Princess of the Silver Woods

Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George, 2012 Bloomsbury

   The youngest princess of Westfalin, Petunia, has been kidnapped... sort of... on accident. Oliver and his band of Wolves of the Westfalin Wood decide to raid Petunia's carriage on her trip to visit a distance Grand Duchess and come up with more than just the gold and jewels they hope for. The young man didn't mean to kidnap a princess and he plans to confess to his accidental crime and escort Petunia to her destination.
     Petunia is not a wilting lady--when she was a small child she and her eleven sisters were taken to a kingdom under the earth to dance with the sons of the King Under Stone. After several princes and adventurers tried to rescue them, the girls were able to escape the curse and resume normal princess lives. Several princes were killed in the quest for an answer and the king decides his daughters should travel as emissaries to assuage the wounds.
     The youngest daughter spends significant time in a Russia-esque country to the north. Petunia's hostess visits Westfalin and requests a visit from her long-time ward. It is on the trip to visit the Grand Duchess that Petunia meets the Wolves and Oliver, their leader. Oliver is true to his word and transports Petunia to the new residence of the duchess - his familial home.
     With the Grand Duchess, Petunia is plagued by long-gone nightmares of a kingdom underground. She writes to her sisters hoping for a solution, but no news comes from the princesses or their husbands. Petunia enjoys her days with the Grand Duchess and her charming nephew, but the nights begin to wear and answers are still elusive.
     Petunia remembers Oliver and his promise to help. When her suspicions begin to get the best of her, the princess asks for help from the handsome young man. Oliver's assistance finally produces answers, but they aren't the answers Petunia hopes for. She is given the chance to finally end the family's curse permanently when a new King Under Stone takes control and accepts Oliver's help in saving herself.
     The third and final story of the Westfalin Twelve Dancing Princesses blends with Little Red Riding Hood for a story to end the princesses' nightmare. Princess of the Silver Woods concludes the tales of the Westfalin princesses for middle school readers.

Princess of Glass

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George, 2010 Bloomsbury

      After their curse is broken the princesses of Westfalin are sent as diplomatic emissaries around the known world. The king hopes his daughters will learn from the nations surrounding their small country and possibly they will help provide political restitution for the loss of so many high-ranking young men.

     Princess Poppy is sent to her mother's homeland Breton. Life with the Seadown family, cousins of her late mother, is comfortable despite their attempts to find her a suitable husband. The daughter of the house, Marianne, introduces Poppy to several of her friends including Roger and Dickon Thwaite and the visiting Prince Christian. Marianne and Dickon seem to be all but engaged. Poppy finds Roger to be an agreeable companion if distracted by a childhood love, but it is Christian with whom she develops an affinity. 

     The friendships carry Poppy through missing her sisters, but when the men of her acquaintance become enamored of a mysterious "Lady Ella" Poppy smells a rat, or rather the magic of the dark. The women become unnaturally enraged at Ella's appearance--also uncharacteristic of both Marianne and her mother. Poppy finds her experience with dark and dangerous magic makes her the most qualified to discover what happened to all common sense in Breton.

     Roger Thwaite had experience with dark magic in the East and is a quick ally when Poppy requires a level head. He notices a familiar face among the Seadowns' servants. Poppy ties links between Eleanor's strange comings and goings and her fascination with Prince Christian. The friends dig deeper trying to discover the source of the problems. 

     Poppy and Roger discover Eleanor is Lady Ella and the mysterious benefactor who made it all possible is an ancient and dangerous supernatural being. The main cast strips up to challenge the witch when her magic tries to take Eleanor's life and Christian's freedom. Poppy fights to survive another monster's captivity. 

     Middle school and younger teen readers will find this sequel to The Midnight Ball an enjoyable blend of Cinderella with modern trappings. Princess of Glass is followed by Princess of the Silver Wood concluding the Princesses of Westfalin trilogy. 

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.

City of Ships

City of Ships by Mary Hoffman, 2010 Bloomsbury

    Most of her friends have become withdrawn over the last few months when Isabel finds a small pouch of mosaic stones. The tesserae transport her into Classe, a coastal town in Talia. 

     Isabel befriends the prosperous merchant and secret Stravagante, Flavia. The kind woman helps Isabel find her feet and connect with other Stravagante both in Talia and at home in England. 

