​By Piranha T.
 
Tal Graile-Rerem faces a difficult choice. Unless he finds a new Sunstone, he cannot travel to the spirit land, Aenir, and bind a Spiritshadow on the Day of Ascension. It has always been the way of things to do this, ever since a veil of shadow was created over the world, upheld by the seven towers of the castle. But his mother is sick, and his father has disappeared, leaving Tal to care for his two younger siblings. And it hardly helps that Tal has somehow attracted the dislike of a powerful man called Shadowmaster Sushin.
 
Before long, Tal’s quest reaches far beyond simply finding a Sunstone. He discovers a snow-wreathed land beneath the castle and there meets an Icecarl girl named Milla. They will learn secrets which have been hidden for centuries and discover the truth about an ancient war, a war to which not all have yet admitted defeat.
 
The Seventh Tower series was an exciting, action-filled fantasy saga filled with entertaining characters, unexpected twists, and unforgettable revelations. Each of the six books had something new and surprising. They would be enjoyed by readers of Septimus Heap by Angie Sage, Eragon by Christopher Paolini, and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I’d highly recommend the Seventh Tower series to readers ages ten and up, because there were some darker and more violent parts.

By Super Kitty
 
“The Combination,” he muttered, “is a criminal organization. It’s a multi-headed serpent—a hydra, if you will—with an almost preternatural ability to remain invisible. Some might call it supernatural. You may see signs—the effects of their operations—but never the organization itself… And those who manage to unravel the mystery and get to the truth, well, they’re called mad. But when you know the truth, and everyone else believes the lie, who’s crazy then? Huh?”
 
Madman. Genius. Fool. Thirteen-year-old Darkus Knightly has heard all sorts of opinions about his father, the mysterious private eye Alan Knightly, but he has yet to form his own, after his father went into a coma four years ago. Instead, he’s stuck with his mom (who divorced and re-married shortly before Alan went unconscious), his stepfather (who cares about cars and not much else), and his stepsister Tilly (who’s just…weird. Very weird.) He’d give anything to get his father back—but when he does, it’s not exactly the way he planned. Instead, Darkus is pulled into a complex web of clever deceptions, following a set of cryptic evidence which seem to bear no connection to each other, yet may be the key to unlocking an ancient mystery which some might consider supernatural, some might consider a hoax, and a few—a very few—might consider a perfect first case.
 
I always enjoy a well-done mystery, so when I found Knightly and Son, I couldn’t resist getting it—and I wasn’t disappointed. The plot was full of twists and escapes, the characters were vivid and very original, and I particularly liked the writing style, which had a classic ‘private eye feel’ while still creating a cast which feels perfectly believable. I would recommend it for ages ten and up (although it isn’t a murder mystery, there are a few elements of the story that are more in that vein)—while that age range of readers would be fine, it is somewhat darker than most of the other mysteries we’ve reviewed here (including Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls and Book Scavenger). However, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would highly recommend it to readers who enjoy puzzles, action, and brilliant detectives. 

P.S. This is the first in a series, which I have been thoroughly enjoying. You can find out more about them at www.knightleyandson.com. 

By Piranha T. 

When the headmistress of Saint Etheldrada's School for Young Ladies and her brother are mysteriously murdered during dinner, their students decide not to contact the police. Instead, they take matters into their own hands and keep the crime secret. They have complete freedom - but only so long as no one catches them. And that takes more work than any of them expected. 

Faking their way through visits from investigating policemen, disastrous social gatherings, and curious lawyers, they begin to realize that there's even more to worry about. For if the murderer falls for their charade and thinks their headmistress is still alive, nothing's stopping them from trying again. 

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is a hilarious historical mystery set against the backdrop of Victorian England. It has a funny, distinct characters and a brilliant plotline for mystery lovers. I'd highly recommend The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place​ to readers ages ten and up. 

