A Perfect Blood

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison, 2012 HarperVoyager

     After Ku'Sox was banished into the Ever After, life slowly finds a new normal for Rachel Morgan. The magical community removes her Shunning and she manages to stay afloat Running for both private entities and the FIB. She has, however, been declared dead by the government because of her changed status as a demon. She has no legal status as a demon, which creates just as many problems as Ku'Sox's defeat solved.
     While Trent and his army of lawyers work to grant Rachel her rights the government holds her citizenship hostage in exchange for a list of demon curses. Rachel meets the living vampire Nina who channels Felix, an ancient undead vampire who tries to keep his identity under wraps. Felix-in-Nina brings Rachel to a crime scene: the terrorist organization Humans Against Paranormals Assoc. appears to be killing witches in grotesquely public ways.
     The murders appear done by demons and Inderland Security wants to contain the investigation. Rachel calls in the FIB, wrenching jurisdiction away from the IS and their ability to pin her down as scapegoat. Though she was forced into the investigation, Rachel, Ivy, Jenks, and their friends battle to find HAPA and stop them before someone else gets hurt.
     Rachel worries that HAPA is attempting to turn witches into demons and use their blood. When Ivy does some background work on the victims the team discovers all three witches killed were carriers of the Rosewood Syndrome--the disease which Rachel survived and making her a demon.
     The search for HAPA and their genetic manipulations heats up until Rachel is attacked and her survival is linked to that of HAPA's latest victim. With her maverick style and no-holds-barred persistence, Rachel is the best chance of catching a terrorist organization while under the scrutiny of two corrupt law enforcement agencies. With her signature passion and verve Rachel searches for a solution.

The Silent Songbird

The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson, 2016 Thomas Nelson Publishers

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

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

Lost Girl

Lost Girl by Chanda Hahn, 2016

     At ten years old Wendy and her friends were held by the Neverland corporation. Neverland has plans for the children they've been testing on, but Wendy is terrified of the shadows she sees. The quasi-government company which runs Neverland decides to restart the program and terminates the subjects.
     Dr. Barrie manages to sneak several of the boys out, but Wendy is the only girl who escapes. As they flee the island the military unit which acts as security chases the fleeing yacht. Wendy and her best friend nearly make it out until the Red Skulls catch up. Her friend is shot and Wendy falls from the boat. The boy nearly dies but assumes the girl has died.
     Seven years later Wendy has been adopted by a good family who has tried to help with her nightmares and visions. Wendy enjoys her life until the shadows begin to invade and take people. The Red Skulls appear - but she has no memory why the group causes her terror and nightmares. The group who seems to be battling the Red Skulls and shadow monsters are let by a young man named Peter.
     Despite her inexplicable terror of mere shadows, Wendy is drawn to Peter. She discovers the young men who make up Peter's group have new and extraordinary abilities. Peter leads his Los Boys and helps them evade Neverland and the danger it still poses. The boys discover Neverland has some sinister plans and continues to search for the missing children. The shadows and Red Skulls' activity take a turn which Peter, his best friend Tink, and the rest of the Lost Boys cannot explain.
     Wendy escapes her family when they try to send her to an asylum for her escalating nightmares and visions. She meets up with the Lost Boys as they work to solve the mystery of why the shadows have changed their pattern and what the Red Skulls and Neverland have planned. In a twist, Peter discovers his new friend in Wendy is the friend he thought he lost so many years before.
     The story of Neverland and the children's escape leads to the question of how far is too far in genetic modification. Neverland experimented on the children and Dr. Barrie helped them to create identities and a haven farm from the company's manipulation of a quasi-government research facility.
     Lost Girl is the story of a young woman trying to find her place in the world, influenced but not informed by her past. Teens will enjoy this spin on the Peter Pan tale with action, adventure, magic, and a touch of romance.

The Mark of the Dragonfly

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaliegh Johnson, 2014 Scholastic

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

Daughter of the Pirate King

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

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