     As she's getting used to nightly adventures, Isabel discovers her beloved Classe is under threat from the Gate People and their fleet. While she is shadowed by her twin brother at home, in Classe she has purpose and feels important. She helps Flavia prepare for the coming invasion, but her plans are thrown out of sync when her brother, Charlie, takes her talisman and accidentally stravigates too. 

     Charlie is caught in the invasion and Isabel faces the chance that her plans in Classe will fail and her secret will be revealed putting her adventures on indefinite hold. But her new friends from school help Charlie see that Isabel and the people of Classe have much to do to save their beloved city from attack - both by land and sea. 

     Much like Italy's Ravenna, Classe has a deep connection with the art of mosaic. The beauty draws Isabel as the drama and political instability give her purpose. With one more member of their Stravagante club the teens begin to notice a pattern in who is chosen. The mystery of how and why remain unsolved, but their mission in Talia continues. 

     City of Ships is the fifth in the Stravaganza series following City of Secrets and preceding City of Swords. Classe has a new element: International trade; and the Di Chimi family have opened a door they cannot hope to close alone. Teen and young adult readers will enjoy this story independently or as an installment in the series. 

Princess of the Midnight Ball

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, 2009 Bloomsbury

     The king of Westfalin and his wife have twelve beautiful daughters each named after a flower. When the queen dies a strange malady takes the twelve girls: every third night the girls, though locked in their room, disappear and their dancing slippers were destroyed. The oldest is Rose; who cares for her eleven younger sisters. Rose is followed by Lily, Jonquil, Hyacinth, Violet, Daisy, Poppy, Iris, Lilac, Orchid, Pansy, and little Petunia.
     The girls are swept through a portal in their floor into the Kingdom Under Stone to dance with the King Under Stone's twelve sons. Their curse compels the princesses to travel and prevents them from mentioning the curse itself. The King is worried about his daughters and offers their hands to anyone who can discover what has happened.
     Galen is a young soldier returning from war when he hears of his king's plight. On his way to help solve the kingdom's problem he encounters and aids an old woman on the road. She, in turn, gives the young man advise and a couple gifts to help him on his quest.
     At the palace, Galen is allowed to test the girls' story. Following the old woman's advice, he is able to follow Rose and her sisters into the Kingdom Under Stone. Rose hopes the young man can help them break the curse, but her faith is tested as Galen's rudimentary magic goes up against the King Under Stone's tested curses which have held more than one regal woman captive.
     With the twelve princesses and their entire kingdom at risk Galen and his skills are the only thing keeping the King under stone. A retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" Princess of the Midnight Ball tells a story of magic and romance. Readers who enjoyed Cameron Dokey's retelling swill enjoy this take on an oft-ignored classic. Followed by Princess of Glass and Princess of the Silver Wood.

Scarlet

Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen, 2012 Walker Publishing Company

     It's just Scarlet, but the people of Nottinghamshire assume the small, nimble member of the Hood's band is a boy, so they call her Will Scarlet. When Robin discovered Scarlet trying to pick his pocket in London the young lord assumed she was a boy too, though he soon figured out the truth. Scarlet joined the charismatic lord as he returned to Nottinghamshire to protect his people from the Sheriff presented with his seat of Huntingdon.
     Robin of Locksley still hides in Sherwood Forest from the Sheriff and tries to help his people by robbing the rich and providing for the poor. When the Sheriff brings in a thief catcher Scarlet only worries that it will be Guy of Gisbourne who could reveal her secret past.
     When the thief catcher arrives the sheriff escalates his action against the townspeople and Rob, Scarlet, Little John and Much ramp up their efforts in response. When the townspeople discover one of their own has betrayed the rightful Earl, only Robin himself can prevent the man's demise. Gisbourne is the thief-catcher, and the force behind the new found depravity in Nottingham and Scarlet fears in saving the townsfolk she will reveal herself to Gisbourne and his tortures.
     Meanwhile, Little John has taken a fancy to his female bandmate. While Scarlet struggles to determine how she feels about John her hidden feelings for Rob become more and more apparent. The jealousy between the two boys makes Scarlet wonder if she wants to stay in Sherwood or try her luck further from Robin, John, and the threat Gisbourne presents. Before she can make a decision the Sheriff arrests more and more townsfolk scheduling their hanging leading Robin and his band to stage one more rescue attempt.
     The attempt goes fatally wrong and Scarlet decides her past, while dangerous to her future in Sherwood and relationship with the band, is not worth the lives of the people she cares for.
     Scarlet is a young woman on the run who found friendship and purpose in an unlikely corner. She fights for the people she cares for, and for their causes. Despite knowing the people of Nottinghamshire disapprove of her thievery, the young woman is pummelled to help Robin's people and to fight the injustices they face. She makes her own way when life refuses to give her a clear path and even her dreams seem to be impossible.
     Readers who enjoy a female protagonist with drive and sarcasm will like Scarlet and her spunk. Gaughen's Scarlet is aimed at younger teens with reference to more mature subject matter and blatant violence.

