By Ella

For a century, Mina’s people have cast a beautiful girl into the ocean every year to become the Sea God’s Bride, and appease his wrath. It is believed only this can keep the storms that have plagued her homeland at bay—and that, one day, the Sea God’s true bride will put an end to the chaos altogether.

But when Shim Cheong is chosen as the sacrifice, Mina refuses to let the girl her beloved brother loves become just another girl vanishing beneath the waves. When the time comes for her to be thrown into the sea, Mina leaps into the sea in her stead—and is thrust into a world full of secrets and gods, where old tales provide only the barest guidance, and her future—or lack thereof—might depend on a single red thread.

Here, Mina must uncover a plot against the Sea God, unravel the rivalries and factions of those who live beneath the sea, and choose between two worlds if she wants to save the world she came from, and all those she left behind.

I fully admit that the stunning cover is the reason I first picked up The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea—but the imaginative worldbuilding, unexpected twists, and strong characters are why I kept reading. The atmospheric setting and strong mythological threads added such depth to all the details and moments; I often felt as though I could see the whole world around Mina. Particularly as the story drew on, there were several twists I wholly wasn’t expecting, and the multilayered relationships, alliances, old feuds, and disagreements of the gods and other beings who inhabit this world gave the whole story a complexity and secretiveness I highly enjoyed. The absorbing, beautiful prose was also utterly amazing! I highly recommend The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea to readers ages twelve and up.

By Ella

Rhaskos. A Thracian slave, worth far less than the animals he cares for. Separated from his mother, forced to serve a master who curses him and beats him. He draws horses in the dirt, and dreams of freedom.

Melisto. She caused her mother no end of trouble as a baby. She has never stopped. The future looks as bleak to her as a stretch of flawless fabric: what everyone expects, and so easily ignored. Serving Artemis as a Little Bear might be the first and last chance, however temporary, for her to be herself.

Against the backdrop of ancient Greece, told in poetry and prose and in fragments of the past, this is the tale of a boy and a girl whose futures are dark to them—and who might, through the impossible friendship they form, at last find the peace they have both been searching for.

Amber & Clay is unique and utterly absorbing, blending historical fiction, magic, and archaeology into something almost improbably powerful and beautiful. I’ve read a handful of books which use both prose and poetry, and honestly none of them have pulled it off very well; there always feels as though there is an abrupt shift when transitioning from one to another. But Schlitz’s prose is so lyrical and deliberate that the story flowed seamlessly from one style to another, and brought the book together more fully and made it feel more concrete rather than splintering it into sections. Not only that, but this ranks among one of the most excellent historical novels I have read (it’s set in Greece, particularly the Athens area, around the fifth century BCE)—not just for how it feels as though it stays utterly true to the time period, but because the feelings and conflicts and dreams of Rhaskos and Melisto are so bright and evocative in my mind that they might be living next door, not twenty-six centuries ago.

To be honest, of all the books I’ve reviewed, Amber & Clay is one of the hardest to describe. Its scope feels enormous, and yet deeply personal; its struggles, concrete and yet ephemeral. So much happens, but it isn’t the tale of the vast shifts of war and politics occurring in the background. It isn’t even a grandiose interpretation of what it must’ve been like, growing up without any chance at having rights. Instead of seeking to change the world, Rhaskos and Melisto both simply seek to live with it: to live in a society which they see not as unjust and discriminatory as we do now, but simply as how the world is. This crucial and too-unique nuance lends the story a vibrant realism which it might otherwise lack, and helps every detail of the story, its characters, and its setting shine with power and truth. Amber & Clay is, quite simply, extraordinary—I highly recommend it to readers ages eleven and up.

By Lina 

The princess with flaming hair, signifying war; the coveted bride with blushing cheeks, representing bloodshed; the girl who, despite the battles fought over her hand in marriage, never speaks a single line---who really is Lavinia of Virgil's epic The Aeneid? In Le Guin's imagination, she is thoughtful, caring, quiet, fiercely intelligent: a leader in her own right, who loves her people and her freedom, and refuses to be bound to the future others choose for her.

In Lavinia, the titular character traces the story of her life, one ignored or overlooked for centuries. She tells of a happy childhood, the only daughter of King Latinus, wandering the forests and fields of Latium with her best friend; of the sudden arrival of suitors vying for her hand in marriage, and thus the end of her freedom; of the Trojan stranger, foretold of in omens, who arrives on their shore; of the fated war fought with her own future as its prize. And she tells the story that comes after, of her happiness and heartbreak, victories and betrayals, and of her fierce, unyielding determination to protect her people and those she loves. 

