That's Amore

That's Amore by Janice Thompson, 2014 Revell Publishing

     Several years after her wedding to DJ Neely, Bella is in her husband's hometown to set up a second Club Wed. Shortly before the two relocate with their children Bella discovers that her family will be growing and plans to continue her work in Splendora as long as she can. 

     In Galveston, Bella's sister and her husband have taken the lead in her absence. DJ's business is booming and they turn their eyes back toward Splendora, Texas, and the renovation of Club Wed no. 2. Bubba Neely, DJ's younger brother, and his wife, Bella's best friend, have moved back to his hometown to open a Bar-B-Que joint but face opposition from some town influencers. 

     Neither DJ nor Bubby knows why the mayor opposes both of their enterprises--they'll bring commerce to the small town. As they battle to make a life, even temporarily, in Splendora Bella and her friends struggle with the temptation to give in to wants rather than behaving as her faith prescribes. 

     Halfway through her pregnancy DJ suggests renewing their vows when the chapel at Club Wed is complete. Bella finds the challenges of pregnancy--with twins no less--the frustration caused by Splendora's mayor, the distance from her family, and the minor dramas of small-town life combine to be more than she can handle alone. 

     Bella repeatedly learns she cannot do it all, especially not on her own. This final installment in Bella and DJ's story focuses on faith and family to get through difficult and unexpected times. 

Real Mermaids Don't Sell Sea Shells

Real Mermaids Don't Sell Sea Shells by Helene Boudreau, 2014 Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

     Jade and her friends have, once again, saved mer-kind and it's time for some fun in the sun. Her parents have, thanks to Mr. Charmichael, gotten the official paperwork to get married - for real. To get away from the gossips in their small town they decided to enjoy their new freedom to get married in the Caribbean.
     Jade and her best friend go along to help out with the last minute details of wedding planning - only to find that nothing is going according to plan! Their reservations are taken y famous celebrities, the catering fell through, the venue was taken, and their officiant has vanished. With Cori and Jade's help, the happy couple rush to recreate their dream wedding before their vacation is over and the rest of their guests arrive.
     As they're making plans and the girls explore the island Jade runs across a strange sight: someone dumping a body from the porthole of a passing cruise ship. With everything that's happened in the last couple of months, Cori thinks Jade's mermaid senses are over-reacting. But when their new acquaintance goes missing it doesn't hurt to check things out.
     Jade's parents enjoy their pre-wedding honeymoon while the girls discover there's more to the local scene than the tourists see. With their relationships with the boys back home on questionable ground, Jade and Cori are stoked to meet new friends and possibly solve a mystery or two, because things can't keep from getting fishy for this mermaid and her friends.
     In this new setting, Jade learns to trust her instincts and that different cultures have different rules. The fourth installment in Jade's story takes readers along as once again Jade steps out of her comfort zone and learns it's always best to be yourself. Real Mermaids Don't Sell Sea Shells is intended for middle grade and young teen readers.

The Forbidden Library

The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler, 2014 Kathy Dawson Books

     Young Alice Creighton has always had a passion for books and reading, she is a hard worker and a rule-follower. But Alice's familiar life is thrown on its end when a real-live fairy appears in the kitchen one night. The day after her father argues with the creature he sets out on a ship to South America, a trip from which he will never return. Alice is taken to the estate of a distant Uncle Geryon: The Library.
     Upon her first exploration, the large house has nearly everything but a library, though that makes it no less strange. Meals are prepared by invisible and silent hands, the laundry appears cleaned and pressed without disappearing, and the house remains spotless despite not a soul wandering its halls. Uncle Geryon's only visible servants are Emma (a competent but simple-minded girl) and Mr. Black (a gruff man of questionable character).
     Bored with her new life Alice is fascinated when she finally encounters the Library for which the estate is named. The building is separate from the main house and Alice discovers the cats guarding the place are more than they seem: one even leads her to overhear a conversation between the mysterious fairy and the frightening Mr. Black. Ashes becomes her companion in trying to solve the mystery of her father's disappearance.
     In investigating Mr. Creighton's death Alice stumbles across a previously unknown ability to enter some of the books she reads and use their magic to affect the outside world. As she learns how to use her Reader power Alice discovers a battle raging beyond her corner of the universe that threatens to use her as a pawn.
     Though Alice is warned over and over again she continues to believe in the inherent good of people. Her hopes are met with betrayal, but through the conflict, she finds answers she's been seeking, and more questions driving her quest forward.
     The Forbidden Library is the beginning of Alice's journey through literature. The magic of the LIbrary and Alice's ability to Read into books only trigger the start of her adventures. Her story is appropriate for middle-school readers with frightening characters, liberties taken, and children pitted against monsters to gain power.

