"A Touch of Blood" by Sajni Patel

A Touch of Blood (Feb. 25, 2025) by Sajni Patel.

<This is the second novel in a duology.>

<Note: This novel does contain a trigger warning.>

“Potent. Deadly. Inevitable.” Before Manisha was sent to hide on the floating mountain, her elder sister, Eshani, made a deal with the shades to provide safe crossing across the marshlands for the naga during the Fire Wars. Now years later, the shades expect Eshani to fulfill her promise and seek to bring her to the Nightmare Realm and the Gatekeeper. The “little goddess of spring” is said to be the key to fulfilling the Nightmare Realm’s prophecy, and the Shadow King wants her, because he covets immortality. Eshani is separated from Lekha, whom she raised from a scared kit (she’s a golden tiger), and is stolen to the realm and chased by monsters. She must evade the Shadow King, a brutal being who thinks Eshani’s fertility is part of the prophecy. The Gatekeeper, meanwhile, has his own problems. Hiran isn’t supposed to be alive, having been immolated as a child by his own half-brother, the current Shadow King. His sister Holika, a dreamreaver, also lives, though her physical form lies captive at the bottom of the Court of Nightmares’ pool of dreams. The Gloom follows Hiran everywhere (and has a dark sense of humor). Hiran refuses to meld with it, as he fears that he’ll become as monstrous as the current and former Shadow Kings. The Nightmare Realm isn’t overly partial to a particular Shadow King so long as there is one, and it will get what it wants. The hidden stowaway, long thought dead, and the science-loving nagin must save entire worlds.

Patel’s YA dark fantasy/mythology tale is as lush as it is sinister with vivid world-building and slow-churning affection. It combines the Indian mythology of the naga and the Greek mythology of Persephone. There is dark rage and the light of healing. As with its companion in the duology, there are upsetting scenes, and I wouldn’t recommend this story to anyone who gets queasy easily. The fury and survival is terrifying and compelling. Eshani’s journey is tragic but also triumphant, and reading her story is intense. Destiny is calling Eshani and Hiran. For one, a kingdom awaits, and for the other, a goddess arises.

            P.S. As I understand it, this is still considered a duology, but the author has clearly set up (Eshani’s twin) Sithara’s story and the conclusion to the Fire Wars. Fingers crossed!

            Book One: A Drop of Venom

"The Curse Breaker" by Jen Calonita

The Curse Breaker (Mar. 10, 2026) by Jen Calonita.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

The game isn’t over. Instead, there is a new game. Everly “Benny” Benedict found the island, but the inheritance isn’t yet hers. Benny has found Evelyn’s friends, trapped for two centuries on the island. Being stranded in perpetually glorious weather may sound divine, but learning you’ve been on the island for 200 years versus 200 days and that everyone you once knew is dead takes time to accept. There are more clues to seek out and new journal entries to read. All pieces of the pirate treasure need to be returned to break the curse, but who has the missing piece or pieces? Someone Benny thought was her friend has betrayed her, but she’s gained Gilbert “Gil” Monroe. (Aggy Bishop, Laurel Henderson and Thomas Lyons remain on the island, and no one knows where Axel Rudd is since he scampered off it.) Jonas Kimble is as cranky and fusty as ever, but he’s nearby. He’s limited to how far from Greenport, New York (part of Long Island Sound), he can venture, and he’s looking for Grace. She goes by many names that all begin with “C” for some reason. The Isle of Ever should be around for a fortnight, but the clock is ticking. If time runs out, the greedy Rudd family will inherit, and the island will disappear for another 200 years.

            Calonita’s middle-grade fantasy adventure features family, friendship, magic, mayhem, pirates and lost treasure. The characters of 2025 and 1825 are intriguing and curious. Captain Jonas Kimble reminds me of Captain Jack Sparrow, but for the middle-grade set and without the smell of rum. Ha! No sequel syndrome with this Isle of Ever series book, as it is a riptide of conflict, calamity, mystery and spirit. Even when characters are slogging through the rain, this novel is an escapade and a local research expedition. There are twists to capsize the reader and a confrontational cliffhanger that’ll have the audience impatiently awaiting the next installment.

            Book One: The Isle of Ever

"The Poisoned King" by Katherine Rundell

The Poisoned King (Sept. 11, 2025) by Katherine Rundell.

