease takes his mind. The authorities take Newt to a city filled with people in varying stages of the Flare.
     Again, Thomas is gripped by the need to save his friends and when he and Minho risk going into the Flare-infested city to find Newt the extent of the infestation finally strikes them. Thomas hopes there is a place the survivors from the Maze to finally find peace, but any resolution will mean going back to WICKED's base and facing the demon in its lair.
     Teen and young adult readers will be interested in the conclusion of the story in the Maze and of the Flare; some romantic tension remains, with a focus on making the right choice.

Liar's Moon

Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce, 2011 Arthur A Levine

     Digger has returned to the capital and, though it is not exactly the same, slipped back into her old life. Staying above a bakery in Seventh Circle allows the young woman access to gossip from all areas of town and strata of society. She has left espionage behind after a quick look into Sarist activity shows any news has been successfully hushed or evacuated from Gerse.
     Durrel Decath, the nob who saved Digger as Celyn from Greenmen and brought her to his family in Starcrossed, is imprisoned for his wife's murder. At first the thief-girl swears to find who has put her friend under the spotlight of blame, and when all evidence points to Durrel she refuses to take the case. When Raffin - a mutual friend, nob, and Greenman - gives her no choice, Digger reluctantly searches for the answer.
     But the truth is more difficult than it may appear - with a magical rebellion and civil war marching on Gerse, the king tightening his fist on any who gainsay him, and the Celystra with her Greenmen burning innocents in the streets Digger has a hard time keeping her nose clean. When the High Inquisitor repeatedly appears to beg Digger return and use her magic for the Celystra, she rejects her brother and the world she was once suffocated by to find the real young woman at the heart of the thief.
     Digger's story is intricate and complicated. She cares for the people of her country, though they may belittle her and attempt to use her and her skills. Emotions between Durrel and Digger become heated the more she learns about herself and the world Durrel comes from. Older teens will enjoy Bunce's descriptive prose, and the unconventional heroine who just might save the nob from the gallows.

Always a Witch

Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough, 2011 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

     After being raised without knowledge of her magic, Tamsin Greene is getting a grasp of her power, learning to enjoy it and how to manage it when Alistair Knight again threatens to destroy her family. The centuries-old rivalry between the two families is about to be upset when Alistair flees into the past hoping to alter it. When her grandmother reminds Tamsin of the prophecy surrounding her fate, and that of the family, the young witch agrees to follow Alistair into the past.
     In the seventeenth century Tamsin uses a fake name to find a position as lady's maid in the Knight household. Alistair attempts to warn his ancestors of their danger from the Greene family, but La Spider (the matriarch) is not at home to receive him. La Spider's son, Liam Knight, decides Alistair could be useful in his experiments for immortality. The Knight daughter, Jessica, strikes up a friendship with her new maid and shows the young woman her power for healing - which La Spider and Liam force her to use against her will in their quest.
     Tamsin attempts to find her ancestors in the 1800s, and after some searching it appears they don't believe the girl who claims to be from their future. Thomas Greene sees Tamsin as the harbinger of his death and struggles to accept the future of their family may depend on his own sacrifice. The Greene family battles the Knights, leading to Thomas's death. It is with freely given sacrifice that the Greenes are able to bind the Knights' power into the Domani, Tamsin's friendship with Jessica Knight allows the family to cease Liam's despicable experiments and lock the Knight power safely away.
     The conclusion of Tamsin's story is fraught with danger, sacrifice and the knowledge that what is right is not the easiest or most desirable path. Always a Witch is a modern gothic aimed at high school readers.

