Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241404973.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Revenge - this is the name of the jet
black hair dye that Elle chooses for her transformation into Jade,
following the night of her sweet 16 birthday outing to the St
Andrew's prep party, a party which changed her life, where she,
bright, shimmering in her silver dress and full of party fun, found
herself drugged by a spiked drink and gang raped by the school's
best young lads. Author Capin spares us the details of that night,
but the brief memory flashes that haunt Elle/Jade let us know enough
of what happened.
Elle decides she is not a victim, she is not a survivor, she is an
Avenger. She and her coven of loyal friends, Jenny, Summer and Mads,
set out to exact that vengeance with the death of every boy that
took part. And so Elle cuts and dyes her hair, and becomes Jade, the
tough new girl at St Andrew's. These are the first couple of
chapters of Capin's book. From there the action grips you by the
throat and drags you into the spiral of events where Jade, cool and
ruthlessly in control, targets each of her assailants one by one. A
pawn in Jade's game is the honourable young Mack, a boy who was not
part of the gang, but who becomes an easy target, someone who will
do her bidding.
If you think the story sounds violent and gruesome, think about the
plot of Macbeth, the Shakespearean play offered to senior
secondary students. Capin's novel is another version of the Macbeth
story; only it is not a mother driving her son to murder, but an
equally driven girl able to manipulate Mack in just the same way.
Her three friends are her coven, the witches, who chant and foretell
the future and assist Jade in becoming the powerful queen of the St
Andrew's peer group. There is no mercy, no kindness, no love, just a
fierce determination for vengeance and power.
Capin's novel would make an interesting study in its
reinterpretation of Shakespeare's play, an adaptation for modern
times that is bound to capture the imagination of students with its
setting of school peer groups, jealousy, bullying, and sexual
assault.
Helen Eddy
Denali by Ben Moon
Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9780143133612.
(Age: Adolescent - Adult) In an unexpected way, this true story
lifts the reader into a realm where human and animal interaction
creates a bond that is intensely supportive and loving. Denali
is about the deep relationship between a dog and a human being. Its
focus is both on Ben's inner and outer 'selves' in all their
complexity, on his moods, desires and being, and intuiting the soul
and mind of his beloved dog. The narrative reflects the intensely
supportive and loving relationship that Ben builds with his dog.
In this intensely personal narrative, Ben takes us into his world,
one that embraces fresh air, mountains, surfing and climbing, and
includes, at the heart of his story, his beloved dog Denali. This is
clearly a revelatory and honest self-portrait that remains true to
its intention, woven around the relationship between human and dog.
The story soars with the emotional support that each offers when the
other is suffering. Throughout the narrative we are privileged to
'hear' what Denali is thinking, and those of us who believe in the
emotional and mental intelligence of dogs can understand how
comforting are the 'thoughts' that Ben intuits Denali as offering.
We are invited to understand the fundamental principles of loving
concern that Ben feels he is offered by Denali, and the deep concern
that Ben offers Denali in return is evident throughout their lives
together.
Ben Moon is a much respected professional photographer with an
absorbing interest in the outdoors, in the earth's extraordinary
structures, the mountains, the crags and the roiling seas. He surfs,
climbs and scales sheer cliffs, his stunning professional
photographs and stories supporting his lifestyle. Backed by the
suppliers of the clothing and tools appropriate for his loved
outdoor adventures, he makes short movies, writes up details of
places, climbs and outdoor walks, and produces exceptional
photographs of the mountains, cliffs, lakes and seas.
It would be most suitable, and indeed inspiring, for both adolescent
and adult reading.
Elizabeth Bondar
I am perfectly designed by Karamo Brown with Jason Brown
Illus. by Anoosha Syed. Macmillan Children's Books, 2019. ISBN:
9781529036152. 40pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. American media personality, author,
and activist Karamo Brown began his career in 2004 on the MTV The
Real world; Philadelphia, becoming the first openly gay black
man on a reality show. He is now a cultural icon, heading the
Netflix show, Queer Eye.