<This is the middle novel in a trilogy.>

The call to return to the Archipelago comes when Christopher Forrester wakes to find Jacques the jaculus dragon chewing on his face. Finally! A summons! He’s joyful to return, but the news is grim. Someone has a poison strong enough to kill the dragons. Such poison does not exist in the Archipelago, so it must’ve come from the Outerlands. The great red-winged dragon Sarkany states that she’ll only trust Christopher because he’s from the Outerlands and not of the Archipelago. After correctly answering Naravirala the sphinx’s question (and thus preventing being eaten), he travels on her winged back. Before making course for Sarkany in Edem (a dragon island), they detour to save Princess Anya Phoebe Cornelia Argen of the Island of Dousha, Duchess of the Silver Mountains, Countess of the Winged Forests. The Argens are the last royal family in the Archipelago. Anya’s dad is being held prisoner, set up for a murder he didn’t commit, and Anya is about to be murdered. She’s a 12-year-old with nothing but the clothes on her back, a flock of royal gaganas at her side, a newly-hatched gagana chick called Koo in her pocket and a thirst for revenge so strong that her throat burns with injustice. One wants to save the dragons, the other wants to rescue her father, but both need the other’s help, as the avarice-filled killer connects them.

            Rundell’s sequel suffers no second-book syndrome in this mythological, magical thrill ride in a world of creatures both gentle and dangerous, intelligent, cunning and helpful (depending on the species). The fantastical fantasy adventure includes corruption in a royal family, dragons of all sizes, retribution and friends new and old. There’s triumph and new life, grief and peril, advice and wisdom. It’s emotional, cheeky, high-spirited and fast-moving. With brilliant illustrations, magnificent world-building, heart-tugging scenes and continuous adventure, this story is a resplendent return to a wondrous world. As with the previous story, there is a Guardian’s Bestiary of magical creatures at the back.

            Book One: Impossible Creatures

Rutabaga's Reads 2025: Part 7

Hello! Here I am with my second middle-grade (MG) compilation post of 2025. Do you read MG novels? Why or why not?

Isle of Ever (Mar. 25, 2025) by Jen Calonita.

<This is the first novel in a series.>

They manage to squeak on by, but 12-year-old Everly “Benny” Benedict and her mom are broke most of the time. Imagine their surprise when a lawyer shows up, looking for Benny. He informs her that she’s heir to the vast fortune of Evelyn Terry, a mysterious ancestor from the 1800s! How she knew that Benny would exist in 2025 is anybody’s guess, but this news is amazing and possibly too good to be true. In order to actually obtain the inheritance, she has to play a game following Evelyn’s clues and win it. She must find Evelyn’s Island, which doesn’t exist on any map. It’s been 200 years since Evelyn found it, and she watched it disappear during a Blood Orange Moon. Always having moved so often, Benny’s finally found two friends in Zara Dabney and Ryan Gale. She’s going to need their help. The puzzle may have been waiting two centuries for her to come along, but she’s only got two weeks to solve it! If she doesn’t, a rival family can buy out the Terry estate shares (the Rudd family also exists during Evelyn’s time), and Benny and her mom will go back to scraping by. Benny loves puzzles, so Benny knows she can win. She’s determined to!

            In this genre-bending, middle-grade series starter, red herrings and a major cliffhanger enhance this tale. It’s absorbing from the beginning, a fantasy adventure that’s part mystery that also blends in history and a dash of magic. The magical nature doesn’t get carried away. In fact, the realistic depictions of Benny’s preteen moodiness and sometimes frustration with her mom ground the story. The contemporary timeline is interspersed with Evelyn’s journal entries, newspaper clippings and other notes. The first in the Isle of Ever series features an engaging, puzzle-centric quest in a fast-paced storyline seamlessly bridging the past with the present.

Pahua and the Dragon’s Secret (Sept. 10, 2024) by Lori M. Lee.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

She’s the reincarnation of Shee Yee, known as the greatest warrior of all time and graced with athletic finesse. In the here and now, she’s Pahua Moua, a skinny 11-year-old with about zero athletic grace and no warrior training. Pahua has the chance to attend a shaman school in Minnesota to receive proper training, but she must first fulfill a quest. She has to repair the second seal that imprisons Xov, the god of thunder, destruction and wrath. To do that, she must retrieve metallic dragon scales, find the hidden prison and transmute successfully. That’d be a remarkable challenge for a trained shaman warrior, but for the untrained Pahua? Yikes! She’s got her trusted-but-sarcastic cat spirit, Miv, and tough-but-bratty, shaman-in-training friend Zhong. Pahua encounters a rooster spirit called Rou, and they meet Yulong in the Land of Dragons, which doesn’t go so smoothly at first (Zhong tries to kill him). They find the truth stone, which has significance to their journey, though it isn’t known right away, and Zhong becomes unhealthily fanatic about it. Pahua understands that magic is circular, but that doesn’t make knowing that she’ll have to give an equally powerful sacrifice in return any easier.

