Swashbuckling abounds in this fun-filled series opener.
Two young people’s lives collide as they try to save one baby dragon—and an entire kingdom.
Life on the streets of Cutthroat Wedge, an island in the floating kingdom of Gallecia, is hard for orphaned Remy; he must steal to eat, and his only real company is an old man named Bart, who drinks in the tavern and is full of wild stories of adventure and dragons, a luxury that these days only the ultra-wealthy can afford. Meanwhile, Princess Gem is chafing against her school’s restrictions of her storm mage powers. She’s determined to save Gallecia, which she’s just discovered is rapidly sinking into the Maelstrom, the mysterious magic-giving storm holding the islands aloft. After a strange storm, Remy finds a baby dragon who’s being hunted by the ruthless pirate Jhaeros. Turning to Bart for help sets him on a collision course with Gem’s search for the missing Sir Bartello Axtell, who knows how to find the Ancients that can save their world. This first series entry evenly balances worldbuilding with action and suspense. The comfortably familiar dragons, pirates, and knights exist in an exciting and physically dangerous airborne environment. Both Gem and Remy are steadfast in their convictions and highly sympathetic despite their differences in background, education, and personality. The emotional hook is set with this volume: Readers will feel compelled to seek out the next installment. Characters are minimally described and racially ambiguous.
Swashbuckling abounds in this fun-filled series opener. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781368090308
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A deeply imaginative journey that puts the “cat” in cathartic.
A loyal black kitten’s boy is under supernatural attack.
Eleven-month-old Nimbus loves Fletcher, the boy who nursed her back to health following life-threatening injuries. When Fletcher becomes curious about a strange jar and opens it, releasing a terrible goblin, loyal Nim protects Fletcher, taking heavy damage in the process. But Fletcher’s aunt, who’s caring for him over spring break, believes Nim attacked Fletcher and dumps her far from home. Rhett, a stylish rat with star quality, befriends injured Nim and leads her to a witch’s house. While the witch cares for Nim, the witch’s cats (maternal Fern, bookish Rochester, standoffish Bianca, and openly hostile Abraxas) teach Nim important cat skills. She also discovers she has a supernatural ability: In destroying one eye of the nightmare demon in the fight to protect Fletcher, Nim gained its “dream sight.” But she also learns it might come back for Fletcher, who no longer has Nim to protect him, posing a time-sensitive, high-stakes threat. Even though the witch’s home is nice and magic itself seems to be telling her to stay put, Nim wants to find a way back to Fletcher. As a hero, Nimbus is as gritty and determined as she is adorable. Tear-jerker moments explore pet abandonment—readers may want their own pets on hand to hug—all the way through the magical, action-packed finale. Fletcher and the witch read white.
A deeply imaginative journey that puts the “cat” in cathartic. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780062680372
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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