Lavinia can certainly be enjoyed by those who haven't read The Aeneid---it's a great story, beautifully told, either way---but for those who have, it's simply stunning, a retelling of a classic tale that faithfully follows the threads and characters of the original while deftly smoothing out its inconsistencies, frustrations, and occasional illogicality. I felt as though I was not so much reading a new version of an ancient epic as experiencing Virgil's story through different, perhaps more thoughtful eyes, making it equal parts fascinating and delightful to follow Lavinia's classic tale: or, perhaps more accurately, to discover it. Given the casual misogyny of the original, it's immensely satisfying to read feminist Le Guin's take on The Aeneid, which, while faithful to the original, often approaches its content in a markedly different way. Lavinia is a compelling, independent character who never falls into the trap of some modern historical fiction which grafts modern opinions onto historical characters; even her cruel mother Amata, it is gently suggested, has suffered at the hands of patriarchy perhaps more than Virgil was willing to admit---or able to notice. 

Le Guin's mastery of building fantasy worlds is well-suited to evoking the still-rustic land of Latium before it was Rome, a place steeped in ancient tradition and folklore, guided by fate and strange omens as much as political strategy; she leaves the lines between history, ancient invention, and modern interpretation delightfully opaque. The final touch is the introduction of Virgil himself as a character, which, rather than detracting from the main story, enhances it with quiet questions of fate and perspective and who tells enduring tales, and gently reminds readers---and Lavinia herself---of the many layers of existence and opinion needed to tell a tale. Riveting and evocative, I would highly recommend Lavinia to readers ages fourteen and up. 

By Ella

Alliana has been raised in her stepmother's inn, relegated to menial chores. For years after her father's death, she was able to keep dreaming of fairy tales with the support of Grand-mother Mari, whose tapestries and stories showed Alliana a world beyond their tiny village. But now a year has passed since Grandmother Mari's death, and the only magic left in Alliana's life is the baby nightdragon she discovers she can talk to. She knows better than to think her stepmother will let her attend the Farmlands Ball, her only chance of escaping her small hometown and to be enrolled in the Royal Academy.

​But everything changes when she meets Nela, a young witch who needs her help. For the first time since Grandmother Mari's death, Alliana has a chance to reach the future she's always dreamed of--but if her stepmother finds out, it could doom her to a life trapped at the inn.

Will Alliana be trapped beneath her stepmother's power forever? Or can she still find her own happily ever after?

Alliana, Girl of Dragons is a prequel/companion book to the Eva Evergreen duology (Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch and Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch)​​, and if you liked Eva Evergreen, you'll definitely like Alliana too--they share a magical, whimsical world, strong writing, and brilliant characters. I particularly enjoyed how Abe reshapes the Cinderella fairy tale into a story that fits perfectly with the Eva Evergreen books, including several prominent overlapping characters. Once again, the small details of the worldbuilding make the setting come alive, and I felt fully engrossed in Alliana's adventure. I recommend Alliana, Girl of Dragons ​to readers ages ten and up.

By Ella

Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris is the sequel to Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, and the second installment in the Theodosia series. 

[Look out--there are spoilers for the first book!]

After saving England from the sinister actions of the Serpents of Chaos, trouble has died down for Theodosia Throckmorton, daughter of the head curator of a London archaeology museum. Clearly, though, some peaceful time to catalog artifacts and remove some nasty lingering curses is too much to hope for, because after uncovering an artifact she is fairly certain is the legendary Staff of Osiris--imbued with the power to raise the dead--in the museum's basement, a small platoon of mummies appear in the foyer. The police are convinced her father stole them, but Theodosia believes they were summoned by the Staff of Osiris--and that the Serpents of Chaos are well aware of the mummies' unusual behavior. 

Determined to clear her family name, outwit the Serpents of Chaos, and avoid her grandmother's latest succession of prospective governesses, Theodosia sets out to solve this latest mystery before the Serpents of Chaos succeed in their latest plan--and use the Staff of Osiris for something far more sinister than moving the dead. 

Once more, Theodosia Throckmorton does not disappoint. Somewhat like a fantasy version of Flavia de Luce, she manages to be witty, sharp, and indisputably an eleven-year-old in the best possible way, making this series constantly surprising, unexpected, and brilliantly clever. Combining fantasy, mystery, historical fiction, and ancient Egyptian archaeology, Theodosia has a bit of everything, and it's all pulled off brilliantly well. I highly recommend Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris and the Theodosia series to readers ages ten and up who enjoy mysteries and fantasy novels. 

By Ella

The Last Fallen Moon is the sequel to The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim, and the second book in the Gifted Clans trilogy. 