            If being a preteen is tricky, then being the preteen reincarnation of a great warrior is dangerously tricky. The danger doesn’t overwhelm the characters’ wit. This second in the contemporary, fantasy adventure, Hmong-mythology-filled, Pahua Moua series is imbued with fast pacing, clever plotting, imaginative world-building and an excellent cast. Her love of her family is visible, and her self-doubt only makes her more relatable. Lee’s Pahua stories are steeped in culture and abundant in meaning, but are also entertaining adventures to read. While I’ve enjoyed every story I’ve read from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint – and I’ve read many of them – Lee’s stories are definite standouts. Go forth, readers, and be the brave, fierce warriors that life needs you to be. Just beware of the phim nyuj vais. That demon wants to feast on your intestines.

            Book One: Pahua and the Soul Stealer

Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares (Aug. 3, 2021) by Tehlor Kay Mejia.

<This is the middle novel in a trilogy.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

Six months have passed since La Llorona, and Paola Santiago would never have guessed that life would be what it is now. She’s barely speaking to her best friends, Dante Mata and Emma Lockwood. Dante seems to resent Paola in a big, big way, and Emma is busy with the Rainbow Rogues, a school group. Her mom is distracted by her blond-haired boyfriend. At least Paola has her loyal chupacabra puppy, Bruto, but Bruto can’t fend off the nightmares that have returned. Paola finds herself in a forest of nightmares – sometimes with multiple pairs of watching eyes – and at its center is her estranged father. He’s more of an enigma, as she hardly remembers him. Dante’s abuela (Señora Mata) has even shown up in her dreams and knows her as Maria (that’s Paola’s mom). When Señora Mata falls mysteriously ill, she barely convinces Dante to go on a search for her father to help Dante’s grandmother. She gains an ally – albeit a sarcastic one – in a lone Niña and a sweet duendecillo called Estrella. She’ll need all the help she can get, because fighting El Autostopisto alone will be impossible, and she has to somehow get from Arizona to Oregon on the funds of a 12-year-old (so, she’s mostly broke). There are new and terrifying monsters to clash with, a devastating betrayal to bear and a nightmare forest to confront. At the end of it all, is the man in her dreams really her father? Or a nightmare wearing his face?

            Mejia draws on her Mexican heritage for the second entry in the Paola Santiago series. It’s a story filled with magic and folklore and is layered with realistic concerns that can surround minorities in dealing with police and healthcare and real-life drama within friend groups (though likely without magically transforming Arma del Almas). Paola’s drive to find her father makes this a fast-paced, paranormal fantasy, middle-grade story. She’s got heart, but also sass, and she’s clever, but also makes mistakes. The tale can be mysteriously spooky and fabulously courageous and is incredibly, emotionally honest.

            Book One: Paola Santiago and the River of Tears

"The Deadly Fates" by Dhonielle Clayton

The Deadly Fates (Mar. 4, 2025) by Dhonielle Clayton.

<This is the third novel in a series.>

<Potential spoilers for those unfamiliar with the series.>

Year Three is about to begin for Ella Durand, Brigit Ebsen, Jason Eugene and their classmates at the Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors. This year, the school will be floating above the Sahara Desert, so get ready for dry heat and daily sandstorms. If Ella’s lucky, maybe she’ll spot a sand-dragon. She and her friends saved the world from the diabolical Ace of Anarchy, and Ella was forced to make a gargantuan reveal. It’s rocking the world of both Conjurors and Marvellers, and tensions are rising. She’s determined to discover the truth of the Conjure architect and, hopefully, bring his body home so he can truly be at rest. She’ll need the help of both her living friends and deceased relatives. They’ll sneak into the Underworld, and Ella will learn how one of her ancestors was tricked into losing a set of the Cards of Deadly Fate (that set’s currently an impenetrable prison for supervillains). Chaos is about to ensue, threatening everyone. It’s going to bring violence that Ella isn’t expecting, and she will know deep loss, but she will also gain a companion. How will she and her friends uncover hidden truths when so many seem to be against her, going so far as to send her menacing starposts? (And by-the-way, what kind of monsters send threatening notes to 13-year-olds? I can’t even.)

