A quirky, imaginative tale locked inside a stale, formulaic princess narrative.
The author’s latest fantasy series introduces Aislin, a princess of mixed heritage: fairy (the Disney-esque type) and pedrasi (less glitzy but gifted cavern dwellers).
Aislin’s fairy father and pedrasi mother rule a diverse kingdom that welcomes giants, ogres, sprites, nymphs, and others along with their own kinds. Aislin resembles her mother’s people—on the short and stocky side (though not in the cover art)—more than the tall, willowy fairies. Her pedrasi heritage confers what proves a crucial gift: drawing power from rocks and stones. Magical beings left the human world behind long ago and barred humans from entering their kingdoms. That changes when King Tyburr of Morain breaches the border. Alarmed, Aislin asks him to take her back to his castle, hoping to get him away from her people and learn his intentions. Her companions, a magical doll and her fairy BFF, also make effective spies. The king ponders marrying her to his conceited son, Rory, although snobbish castle courtiers disdain Aislin as fat and too dark; Rory’s companion Tomas is more to her liking. The writing is uneven: Static opening scenes of Aislin’s home castle read like paint-by-numbers for text, but pace and storytelling pick up whenever Aislin heads outdoors, where the author’s gift for synthesizing nature and magic comes into play. Humans seem to be default white, and Aislin’s dark skin is due to a pedrasi tendency to tan in the sun.
A quirky, imaginative tale locked inside a stale, formulaic princess narrative. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-768-5
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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