Cruel Beauty

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, 2014 Balzer + Bray

     Nyx was raised to avenge her mother's death and end the demonic reign of the Gentle Lord. Legend has it that when Arcadia's ruling family displeased the Gentle Lord he came with the demons of Tartarus and ripped their island country from the world.
     As the daughter of the manor, Nyx has a privileged place in society. She has grown knowing in order for Arcadia to escape the demon lord's cruel rule she must destroy him. And Nyx is in a unique position to end the curs on her homeland.
     Nyx's father made a bargain with the Gentle Lord when his wife, the love of his life, cannot have children and falls into a depression which will cause her death if they cannot find a solution. The Gentle Lord gives Thisbe twin daughters, but in exchange one of the girls must marry him when she turns seventeen.
     The chosen daughter, Nyx has known since she was a  child that she would marry the Gentle Lord and her sister would remain to live out her life as she chose. She resents her younger sister and the family which has never appeared to love her. Nyx absorbed magic and love with the hope she will avenge her mother's death and her country's isolation at the hands of the demon lord.
     But when Nyx meets her new husband he and his magical prison are not what they seem. The demon lord lists several rules for their interactions, and Nyx learns while she has been taught much about the Gentle Lord the people of Arcadia don't know everything and don't have half of his history correct. As she searches for ways to end the hold over their island Nyx grows to appreciate the demon lord's honesty and appreciation of her, and even grows to love him.
     When the chance comes to save all of Acadia by betraying the cultivated relationship with the demon lord or to realize her dream of finding someone to love Nyx finds the choice on of the most difficult of her life.
     This is a tale of magic and deception, of appearances reflecting expectation rather than the reality, and of learning to look past expectations to find the truth. Nyx discovers that sometimes doing the wrong thing can be the right thing to do. Older teens and young adult readers will enjoy the moral shades of this tale. 

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.

Lion Heart

Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen, 2014 Bloomsbury

     After the events of Lady Thief, Scarlet is aware of her elevated parentage and has been captured by her uncle, Prince John. She is Lady Marian and has been kept from the protection of her grandmother: Eleanor of Aquitaine. King Richard was captured by the Holy Roman Emperor and all of England scrambles to raise the ransom.
     Scarlet escapes her uncle's prison only to be trapped between the expectations of her grandmother the queen and the desires of her heart and her love for Rob. She begs her friends to keep her escape from the man she loves so he will stay safe at Nottingham and away from her. While Prince John searches for Richard's wayward bastard, Scarlet is busy trying to help Eleanor raise funds for her father's ransom.
     When Scarlet's past gives her the skills to be the queen's emissary, and her present gives her the knowledge to defend herself and companions against unknown enemies, she begins to suspect Prince John has more stake in keeping his brother imprisoned than he admits. And it appears John has a plan to keep the status quo.
     Scarlet's fears are founded when Robin does learn of her freedom: the man refuses to leave her side. Robin has achieved his life's dream by surrendering Scarlet to the punishment of taking the blame when Prince John ordered her unwanted husband, Guy of Gisborne, killed. As lord and Sherrif of Nottingham Rob could lose everything again if, and when, the prince discovers his part in Scarlet's continued evasion.
     The nation cannot survive much more dissent between Prince John and those loyal to King Richard, so Scarlet decides to speed the process along. When a plot involving French mercenaries and the king's ransom comes to light the young woman hatches a plot of her own to show the true colors of all involved and bring justice to the lawless and kingless England.
     Nestled into the story of crusading England this take on the legend of Robin Hood and his Merry Men is action-packed and gives Maid Marian a new spin. Though laced with graphic violence Gaughen manages to create a tale, over the course of the trilogy, which will entrance and entertain readers who enjoy historical fiction. Lion Heart is written for older teen and young adult readers.