The Time-Traveling Fashionista

The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky, 2011 Poppy

     Louise loves fashion, but vintage speaks to her in a way modern clothes cannot. With the semi-formal event of seventh gade upon her, Louise is ecstatic to find an invitation to the Traceling Fashionisa Sale.
     At the sale Louise and her best friend Brooke find a glamourous evening gown fit for a classic Hollywood Starlet. When she tries on the pink concoction Louise is swept from her waking life of monotone history classes and awkward boys to the sparkle and glitz of 1912 adn the Titanic.
     The dream is all too real as Louise attempts to fit into the role of Alice Baxter, a silent movie star and actress. Miss Baxter's maid, Anna, guides the young woman through her new life and the two find a fast friendship.
     But as time passes aboard the greatest ship of all time, Louise becomes disenchanted with the glitz and glamour and the voyage draws ever-closer to impending disaster. The young woman's premonition could just safe the ship, but can she change history?
     Louise discovers sometimes life and legend aren't always what they seem. She finds a purpose in her own life through the dangers of the past. The Time-Traveling Fashionista is a whimsical story of self-discovery perfect for middle school-aged readers.

Prom & Prejudice

Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg, 2011 Point

     Elizabeth Bennet is a scholarship student at Longbourn Academy in Connecticut. Charlotte Lucas, the other scholarship student, and Jane, Lizzie's roommate, are her only friends. When Jane falls for Charles Bingley from Pemberly Academy and he returns from a semester in London, it appears Jane will have the perfect date for that all-important event: Prom.
     Lizzie likes Charles, unlike most of the students at both Lonbourn and Pemberly he genuinely likes her without reservations for her attire or her family's lack of money. The same cannot seem to be said for his friend Will Darcy. Darcy appears to take offence at every nuance of their first meeting causing Lizzie to form a negative impression.
     Like the classic Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Prom & Prejudice follows Lizzie through the ups and downs of relationships and that critical invitation to the event of the year. She challenges her own opinions of the people around her, and worries that she has become what she has despised about Longbourn--a snob.
      Prom & Prejudice brings the classic tale to the exclusive high schools of the modern elite while still holding the essence of Austen's original. More appropriate for middle school readers, the book is an enjoyable read.

Hades

Hades by Alexandra Adornetto, 2011 Feiwel & Friends

     Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth with her siblings Archangel Gabriel and Seraphim Ivy. The angels were sent to bring light back to Earth and help humans reclaim their goodness, falling in love with a human was not on the agenda.
     When Beth falls in love with her human classmate Xavier Woods their bond gets closer and stronger. Their relationship, though, doesn't stop Beth from being taken to Hell on the back of a motorcycle driven by the demon Jake Thorn. From the beginning of their relationship Jake has been fighting to turn Beth from Xavier and from the light.
     In Hell Jake shows her the order of his kingdom. It would be easy to fall into place with Jake's plan and become the Queen of Hell, but her love for Xavier and the relationship with her family won't allow Bethany to abandon her mission.
     Beth fights not to give in as Jake bargains with her family. What he asks may be scraping the bottom of the barrel on what they can give. Her story is a tale of faith and trust--trusting Gabriel, Ivy, and Xavier to come for her, and trusting God to love her despite her failings.
      The second chapter of Beth's story explores the darkness of life beyond God's chosen scope, without the constant presence of her loving Father. Beth truly experiences humanity for the first time. The story is aimed at readers high-school-aged and older.

Dragon's Oath

Dragon's Oath by Kristin and P.C. Cast, 2011 St. Martin's Press

      When Anastasia, his wife, is killed Dragon Lankford is devastated. In Dragon's Oath readers understand his reaction.
     Dragon stands sentry over Jack's funeral pyre and opens a locket with a lock of Anastasia's hair. The wind picks up the hair and blows it over the pyre, initiating a spell that reveals her last wish: that Dragon temper his blade with mercy.
    The story continues when Dragon is still human, in England he is banished to America after a scandal with the neighbor's daughter. A vampyre labels Dragon Lankford a fledgling and takes him aboard a ship decorated with a dragon, inspiring his new name.
     In America, Anastasia is a spells and rituals professor at the Chicago House of Night speaking to the headmistress; she has been asked by several fledglings for love spells concerning Dragon. When she does a spell to show them his true self, she draws him to her and discovers she loves him.
     The headmistress worries about one of the local officials and his harassment of vampyre students. Anastasia offers to perform a peace spell, and takes Dragon as a Warrior, the opposite of her goal and a piece of the spell. But when they've done the spell the official chokes Dragon, fights and prepares to rape Anastasia before killing her, but Dragon manages to come to the rescue. Anastasia Changes him into a full vampyre and he swears his Warrior's Oath to her.
     The tale returns to present-day Dragon when Nyx and Anastasia appear to him. They try to convince him to move on, but when Nyx will not return Anastasia to him, Dragon renounces her, slowly turning to the dark side of Neferet.
     Dragon's story adds to the full novels through explaining how Dragon came to be who he is. His relationship with Anastasia is one of the strongest motivating factors of his being and her loss rocks him deeply. Dragon's history enriches the world of the House of Night.