Odd and the Frost Giants

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman, 2008 Bloomsbury

     Odd has always been a little different: his viking father drowned during a raid, he became lame as a child, and when his mother remarries Odd is neglected. When the winter begins to extend unnaturally life in the village becomes more and more strained.
     During a walk in the woods Odd comes across three talking animals including a bear stuck in a tree. The fox, eagle, and bear tell Odd a story of the Norse gods who have been evicted from their home in Asgard. The three are Odin, Thor, and Loki and they ask Odd's help in returning home.
     The boy agrees to help the gods and thus begins his adventures. Odin takes Odd to a magical well where he discovers wisdom and a vision of the past. Odd speaks with the giant and finds the root of the conflict.
     This short story is the tale of how the town misfit found a way to help the all-powerful Norse gods in a turn of events even Odd himself never expected. Gaiman's novella is aimed at younger readers, though readers of all ages will enjoy the story.

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.

Midnight in Austenland

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale, 2012 Bloomsbury

     Charlotte Kinder lives a normal life with a nice husband and two good children. She is a successful businesswoman but something of a pushover.  When Charlotte's husband remarries leaving her with the care of their two teenagers a visit to the Regency Resort Austenland seems like the perfect vacation. Charlotte becomes Miss Cordial spending her days with the lovely Misses Charming and Gardenside being romanced by the handsome gentlemen scrounged by Pembroke Manor's housekeeper.
     Things are going well until Charlotte discovers a real corpse during a Victorian game of Bloody Murder. The identity of the murderer becomes the focus of Charlotte's stay, prompting her to find something she thought her ex-husband had taken from her.
     The possibility of a romance with one of the men at Pembroke Manor reminds Charlotte she is a successful mother, successful businesswoman, and an woman worth spending time with. Everyone at the Manor is playing a role, but Charlotte questions whether Mr. Mallery is as dark as he seems, what does the recognizable pop singer suffer from, and who put the dead body in the attic?
     Scripted more along the lines of Northanger Abbey than Pride and Prejudice, Midnight in Austenland is a murder mystery which brings wallflower Charlotte Kinder away from blending into the wallpaper to become a debutante. Readers who enjoyed Austenland and Austen's novels will see the parallels and enjoy them. Charlotte's story is aimed at teens and older readers.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George, 2008 Bloomsbury Childrens

         The ninth child and fourth daughter of a poor woodcutter's family the Pika (Swedish for young girl) is ignored by her mother even remaining nameless throughout childhood. The family lives in a land of eternal winter. The Pika is cared for by her siblings, especially the eldest Hans Peter - who returns a tired and worn man after spending most of the Pika's childhood traveling the world.
     When the mystical white reindeer is seen around the outskirts of town all men of the village chase him. The girl joins the hunt in hopes that catching the white reindeer will grant her a wish.
     The Pika manages to free the white reindeer without realizing it and he gifts her with the ability to understand animals and her greatest wish: a name. For the next few years the Pika keeps her name a secret and her gift of speaking to animals brings her family renown.
     When an Isbjorn, giant polar bear, comes searching for the teenaged Pika her understanding of his language encourages the bear to implore the Pika join him in his palace in the North. Their home offers every luxury and convenience. The bear tells the Pika in exchange for a year with him her family will receive great riches.
     The Pika agrees and is startled as each night a strange man joins her in bed - nothing so sinister as trying to take advantage, whoever the man is he climbs into bed in the dark of night and sleeps the night through, then is gone before the Pika wakes in the morning. The Isbjorn warns her not to light a candle, what the Pika discovers after several months of nightly visits is enough to drive her curiosity to nearly disregard the single request the Isbjorn has made of her.
     Trapped in the mysterious castle with only the Isbjorn, his servants, and her wolf-pup from home the Pika discovers the magic and mystery are intertwined in a curse. A curse which has touched even Hans Peter and sends the Pika East of the sun and West of the moon to rescue her Isbjorn. A retelling of the Scandinavian folk tale Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is aimed at young adult readers and full of grotesque magics practiced on everyday people.