[Look out--there are spoilers for book 1!]

Riley Oh just saved the world--it seems like she should have a chance to celebrate. But since in the process nearly everyone she knows lost their memories of her and the Gom clan no longer has their healing gift...well, let's just say that not everyone is thrilled about what Riley has done. 

Determined to fix at least one of her mistakes, Riley enters the Spiritrealm, or the world of the dead, to recruit a new patron for the Gom clan and restore their healing powers. Only the Spiritrealm is in the midst of its own problems, and with the help of a mysterious, white-haired boy named Dahl, Riley has to figure out what's really going on and stop a particularly nefarious plot before the Spiritrealm and Mortalrealm are endangered. 

I loved The Last Fallen Star, so I was thrilled to read the sequel. I loved it! With the same hilarious characters, fast pace, and intricate plot as book one, The Last Fallen Moon lived up to my expectations and introduced me to a whole new side to Riley's world that was constantly funny, interesting, and unique. I particularly liked getting to know both old and new characters better during this story, especially Hattie and Dahl. I highly recommend The Last Fallen Moon to readers ages nine and up looking for a strong, exciting series full of mythology and magic. 

By Piranha T. 

Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality is the fifth and final book in the Pandava Quintet, which opened with Aru Shah and the End of Time. 

[Look out--there are spoilers below for earlier books in the series!] 

Aru Shah and her friends have lost their celestial weapons--and without them, they don't have a chance of entering the labyrinth in which the Nectar of Immortality is hidden. The Sleeper and his army are already there, though, and Aru knows she's running out of time. 

Together, Aru, Mini and Brynne--with lots of help from their friends--must trade in old favors, journey to the ends of the earth, and even perform at a rock concert to regain their weapons and stop the Sleeper in time. But what if the Pandava sisters aren't up for the task? And can Aru figure out the right thing to do in time? 

The first book in the Pandava Quintet, Aru Shah and the End of Time, was so funny, spot-on and brilliant that it made me think, there's no way the whole series can be this awesome. Having finished the final installment, Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality​, I can assure you that it is. The quirky characters, witty narrative and constantly engrossing story never flags; Aru and her friends--particularly Mini, Brynne and Aiden--manage to be both utterly hilarious and deeply relatable and understandable. Having reached the final page of the final book, I found myself wishing I could hang out with them some more! I highly recommend Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality​ (and the entire Pandava Quintet) to readers ages eight and up. 

By Piranha T. 

Taran is the Assistant Pig-Keeper of the oracular pig Hen Wen--a duty which he feels should be noble and meaningful, but instead leads to nothing remotely interesting. He longs to leave his home at Caer Dallben and adventure out into the world, where he imagines a world where heroes like Prince Gwydion keep evil at bay, and peril is never distant. 

But when Hen Wen escapes, and Taran follows her, he quickly learns that his dreams of sword-wielding heroism are not quite as he thought. Not only that, but Hen Wen may be in mortal danger--for the Horned King, the latest champion of the nefarious Arawn, is also searching for her as he seeks to rule all of the land of Prydain. And only Hen Wen knows the secret to defeating him. 

Now Taran must find Hen Wen before the Horned King--all while avoiding the dark beings sent to find her first. He finds help, too, though: from the hero Gwydion, who is very different from how he imagined him; from Fflewddur Fflam, a bard with a penchant from embellishing the truth; and from Eilonwy, a strong-willed girl who knows a bit about magic. But will it be enough to find Hen Wen in time, and save Prydain? 

The Book of Three is one of my enduring fantasy favorites, and when I reread it this summer, I found it just as good as I remembered. Alexander's prose is engrossing, his characters well-defined. Eilonwy in particular I feel the need to bring attention to; although far from perfect, and less so in successive books, she is one of the few female characters in fantasy of this era who has an interesting personality and a life beyond the male characters, although they do invariably stereotype her into the habitual and tight gender roles of this world. The land of Prydain (based on Welsh mythology) is interesting as well; for those who enjoy the inspiration of Welsh mythology in books like Over Sea, Under Stone, this series is particularly recommended. I recommend The Book of Three (and the successive books in the five-volume Chronicles of Prydain) to readers ages ten and up who enjoy high fantasy novels. 

By Piranha T. 

More than anything, Riley Oh has always wanted to have magic. Her sister, Hattie, does, just like everyone else in their community of Korean-American witch clans hidden out in the middle of LA. But Riley is a saram--someone born without magic, an ordinary human, adopted by the Ohs soon after she was born. And though her adoptive family is awesome--particularly Hattie, who's Riley's age and the best sister ever--the rest of the Gifted community definitely doesn't think she belongs. 