            I can easily admit that I have a fondness for magic schools, and I wish I could’ve been a student here once upon a time. A global, magical, sky school? Sign me up! This third installment does not fall to middle-book syndrome, and neither does the previous. As engaging, intricate and well-developed as it is, with its spectacular worldbuilding, humor, bravery and thoughtfulness, it’s a no-brainer that readers who love fictional magic schools would love for them to not be fictional. This fantastical adventure enthralls from the first page with its immersive, emotive prose, and I absolutely love the cultural diversity of this series. My biggest woe is that my favorite character dies. I highly recommend this middle-grade fantasy to anyone, any age, who loves fantasy and magical schools. Step aside, Harry Potter, because the Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors is floating around! Just be sure to start with Book One in the Conjureverse series.

            Book One: The Marvellers

            Book Two: The Memory Thieves

Rutabaga's Reads 2025: Part 2

Hello, dear visitor! Welcome to my first middle-grade (MG) compilation post of 2025. I firmly believe that MG stories can be easily enjoyed by adults as well as youth. Don’t knock it because it’s MG. Open your minds and your imaginations. You never know what doors will open for you!

The House at the Edge of Magic (Jan. 7, 2021/UK edition) by Amy Sparkes.

<This is the first book in a series.>

An orphan pickpocket knocks on a tiny door that grows into a sizable higgledy-piggledy house. Nine knows nothing of her origin, and the only possession her baby self came with was a treasured music box, which is in the literal clutches of Pockets, the grimy man who took her in and who, apparently, never gets strawberries. Life’s circumstances have made Nine cynical from a young age, and she has not an altruistic bone in her body. To say the word “sorry” is almost painful for her. The house, cursed by a witch, houses an eccentric group. There’s Flabberghast, a young wizard and champion hopscotch-er, Eric, a troll housekeeper whose most beloved possession is his feather duster, and Dr. Spoon, an alchemist who really is a sword-wielding wooden spoon. Nine will be the one to help end the curse, because she’s the one who knocked. There’s a life-changing reward in it for her, but is she ready for a zapping cabinet, acid dung, a burping sugar bowl and a clever witch? A room with a dark purple door has chosen her, because “the House at the Edge of Magic has manners” (unlike Nine), but the toilet is never in the same spot and has reportedly grown teeth (so “Sit down very carefully”), and there’s a skeleton in the closet. For real. He’d like his ribs dusted.

            An eccentric group, a house that can’t move because it’s missing its toad tongue and magic mix together to craft a delightful, middle-grade adventure. It’s filled with wonder and mayhem, ferocity and hidden vulnerability, with clever world-building and characters that you want to root for, no matter how ridiculous or rough-around-the-edges. It’s an adventure story, but the main character may find herself learning the significance of friendship, teamwork and compassion. If you found the House at the Edge of Magic, would you knock on its door?

The Lost Library (Aug. 29, 2023) by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass.

<This is a standalone novel.>

A mysterious little free library has popped up overnight in the small town of Martinville. It’s guarded by a large orange cat called dear cat/Goldie/Sunshine, but his name is Mortimer. Seeing it on his way to school, 11-year-old Evan McClelland plucks two books from its shelves and later realizes they’re books from the former Martinville Library, which burned down 20 years ago. As Evan looks through the books, he discusses with his best friend, Rafe, that one book was checked out multiple times by his father. The other had one checkout to H.G. Higgins, a famous mystery writer. Evan thinks this writer had something to do with the mystery fire, a cause for which was never determined. There is an unknown past in his town, and Evan seeks to find the answers as he also navigates his anxiety about entering middle school. At one point, visiting the History House, he’s able to talk to Al (short for Assistant Librarian), a ghost woman, who resides in the House with ghost residents Ms. Scoggin and Mr. Brock. All three perished in the library fire. Al has struggled to remain invisible to others, and Ms. Scoggin reminds her to, “Take your place, my dear!” Ms. Scoggin’s Reminders and Criticisms have been a constant since Al first started at the library as a 17-year-old. It’s a constant that’s about to change. Is Al ready? Is Evan?