Pennyroyal Academy

Pennyroyal Academy by M. A. Larson, 2014 G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishing

   From the north, a young girl battles her way through enchanted forests and barren landscapes for a chance to become a legendary princess at Pennyroyal Academy. Pennyroyal has a reputation for building and training knights and princesses of note to fight the great dangers of the day: dragons and witches. But with fewer and fewer candidates of noble blood, they've opened the doors to common-born candidates for the first time. The girl without a name becomes "Eleven", though her new friends christen her Evie.
     Evie is running from something, but she doesn't want to reveal too much to the people around her. The child was raised by dragons and believed herself to be one until she couldn't master the art of flight. This is her chance to start anew.
     At the academy under the care of the steely Fairy Drill Seargent Evie, Demetra, Basil, Maggie and the rest of their candidate class undergo rigorous training to build the core traits of courage, Compassion, Kindness, and Discipline in their quest to become fully-fledged Pennyroyal Princesses. Along the way the usual conflicts between classmates, bullying, pre-teen crushes, and the knowledge that they are at war plague the cadets. Evie discovers that being human may be even more difficult than becoming and being a Princess.
     Pennyroyal Academy is set in the world of Grimm's fairytales and draws on the stories of classic princesses as history. It deals with some mature content - consent and the boundary of humanity in war, in a format more easily accessible to younger readers. With rampant violence (they are training to kill witches and dragons) parents may want to preview the story before offering it to younger readers.

Odin's Ravens

Odin's Ravens by K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr, 2014 Little, Brown & Company

     Laurie, Matt, and Fen are traumatized by the loss of Baldwin - much like Baldur he was friendly and loved by all the young teens replacing long-dead gods, and seemingly everyone. The three friends travel into Hel's realm to rescue Baldwin.
     Their quest is hampered by Viking zombies, Hel the Goddess of the Dead, and various other monsters and creatures. The friends manage to escape Hel and continue on their quest to prevent Ragnarok.
     Laurie finds their quest begins to take a turn as she is gifted and her cousin Fen ignored. Again, Laurie meets Odin's representative, Owen. Owen has Odin's ability to see the future he isn't involved in and has avoided the main quest so he can help Matt, Laurie, Fen, and the rest of the descendants to stop Ragnarok.
     But Owen has been captured by the wulfenkind - Loki's wolf-descendants who are battling to cause the end of the world. Owen sends his tow ravens: Thought & Memory to be his eyes and ears in the world. To unite the descendants Laurie insists Matt and Fen help locate and rescue Owen.
     As Laurie's role appears to grow, despite his friendship with Matt, Fen begins to feel more and more left out. The young man distances himself from his closest friends.
     Saving Baldwin could change the scope of the battle, but it doesn't appear to have stopped the end of the world. As they stumble onward, the trio faces more difficulties and challenges building toward betrayal.
     Sequel to Loki's Wolves, Odin's Ravens picks up just after Baldwin's death. The story is swamped in Norse mythology and follows the thirteen-year-olds as they fight battles greater than they ever could have imagined. Readers who enjoyed Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase series will enjoy another take on the myths of Scandinavia; The Blackwell Pages trio is aimed at a similar reader-base.

Poison

Poison by Bridget Zinn, 2014 Hyperion Books

     Kyra is sixteen years old and on the run after she tries to kill the crown princess. She's a highly skilled and very gifted potions master but life in hiding is not her preferred state of affairs. No one seems to understand that Kyra had a reason - a very good reason - for trying to kill the heir apparent, so now she's avoiding the King's Army and trying to regroup and save her kingdom.
     Leading the hunt is Kyra's ex-boyfriend, Hal. He is also a skilled potion master, though thankfully not as good as Kyra. When she tried to murder Princess Ariana Hal followed along with the rest of the court to hunt her down and continues trying to keep her from finishing the job.
     In escaping from Hal and the King's Army Kyra runs across a magic pig and inept adventurer who help her along the way. Fred and his dog help against the usual dangers: goblins, thieves, and witches - even surviving the threat of being eaten. But they're no help against the attraction Kyra feels for her companion.
     She doesn't let her charming, if sometimes bumbling, companion distract from the quest at hand: find and kill the princess. Kyra is relentless and the reader discovers the reason behind her single-mindedness in a flashy conclusion.
     Poison is a fantasy of spunk and snark with a strong female lead. Kyra does experience romance in the traditional fairytale mold, though she refuses to allow it to subvert her plans. This is a fun read for young teens and Zinn's only novel as she succumbed to colon cancer prior to the novel's release.