Crown of Midnight

The Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas, 2013 Bloomsbury

      After several months acting as King's Assassin and running the king's errands Celaena Sardothien finds it necessary to step up her game. With murder after murder Celaena becomes more detached and her friends become concerned as the Celaena they've known disappears and the heartless creature which is Ardalan's Assassin.
     Celaena cannot stand her friends discovering the dangerous path she treads. She offers each assigned target the option to flee and become another person, never use their real name again, or die at the hands of Ardalan's Assassin. She hasn't killed a single target; while the king believes she does his bidding he maintains her secrets and discovers a few belonging to her captor.
   The ancient Queen Elena's ghost appears to Celaena, but she hasn't appeared since the creature attacked Celaena in Throne of Glass. When a cloaked creature appears in the castle near the library Celaena seeks the queen's wisdom, but discovers - from the talking doorknocker, Mort - Elena is weakened from her prior appearances. Between assignments Celaena is surrounded by the Wyrd and finally asks Nehemia to teach her to read Wyrdmarks.
     The two begin, but the king assigns Celaena to kill a prominent courtesan and childhood companion: Archer Finn. Archer is highly recognizable and in the capital surrounding the Glass Castle - Celaena's prior tactics will not work to convince the king of his death. Celaena cancels her lessons to work the problem. Believing her friend will murder the young man against her own will, an argument between the two creates a rift in their friendship. When Nehemia is brutally murdered in her rooms Celaena retreats into Ardalan's Assassin and seeks vengeance.
     Choal and Prince Dorian are worried for their friend. Dorian still hopes to tie Celaena to him romantically, but she cannot allow the king to believe his heir may betray him. Chaol does form a romantic connection with elaena, one she allows until the betrayal of Nehemia's death. The two men have concerns in other arenas when Dorian's cousin appears and suddenly is thick as thieves with the king and his chief advisor Duke Perrington.
     The rebel threat becomes more prominent throughout the novel, Celaena does not want to associate with it, but her actions aid the group. Archer becomes a figurehead from the King's perspective and becomes the target of his paranoia. Celaena must muddle through any clues she can gather and the information hidden from her to escape the all-powerful Wyrd.
     Celaena must choose to lose the self which keeps her from sinking into the Assassin and embrace the role, or to grasp the self which keeps her from becoming the monster she believes herself to be and continue to fight the forces at war within Ardalan. With Choal and Dorian to stand behind her Celaena must discover what gives the king his inhuman control over all around him. She must figure out how to make a stand. Celaena's story is still one of survival, one mature readers will enjoy.

City of Secrets

City of Secrets by Mary Hoffman, 2008 Bloomsbury

   Matt Wood follows his friends, Nick and Georgia, into an antique store where he finds a book which somehow speaks to him. Matt rarely finds a connection with books as he is dyslexic, but this book is different. When he falls into a stress-induced sleep holding the book, Matt awakens in the scriptorium at the university in Padavia; a city much like Renaissance Padua.
     The man who introduces him to this strange world is Professor Constantin. Constantin explains the Scriptorium to Matt and describes Stravagation. The professor believes Matt is meant to help him print outlawed anatomy manuscripts and disperse them throughout Talia. Nick and Georgia are Stravagante too--they help Matt balance the two parts of his life and to grow with his responsibilities in Talia.
     At the Scriptorium Matt meets Lucien, a fellow classmate who has transferred into Talia and is studying at the university. Luciano's fiancee is Arianna, the Duchessa of Bellezza, and Matt struggles to deal with the rediscovery. Meanwhile, Arianna's enemies and the enemies of the Stravagante, the di Chimici, continue to use social unrest in an attempt to unite Talia and gain both the political power and ability to travel between worlds which is unavailable to them.
     When danger strikes his newfound friends, Matt finds he is the only one who can assist. He finds faith in himself enough to stand up to the di Chimici and risk his life for his beliefs. Matt struggles with his abilities and trying to be like others; early teen readers will relate to his experience in balancing the adventure and the responsibility of growing up.

Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, 2012 Bloomsbury Children's

     Celaena Sardothien is an assassin. She is spirited away from the Endovier salt mines, a prison where she has the last of her eighteen years rotting, to compete against twenty-three other assassins for the post of King's Champion. If Celaena survives and becomes the Champion she will be free from imprisonment. And beholden to the king.
     The king she will serve rules with an iron fist, and would not be her first choice of employer. Celaena was once the Assassin of Adarlan and has the chance to serve the position again, with a catch: Celaena must compete against men sponsored by the king's council to be the last assassin standing and become the King's Champion.
     When Celaena agrees Crown Prince Dorian transports her to the Glass Castle at Rifthold. There she is placed under house arrest and the supervision of Captain Chaol Westfall. As one of the Empire's most talented assassins Celaena doesn't worry about losing in the competition. It is when assassins start dropping dead outside the competition that she begins to worry. Celaena must find the culprit before they get to her, or her new friends in the castle.
     Celaena was an orphan raised to her talents by an infamous assassin, while she is morally ambiguous she does have a strong sense of right and where she wants to be in her life. The friendships Celaena develops give her something beyond the thrill of the next challenge. The danger is more than the usual risks of such a competition, and Celaena has more to lose than most.
     Celaena's adventures are more suited to high school and older readers with violence and mature tension. Readers who enjoyed A Girl of Fire and Thorns, the Grisha series, and the Lunar Chronicles will find a similar style in Maas's Throne of Glass.

City of Flowers

City of Flowers by Mary Hoffman, 2005 Bloomsbury

     A perfume bottle is the talisman which draws Skye Meadows across the veil between modern London and Renaissance Talia. Skye lands in Giglia, much like Italy's Florence. There he meets and is embroiled in a feud between the two ruling families: the di Chimici and Nucci.      At home Skye is shy and withdrawn--intent on protecting his mother as she recovers from a longtime illness. When he arrives in Talia he is linked with Friar Sulien -- also a pharmacist for the rich and Stravagante.
     When Arianna, Duchessa of Bellezza, and Lucien Mulholland, a transfer Stravagante from London, arrive Skye (known in Talia as Celestino) is drawn into the preparation for four di Chimici weddings. He learns to trust the people around him and also himself. Will his new-found strength be enough when the floodgates open in Talian nobility?
     Skye learns trust, he learns to change with his changing world, he learns skills in Talia which help him to become the young man he wants to be in London. The high intrigue and adventure adds to the fantasy of royal families. Older elementary school readers will enjoy the espionage which brings familiar characters back into play.

The Amaranth Enchantment

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry, 2009 Bloomsbury Publishing

     Lucinda Chapdelaine is the daughter of a noble house, until her parents don't come home from a ball at the palace. Since then she has worked in her uncle and aunt's jewelry store, her uncle is kind, but Lucinda must accept terrible treatment at the hands of her aunt in exchange for food and shelter.
    Until the day Beryl, the Amaranth Witch, walks in. Beryl is rumored to be a witch in the village and she has a task for the family gold shop. The witch brings a beautiful and unusual gem to be made into a necklace, even offers fifteen-year-old Lucinda employment, until her aunt's reaction causes Beryl to rescind the offer. In a day full of surprises, Beryl is not the only unusual visitor -- the prince too, walks in looking for a trinket for his betrothed.
    When a pickpocket, Peter, seeks shelter in Lucinda's closet bedroom the kind girl lends the space. But Beryl's unusual stone disappears with Peter in the morning light. So too does Lucinda's uncle leave her, and with his death her aunt ejects Lucinda from the only home she's known.
     Lucinda turns to the town's witch, Beryl with hopes of finding a place to land, but with the theft of her gem, Beryl requires something from the young woman. Lucinda agrees to find the gem, only to discover Peter has sold it to the prince. She convinces the pickpocket to teach her how to steal it back, but discovers her parent's carriage accident may not have been simply an accident. Now, someone is after Lucinda.
    The Amaranth Enchantment was a quick and vivid tale of a young woman who takes charge of her life to survive, and in doing so discovers secrets in her past. Lucinda faces a world which wants to place her in the role of servant, yet she doesn't take it sitting down. A quick romance with the prince and a mystery round out the Cinderella story and create something more. A YA novel for middle readers, the story is enjoyable for all ages.