This book I am perfectly designed, celebrates diversity and
empowers children as it relates the story of a boy and his father
walking and talking through their day. Based on the interaction
between Karamo and his son, Jason, the book brims with
understanding. Each step is full of love and celebration,
companionship and family. Beginning with breakfast the chat between
father and son recalls their earlier years, as the boy remarks his
head seems so big in photos, but dad replies, it was perfectly
designed for you. This conversation sets the tone of the book, the
dialogue between the two, father and son, the child talking about
past events, dad reminding him all along that he is perfectly
designed. Climbing a tree in the ark, or playing on the swing, dad
reminds him that he is perfectly designed to explore the world. When
the boy becomes lost or sad, he is told that he is perfectly
designed and wonderful to his dad no matter how he feels.
The boy then talks about the future when he has left home and dad
grows older, and the two decide that roles will be reversed, that
the boy is perfectly designed to care for his father.
Each page reflects the sentiment expressed in the text, as the
illustrations are full of love and family, reminding readers what
they do with their dads, from talking over the breakfast table, to
walking to the park, celebrating Halloween, playing in the
playground, climbing a tree, meeting friends at the ice cream stall,
playing with other children in the street.
The illustrations by Canadian artist, Syed, bubble with family life,
displaying enthusiastic relationships between parents and children,
siblings and friends, reflecting the diversity of modern life.
The smallest detail will be picked out by eager eyes: tying
shoelaces, taking a photo with the phone, the age groups spotted in
the streets, the warmth of a family picnic, the market stalls, the
diversity of building styles. Each caught and held my attention,
making me want to read the book again. The endpapers too will draw
the eyes of the readers as they see themselves within one of the
family groups, and spot their friends and relatives.
This is a enticing story showcasing the loving relationship between
a father and his son, modelling the things they do together, the
times that will have as a family.
A clip
on the Macmillan website shows Karama and his son, talking about why
they wrote the book.
Themes: Diversity, Self image, Confidence, Inclusion, Communication.
Fran Knight
Deeplight by Frances Hardinge
Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781529014570.
(Age: 11+) It is 30 years since the underwater gods of the Myriad
archipelago fought a cataclysmic battle and all died. Since then
relics of the gods' bodies are sought after as they retain power. 14
year old orphan, Hark, and his friend Jelt, 16, search the beaches
and dive for pieces of 'godware' to sell. Brave, clever, courageous
Jelt pulls Hark along like a current but his increasingly reckless
schemes eventually land Hark at the slave market where, after
eloquently speaking up for himself, he is saved from the slave
galleys and bought by Dr Vyne, a strange woman researching the old
gods. He is taken to an island fortress which turns out to be a
sanctuary for the old priests who no longer have gods to serve.
There Hark settles in to a life serving the priests and passing on
any of their knowledge to Dr. Vyne. When Jelt finds Hark and insists
on him helping retrieve an old bathysphere, loyal Hark gets involved
in something bigger than both of them.
This story is infused with language which conjures up images of the
sea, it ebbs and flows capturing the reader in a net of the
imagination. Through it all, issues of loyalty keep being tested:
'loyalty is not a virtue in its own right. Its' worth depends on
where it's spent' p128. Should Hark give loyalty where it is not
reciprocated? The more he learns through the stories of the old
priests, the more he understands about the connection between fear
and faith and the larger issues of Myriad's place in their world and
he has to make some hard decisions for the greater good.
A dark and complex story set in a well imagined fantasy world
suitable for middle school students and all lovers of fantasy.
Themes: Fantasy, magic, loyalty, friendship.
Sue Speck
Life without diabetes by Dr Roy Taylor
Simon and Schuster, 2020. ISBN: 9781760853914. 320pp.
(Age: Adult) Recommended. The Newcastle Diet gained notoriety in
2011, when a small group of people went on the diet exploring the
link between diabetes and the fatty tissue around the liver and
pancreas, by initially living for eight weeks on 600 calories a day.
Half of the small group were deemed to be in remission with their
diabetes at the end of the three month trial.
Professor Taylor's book, Life without Diabetes, outlines the
physiology of the gut and what the pancreas, liver and stomach do in
digesting food.
A forward by one of the participants in the study is of course
positive and joyous about having achieved a remission for her
diabetes and losing weight.
And following this introduction is a handy guide to using the book.
If like me, you want to get to the nitty gritty, then turning to
chapter 7 is the way to go, as this chapter tells you about the 600
calories a day diet and how to go about it. Chapters one to six
outline the way the body usually copes with food intake, and what
goes wrong to cause type 2 diabetes. And at the end of each chapter
is a fact file reiterating what was covered in the chapter before,
giving those overwhelmed with the terminology of the book an easy to
understand navigation tool.