Lady Thief

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen,  2014 Walker Children's Books

    Robin and Scarlet have risked everything to save the people of Nottingham. Scarlet is now married to Guy of Gisbourne and her desire to be rid of his connection wars with her faith, and the fear of damning her soul prevents her from acting on her attraction to Robin.
    Prince John plans to name a new sheriff. The royal progress reaches Nottingham and Gisbourne demands his wife appear at his side. Scarlet is fresh from a beating brought on by Robin's nightmares of war and the residue of the torture he endured under Nottingham's control. The people of Nottinghamshire still guard Robin despite the thief-hunter and prince's attacks.
     Scarlet is given the choice to comply with Gisbourne's demands to secure her annulment or to be tied to the man for the rest of their lives. In playing the lady of the manor Scarlet meets the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine: King Richard and Prince John's mother. Prince John shows a deep dislike for the girl he shouldn't know, one which stems from more than her crimes perpetrated to provide for the common people.
     In a twist of fate, the people's champion is injured and Rob puts his hat into the tournament to win the seat of Sheriff in his own fief. Robin is allowed to compete by the queen's intercession, but he is blocked at every moment by the lords and gentry.
     When Robin wins the tourney and it appears everything is set for the couple to finally be together, Guy of Gisbourne reveals a secret to Scarlet which could keep her from Robin forever. Tragedy strikes and upsets their plans; Prince John gains the power to hide Scarlet from her new and powerful allies. The life Scarlet has fought for is ripped from her grasp and she has no hope of rescue.
     Embroidering on the legends of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, Scarlet's continued story has humor and a lighthearted fun through the despair of an arranged marriage and the limited reality of a lady of the manor. Older teens will find Lady Thief a gradual transition from the family-friendly Robin Hood legend into the darker tale of Lionheart, the final installment in the trilogy.

Stolen Songbird

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen, 2014 Strange Chemistry

     In the nearby town Cecile's mother is a famous singer and has spent years sending tutors to train her daughter in not only music, but to also provide both general and courtly education. The night before she is scheduled to join her mother and begin a promising career Cecile is kidnapped and sold to trolls who live under the local mountain.
     She is bound to the troll prince Tristan and told she will save the people of Trollus from a curse which has kept them imprisoned for over 500 years. But Cecile's new husband is not what he seems and politics among the people who cannot lie are far more complicated than the girl can imagine.
     Escape from Trollus is impossible, but it is Cecile's only hope, until she begins to know her new husband and the people of his cursed kingdom. Cecile discovers there is more to their imprisonment than anyone tells her and there is more to Cecile than anyone expects.
     Amid all their planning Tristan and Cecile discover they're more than simply allies; their bond helps them acknowledge the human myths are no less mythical than the trolls' restrictions on human-troll interaction. When it all comes tumbling down how will the prince and princess under the mountain respond?
     The beginning of a new series Stolen Songbird explores mythology and magic in an elaborate love story richly drawn along classic lines. What are the trolls really and how does their magic save them, even as the magic slowly dies. Jensen's novel is aimed at more mature readers, though teen readers can follow and enjoy its complex storyline.

The Opal Crown

The Opal Crown by Jenny Lundquist, 2014 Running Press Kids

     Elara has been betrothed to the prince of Kyrenica for a whole year; Elara discovers she is the identical twin to Wilha the crown princess of Galandra who has always worn a mask. Wilha is finally experiencing the freedom of wearing her own face. Elara has fallen in love with her sister's betrothed, and the twin princesses struggle to return to life as they once knew it.

    Meanwhile, in Galandra the country is deteriorating and when the king dies mysteriously the prince, their younger brother, reveals the princesses' deception. In a bid for the throne, Prince Andrei reveals both young women as traitors to Kyrencia's royal family, unraveling the lives they've built. Elara and Wilha are on the run for their lives both in Kyrencia and Galandra. 

     The alliances Wilha's marriage would build with their neighboring nation are strained. Galandra and Kyrencia at war would serve Andrei's purposes and solidify his reign, but Elara and Wilha have developed relationships with each other and political powers in both countries. 

     Deciding who will wear the Galandrian crown is not simply a matter of who was born first, but of which twin will choose to be her nation's savior. Secrets of their past come to light while they escape one situation after another. 

     Wilha struggles with confidence and living outside her sheltered and privileged childhood. Elara is challenged by her own fears and uncertainty about her past. Each young woman's history gives her some perspective on how to proceed in rapidly-changing times as civil and international war threaten to break out. 

     Life for the princesses is difficult as they leave the protection of Kyrencia and the royal family. The world has only believed Galandra to have one princess and the appearance of a second, especially one whose face no one outside the royal family has seen adds to the dissent surrounding the king's death and political turmoil. 

     Their story carries little of the princess-perfect "happily ever after" traditionally associated with a transition of royal power - life for Elara and Wilha is messy and complicated just as normal life is messy and complicated. Young adult readers will enjoy the elaborate world-building and political maneuvering which goes into resolving an attempted coup d'etat. The Opal Crown is a continuation of The Opal Mask completing the duology. 