Beauty and the Werewolf

Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey, 2011 Luna

     Isabella Beauchamps watches over her young stepsisters and runs the household for her stepmother, until one night visiting Granny in the forest she is attacked by a great wolf. Bella fights back and survives the attack with no more than a wolf-bite. The next morning, though Bella wakes to find the king's guard whisking her away to the Duke's palace.
     There she learns the mystery of Duke Sebastian and his seclusion. Sebastian is cursed to become a wolf the three nights of the full moon. However, no one knows why. Bella's imprisonment forces her into close contact with the werewolf-duke until it is discovered whether or not she too will become a werewolf.
     Her capture is simply frustrating while the Godmother Elena, Duke Sebastian, Granny and other local magicians search for a solution. To fill her time, Bella takes lessons in magic with Sebastian and discovers he is a scholarly young man, but good company. He teaches her of the Tradition and its role in their lives.
     But with knowledge of the Tradition comes knowledge of the paths it fights to force Bella down. Bella, along with the duke's illegitimate brother and Sebastian himself, searches for a way out of the castle and away from the fateful force of the Tradition.
     Beauty and the Werewolf is a refreshing take on the story of the Beauty and the Beast. Dropped into a world similar to eighteenth century France, Bella is not your average woman and her fate is not that of the average Beauty. The story is suitable for readers of all ages, though some material is more appropriate for teens and older readers.

Exile

Exile by Anne Osterlund, 2011 Speak

     After she's survived the attempts on her life and realized the palace can no longer be her home, Aurelia, Crown Princess of Tyralt, goes on an expedition to meet her subjects. She brings her closest friend and protector Robert but their recent trials have put up a wall between the friends. Guilt on both sides makes them pick at each other and their camaraderie crumples into grouching.
     When Melony's reach nearly ends both Aurelia and Robert's lives they flee with only each other to depend on. The Princess's breakdown immediately following the latest attempt on her life drives home to her that even far from her home and renouncing everything that ties her to the throne Aurelia is a threat to her sister Melony.
     Robert leads the headlong race from their pursuers and the pair stumble upon the kingdom's best-kept secret: Aurelia's mother. The princess attempts to form a relationship with her mother, but it is the former queen's distance that finally pushes her back into some semblance of a life and onto the road where she and Robert can continue her mission to know her people.
     A stop with Robert's parents shows her what she has lost as a result of her family's position, and allows her to love her lifelong friend a little more. Aurelia has always known she needs Robert by her side, but fleeing from his family's homestead brings home just how much. They flee to the desert where they discover Melony's plot was much more extensive than anyone gave her credit for.
     On the run with only one person in the world she can trust, Aurelia must find the presence of spirit to conquer the fears that chase her. Depending on and caring for her friends bolsters her strength as her story pushes ever toward a confrontation with her manipulative sister. Violence abounds as Aurelia's life is in danger, but there are softened moments of passion. Teens and older readers will enjoy her feisty spirit.