City of Stars

City of Stars by Mary Hoffman, 2003 Bloomsbury

   At home, Georgia is the younger sister with an annoying step-brother. All she wants to do is escape the pressures and go horseback riding. When she buys a small figurine of a winged horse Georgia discovers the secret world of the stravagante.
     When she sleeps, the Pegasus figurine transports Georgia to Talia a place like sixteenth century Italy. Georgia finds herself in Remora, Siena's counterpart, where she joins an annual horse race which includes delegations from throughout the country.
     Stravagante from around Talia converge in Remora and Georgia meets Lucien, a classmate from England who transferred to Talia when his illness got the better of him. Lucien shows Georgia the forces surrounding the Stravagante and their enemies.
     Georgia finds her escape in Remora complete with a legendary horse race and the magical appearance of a real winged horse. In finding her escape, she also discovers they way back home, to where she wants to be.

City of Masks

City of Masks by Mary Hoffman, 2002 Bloomsbury

     Lucien Mulholland is a young man living in Islington, North London in modern time. When he falls asleep clutching a marbled notebook from his father, he wakes in Renaissance Italy. Only it isn't our Italy. In Talia Lucien wakes in a Venice-like Bellezza and meets Rodolfo Rossi. Rodolfo is a Stravagante--a traveler between worlds.
     In Bellezza Lucien is simply a student, he learns the magic of Stravigation by apprenticing himself to the Duchessa's counselor Rodolfo. On his first stravigation he meets Arianna Gasparini, who saves him from execution on the Forbidden Day--a day non-citizens are forbidden from the city. The Duchessa, Sylvia, is battling the powerful di Chimci family to keep Bellezza independent from their Talian Republic. She is worried at the portents surrounding Arianna, Lucien and their adventures through the city.
     Lucien finds himself surrounded by intrigue and adventure in Talia while his life in London revolves around his treatment for cancer. The more time he spends in Talia the more of his body that follows his mind to the new world and with every trip he risks leaving London forever.
     Lucien's friendship with Arianna and his apprenticeship with Rodolfo lure him away from the pain and frustration of his life at home. The friendships he creates and the role he plays in Talia's politics are in bright contrast to the normal life Lucien leads in London, but are they worth leaving the only life he's ever known and his family? Readers as young as middle school will enjoy the action and adventure of Lucien's straviagtion to and from Talia.

Breaking Beautiful

Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf, 2010 Walker & Company

     In a small town in northern Washington a summer tragedy has the whole town reeling and one out-of-place high schooler shattered. Allie grew up all over the world with a military dad, but now that he's retired they live in her mother's hometown. Pacific Cliffs seems like a refuge and a place to call home, but when the hottest guy in school sets his sights on her, her summer friendship with Grandma's neighbor--her only real friendship--is torn away.
     Trip is the town's golden boy: his mom is the heir to the town's fortune, his dad brought the tourist industry in when the town's economy collapsed. He played football and was well-liked, at first his relationship with Allie was like a dream. But soon he either couldn't control his temper or didn't care and Allie became his plaything.
     What he called small gifts, like a cell phone and jewelry, became ways to isolate her from her friends and to keep her tied to him. Soon the gifts became attempts at apologies when he would bruise her and demean her. Allie didn't want to tell anyone--he made sure they didn't see the dark side--no one would believe her.
     But when Trip dies in an auto accident the night of Cotillion and Allie is found on the side of the road bleeding and bruised, Pacific Cliffs mourns its shining star. Everyone wants to know what happened that night: why they were on the cliff road? why Allie survived and Trip didn't? and most of all, why did Trip go over the edge? Allie tries and tries, but can remember nothing more than images of red swallowing her and trapping her.
     Allie struggles to escape the abusive patterns Trip beat her into--self-demeaning, refusal to bring attention to herself, refusal to create friendships and have him hurt the people she loves--and she struggles to remember what happened that night. What does her old friend have to do with it all? Why were they on that cliff road? And why won't the town let her move forward from the darkness?
     Breaking Beautiful is a story of intimate partner abuse, and one that isn't often told. Allie is only saved by the death of her abuser, but in turn trapped by the shell he created for her and the close-knit community he lived in. The story is not appropriate for younger readers, but older middle and high school students can easily relate to the story and will enjoy the mystery that keeps you guessing.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, 2000 Bloomsbury