The Jewel

The Jewel by Amy Ewing, 2014 HarperTeen

     In the Lone City life is broken into circles surrounding the royalty. Lords and Ladies and their households are in the center of the small city-state. Next comes a circle of the bankers and merchants. Around the non-royal rich are the factories, then a circle containing the farm. The final and poorest circle is the Marsh where the royalty pluck their surrogates from the ranks of young women.
     Young women like Violet are tested as they reach puberty. If they test positive for an enzyme which creates the Auguaries (Mystic magical abilities to manipulate matter) the girl is taken to a holding facility where she learns how to control the Auguaries and is prepared for a life among the royalty.
     Violet has passed through her training and is now going to the Auction with her best friend Raven. Beyond the preparation of the auction all life for the surrogates is unknown - they will be bought by either royalty or select wealthy merchants, then bear a child for that family.
     As one of the more sought-after surrogates of her year Violet is one of the last to be auctioned. She is purchased by the Duchess of the Lake for her perfect score on the Auguary Growth. The Duchess wants the child Violet will bear to be the perfect foil for the son of the Exetor (Leader of the City).
     Naively Violet expects to be cared for and to enjoy her time with the royalty, but when the ladies of court are not above murdering each other's surrogates it appears all is fair in their power games. An unexpected friendship and a forbidden romance have Violet questioning what it is to choose and whether or not the status quo is worth the cost.
     The Jewel shows how the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Dealing with mature content including reproductive medicine and family planning, Amy Ewing's debut is written for young adults, focusing on teen readers.

Cress

Cress by Marissa Meyer, 2014 Feiwel and Friends

     Cinder and Thorne have escaped the Eastern Commonwealth and speed back to the stars rescuing Scarlet and Wolf from Paris's chaos. Wolf makes it his mission to help Cinder control her Lunar gift. But the four, along with Iko piloting Thorne's Rampion, struggle to form a real plan to help save Emperor Kai from Queen Levana's clutches. Cinder suggests they contact the young woman who originally alerted her to the danger Levana poses.
     Cress has been locked in her satellite for nearly seven years. Queen Levana's head Thaumaturge, Sybil, has been her only method of socialization on those seven years and Cress has since given up trying to garner the lunars' positive regard. Cress is the reason Earthens have been unaware of hundreds of Lunar ships above and within Earth's airspace; she is the link between Levana and the information syphoned from Earth's leaders.
     When Cinder and their small crew contact Cress the girl is shocked and surprised. The small crush she'd developed on Thorne while researching became a fascination. The crew agrees to rescue the young woman and she joins their mission. But a wrench is thrown into the works when Sybil returns to the satellite early. Thorne and Cress are sent plummeting to Earth when Sybil returns to the Rampion. A small battle wages on the ship; Wolf is nearly killed, and Scarlet is kidnapped when the Thaumaturge flees. Sybil leaves her pilot and guard Jacin aboard the Rampion.
     Cinder, Wolf, Iko, and Jacin escape to Africa in search of Dr. Erland. The Cinder and Iko seek Thorne and Cress while Dr. Erland tries to rescue Wolf from the brink of death. Through a strange coincidence Thorne and Cress arrive in the small African town as the Eastern Commonwealth sends soldiers to pick up the band. But the locals, with their Lunar ancestry, help the Rampion and its crew again flee, this time back toward New Beijing and to stop the wedding.
     En route to the Commonwealth capital they plan to continue the fight against Levana on her own ground: Erland reminds Cinder that she'll need to convince the Lunars of her claim to the throne, not Earthens. Cinder and Iko, Cress and Wolf, Thorne and the Doctor head into the New Beijing Palace to kidnap Kai to gain his aid and delay the wedding to buy some time. They know any action which antagonizes Levana will result in war.
     Despite self-doubt and concern for their captured friend, the group plans and struggles to remain hopeful in face of the destruction around them and the damage certain to follow any success. Cinder and her newfound friends transition from merely refugees to rebels ready to survive the oncoming war. Readers who enjoyed the first two novels in the Lunar Chronicles will find this installment is more slowly paced and while the violence is more rampant and wide-spread the group is no longer in its midst.

