Two fantasies and an historical novel, all of which were stellar!

A Curious Kind of Magic Five Stars

by Mara Rutherford

This book was provided by Macmillan, the publisher, through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Willow Stokes tries desperately to scrape a living from her father’s cluttered Magical Objects shop. She is deeply grieving her father’s death and angry at the world, including Finlay, who works for the printer and bakes her pies and brings her food when she is out of money. She is fiercely independent and determined to make a living on her own – no matter what – even though the rent is months overdue and no one buys anything from the shop anymore. She finally begins to open up when Brianna Hargrove arrives in town, needing help and a place to stay. Finlay, Willow, and Brianna form an unlikely alliance to search for a grimoire to break the curse that Brianna is carrying. The search grows much darker when a threat against her friends, forces Willow to steal to save their lives.

The whimsical aspect of this novel instills a sense of innocence around the three main characters. In the beginning, Willow ‘s grief affects her every decision. Her anger begins to subside as both Finlay and Brianna work to alleviate her loneliness. Most of the magical aspects of the book seem charming in the face of so much current literature. This book is a refreshingly unique offering in YA fantasy! It would be an ideal springboard for tweens who want to test out fantasy without plunging in headfirst!

The Magical Library of Waterfall Way Five Stars

by Julie Abe

This book was provided by the publisher, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, through NetGalley. All opinions are my own,

Lyra Hunt is an Unremarkable, in a world of Remarkable children, all born to do remarkable things! In fact, she is the only Unremarkable in the entire kingdom, a complete unheard-of aberration. Lyra’s parents died when she was younger and now her days are spent going from Guild to Guild with the Guild Matcher hoping that someone will take her on. If she can’t find a Guild home before she turns twelve, then she will be consigned to the Mists, a truly terrifying place to go.

Stuck on a rutted, muddy road Lyra sees a sign for The Scholars Guild. Hoping to find help, she follows a sable, burrowing through the brush ahead of her. She follows it into the center of a small village. Although the villagers are unfriendly at first, Lyra’s heart gives a leap when Gemini, the Guild Master, offers to take Lyra on. Her Guild Matcher is ecstatic, too! Lyra’s only requirement is that she take on a quest for the Guild, but there have been no quests available for a long time. Lyra has only a few months until her twelfth birthday and so she waits impatiently for a quest to appear. When it does, it seems impossible, but Lyra is determined to succeed.

This delightful Middle-Grade Fantasy has overtones of Disney’s talking teapots and walking furniture. Everything in the village seems to be enchanted, from the oven that grumbles to the sable, who can turn from a beast into a book! This would be a charming novel for a Book Club! Every library needs at least one copy!

The Queen’s Granddaughter Five stars – sorry no cover image is available

by Diana Zahler

The book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

When Blanca hears that her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, plans to visit, she assumes that she plans to take her older sister away. The Queen has come searching for the perfect girl to marry Prince Louis of France. Bianca doesn’t want her sister to go, and manufactures reasons why she would not make a good queen of France. Unfortunately, her plan backfires and it is twelve-year-old Blanca who Eleanor choses to be Louie’s consort. The long trip to France terrifies Blanca and she asks to be permitted to bring a companion along. She chooses Suna, a Muslim girl, who is her best friend.

From her Father’s Moorish Palace in Castile through the snow-covered Pyrenees, Blanca’s retinue faces kidnapping, thieves, and political intrigue. She has only Suna to comfort her and her cranky grandmother who manages to turn every opportunity into a lesson that Blanca should learn. Through dangers, blizzards, and sickness, Blanca begins to see another side to her grandmother and realizes why Eleanor has become so admired and venerated. Blanca leaves her father’s arms as a child but arrives in France ready to take on the responsibilities laid out for her.

This is an excellent historical novel and would make a great selection for libraries. It offers so many interesting topics for discussion such as how women’s rights have changed, Blanca’s father’s openness to other religions, feasts and foods, and the cumbersome means of travel during the time period of the novel. Blanca is outspoken and boyish, an endearing character who starts the book with a bang. Readers will keep on rooting for her!