July 15, 2023
A teen wrestles with magical powers and moral dilemmas when she learns she's a Dark Lord's daughter. Four years after her adoptive father died of cancer, 14-year-old Kayla Jones still has to be careful; mentioning him sends her mom, Riki, into dark moods. But her 10-year-old brother, Del, who has fewer memories of his biological father, can't help asking about him. Luckily, their traditional family trip to the Minnesota State Fair provides a distraction. When an armor-clad man called Waylan invites Kayla to assume her father's throne and "rebuild the armies of Darkness," she assumes he's acting--until she, Del, and Riki are abruptly teleported to the kingdom of Zaradwin and its cursed, dilapidated castle. Waylan reveals that Kayla, daughter of the late Dark Lord Xavriel, is next in line to be the Dark Lady--provided she's not defeated by challengers. But Kayla just can't grasp Dark magic, and upholding such traditions as exile, kidnapping, and execution feels horrifying. Maybe she should just focus on getting home? A disturbing revelation, however, compels her to break the curse before it dooms every castle inhabitant. The plot and worldbuilding rely heavily on lengthy expository dialogue, and intriguing but unexplored plot elements will leave action-oriented readers awaiting a sequel. However, quirky secondary characters, including Macavinchy, Kayla's tablet computer-turned-familiar, interject wry wit, and Kayla's relationships with Del and Riki are humorous and poignant. Most characters read white. A promising setup for gripping future developments. (Fantasy. 8-13)
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July 24, 2023
While attending the Minnesota State Fair with her adoptive mother and brother, 14-year-old Kayla Jones is approached by Waylon, second commander of the Dark Hordes of Zaradwin, who bids her to take her late Dark Lord father’s throne. The family is promptly transported to Zaradwin, where Kayla is greeted as the realm’s prospective Dark Lady, a role in which she would follow in her father’s footsteps. The Jones family would prefer to return home, but accessing enough magic to transport them back requires Kayla to embrace her new function, and the power that comes with it—if she can survive until the official ceremony of investiture. Kayla is nevertheless reluctant to perform the duties of a Dark Lady (battling rivals, waging war, and executing minions), and her presence may upset a land caught in a perpetual war between Light and Dark. In a tongue-in-cheek survey of epic fantasy tropes, Wrede (the Enchanted Forest Chronicles) creates an intentionally generic fantasy world that’s keenly devoted to its traditions. Featuring droll chapter headings (“So You Are a Potential Dark Lord,” “Discovering Your Dark Heritage”) that structure an exposition-heavy telling of family dynamics and character growth, this is an amusing story of finding one’s place amid the unfamiliar. Its fantasy-world-incompatible technology-turned-familiars are particularly memorable. Most characters read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ginger Clark, Ginger Clark Literary.
August 1, 2023
Grades 4-7 Fourteen-year-old Kayla is visiting the Minnesota State Fair with her younger brother and Riki, her adoptive mother, when they are magically transported to a medieval-like realm by Waylan, a sword-wielding "commander of the Dark Hordes." Having sworn allegiance to Kayla as "the Dark Lady of Zaradwin," he informs her that she has magical powers and is the heir to her father, the previous Dark Lord, now deceased. Curious about her birth parents and this magical realm, but also dealing with Riki's rules, her safety concerns, and her determination to take her kids back home, Kayla wonders what kind of Dark Lady she could be. Given her ancestors' cruel, violent governance, she hopes that she would do better. Within the fantasy, one inventive premise is that objects transported between worlds transform into their cultural equivalents: a cellphone turns into a "messenger mouse" and Kayla's tablet computer is transformed into a talking-monkey familiar, seated on her shoulder and dispensing information upon request. With believable characters and interesting dialogue, here's a fresh, engaging fantasy with a sequel to come.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
October 1, 2023
Gr 5-8-Kayla Jones, along with her brother Delmar and mother Rikki, have just arrived at the State Fair when the story begins. At 14, Kayla is more interested in tinkering with her newly acquired school-issued tablet than the fair. The day is proving to be perfectly normal until the family is approached by a strange man who tells Kayla that, at last, he has found her. Then, with a touch to her hand, the man pulls the family into an entirely new dimension. In this new world, called Zaradwin, Kayla discovers she is Xavrielina, the daughter and heir to the last, and greatest, Dark Lord Xavriel. Wrede crafts a well-written story with an intriguing medievalesque land of magic, divided between light- and dark-magic users. The premise of the story concerns Kayla's journey to become a successful "Dark Lady'' in this new world, along with a fun cast of characters. While this plot stands on its own, it is without a major adventure or the high stakes that would make it a hero's journey, and instead veers into a cozy fantasy. VERDICT This title may not grab readers looking for more exciting and fast-paced tales but will appeal to fans of other high fantasy stories with magic, like the "School for Good and Evil" series.-Hannah Pohl
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