Heir of Fire

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas, 2014 Bloomsbury

     Adarlan's king has ordered Celaena to assassinate the royal family of Wendlyn based on his Captain of the Guard Chaol's suggestion. Chaol trades his future independence to his father to allow Celaena to escape the pit she's fallen into since Nehemia's death. In Wendlyn the King's Assassin has no intention of killing the royal family, instead Celaena drinks and gambles and fights the nights away until she can spend the days in an exhausted stupor.
     When her aunt, Maeve Queen of Fairies, sends Celaena's distant cousin, Rowan Whitethorn, to summon her to a demi-Fae outpost Celaena meets her aunt for the first time and realizes why her mother delayed the meeting. Maeve wants to see the Fae magic Celaena has hidden, but Celaena wants answers about the Wyrdkeys. The two come to an agreement: Celaena will come to the Fae city Doranelle when Rowan believes she has mastered her power and Maeve will share what she knows about the Wyrdkeys.
     Rowan begins to train Celaena - her magic so deeply buried she has difficulty even shifting from her human to Fae form. But mangled bodies of demi-Fae begin appearing around the fortress and the creatures in the forest become restless. As the most able investigative force Rowan and Celaena seek answers to the impending danger, driving Celaena to find and use her power.
    Back in Adarlan Chaol and Dorian are trying to understand their new dynamic. Dorian's magic has somehow persisted in a world where magic has been frozen. The pair work to discover why magic has gone, but Chaol refuses to hear about Dorian's power for fear the king might somehow use it against them. Dorian seeks companionship with a comely healer who has been attending the Crown Prince, Captain of the Guard and King's Assassin through their adventures. Sorscha promises not to tell, but may have an ulterior motive in gaining Dorian's trust.
     Far in the North, the Ironteeth Witches are made an offer too good to refuse. When magic died Manon Blackbeak and her kin in the Blackbeak, Yellowlegs and Bluebloods lost the ability to fly. Manon is the Blackbeak heir, considered one the cruelest beings in Elirea; the witches enjoy killing and maiming simply for the joy of the act. The King on the Throne of Glass offers the witches a place in his army and wyverns in exchange for their freedom after he's conquered the world. The Ironteeth wish to return to the Western Wastes where their enemies the Cochran Witches have cursed the land.
     Manon and her Blackbeak kin work to become the tip of the Ironteeth spear. They become the best fighters both on and off their wyverns. Manon develops a resounding rapport with her dragon-like beast and her wing discovers something in the mountain is rotting the humans - this drives the witches further afield for sustenance.
     While the King rallies his forces, the rebellion and discontent build within Adarlan. Aedion, cousin to the missing Queen Aelin Ashryver Galathynius of Terrasen, is the King's General in the North and summoned to Rifthold to attend the King. Chaol discovers Aedion has been subtly undermining the king's agenda in Terrasen; the resemblance between Aedion and Celaena suggests why. Aedion joins the rebellion, bringing hope to the movement.
     Action comes to a point when the King of Adarlan sends a force into Wendlyn lead by three Vlag princes. Celaena, Rowan, and the demi-Fae face the oncoming army and Celaena nearly gives in to the Vlag power reliving her worst memories, some so deeply repressed even she is surprised by their brutality. The Ironteeth compete and Manon with her Blackbeak clan becomes wing leader, creates a somewhat-alliance with the Bluebloods heir and confirms an enmity with the Yellowlegs heir. Chaol and Dorian's activities are discovered by the king with brutal results, but news that Aelin Ashryver Galathynius is alive and well begins to spread across Elirea as Celaena accepts her crown and demands answers from her aunt, Queen Maeve.
     Like the preceding books, Heir of Fire is a young adult read. Political intrigue, romantic entanglements, and brutal violence have shaped Celaena/Aelin's life and as she makes the decision to return to the world she was able to abandon as a child she revisits the darker side of what it means to be a political force. That said, Celaena is a multi-faceted character and Maas's story is rich in its own mythos making for a compelling read.