The guide gives access to those with little time on their hands,
while many others will read the book from cover to cover. I dipped
in an out, reading the sections suggested, but also using the
substantial index to look things up that I wanted to know more about
(the pancreas, for example).
Although chatty and using layman's terms through out, I found the
book heavy going and needed to refer to the index, as well as having
a list of commonly used terms and their meanings as a book mark. Not
having done biology at school is a distinct disadvantage. (I have
also read Gut by Giulia Enders recently and even though it
is written in the most basic of language and uses humour to get its
message across, I needed to reread and keep a checklist of commonly
used words)
But this aside, for those living with diabetes, this is a
fascinating exploration of why it occurs and the steps people can
take to reduce the likelihood of getting it and a guide for some to
shake off the mantle of diabetes altogether. It worked with seven
out of the eleven original dieters in 2011 and has gained a much
larger group of supporters and participants since then.
A well researched and presented book, well worth a visit in the
continuing search for a way of loosing weight and preventing, even
reversing the onset of diabetes. Themes: Diabetes, Diet, Newcastle
Diet.
Fran Knight
Don't read this book before dinner by Anna Claybourne
National Geographic Kids, 2019. ISBN: 9781426334511. 144pp., pbk.
(Age: 6-12) "If you love to be grossed out, grab a seat at the table
to revel in some of the most repulsive and downright disgusting true
stories from around the globe.
From wretched rodents and beastly bugs to putrid plants and
muck-filled moats, step right in to find out more about the icky,
sticky world around you. Gloriously gross stories of decaying
delicacies, foul fashion, horrible history, awful animals, and more
are paired with eye-popping pictures, fun facts, and hilarious
quizzes in this fun book. Topics go way beyond food to include art,
plants, animals, fashion, pop culture, medicine, the human body, and
beyond. It's a hot mess to digest, but it's sure to leave kids
disgusted and delighted . . . " (Publisher)
Using an appealing double-page spread format to explore all things
gross, Nat Geo Kids is
designed to appeal to the 6-12 year olds keen to find out more about
their world and what is in it.
This particular edition is one that is likely to appeal to young
boys and while there are those adults who don't think this sort of
thing is "real reading" (in the same way comics were disdained in
their day), in my opinion anything that encourages them to hone
their literacy skills is to be commended, particularly when it has
the quality that you know is associated with Nat Geo Kids. To add to
the experience and spread their horizons wider, there is also the
Australian version of their website which has unique
topical local content such as What
is a Bushfire?
There are often queries to TL networks about what are the best
magazine subscriptions to continue as popularity tends to wane, and
for the primary school age group, Nat Geo Kids is always near the
top of the list proving it has stood the test of time as an
investment. With such a focus on the environment well beyond the
curriculum, it just make sense to make it available to our students.
Barbara Braxton
Cat science unleashed by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen
Photographs by Matthew Rakola. National Geographic Kids, 2019. ISBN:
9781426334412. 80pp., pbk.
(Age: 6-12) This is part of the NatGeo Kids Hands-on science series
and complements their website
aimed at 6-12 year olds. But rather than just facts and figures
about cats that can be found in any book about them, this encourages
the reader to participate in 22 safe and cat-friendly activities
that let them work alongside their cat to discover what makes it
tick.
They can learn the effects of catnip and why it can see so well in
the dark; how it balances so well and always land on its feet as
wells as toys to make. Each activity is paired with step-by-step
instructions, clear and interesting scientific explanations, and
cool photographs shot specifically for this book. Hands-on
activities and fun information for budding scientists prompt further
learning and offer a behind-the-scenes look at current feline
research.
Using a magazine format with lots of photos and diagrams as well as
information in accessible chunks, it is divided into four chapters,
each accompanied by relevant explanations and activities. There is
also a glossary, an index, and other extra information to help
students build their information literacy skills as they learn to
navigate non-fiction texts.
There are often queries to TL networks about what are the best
magazine subscriptions to continue as popularity tends to wane, and
for the primary school age group, Nat Geo Kids is always near the
top of the list proving it has stood the test of time as an
investment. With such a focus on the environment well beyond the
curriculum, it just make sense to make it available to our students.
