THE GHOSTWING'S LIE

Twelve-year-old Ary Mossheart was done being a hero, but the fairies’ new forest home isn’t as safe as it seemed.

After Ary discovered the Terra fairies were trapped inside a dying terrarium in The Mossheart’s Promise (2023), she set them free and lost her wings. When the Siltshore fairies take her community members in, Ary can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong—even though the other Terrans just want to fit in. As her anxiety grows and her nightmares increase, Ary, Owl, and Briar hide their misgivings from one another and drift apart, trying to settle into normal lives. But Owl discovers that fairies have been disappearing from Siltshore, and Ary learns that a blight is killing the trees. Ary realizes she isn’t done being a hero, no matter how much the caring adults say she’s done enough and can step aside. Now she must decide whether she’ll take on the danger alone or trust her friends with her fears. This duology closer, a story about telling the truth no matter how afraid you are to face it, is marked by repetition, slow pacing, plenty of introspection, and little action through the first half. Filled with genuine emotion, it can feel like therapy in fairy-tale form for readers who are dealing with the loss of loved ones, communication issues, or mistrust of those who are meant to protect you. Knowledge of the first entry is a must for appreciating this one.

A quiet book for patient readers.