So when Riley and Hattie discover a spell which allows them to share Hattie's magic between them, they're ready to perform it, no matter what. But everything changes when the spell doesn't go as planned--and it turns out the cost might be Hattie's life. 

Riley's last hope to save her sister is a bargain with the Cave Bear Goddess, but of course agreements with immortals can never be simple. Not only does she give Riley a task she has no idea how to complete--finding the Godrealm's last fallen star--she also has a time limit. If Riley can't find the star, and fast, Hattie will be gone forever. 

With the help of friends, a magical scooter, and the last person Riley ever would have expected, it's up to her to find the last fallen star and bring it to the Cave Bear Goddess before her time is up. But as Riley begins to uncover secrets which were never intended to be revealed, she has to decide what it really means to belong--and what she's willing to give up to fit in. 

The Last Fallen Star blends myth with the modern day in a story full of action, adventure, and awesomeness. Riley is a brilliant protagonist who I love--she's determined, funny, and immensely relatable, and I'm glad there will be two more books about her to enjoy! I also love her relationship with Hattie--the strength of the love between them is palpable throughout and one of the best sister relationships I've read. Graci Kim creates a complete world which feels real, with a cast of unique supporting characters who are all interesting and fun. Perhaps the most standout part of this book is the plot--every time I thought I knew just a little where it was going I was wrong, and a constant flow of action, surprises, and laughs made this book speed by until I couldn't believe I'd reached the end. I highly recommend The Last Fallen Star to readers ages ten and up who love fantasy adventures with strong characters, a fast-paced plot, and a fully realized world. I can't wait for book two! 

By Piranha T. 

Zima knows to put the safety of her pack above all else—and to avoid both the dangerous humans who are intruding upon her forest and Baba Yaga, the witch who every wolf knows will spell them if she gets the chance. But when Zima’s brother is hurt, she must appeal to Baba Yaga to heal him.

The witch agrees, for a price. She needs a wolf’s acute sense of smell to help restore the rightful tsar to the throne, and so she switches bodies with Zima in exchange for healing her brother.

Baba Yaga instructs Zima to stay put in her hut while she’s gone, but when a human girl named Nadya arrives bearing news of a plot to destroy the forest, Zima knows she must act. She sets off, with Nadya by her side, to foil the tsar’s dark plan.

Can she succeed in time? Or will her home—and her family—be destroyed?

A Wolf for a Spell is a beautiful, layered fantasy which reads like a fairy tale, perfect for fans of The Door by the Staircase and Begone the Raggedy Witches. Karah Sutton weaves a complex tale of magic, mystery, and hope full of elements of Russian folktales, creating an atmospheric story perfectly represented by Pauliina Hannuniemi’s beautiful illustrations throughout. The characters, particularly Zima, are all strong and distinct, and the plot is unusual and twisty. I highly recommend A Wolf for a Spell to readers of fantasy ages nine and up. 

By Super Kitty

Note: When testing links in our archives, we discovered we'd accidentally deleted this review's original post. Years later, it's remained one of our favorites, so we decided to (re)share it. Enjoy! 

Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has made her fair share of mistakes. She has what she likes to call an imagination—and what her snooty classmates call a skill at lying. When three school bullies finally confront her with her stories, she’s determined to prove that she’s been telling the truth about some things, at least. So she accepts a dare. She lights a lamp. And she unleashes a legendary monster, who, if she cannot stop him, will tear Time itself apart. Which is definitely her record for Biggest Mistake Ever.

To keep the darkness she has loosed at bay, Aru must journey from her home to the Otherworld to the kingdom of Death itself, joining forces with a sarcastic pigeon (yes, a pigeon) and a skittish yet super-smart girl apparently woven into Aru’s destiny, searching for a way to destroy the ancient evil, and maybe even (gulp) save the world. Which might be way more than Aru and her new friends can manage. Because not only do stories turn out to be true— things Aru thought were true turn out to be stories.

Because Aru isn’t the only one with secrets…

This was one of those books which managed to be entertaining, surprising, and completely hilarious. Aru is an irresistible heroine, and her various adventures in a world where normal life and Hindu mythology overlap seamlessly make the book impossible to put down. The vivid settings and equally clever supporting cast combine to make this a highly enjoyable fantasy that I would recommend for ages 8+.

By Piranha T.

The raggedy witches have never been part of Mup Taylor’s peaceful life. She’s grown up in the mundane world, where magic isn’t common, surrounded by her perfectly normal mam and dad, her younger brother Tipper, and her beloved Aunty. Aunty has always warned Mup against the witches, and told her that if she sees them, she must tell Aunty and no one else. But the night Mup sees them out her car window, Aunty has died—and her family has no protection left against the raggedy witches.