Barbara Braxton
Aesop's fables first reading series by Susanna Davidson
Illus. by John Joven. Usborne, 2019. 48pp., hbk. The lion and the mouse. ISBN: 9781474956550. The ant and the grasshopper. ISBN: 9781474956567. The hare and the tortoise. ISBN: 9781474956543.
There are some stories that have stood the test of time for
generations and Aesop's fables are among these with their messages
still pertinent even in this age of screens and technology. So this
new release of these old tales written and illustrated for young
emerging readers will open them up to a new generation. The lion and the mouse tells the story of the arrogant lion
who cannot imagine that a tiny mouse would ever be able to help him
but discovers that friends can be found in strange places; The ant
and the grasshopper reminds us about the need to balance work
and play as Ant busily prepares for winter, while Grasshopper sings
the summer away; and The hare and the tortoise pits a
boastful hare against the slow tortoise with a surprising result.
Knowing these sorts of stories which are the basis of many other
stories enriches the young child's literary knowledge and adds depth
to their understanding of those other stories so to have them
available in the library's collection is essential, in my opinion.
Barbara Braxton
Big lies in a small town by Diane Chamberlain
St Martin's Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781509808625.
(Age: Adult - Mature YA) Recommended for adult readers. The young
woman, Morgan Christopher is unexpectedly rescued from jail through
a bequest and request from a benefactor known for his incredible
artistic talents. Morgan's own incomplete art skills are needed as
she is thrust into the task of restoring a mural created in 1940.
This restoration project comes with time pressures and emotional
pressures from the artist's daughter as she unearths the history of
the original artist, Anna Dale. Anna was the winner of a National
Town Mural competition to paint the mural for the town of Edenton.
As an outsider, she ruffles a few locals and her Northerner ways and
opinions are sometimes at odds with the local North Carolina
residents. The social milieu of the 1940's town reveals the
inter-racial conflicts of Southern USA in the 1940s as well as the
joys and challenges of the small town. What should she include in
her artistic representation of the town? When the contemporary
parolee, Morgan, investigates the history of the mural that was
never displayed, she uncovers a history that has many twists - and
some of them are not pleasant. In her own story she must unravel her
own insecurities related to the event that caused her imprisonment,
and needs to decide whether she is worthy of love and the incredible
honour of becoming an art restorer for the late renowned artist.
This is an impressive adult dramatic saga incorporating the two
separate stories of the original artist - Anna Dale, and the
contemporary restorer - Morgan Christopher. Told with time shifts
back and forth between the two stories, there is a slowly unfolding
revelation of the drama that led to the mural's disappearance. The
process of art restoration is overseen by the interesting gallery
administrator and there are stories of family disharmony and
restoration woven through the saga. Diane Chamberlain is a master of
the romantic and historical narrative, and this is the kind of book
that would be enjoyed as a 'holiday' selection because of the
revelation of the mystery and social drama across the generations
within the 385 page narrative. Although this is an adult story, it
could be read by mature YA readers.
Recommended for adult readers. Themes: Historical drama; Art
restoration; Racial discrimination - USA; Romance; Murder mystery;
Sexual Assault
Carolyn Hull
The Little Grey Girl by Celine Kiernan
ISBN: 9781406373929.
The Wild Magic trilogy Book 2. Walker, 2019. 217 pp.
9781406373929. pbk.
In the first book in The Wild Magic trilogy, Begone
the raggedy witches, Mup realises that she has magical powers.
The Queen from across the border, her grandmother, uses her magic to
keep control over her subjects and when she flees with the raggedy
witches, Mup's mother is the obvious replacement, but she does not
want the power nor does she want to be queen. She is persuaded to
leave her own home and move to the Glittering Lands guiding her
daughter, Mup, and her husband and their son, Tipper, now a dog,
over the strange waterway which marks the entrance to this
mysterious place.
The second in the series, The Little Grey Girl, takes up the
story as Mam is declared queen, protesting all the while. She is
besieged by petitioners, and heads back into her mother's castle to
think about what to do next. But during the night, Mup sees a
mysterious little grey girl in the courtyard, and calling Crow they
go to investigate. It has been snowing fiercely, and Mam's adviser,
Firinne, has warned her that this is the old queen's curse and to be
watchful.
The castle is still full of memories of the tyrannical past, and Mup
grapples with the question of free will, as her mother encourages
the people to make up their minds for themselves; she will not tell
them what to do.