Cloaked

Cloaked by Alex Flinn, 2011 HarperTeen

     Johnny Marco repairs shoes in a hotel in South Beach, Florida. His family's shoe repair shop is struggling, so Johnny works his summer away helping his mother to make it through. Johnny's best friend Meg works in her family's coffee shop across the hall. When a princess from Aloria, a small country somewhere in Europe, stays at the hotel Johnny and the hotel's pool boy are entranced by the beautiful girl.
     One night Princess Victoriana stops by the Marco family shoe repair with a mission for Johnny: repair her favorite shoes, and deliver them personally. Johnny is excited as any seventeen-year-old boy would be, but when he returns the shoe the princess has a bigger task, and more complicated. He has trouble believing that Victoriana's brother has been turned into a frog and kidnapped by the local witch in Aloria, but when she offers Johnny marriage and financial security he is willing to go out on a limb for the crazy beauty.
     Until she presents him with magical tools, Johnny doesn't believe her brother could have been transformed, let alone transported from Europe to southern Florida. With a magical cloak and earphones that allow him to communicate with once-human animals, Johnny travels to the Florida Keys in search for the missing prince. There he discovers a talking fox named Todd who asks Johnny to complete a task before giving up the information.
     After helping Todd with his task, being kidnapped by the evil witch who transformed Victoriana's brother, being rescued by Meg, fighting giants, and being chased by a homicidal maniac on a motorbike, Johnny returns to Victoriana with her brother in tow. But his adventures didn't prepare him for not wanting to marry the princess.
     With traces of The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Frog Prince, and several other fairy tales Cloaked is a fast-paced story where the characters fall from one crisis into another. Readers of all ages will wonder: What will Johnny chose when his quest is over?

The Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, 2011 Greenwillow Books

     On her naming day Princess Lucero-Elisa was gifted with a gift granted only once each hundred years--the Godstone. The sapphire-like stone in her middle marks her destiny as a powerful force, yet Elisa is at the whim of first her family, then her husband and his court.
     On her sixteenth birthday Elisa leaves her home with her new husband and discovers their relationship is to remain a secret. Only her nurse respects the young woman's intelligence and when she is kidnapped by rebel forces the wall protecting her husband and his court from desert sandstorms no longer protects Elisa from the reality of the war they face.
     Among the rebels Elisa discovers her own ability and revels in the relationships she develops with these new and down-to-earth people. When a magical new power threatens their way of life, Princess Elisa is the only way for her rebel forces to survive--but she must first believe in the gift she has carried so long.
     Elisa begins her journey as the girl her country has watched to see what she'd do, but was never far from expressing its disapproval. In her own words she was fat and knew too much about war, but as she learns her own value she becomes more of who she wanted to be. Her background role created the humility to understand power comes at the expense of others. Girls and young women will enjoy Elisa's transformation from unwanted princess to confident and authoritative warrior.

Witches of East End

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz, 2011 Hyperion Books

     After the Salem Witch Trials Joanna, Ingrid, and Freya Beauchamp were forbidden from using their magic, and in the last three hundred years they've refrained. But the limitations are beginning to chafe; they want to help people. Joanna has powers of renewal and destruction; her daughter Ingrid can see into the future and weave down-home magic with her knot-work; Freya, Ingrid's sister and Joanna's younger daughter, crafts love potions.
     When Freya falls for a local magnate the whirlwind romance seems like many she's experienced over the years. However it's Bran's brother Killian Gardiner who satisfies Freya's appetite for romance, excitement, and fuels her adrenaline rush. And Freya isn't the only one discovering romance: Ingrid finds an unusual attraction to a local police detective.
     With the joy of a new relationships the women discover themselves taking risks with their magic--one simple charm becomes another and soon the trio are practicing forbidden skills. Through the magic they discover forces at work in North Hampton, a grey mass over the ocean and unnatural nature around the town. Joanna seeks out her estranged husband in New York City for help with the situation.
     Chaos whirls around the town faster and faster, until Johanna and Norman discover it is the byproduct of Killian and Bran Gardiner's age-old battle over Freya and the breakdown of the boundaries between worlds. Memories of eternity return to the Beauchamps as they discover their history as Norse gods and goddesses.
     Though their lives are those of normal people, the Beauchamp family are immortal and personify their realms of power--Joanna is a mother with power over life and death, Ingrid is a librarian dealing with the daily lives in the community, and Freya is a bartender at the local pub.
     Both Ingrid and Freya live their lives anew, each rediscovering her magic and her heritage in each generation. As they learn to navigate the changing world each young woman makes mistakes and questions her place. Witches of East End is a book for older teens dealing with the struggles of women navigating life, love and age-old relationships cast into shadow by the near destruction of the Earth.