By Super Kitty

Lyra Belacqua has grown up at Oxford Collage, raised by various scholars but spending most of her time running wild with her daemon Pantalimon at her side. She and her best friend Roger explore every inch of the collage together, playing games (and occasional tricks) to their heart’s content. She is perfectly happy and never wants to leave, but her world is changing. Children disappearing, a mysterious new substance, and rumors of disturbing experiments are all part of something that could bring the earth to a very dark place, and as Lyra discovers, only she can stop it. With the help of an armored bear, her faithful daemon, and a mystical tool that she only half understands, she sets out on a journey which will take her to the edge of the world—and beyond.

The Golden Compass is one of my favorite stories for several reasons. First of all, Lyra is a brilliant heroine, the sort you just can’t help but fall in love with. Second, the writing and plotting are excellent. And third, unexpected twists, clever villains, and daring escapes made it remarkably hard to put down. It’s the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, which I have been enjoying, although each book is very different. It has some darker parts, so I would recommend it to readers ages ten and up, particularly fans of Angie Sage’s Septimus Heap series (reviewed May 2017) and Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising sequence (reviewed February 2017).

Note: This book is awesome on audio, so if you like audiobooks, this is for you!    

By Super Kitty
Aramanth is a perfect city. There is no crime, no favoritism of certain races or people. Each citizen is tested in mathematics, history, and the like in a fair and unbiased way, and it is by their test ratings that they are categorized—determining where they live, what their jobs are, and the class in which they are ranked—and nothing else matters. If someone works hard, they can rise in position; if they are lazy, they are demoted. Everyone has a job, and all jobs are considered equally important. Aramanth is, in all, perfection.

At least, that’s what its leaders say.

Twins Kestrel and Bowman Hath have lived in Aramanth their entire lives and have heard of its superiority more times than they can count. But it’s not a fair system, not a true story, and certainly not a perfect place—as Kestrel learns all to well when she revolts against the harsh laws governing her family’s lives, finding out just how flawed their world is. Without any other choices, and determined to make a difference, she, Bowman, and an unexpected (and somewhat unwelcome) ally flee the city and set off on a desperate quest to find the voice of the wind singer, a legendary object that may be the only thing capable of returning light and happiness to Aramanth. But as they journey deeper, they realize that they have taken on far more than they realized, becoming involved in an ancient conflict and drawing the attention of the Morah, an ancient keeper of powers that control Aramanth—powers that could just as easily destroy it.  

​This was one of those wonderful books which I saw at the library, flipped open, and couldn’t stop reading. Clever and entertaining, it also managed to be a thought-provoking read. Exciting, engrossing, and liberally sprinkled with clever twists, The Wind Singer is an excellent book that I would recommend to readers ages ten and up.  

By: Contributing Reviewer, Radical Reader (age 10)

This book is about a girl named Emma who is in high-school and is also the drama club stage-manager which is putting on the play, Hamlet. When her friend Stanley cuts a hole in the stage, she falls through it and ends up at one of the original productions of Hamlet, also becoming the assistant book-keeper. On opening night of her high-school performance, the star is sick and the director is nowhere to be seen! Can Emma keep the show together through all of this? I liked this book because it had an interesting plot line but I did not like that it had some inappropriate topics. Parts of the book is written in Elizabethan English so it is kind of difficult to read. I would recommend this book to young adults because of the language and some of the topics that are inappropriate.

By Piranha T.

Sixteen-year-old Seraphina Dombegh is hardly like others in the land of Goredd, and not just because of her extraordinary musical talent. Her mother was a saarantras—a dragon in human form—and although the Goreddi-dragon treaty signed forty years ago frames the two species as allies, intolerance remains rampant between them. Seraphina only keeps this secret by remaining out of the spotlight, but when she is apprenticed to the court musician, Viridius, this becomes much more difficult. Especially as, with the anniversary of the treaty approaching, tensions rise between dragons and humans.

Crown Prince Rufus is killed in a mysteriously draconian fashion. The leader of the dragons comes to Goredd, but perhaps is therefore placed in terrible danger. Sightings of strange shapes in the night come from exiled knights. As more and more pieces of the puzzle begin to be uncovered, Seraphina must join forces with Prince Lucian Kiggs, the perceptive captain of the guard, on a quest not just to save Goredd, but to accept herself.