The characters in this beautifully written book are exceptional: Mup
with her strong moral centre is brave and disarming, able to throw
lightning from her fingers to keep herself protected from the forces
of the evil she feels all around, while Crow the bird that can
change into a boy speaks in rhyme.
But the little grey girl intrigues; is she a threat, either a a
raggedy witch or someone who needs help. With the long dead Dr
Emberly and Crow, Mup descends to the dungeons beneath the castle
following the little grey girl, to find out about the drawings she
leaves on the walls, which cause such distress. But to find the core
of the problem they must fight the dog which holds all the sadness
the little grey girl takes from people, a fight which could lead to
their deaths.
Kiernan's voice is unique, taking its readers along brave new paths,
involving them with a strong, independent young girl hesitantly
using her magical powers, but always aware of how it will affect
those around her.
Fran Knight
My book with no pictures by B.J. Novak
Puffin Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780241444177. 40pp. pbk.
(Age: All) Recommended. The
book with no pictures is a fun story and this book makes
that story even more fun by letting people fill-in-the-blanks and
write their own words.
Kids of all ages can have fun putting different words into the story
to make it as funny as they like. It would appeal to all ages, as
anyone can add words into the story.
Kids can have fun filling in the blanks and then getting their
parents or teacher to read it.
This book can be used to encourage reluctant writers to create a fun
story using the scaffolding of the book with no pictures.
I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone with a sense
of humor.
Karen Colliver
Slay by Brittney Morris
Hodder Children's Books, 2019. 330pp. ISBN: 9781444951721. pbk.
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are a
combination of role playing video games and online games in which a
very large number of people interact with one another within a
virtual world. As an older reviewer I found I had to immerse myself
in the terminology in the book, using the internet to find answers,
then jumping into the gaming word portrayed. Most readers of this
book will find a more comfortable affinity with the world created by
Morris to tell her story about racial inequality in the USA. This
multi layered and complex issue is displayed by a range of
characters: Kiera, one of four Black students at Jefferson High is
peculiarly asked for her opinion as if she is the spokesperson for
all Back people, Steph, Kiera's sister is a promoter of African
American Vernacular English, Malcolm Kiera's boyfriend is desperate
for them both to be accepted into Spelman College, one of the
foremost HBCU places (Historically Black College) where he feels he
will not have to compete with white students, while Kiera's white
friends ask her if it is OK to wear their hair in dreads, or wear an
Indian headdress to a fancy dress party. Kiera retreats into the
digital world she has created, Slay, where all of the players are
black and in playing, understand the rules of the game. And here she
can be herself.
Morris very cleverly places all the characters into positions where
they are able to reveal the racial tension that underlines their
lives. But the game is above all this, or so Kiera believes.
When she finds that one of the players, Anubis has been killed over
the paper money used in the game, she is appalled. Not knowing that
she is the developer, her friends and family discuss the issues that
this Black game creates: is it anti white, discriminatory, is it
racist, what happens when the developer is discovered, will he or
she be sued for the boy's death? Kiera must solve the crime and the
last half of this engrossing tale hangs on crime detection as she
and Steph and her friend in Paris untangle the web of clues hidden
within the game, leading to a neat resolution with a twist in the
tale.
Fran Knight
Going the distance by Beth Reekles
The Kissing Booth 2. Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241413227.
368pp.
(Age: 15+) Noah has left for college while his girlfriend Elle and
brother Lee navigate senior year in his shadow. Lee made the
football team, but he's not quite the player Noah was, meaning Elle
doesn't get much sympathy from Lee as she yearns for Noah. Lee is
consolidating his romance with Rachel more and more, which means
Elle becomes more and more friendly with the new boy to the group.
Levi is cute if not a tad maudlin having been dumped by his
girlfriend, since moving interstate.
Tension builds as Noah is pictured on social media, enjoying frat
parties and meeting pretty college girls. High School rumours
precipitate a showdown between Noah and Elle. Will their
relationship survive or are new love interests the natural outcome
of trying to sustain a long distance relationship?