Bloodlines

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, 2011 Razorbill Publishing

     Bloodlines is a spin-off of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series. It is the first novel in its series and follows Sydney Sage. She and her family are Alchemists, a group of humans who have taken it upon themselves to prevent vampires from preying on humans and taking advantage of the discrepancies between human and vampire abilities.
     Sydney is like any other human girl, except for her place among the Alchemists, and her enhanced abilities. Somewhere in her past she helped to establish Lissa Dragomir as queen of the Moroi, a "less disgusting" type of vampire. In Mead's world, there are two types of vampires: the undead dhamphir, and the not yet dead moroi. While the Alchemists find the Moroi acceptable so long as they remain isolated from humanity, the dhamphir are to be destroyed at all cost.
     When Sydney is dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to play babysitter to Lissa's sister Jill at Amberwood Prep, a boarding school in Palm Springs, California, neither Jill nor Sydney are happy about the decision. But as soon as they think things are starting to settle down, Sydney discovers things are rarely as simple as they seem. Something vampire is lurking around Amberwood Prep and Sydney is going to discover the truth.
     The conflict between what Sydney sees as her duty to protect human-kind and the responsibility she has to keep Jill alive and prevent civil war makes her unsure of herself. When she allows herself to see the humanity in her new vampire companions, and even to see how an alliance--a lasting alliance--could stop all she's been fighting for her entire life. Bloodlines is a young adult novel, more appealing to teens.

The Gathering

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong, HarperTeen 2011

     A year ago life was perfect for Maya Delaney in small town Salmon Creek: she and her two best friends were inseparable and enjoying summertime on Vancouver Island as always. But this year things are different. Serena, captain of the swim team, drowned last summer and neither Maya nor Daniel have gotten over what happened. Their small town still mourns her, until other things, strange things, start happening.
     First Daniel begins to get vibes about people and places, that prove to be right. Then cougars keep showing up around Maya's house, and won't go away. Then Rafe shows up. He starts dating around, breaking one girl's heart after another in their small town. But he's looking for one thing--Maya's strange paw-print birthmark.
     After he convinces her to date him, Rafe explains to Maya that she was part of an experiment; the birthmark on her hip is the sign of a shape-shifter and the St. Cloud company (the company which owns Salmon Creek) conducted experiments to activate the genes which allowed her to shift. He then introduces Maya to Annie, his older sister and another shape-shifter. Annie has mastered her ability to become a cougar, but as she transitions she loses her higher functioning. Annie was becoming the cougar she turned into and Rafe searched for Maya hoping she and the St. Clouds could help Annie.
     One night Annie shifts and escapes into the forests surrounding Salmon Creek. Rafe is worried for his sister, but becomes terrified when the forests catch fire. Maya, Daniel, and Rafe search for Annie, but encounter a group of men who claim to have set the fire as a distraction to search the St. Cloud laboratories in town. After nearly being captured, Maya, Rafe, Daniel and several other teens from Salmon Creek escape  both the fire and the men who set it in an evacuation helicopter.
     The originally well-adjusted Maya is thrown into chaos when Rafe drops the news on her that her birth mother abandoned her because of her shape-shifting abilities. He also tells Maya that her mother kept her twin brother when Maya was put up for adoption, furthering her confusion. Maya's adopted parents loved her as their own and until Rafe she never wanted to know about that other life she could have lived. Her other shock is that Serena was murdered--though Maya is not as surprised as others in town. The sleepy town they once thought they lived in turns out to be a hotbed of lies and the teens of Salmon Creek must come to grips with their rapidly changing lives.
     Like every teen, the students of Salmon Creek are changing and learning how to cope with those changes. They deal with peer pressure, the pressure to perform both academically and in extra-curricular activities, and with growing up. Armstrong's novel chronicles the beginning for Maya and her friends and is followed by The Calling and The Rising. The books follow her previous trilogy to form The Darkest Powers Series and are appropriate for high school readers and anyone experiencing the transitions from one life-stage to another.