            A contemporary, middle-grade novel with light supernatural elements, “The Lost Library” is a timeless ode to libraries, books that take readers to an infinite number of places, making “rooms and rooms up here” in readers’ minds, and the amazing librarians who know the power of reading. The fast pacing, well-rounded characters (even though physical character descriptions are mostly absent) and courage of this crafty, softly mysterious tale make for a dynamic, wholesome, engaging page-turner that’s full of heart and quiet magic. I adored it!

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching (Oct. 5, 2021) by Kwame Mbalia.

<This is the final novel in a trilogy.>

<Possible spoilers ahead.>

Hm, should Tristan Strong be on fire like that? Tristan is angry, and that uncontrolled anger “is chaotic at best.” He’s searching for his Alkean friends, now in this world, including Anansi’s son Junior. Anansi remains trapped in the SBP (Story Box Phone), though he continues to plead for his release. Or he will, once he sees Nyame again. Tristan’s also been pulled into a mystery involving missing children. The haintiest haint of them all, his foe King Cotton, must be behind it, but he has help, and not only from his monsters, but other troublesome haints. They’re snatching children as well as spirits, but for what nefarious purpose? Tristan reunites with Ayanna and manages to find Gum Baby. Old Familiar is around, too, but look sharp, because he isn’t only in his giant shadow crow form. Tristan must learn to overcome his impetuousness and harness his anger to use it as a tool to rid the world of his archenemy once and for all. “STRONGS ON THE MOVE,” and this Strong keeps punching.

            This book, along with the entire trilogy, is a triumphant adventure with superb world-building, standout characters and antagonists to make one’s skin crawl, featuring West African and African American mythology. Tristan’s recklessness is grating, especially when his choices tend to affect others outside of him, like children, but he’s still a hero to root for, because readers trust that he’ll remember his strength as an Anansesem (storyteller) and his family, blood-related and not. The story is compelling; its fantasy and action is fast-paced. There isn’t humor without heartbreak, the playful scenes balancing the serious climate and weight of the world. It’s a satisfying conclusion, and I would happily read a spin-off series.

            Book 1: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

            Book 2: Tristan Strong Destroys the World

"Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Impossible Creatures (Sept. 10, 2024/US edition) by Katherine Rundell.

<This is the first novel in a trilogy.>

The day that Christopher Forrester saves a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lochan (lake) near his grandfather’s property changes his life forever. That his grandfather doesn’t bat an eye when Christopher rushes in with a baby griffin is telling. Christopher learns of the Archipelago, a cluster of unmapped islands (though there is a map and a bestiary of magical creatures in the book) where magical, mythological creatures live, sometimes on their own islands and sometimes amongst other humans. Christopher is from the Otherworld (actually, the UK), his grandfather is a guardian and Malum (Mal) Arvorian is not. Christopher’s about to be attacked by a kludde (it has fire for ears) and would be eaten face-first if not for Mal’s shout. She’s just come through the waybetween (like a portal) and needs Christopher’s help. They meet Fidens Nighthand (“You may call me Nighthand: I don’t answer to Fidens.”) the Berserker, Ratwin the ratatoska and Irian Guinne, a marine scientist stationed at the University of Alquon in the west of Antiok, who’s part-nereid (though she doesn’t advertise this fact). They consult sphinxes, negotiate with a small dragon and battle krakens, karkadanns and manticores. Mal is desperate to save the Archipelago. The magical creatures are dying. Gelifen, the baby griffin, is thought to be the last griffin. The glimourie (or magic) is fading. The truth is dark, and somewhere in the Archipelago is an Immortal who has no idea he or she is the Immortal.

            I first saw the UK version advertised one-and-a-half years ago when I was in the UK and knew it’d be a book I’d love. Fast-forward a year later when the US edition was planned to release, and I was first on the list to read my local library’s copy. As soon as I read the first page, I ordered my own personal copy and returned the library copy, so it could move onto the next patron!

            And I was right, I DO LOVE this story where there is a portal into fantasy, magic and mythology. Rundell’s middle-grade trilogy starter is wildly imaginative, the writing fresh, and the characters are well-developed, showcasing courage, hope and strength, but vulnerability, too. For the most sensitive of readers, a beloved character does die, and it caught me so off guard that I teared up. The story sizzles with energy, roars with adventure and blazes with fireworks of creativity. It is thoughtful and takes kids seriously. It is unforgettable and epic; it is easily a new classic.

            P.S. Gelifen is my favorite. Jacques the jaculus (the smallest dragon) is my spirit animal: small, extremely fierce and breathes fire enough to overcome a giant manticore!