Acclaimed adolescent author, Beth Reekles is on a winning YA formula
with the success of her Kissing Booth series. Both
manuscripts so far have been adapted for Netflix. The cliched
romantic plot shies away from any number of modern, familial or
social themes. Interesting that this volume in depicting the
obligatory obsession of adolescents with romance is, according to
the author, somewhat improved in the television manuscript. The
comparison just may be a boost to both readership and views but
certainly won't condemn the reality of peer pressure in the manner
of the best of jarring and jolting YA literature.
Deborah Robins
DK Life Stories
Dorling Kindersley, 2019. Albert Einstein by Will Mara. ISBN: 9780241322918. hbk.,
128pp. Gandhi by Diane Ailey, illus. by Charlotte Age. ISBN:
9781465474636. hbk., 128pp.
Wil Mara has made Einstein's life story an engaging and fascinating
look at this very complex human being, one whose ideas have shaken
up the foundation of modern physics. As a patent clerk in Bern
Albert had time to think about and discuss his ideas, publishing his
four ground shaking papers in 1905, which made the academic world
take notice. Teaching at Berlin he saw the rise of Fascism in the
1930's a direct result of the punishing Treaty Of Versailles which
ended World War One. A committed pacifist he took the position at
Princeton in the USA and there he was able to advise people on the
road Hitler and his scientists were taking. The Manhattan Project
grew out of his advice, paradoxically doing the very thing he
thought countries should not do. Considered one of the greatest
minds of the twentieth century, Einstein died in 1955.
The book on Gandhi has the same format, presenting to younger
readers a leader of the twentieth century known over the world. It
begins with his family and childhood in India where he became aware
of the oppression of British rule. Moving to South Africa to work as
a lawyer, their system of keeping black and white separate
infuriated him, and he did all he could to support the
underrepresented. He successfully developed the idea of satyagraha,
a way of dealing with the British through non-violence and civil
disobedience which was instrumental in winning India's freedom from
British rule in 1947. This potted biography presents a flawed man
who in developing ideas of peace and non violence influenced others
who came after him such as Martin Luther King. Born in 1869, he was
assassinated in 1948 by a fanatic who disagreed with his peaceful
approach to non Hindus.
Divided into ten (Einstein) and 12 (Gandhi) chapters, the sentences
are short and pithy, illustrations dot the pages and the whole is
complimented with fact boxes, asides and photographs, designed to
entrance the younger reader. A detailed glossary, most useful index,
family trees, who's who and timeline of their lives are rounded off
with a quiz that readers will love to try.
The books are part a series, DK Life Stories, and while the
format may not immediately attract some readers, a teacher will be
able to point them out to students as a valuable and involving
source of information.
Fran Knight
Children of virtue and vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
Legacy of Orisha, bk 2. MacMillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781529034790.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Zelie has just set fire to her father's
funeral pyre, and now she and her brother Tzain, and her friend
Amari, daughter of Orisha's dead monarch, have to work out how to
save their country from war, and establish peace between the maji,
traditional holders of magic, from whom Zelie and Tzain descend, and
the increasingly powerful rulers of the land who want to destroy
anything to do with the maji. It looks like there is a chance for
peace as the princess Amari asserts her right to the throne, but
then everything turns to disaster when it is discovered that her
brother Inan and her fierce and power hungry mother Nehanda still
live.
The story is set in the fantasy land of Orisha, based on the towns
and settings of Nigeria; and the inhabitants speak Yoruba.
Exclamations and incantations are frequently in Yoruba and not
translated, so the reader has to just guess or skip those sentences.
There is no glossary to help here.
The themes centre on overcoming oppression and the hatred between
different groups of people. One nice feature is the friendship
between the two girls Zelie and Amari, each with separate
allegiances, but who for the most part try to work together. However
they are gradually drawn apart by the warring factions. Each of them
struggles to know who to trust, and how to resolve the conflict in
their country. Children of virtue and vengeance is book 2 in the Orisha
trilogy, and while I read this as a stand-alone, it took a while to
work out the relationships, and the references to strange creatures
such as the lionaire which may have been given better description in
the first book. So I would recommend reading Children of blood
and bone first. The chapters are short and fast-paced,
alternating between three narrators, Zelie, Amari, and Inan, and
quickly draw the reader into the action, so that it is easy to stay
engaged until the end. However, the cliff-hanger ending clearly
leads into the third yet to be released novel.
Readers of fantasy who enjoy mystical worlds with action, romance
and some gore, will enjoy this series. Themes include identity,
courage, magic, racism.
Helen Eddy