Mup is quickly torn from familiarity into a world of strange and powerful magic where people can become animals, and an unjust queen forces rebels to speak in rhyme. But she’s a part of this world, too, because it’s where her mam was born. And the queen—who restricts all magic, and commands the powerful raggedy witches—wants her, because Mup’s mam is her daughter.

In an unfamiliar world where Mup doesn’t know who or what to trust, and raggedy witches seem to lurk in every shadow, Mup has a single goal: to keep her family together. But that might just be the hardest quest of all.

​Begone the Raggedy Witches is a modern novel and a fairytale at the same time. Celine Kiernan skillfully manages to create a very real world which feels very deep and multilayered, yet is simple enough to easily grasp, and adds to the story instead of complicating it. The cast, including Mup, is interesting and realistic. Those elements of realism are part of what makes Begone the Raggedy Witches stand out, because they integrate seamlessly into the fairytale-like story invoked by the plot and writing; the feel of this book often reminded me of A Path Begins. I highly recommend Begone the Raggedy Witches to lovers of fairytales and whimsical stories ages ten and up. 

Note: If you enjoy Begone the Raggedy Witches, check out our interview with the author, Celine Kiernan! 

By Piranha T.

Eleven-year-old Trinket’s father was a teller and a bard. He would tell stories for a living, traveling the countryside, but he would always return to Trinket and her mother, and their house by the sea. But for five years, he hasn’t returned. And Trinket is determined to find him.

With the help of Thomas the Pig Boy and a map which her father left when he disappeared, Trinket travels across the countryside, finding the seven stories she needs to become a true bard herself. She tangles with Gypsies and a seer girl, helps rescue a child stolen by selkies, aids a skilled young dancer bargain with faeries, and has many other adventures besides. But as her search turns up no trace of her father, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever find a trace of him—until she hears a story which changes everything she believed.

​The Seven Tales of Trinket was a fairytale-like tale of a girl searching for her father intertwined with Gaelic folklore. Shelley Moore Thomas creates a vivid world of magic in the stories Trinket finds, from faeries to banshees to selkies and more, very much in the flavor of the Celtic myths much of the story was drawn from. I loved the stories and adventures Trinket had, which were vivid and multilayered, all standing easily alone but intertwined into her adventure in different ways. I would recommend this to readers nine and up, especially those who love folklore or The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, or anyone who loves a lyrical, enchanting stories of family, quests and adventure.

By Piranha T.

Rose is the youngest of eight children, subject of many of her mother’s superstitions. Despite what her family would prefer, she has always loved to explore. She has always dreamed of a white bear who would explore the northern regions of the world with her.

But when such a bear comes, he has a different request. In exchange for her family’s well-being, Rose must come with him and leave the world she has always known. When she goes with him, Rose discovers a world of ice and snow, where magic is real—and enchantments can bind a life. The bear has secrets of his own, and Rose’s choices will decide his fate.

East is a retelling of the classic fairytale East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Unlike many other books like this, Edith Pattou doesn’t completely change the classic tale. Instead, she adds to it, weaving the story’s threads in unexpected directions while still holding to the normal course of the story. Yet at the same time, it’s much more multilayered, with all the characters seeming real. Rose is an exceptional heroine who I could completely relate to. Many of the things which might seem rash or odd in the original fairytale are explained fully, and though a part of me knew a few things weren’t great decisions, I could understand why Rose did them.
​
This book is set in Norway, with many of the names Norwegian, but it wasn’t confusing to me. Likewise, although there are several different narrations in this book, it didn’t feel awkward or confusing. This is an excellent fantasy novel which I would recommend for ages twelve and up.

By Super Kitty

In The Language of Thorns, Leigh Bardugo weaves together well-known fairy tales and original ones in a collection of beautifully illustrated short stories. Full of twists and enchantments, witchcraft and trickery, traditional lore blends with creative new elements to create a satisfying set of tales perfect for fans of books involving dark magic, mysterious characters, and powerful sorcery.  
​
I always like seeing how authors incorporate threads from well-known legends into their own retellings, and this was no exception. Sara Kipin’s stunning artwork adds to the magic as well, unfolding along with the stories in colorful borders around each page. Set in the same world as the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and Six of Crows Duology, there are certain aspects of The Language of Thorns that readers of the author’s other stories will appreciate; however, it can also be enjoyed without reading the previous books. Captivating and clever, I would highly recommend it for ages twelve and up.