     Harry goes to visit Ron at the Burrow in the summer after his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione travel to the World Quidditch Cup where all hell breaks loose. Death Eaters are more and more brash about their performances and the Dark Mark in the sky throws everything into confusion--Death Eaters attack wizards and witches and are not repelled by the Ministry of Magic.
     Back at school the Ministry has decided to revive the age-old tradition of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. A student from each of the three magical schools in Europe will participate in a three-tiered tournament for the honor of housing the Tri-Wizard Cup. Representatives from Beauxbaton Acadamy and Durmstrang Institute travel to Hogwarts hoping to be chosen.  With such a public distraction the Death Eaters and Voldemort's followers gain traction and progress toward bringing the Dark Lord back.
     Though the competitors must be of age--seventeen--fourteen-year-old Harry's name somehow makes it into the Goblet of Fire and Harry becomes the fourth contestant. Throughout the three challenges Harry is both aided and challenged by the people around him and his competitors. Not only are the adults around him taking sides, but his friendships seem to be cracking under the pressures of a competition Harry never wanted.
     Facing dragons, mer-folk, and a deadly maze all lead up to one of the most difficult experiences of Harry's life. He loses friends, gains enemies, and witnesses the rebirth of the most dangerous and terrifying wizard his world has ever known. Yet he persists and helps to unearth treachery in the most impregnable stronghold in the wizarding world: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
     Public opinion has never seemed to impact Harry's life, but when he transforms into the youngest competitor in the Tri-Wizard Tournament he is no longer just the Boy Who Lived--he becomes the hero and golden boy. Life has progressively gotten darker for Harry and his friends since they met their first year at Hogwarts yet they stick together and rely on each other for their strengths. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a story aimed at a teen audience, but one that has entertained readers of all ages since its publication.

Austenland

Austenland by Shannon Hale, 2007 Bloomsbury

     Jane Hayes is a single thirty-something with a closet fascination with Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. When her great-aunt comes to visit and discovers Jane's secret she decides to help Jane through the stage. When Aunt Carolyn dies several months later, Jane discovers she's inherited a trip to the extremely secretive Pembroke Park.
     Pembroke Park is a vacation in the year 1816. Jane meets two women living through the fantasy with her, and a few gentlemen to pose as the women's Darcy. Yet the obvious actors don't seem to interest Miss Jane Erstwhile, she is drawn to the gardener Martin. The quick fling serves to prove that Jane can't swear off men entirely--they're much too much fun. But Martin doesn't appreciate that Jane isn't like the other guests and looking for something to make her stay worthwhile: he dumps her.
     While she mopes about her luck with men, another man catches her eye. Mr. Nobly is the most Darcy-like of all the men at Pembroke and once Jane decides to immerse herself in the experience they seem to draw closer. Life begins to follow Austen's plot lines and Jane begins to have more and more fun in Regency England, even to the point of the Grand Ball and an expected proposal.
     Jane surprises everyone, even herself, when she turns down the gentleman. It is the turning point and the moment when Modern Jane's spunk meets Regency  Jane's composure. The new Jane looks forward to her next relationship and as she leaves Pembroke for home, she has a chance to fall head-over-heels for a true gentleman.
     When the Modern Miss travels back to Regency England, Jane is living every Austen reader's fantasy. Yet she knows that something is off and the world she is visiting, while enjoyable and full of fascination, isn't the one she belongs in. Jane transforms from a self-conscious worrier to a confident and poised lady, but the transformation extends beyond her habits to her attitudes.
     Readers can relate to Jane's experiences in the modern dating world, but she becomes something more when she returns from her journey into the past. Austenland is aimed at high school readers, but reaches to older readers, still fascinated by their own experiences with Jane Austen.