The Benedict Bastard

The Benedict Bastard by Cate Campbell, 2014 Kensington Books

     Margot Benedict Parrish has fought for every privilege she now enjoys as a female doctor in 1923 Seattle. After the drama of her younger brother's betrayal and subsequent incarceration in Walla Walla Sanitarium Margot and her husband Frank take a short vacation to visit his parents in Montana. Preston is not finished with his family, especially his sister. He continues to implore his shell-shocked mother to bring him the sapphire he believes holds a magical sort of power. His parting shot at the family is news of a Benedict child out in the world without the protection of his family.
     The reader meets Bronwyn Morgan of the Port Townsend Morgans. Preston seduced the young woman and, though she had no idea of the mechanics, impregnated her. Bronwyn's child is taken from her and sent to a well-known Seattle children's home. When she searches for the son who was taken from her she encounters first Margot at the children's home, then the rest of the Benedicts when she saves little Louisa (Dick and Ramona's daughter) from drowning in a wading pool.
     The Parrishes are enjoying their vacation in Montana, living the simple life and meeting local people. Margot learns from Frank's mother the various folk remedies and problems women faced without a nearby doctor and Dr. Benedict has a chance to show her in-laws her skill.
     While Margot and Frank are on vacation Mrs. Edith Benedict kidnaps Bronwyn from Benedict Hall and takes her to visit Preston in Walla Walla. Until she stands in his presence Bronwyn still believes Preston had died in the fire which destroyed Margot's original clinic. When the two do meet Preston's fury drives Miss Morgan from the Sanitarium.
     Bronwyn's presence confirms the family's fears - Preston has fathered a Benedict child who is missing in the Greater Seattle area. When Mrs. Benedict suffers a hysterical fit Dickson calls his daughter home to care for her mother and assess Preston's situation. The Parrishes cut their vacation short and return to Washington to support the family.
     The Benedict family has faced challenge after challenge despite the money Dickson Benedict has accumulated. Dick, Ramona, Margot and Frank are faced with holding the family together while Edith and Dickson face what could be the loss of their first grandson. When hope blooms they feel Bronwyn should be consulted on the fate of her son; yet still worry she could take him away.
     Three years after their story began the Benedicts have been confronted by their youngest son's psychopathy, they have lost and discovered members of the clan. The family has grown stronger as it has grown larger, yet the question remains: will the Benedict Family simply endure or will they thrive? The final installment of their story is not meant for younger readers with issues of birth control and race laced throughout the tale.

The Iron Trial

Magisterium: The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, 2014 Scholastic Press

     In the ice beside his mother's dead body are the words "Kill the child". Callum Hunt's father ignores his dead wife's last words to raise Call in a small North Carolina town. Alistair Hunt spends Call's childhood teaching him to hate and fear magic and mages.
     When the time comes for Call to be tested for entry into the Magisterium, a sort of academy where talented children are taught to control and use their magic. Call does his best to fail the test but Master Rufus (the most prestigious Master at the Iron Trial) sees beyond Call's desire to fail and avoid the terrible fate he believes is waiting. Master Rufus accepts Call as one of his apprentices.
     Call joins Aaron and Tamaka as Rufus's apprentices. At the Magisterium the trio share an apartment and attend lessons together. Call discovers a place for himself and friends, a new experience for the kid with a limp which prevents easy movement. The friends learn about the mage wars and Makaris who can control Chaos magic. The Enemy poses the greatest threat to the Magisterium, as a Makar only another Makar can stop him and when Aaron shows himself one of the Makaris the Magisterium has been waiting for, Call and Tamaka are proud for their friend. But on the heels of their pride comes worry for Aaron's well-being. When he goes missing after taking their pet chaos wolf-pup for his daily constitutional, Tamaka and Call know something more dangerous than mere minions has come along.
     Callum faces the Enemy's closest advisor and companion who suggest the impossible. With more to consider than simply his lessons Call returns to the academy for his final portion of the Iron Trial and his first year.
     Call Hunt grows over his first year as he discovers a joy in the work his father has always despised. Call feels guilt at enjoying this place which his father has always warned against. But at the Magisterium Call finds new friends and a place to belong. Aimed at Middle and younger teen readers Iron Year is a fantasy similar to the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter series.

Hexed

Hexed by Michelle Krys, 2014 Delacorte Press

     Indigo Blackwood is the stereotypical high school cheerleader: cheer captain best friend Bianca, football captain boyfriend Devon, and part of a social circle capable of destroying anyone. The only thing keeping her from High School Royalty is her weird mom.
     Mrs. Blackwood believes she is a witch with real powers, she runs an occult shop in downtown Los Angeles; Indie has been raised to believe in her mother's conspiracy theories, despite what conventional wisdom and her general education say. And she is freakishly possessive of the ratty old family Bible.
     When several mysterious strangers appear in her life and the family Bible is stolen Indie's mother becomes neurotic. Indie meets super-sexy Bishop who explains her mother's crazy belief in witches, sorcerers, and other paranormal creatures aren't so crazy. While Mrs. Blackwood is not a witch, her mother was, and Indie very well could be one. But the big shocker is that the missing Bible is a list of all witches throughout the world and how they can be killed by a sorcerer.
     Indie must make the choice between living up to her popular lifestyle and following through on her promise to recover the book for her mother. Indie is plunged into the ancient war between witches and sorcerers with a minimal grasp of magic and little hope of success. Bishop tries to help Indie on her journey and to discover her destiny.
     Between dealing with betrayal from those closest to her and the search for the missing book Indie discovers something in herself which wants to protect what she has adopted as her own. Hexed is filled with teenaged angst laced with magic and hope. Older teens and young adult will enjoy Indie's journey from popular cheerleader to kick-butt crime-fighter.

