SPLINTER & ASH

In this second series entry, tweens fight to protect their realm and their queen from a serious threat.

As war rages, a conspiracy led by Calinoran nobility seeks to remove Calinor’s queen by any means necessary. The Larks, self-styled patriots, recently kidnapped Princess Adelisa, who goes by Ash and has a disability that requires her to use braces and a cane. Now the Larks have deadly plans for the city of Haven’s harvest festival—plans that Ash and her gender-nonconforming squire, Splinter, attempt to uncover through illicit nighttime visits to Haven and other avenues. Investigating the conspiracy exacerbates Ash’s struggles with a family secret that makes her question who she is, Calinor’s class system, and the responsibility of royalty like her to the people. Splinter is concerned about upcoming squire exams, keeping Ash safe in Haven, and exploring gender identity. Both 12-year-olds worry about whom they can trust. Ash’s growing discomfort with a class system that devalues and disregards commoners and soldiers shapes this socially aware fantasy, whose action picks up in the second half of the story. The characters are layered and sympathetic, and their evolution is believable, although Ash’s arc feels more developed than Splinter’s. While physical and sensory details bring scenes to life, some worldbuilding remains lightly developed. Readers must be familiar with the earlier volume to understand the many references to people and incidents from the first book. Most characters are cued white.

Themes of identity, responsibility, loyalty, and privilege thread this thoughtful, character-driven fantasy.