By Piranha T.

The Icemark is not a country for the faint of heart. Hemmed in by mountains filled with strange creatures to the north, and the bloodthirsty Polypontian Empire to the south—led by the famed general Scipio Bellorum—the tiny Icemark has always struggled to defend itself. Yet it has always managed to fend off invaders—until now.

Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield is a warrior princess, the only child of the Icemark’s king. Known for her skill and daring, it has long been acknowledged that someday, she will lead her country well. But when her father is killed in a border conflict with Scipio Bellorum’s armies, fourteen-year-old Thirrin is left to lead her country into war against one of the most infamous generals in the world.

So she gathers her strength. With the help of her advisors—her elderly tutor and a witch’s son with more power than anyone seems to realize—Thirrin sets out to rally the strength of her country and forge new alliances. She joins with the fierce Hypolitan, seeks the aid of The-Land-of-the-Ghosts and the Wolf-Folk to the north, and journeys even further still, to partner with legendary Snow Leopards. But even with that added strength, will Thirrin be able to lead the Icemark into victory?

I’ve wanted to read The Cry of the Icemark for a while, and it did not disappoint. Thirrin is a strong and undauntable protagonist who reminded me of Kel, in that they are both fierce and brilliant female main characters. That said, although this is a fantasy novel with elements of a medieval/historical world, it doesn’t fall into the same mold as many others; it is multilayered and full of unusually portrayed magic, focusing on war while still having a story beyond it. The Cry of the Icemark may be about Thirrin’s struggle to protect her country, but it is so much more than that. This story is about alliances and friendships, the world and characters in some ways contributing more to the feel of the story than the war itself. Even if you feel tired of what may feel like repetitive fantasy novels, I suggest you give this one a try. And if you do like fantasy—particularly books like Seraphina, The Goblin Wood, or the Protector of the Small Quartet—this is definitely a top pick. To fantasy lovers ages eleven and up, I highly recommend The Cry of the Icemark. 

By Piranha T.
 
Words have power—and in an alternate version of Earth, they can create worlds. Certain people, known as scriptologists, are able to write worlds into reality. One of three branches of magic, scriptology is a finite and dangerous science which can easily be done wrong. And one worldbook holds a dangerous power, one which many people are desperate to use.

Elsa is from Veldana, the first—and only—populated scribed world. Her mother, Jumi, is a Veldanese scriptologist who is constantly expanding their still-new world. Perhaps Veldana’s age, and its small size, is why it is still uncomplicated by war or countries or technology.

But when Jumi is kidnapped, Elsa’s world falls apart. She escapes to Earth just before Veldana’s worldbook is burned, and without it, she knows her home is gone. Now, her hope is simply to find—and, potentially, save—her mother, who she is certain is somewhere on Earth. Yet even that may be more dangerous than she anticipates. For she is also a prize to her enemies.

With the help of a group of new friends—including Leo, a boy whose past is dark and whose future is closely tied to Elsa’s mission—she searches for the truth about her mother’s kidnappers, and a book she scribed before her disappearance. A book her kidnappers are desperate to find.

​Ink, Iron and Glass was one of those books I picked up off a library shelf, and completely engrossed me. Gwendolyn Clare’s version of a magical Victorian Italy, and her depictions of the scribed worlds, are some of the best fantasy settings I’ve read in a while, reminiscent of The Glass Sentence and The Golden Compass. The magic is interesting and unique, fitting effortlessly into the atmosphere of this book. Elsa and the supporting characters are all extremely deep and distinct, with no two quite alike, all with their own personalities which bounce off of each other beautifully. And the story itself is unpredictable and engaging. This book is one of the best I’ve read this year, and I think it would appeal to readers who loved the theme of writing in Inkheart and Finding Serendipity, but are now looking for something a little older; that said, Ink, Iron and Glass is a great novel for anyone who loves fantasy. To lovers of brilliant worlds and deep characters ages eleven and up, I highly recommend Ink, Iron and Glass. 

By Piranha T.

It is 1940 in England; bombs rain down every night. Twelve-year-old Katherine Bateson and her brother and sister are sent to a crumbling castle-turned school in Scotland to escape the Blitz. It seems to be a perfect solution, despite the mysteries and rumors cloaking Rookskill Castle. Kat and her siblings will be safe there—won’t they?

Despite the stories Kat hears on the way to Rookskill Castle, she insists it isn’t dangerous. After all, she reasons, everything can be explained without falling back on something so ridiculous as magic. She didn’t believe her great-aunt, when she claimed her antique chatelaine had mystical powers; there is no evidence for her temporary home to be haunted.

Before long, more peculiarities are revealed. Lady Eleanor, the castle’s ruler, seems to be more than she appears—and attempts to conceal a chatelaine like Kat’s grandmother’s. Kat hears wordless singing from one of the towers at night, and watches unfamiliar children wander the grounds. She finds but one reasonable solution: Rookskill Castle must be harboring a Nazi spy.

