A Copycat Conundrum will be released on January 7, 2025. It is the second book in the Misfits series and is preceded by A Royal Conundrum.

Olive and her fellow mystery-solving Misfits have solved their first case and cemented their home at RASCH, the quirky arts academy that acts as cover for a top-secret group of crime fighters solving the most mysterious misdeeds.

But now new oddities are springing up throughout San Fransisco. Olive’s classmate Zeke has started receiving threatening notes as he digs into his family history. A series of unexplained earthquakes have spread across the city. And expensive art pieces are going missing…

It’s up to the Misfits to track down the perpetrator of this new, bigger crime—and put the pieces together before whoever’s responsible gets away for good.

A Copycat Conundrum was such a fun read! I loved the madcap wit and adventure of the first book in the series, and though second books often struggle to live up to that momentum, this one never does. Olive and the other Misfits crack this second mystery with the same humor, heart, and brilliant character relationships that made A Royal Conundrum so much fun. Even more so than book 1, A Copycat Conundrum has a fabulously quirky supporting cast, with a bevy of new characters whose oddities and surprises made the mystery all the more entertaining, and getting to know the Misfits themselves better was so much fun. I’ll definitely want to get my hands on a finished copy once this one comes out to admire all the final illustrations! I highly recommend A Copycat Conundrum who are looking for a fun series in the tradition of Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls and The Mysterious Benedict Society.

​adventure / ages 9+ / ARC / fiction / friends / humorous / illustrated / middle grade / mystery / sequels / series

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. 

By Nico

As the only female student at Llyr’s prestigious Architectural College, life has been hard enough for Effy Sayre, thanks to the snide looks, constant disrespect, and painful rumors that would be unbearable even if the truth of them wasn’t haunting her. But Effy doesn’t even want to be there—her dreams have always been of the Literature College, studying the atmospheric, fairytale works of her favorite author, Emrys Myrddin. The only problem? The Literature College doesn’t accept female students at all.

Effy sees her chance to pursue her dreams—and escape the Architectural College’s torments—when she’s given an opportunity to redesign Myrddin’s house, soon after his death.

But not all is as it seems in Myrddin’s sprawling, decrepit home, balanced on the edge of a chaotic sea, inhabited by his enigmatic son, reclusive widow, and the back-country fairytales Effy has spent all her life being told aren’t true. Effy is on the verge of leaving behind this nightmare of a place, no matter what awaits her back home, when Preston, a literature student whom she takes an immediate dislike to, offers her an opportunity she can’t pass up—helping him research his theories about Myrddin’s most famous work in exchange for putting her name on her thesis, a work sure to be so groundbreaking that it might as well guarantee her a spot at the Literature College.

It seems simple enough. Find the truth. Become a literature student. Leave behind the life she never wanted.

If only the old stories weren’t true…

​A haunting fairytale of a book perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood, A Study in Drowning pulled me in from the first page. Crafting a gorgeous, semi-modern fantasy that blends myth and reality into something irresistible, Reid creates a fairytale twist that walks the line between too modern and too fantastic flawlessly. I’ve always loved books with elements of Welsh mythology, and the unique twist it gives to this world was perfect; although I liked the beginning, as soon as Effy reached Hiraeth Manor I was pulled fully into the story. In the midst of all the magic and mystery, Effy anchored this book. Her flaws, determination, and scars made me like her from the very first page, and her experiences place feminism and patriarchy firmly in the center of the story. Fast-paced and full of eerie twists, I highly recommend A Study in Drowning to readers ages thirteen and up. 

By Nico

Olga gets by on trickery and thievery, using her magic to part with money, food, or whatever else she needs to get by. But this way of life has never sat well with Olga or her compatriot, Pavel—so when she learns of a precious jewel hidden in an abandoned castle, she leaps at the chance to change their futures forever. No matter the ghost stories about the castle.

Olga and Pavel soon discover, though, that rather than being abandoned, the castle is home to a nightly ball full of joy and laughter—a ball whose guests disappear after every night, besides the castle’s master, an enchanter who Olga is convinced is far less kindly than he seems. But he may be her only chance of finding the legendary jewel—and, when the castle’s curse begins ensnaring Pavel, too, her only hope of saving him.

I loved Karah Sutton’s debut novel, A Wolf for a Spell, so I was thrilled to read The Song of the Swan. It didn’t disappoint. This book is an atmospheric fairytale of a story made even more beautiful by the gorgeous accompanying illustrations by Pauliina Hannuniemi. The worldbuilding felt so rich and vivid I could almost touch it, most notably the almost magnetic appeal of the castle, and I loved the magic, particularly with regard to the spiders. The unfolding mystery of the story left me constantly guessing what was going to happen next and left me utterly satisfied at the conclusion of the story. Olga was a great protagonist, but part of what made her shine most was her relationship with Pavel and her flaws, which often led her to difficult but entirely relatable decisions. I highly recommend The Song of the Swan to fantasy lovers ages ten and up. 

By Nico

Princess Ash is not in for a happy homecoming. After six years away from the capital, she returns to find the country embroiled in political conflicts her brother a stranger, and the court decidedly hostile—and all too ready to question her aptitude because of the cane she uses to get around.

So when Ash meets Splinter, she couldn’t be more excited. Splinter—aspiring knight, determined friend, not quite a girl. Splinter is determined to become a knight like her brother, and Ash has the power to earn her that dream. And if neither is seen as entirely orthodox by the rest of court? Well, at least they have each other.

As their friendship develops, though, Splinter and Ash find themselves uncovering something far more sinister than disapproving squires. And when they discover the lengths the nobility is willing to go to gain power, the two new friends might be their kingdom’s only hope.

If you liked Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston or Alanna the Lioness, Splinter & Ash should be next on your to-read list. This fast-paced, fierce tale was one of my most anticipated reads this year is a reason, and it was a lot of fun to read. Splinter and Ash are both great protagonists, and the almost mystery-like element of the developing understanding of the political conflicts made it a quick read. Though defiant, it lacked much of the emotional intensity of books like Sir Callie, taking a more traditional MG fantasy feel to display Splinter and Ash’s struggles throughout the story. I would’ve loved to see several threads and characters of this story explored more deeply, and I’m hoping that’ll arrive in subsequent books in the series. I recommend Splinter & Ash to readers ages eleven and up looking for a story of friendship, hope, and perseverance set against a fantasy world.
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fantasy / middle grade / friendship / LGBTQ+ / series / ages 11+