            P.P.S. I could really use the tooth of a sphinx.

"A Drop of Venom" by Sajni Patel

A Drop of Venom (Jan. 16, 2024) by Sajni Patel.

<This is the first novel in a duology.>

<This novel does contain a trigger warning.>

Monsters come in all forms. To 16-year-old Manisha, it’s the King’s army. Those beasts have forced her people, the naga, to flee their home in Anand. Many have died. Manisha’s sent to the coveted floating mountains at age 11 and the sacred temples there. She’s an apsara, chosen for her beauty. Visitors to the floating mountains can’t so much as touch an apsara, but far from remaining safe, Manisha is viciously assaulted, declared “defiled” by the new High Priestess who’s always hated her, and is literally kicked off the floating mountains, landing in a pit of vipers. Amazingly, she survives and emerges with power she never knew she could possess. Her blood, even her spit, can turn people to stone. All Manisha wants is to find her family. Is her mother alive? Her twin sisters, Eshani (the eldest) and Sithara?

            To 17-year-old Pratyush, the famed slayer of monsters and last of his line, monsters are what he hunts to kill. Supposedly, years are added to his life for each monster slain. Supposedly, he slays enough monsters, and he’ll gain the house and peaceful, quiet life he so desires. Though he was raised to treat women as equals, Pratyush knows men who are monsters. He’s seen it with some of the men in his group, and his beloved sister was once assaulted by her betrothed. Despite being a powerful warrior, he’s nothing but a possession of the terrible King. He couldn’t save his sister, and she died. Pratyush is sent with the worthless General and a group of men to slay one more monster. A nagin. The “monster” he seeks is the woman he actually wants to marry.

            Be brave. Be cunning. Be strong. For anyone looking for a laidback story, this is not it. Patel unflinchingly tackles misogyny, sexual assault and rape culture, the trauma that comes from those experiences and tempers it with star-crossed love, sisterhood (by blood and not) and the love of family. This is set against a backdrop of mythic monster creatures and monster men and combines the Indian mythology of the naga with the Greek mythology of Medusa. The result, while upsetting to witness, is electrifying and powerful. Told from the viewpoints of Manisha and Pratyush, this fantasy/mythology is fast-paced with fantastic world-building. This dark-yet-dynamic duology opener can “adorn the world in beauty or control the world with greed.” The stakes are high, the battles are fierce, and there will be blood. Manisha is a nagin. She is venom.

"The Memory Thieves" by Dhonielle Clayton

The Memory Thieves (Sept. 26, 2023) by Dhonielle Clayton.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

Welcome back to the Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors (ATI). This year, the great sky school is hovering above the Norwegian Sea. Please pack your wardrobe accordingly for the wintry elements.

Ella Durand, Brigit Ebsen and Jason Eugene are now Level Twos at ATI’s Lower School. This is the year they can wield stapiers (“a universal channellor to channel light”) and try out for the Marvel Combat teams. Since putting a stop to Gia Trivelino’s (the Ace of Anarchy) master scheming last school year, Ella’s found some celebrity. Unfortunately, not everyone back home in her New Orleans Conjure community supports her choice to return to the ATI. In their eyes, Ella and Aunt Sera Baptiste (who’s teaching at the Arcanum) are giving away Conjure secrets to the Marvellers. Ella and her friends want Conjurors and Marvellers alike to understand and accept the role of Conjurors in the creation of the school. She discovers the involvement of a Conjuror architect who also happens to be a many-greats grandfather. The blueprints would be a piece of history that’d prove to everyone that Conjurors have always belonged. The architect’s memory-cask would help, too, if anyone could find it. Digging deeper is put on hold when a mysterious, magical illness sweeps through the Arcanum, causing nosebleeds and fuzzy marvels. Is Gia somehow behind this illness? Why does new Level Two student Noémie Lavigne behave the way she does?

The return to the fantasy adventure world in the Conjureverse series is wonderfully, culturally diverse. This is a captivating sequel novel that enriches all who read it. In addition to a diverse cast, the story itself is immersive, inclusive, clever and thoughtful with dashes of mystery and plenty of magic. I absolutely want to live in this world! My sweet tooth does, too. Let me try Marveller-bars and caramel Paragon coins, cinnamon starbread and tornado tea with hiccupping honey. A word of advice that you eat the halo-halo within 20 minutes, otherwise your dessert will attack you! Good marvelling to you all!

            Book One: The Marvellers