Hall of Secrets

Hall of Secrets by Cate Campbell, 2014 Kensington Books

     A year after her brother Preston perished in the destruction of her medical clinic, Margot Benedict is finally putting the pieces back together to reopen. She has spent the last year encouraging her romance with Major Frank Parrish and avoiding her mother's accusing looks with work. And Dr. Benedict has been relatively successful.
     When her young cousin Allison Benedict is swamped in scandal Margot suggests to her father that they invite the young woman to Benedict Hall. Allison's mother has declared that the young woman is ruined after an escapade while returning from Europe and her Grand Tour. While Allison's only fault is finding friendship outside her parents' snobbish class, she is made to feel as if she is a great burden. Margot hopes having a young person in the house will bring Edith Benedict out of the stupor she sank into with Preston's death.
     At first Allison believes Margot is complicit in the plans to punish her with banishment to Seattle, but when Margot is genuinely concerned for her cousin's welfare Allison begins to wonder if she's found an escape. Rowena Benedict enjoys having another young woman in the house whose interest is in fashion and the feminine arts, unlike Margot, but Allison's troubles follow her from her parents' San Francisco home.
     Margot's relationship with Frank is strained when she develops a relationship with Margaret Sanger and her family planning initiatives. Like many in Seattle's Jazz Age, Frank believes birth control and family planning are something to be handled privately, Margot believes providing women the education to handle their families privately is the only way to proceed. It doesn't help that Frank is sent to California's March Airfield to examine their airplanes for the Boeing Company. The distance is both a blessing and hurdle the two must face before embarking on any sort of life together.
     Just as things seem to be coming together and the family's plans are to be realized an enemy from the past resurfaces. Allison must face the demon her mother has thrust upon her, and the Seattle Benedicts find the skeletons in their closet have not gone to rest.
     Hall of Secrets transitions readers from the conflict between Margot and Preston to the struggles of a modern woman in 1920s Seattle. Margot's privileged background gives her advantages over the women she treats, but their challenges drive her to make their lives better with access to healthcare and education. The story looks into women's rights and family planning as they become hot button issues in America, younger readers may misunderstand some nuances of the challenges Margot and the women of her acquaintance face.

Rebel Belle

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins, 2014 G.P Putnam and Sons

     At Pine Grove Academy Harper Price is a legend. As a high school junior she is the first junior to ever be student body president; head cheerleader; Homecoming Queen; member of the Future Business Leaders of America, Committee for Academic Honesty, and Key Club; and Chairperson for Pine Grove's Annual Christmas Bake Sale. To top it off Harper is dating Ryan Bradshaw - the perfect boyfriend, and has  a key role in this year's Cotillion. And, until the night of the Homecoming Dance, she has little trouble balancing her demanding life and maintaining a running feud wiht David Stark since Kindergarten.
     Due to a quirk of wardrobe, Harper finds herself in the girls' bathroom when the school janitor rushes in, dying from a wound to the abdomen. He passes a strange sort of power to Harper, who then must defend hersefl from her history teacher when he attempts to murder her. harper uses her stilleto shoe to kill the teacher adn escape. When she flees she runs into the last person she wanted to see: David.
     When an article on Harper's post-murder breakdown runs in the school paper Monday morning she knows David is to blame. In confronting him, Harper discovers her new superpowers don't allow her to harm David, or allow anyone else to. This complicates things when Ryan tries to defend Harper's honor and she flips her boyfriend over her shoulder.
     Life continues to complicate as Harper learns what her new superpowers make her--a Paladin: superhuman Protector of the Oracle. Small problem; David Stark is the Oracle. Harper is the only thing standing between David and attempts to either murder or imprison him. Harper and David team up, much to the confusion of all Pine Grove. The closer time ticks to Cotillion the more danger Harper feels.
     When the duo discover a sorcersess who tries to bring David to fight against Delphi (the home of the Oracle) and the order who manage the Oracle's magic Harper finds there is more to being a paladin than has ever been explained to her.
     Going from the girl who has everythign under control and can control anything to the girl at the center of a whirlpool with no control over her own body, let alone her circumstances, nearly drives Harper to the edge. She and David try to grasp what their new relationship means and try to keep themselves alive long enough to reach Senior Year. Mythology and magic blend with small-town charm to create a story of friendship and growth suitable for young teen readers and adults alike.