Seraphina is a multilayered, engrossing fantasy novel full of well-defined characters and intricate worldbuilding. Seraphina is one of my favorite main characters, equal parts sympathetic and flawed, many-layered and understandable. Her emotional and internal journey is what makes this book so beautiful and strong: it’s about more than dragons and court intrigue, it’s about a girl who is, despite her mixed ancestry, deeply and beautifully human. Her choices and decisions make this story much more than it might have been otherwise.

That said, Seraphina is one of my favorite books for other reasons, too. Goredd and the surrounding lands (though fleshed out more fully in the sequel, Shadow Scale) feel very real; the same can be said for all the supporting characters, who are unique and interesting. The plot, similar to a mystery, is full of twists, court intrigue, and unexpected realizations; it reminds me a little of books such as Shadow and Bone and The Candle and the Flame. Overall, I highly recommend Seraphina to readers ages twelve and up looking for a strong heroine, a complex plot, and an engrossing story which you won’t want to leave. 

By Super Kitty
​
Makenna has grown up in a small village, learning to become a hedgewitch like her mother, running wild with the village children. One tragic day, however, her mother is betrayed by those she thought were friends, and she is killed. Narrowly avoiding death, Makenna becomes bitter with all humankind, and instead befriends a small group of goblins, where she finds that her mother’s death is just a small part of a larger and darker plan, one she swears to stop at all costs.
​
When Tobin, a young knight, gets tangled in a dangerous misunderstanding, he loses everything. His only hope of earning it back lies in a dangerous quest to destroy the allegedly evil sorceress that is said to live in the Goblin Wood, along with her army of goblins. Tobin has been raised to see right and wrong, good and bad, but as his mission gets more complex, he begins to realize that the world is more complicated than he always thought.

As the Tobin and Makenna struggle in the growing conflict, it becomes clear that the battles being fought are not what either of them thought they were, and that loyalties cannot be divided—decisions must be made, and they could change the tide of war…

I liked this book for several reasons. First of all, the goblins were very well done. Hilari Bell has created a species that are not in essence just small, powerful humans, as too many fantastic creatures seem to be, but beings which see the world in a unique way and act accordingly, something which I always appreciate. The characters and their relationships very well done, and I particularly liked Makenna—she’s like the best combination of Keladry of Mindalin (the Protector of the Small Quartet) and Lyra Belaqua (The Golden Compass) that I can imagine! The story is told alternating between Makenna’s and Tobin’s perspectives, and while I usually prefer one main character, the two perspectives made it even better. Also, I liked that there were good and bad people on both sides of the conflict—one species or race is never purely one or the other, and the story felt much more believable that way. I would recommend The Goblin Wood to those ages ten and up looking for a satisfying, absorbing, and sometimes amusing read.

By Piranha T.

High on Eld Mountain, the young wizard Sybel continues her father’s and grandfather’s collection of long-forgotten, magical creatures: Cyrin the boar, who knows the answers to all riddles but one; Gyld, a dragon who longs for its treasure; Moriah, the great black cat that rules the night; and many, many besides. Yet of all creatures, the one Sybel desires most manages to evade all her callings: the Lilaren, a beautiful white swan.

But Sybel’s life is about to change forever when a man comes, bearing a young baby who she must raise. Before long, she is pulled into the battle that goes on far beneath her home, into a world of power and deceit, love and terror, where all will soon seem to come at far too high a price.

This is by far one of my favorite books of all time, winner of the World Fantasy Award. Part of what makes it so magnificent is not only the characters, who are well-crafted and believable, but that you love them and care about what happens to them so much that you can understand everything too, and what they do in return.
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The story itself is one of the best plotlines I have ever read. It is so multi-layered and well written that it has a similar lyrical style to fantasy books like The Last Dragon and other masterpieces. I would highly recommend it to kids and adults twelve and up. It is one of those timeless books which adults can appreciate just as much as kids can, and I hope they will.