But when Rookskill Castle’s other refugees begin disappearing, Kat realizes the truth is much more complex. She must answer a question she’s never asked herself before: what if magic is real?
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The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle is at times creepy, at times gripping, but always full of intrigue and unfolding secrets which kept me turning the pages. Kat is an excellent protagonist who has a logical mind without provoking the exasperation readers often feel when a character refuses to accept something which seems utterly obvious; she feels very real, and so does her relationship with her brother and sister, which made me think of The Emerald Atlas. The plot keeps unveiling new layers and eye-opening secrets. This book is filled with mystery and power, including a very interesting villain and kind of magic which I look forward to reading more of in the upcoming second installment. I recommend The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle to readers ages eleven and up who love historical fantasy or twisting storylines. 

Note: If you like The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle, check out our interview with the author Janet Fox! 

By Piranha T.

Molly Ayer, an orphan who lives with a foster family in Spruce Harbor, Maine, doesn’t feel like she’s wanted. She feels out of place among the kids at school, and with her foster parents at home. When she steals a book from the library, she’s told to do twenty hours of community service for repentance, and is assigned to Vivian Daly, a rich ninety-year-old woman who wants help sorting out her attic.
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Molly expects it to be a tedious task, but when Vivian begins reminiscing about her childhood, Molly learns about interesting pieces of history. Vivian was an orphan too. She was sent away from New York on one of the trains which distributed city orphans to families in the countryside who wanted a child, or simply an extra pair of hands. It’s a piece of history Molly has never heard about before—one that has shaped Vivian’s life.
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Orphan Train Girl was an interesting book, teaching a piece of history I didn’t know much about. The story alternated from past to present—between Molly and a younger Vivian—and in doing so, Christina Baker Cline narrated the stories of two different orphans in two different situations who were both searching for acceptance. I would recommend Orphan Train Girl to readers ages nine and up.

By Piranha T.

Coriander Hobie lives a perfect life, with a loving father and a beautiful mother, a life she believes will never change. But then a pair of silver shoes slip her into another world, and although she stays there for a very short time, it changes her life forever. Only a few days later, her mother mysteriously dies, leaving Coriander and her father to navigate the political turmoil of seventeenth-century London. And then her father disappears too, leaving Coriander with her stepmother, who despises her.

Yet her stepmother isn’t the only person who Coriander learns to fear. For when she enters that other world again, she discovers someone else searching for her—someone who truly wants her dead.

I, Coriander was a beautifully written, engrossing read with a plot which just keeps getting better. Although set in a historical time frame, I, Coriander is fantasy, and I’d recommend it to fans of either genre; Coriander’s voice feels very authentic to the seventeenth century, but it still has the feel of a fantasy novel. It’s one of those books which pulls you in and weaves a spell of magic around you, written like a fairytale, but the plot and characters are much deeper than in more old-fashioned books. I would highly recommend I, Coriander to readers ages eleven and up.
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Note: The audiobook, read by Juliet Stevenson, is amazing—if you like to listen to audiobooks, I would recommend this one! I also listened to one of Sally Gardner’s other books, The Red Necklace, a historical fantasy for slightly older readers, which I would recommend if you love I, Coriander. ​

​By Piranha T.
 
Not many people remember how to see magic anymore. Many years ago, a hundred dragons appeared in Vienna, but now only forty remain. They’ve disappeared, but to where, no one knows.
 
Grisha is a dragon who no longer has a friend. Maggie, the daughter of a famous poet, has never truly had one. Their stories meet one night, and they form a fast friendship. But neither can ignore the mystery of the vanished dragons. Both want to somehow put it to right, but neither knows how.
 
Help comes in the most unlikely places. The Department of Extinct Exotics, which makes sure the dragons stay to the rules. A talking cat who both think is their enemy. But it’s Maggie and Grisha’s quest—and it is they who must brave the final price.
 
The Language of Spells is a beautiful, deep fantasy novel set in a real world which is easy to believe with sympathetic characters. The beginning was a bit slower and harder to get into, but once you do it’s an engrossing read. I think it would appeal to readers of Lisa Schroeder’s The Girl in the Tower. I’d highly recommend The Language of Spells to readers ages 8 and up.

By Piranha T.

Annabel Grey is a girl in England learning how to become a proper young lady. But when her mother does some traveling, Annabel is sent to live with two aunts, who own a magic shop. Soon enough, Annabel discovers that her family is not as ordinary as she has always assumed and that both her mother, her aunts, and herself have unusual magical powers. Before long, she learns that the evil Mr. Angel and his fiendish machine are raising an army of shadow creatures—and only she can stop them. Annabel is thrown into an urgent quest to find the Morever Wand, the only thing that can stop Mr. Angel from putting an end to all good magic—forever. With the help of a strange girl, an ancient map, a finicky broomstick, and her own magical powers, can she stop Mr. Angel in time?
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A Most Magical Girl was a very good book. There was excellent character development—for example, at the beginning, Annabel didn’t believe in magic—and it was quite exciting. However, my one criticism is that it ended with a cliffhanger – paving the way, I hope, to a sequel. I would highly recommend A Most Magical Girl to readers ages 11 and up.