Description
Book SynopsisHowl’s Moving Castle meets Neil Gaiman in this middle grade fantasy, set in a world as mesmerizing as it is menacing, following children on a quest to save their father who get embroiled in the sinister agendas of rival sorcerers. In an unkind alternate past, somewhere between the Stone Age and a Metal Age, Tell and his sister Wren live in a small mountain village that makes its living off black glass mines and runs on brutal laws. When their father is blinded in a mining accident, the law dictates he has thirty days to regain his sight and be capable of working at the same level as before or be put to death.
Faced with this dire future, Tell and Wren make the forbidden treacherous journey to the legendary city of Halfway, halfway down the mountain, to trade their father’s haul of the valuable black glass for the medicine to cure him. The city, ruled by five powerful female sorcerers, at first dazzles the siblings. But beneath Halfway’s glittery surface seethes ambition, violence, prejudice, blackmail, and impending chaos.
Without knowing it, Tell and Wren have walked straight into a sorcerers’ coup. Over the next twelve days they must scramble first to save themselves, then their new friends, as allegiances shift and prejudices crack open to show who has true power.
Trade ReviewThe harsh tone and brutal twists will leave readers in a sober frame, but the tale, which ends with a promise of further episodes, features embedded glints of loyalty, courage, and friendship to lighten the load. -- Booklist * 2/15/23 *
A classic fantasy quest with some twists, this is an engaging and satisfying read. --Carol Edwards, Retired Librarian, Littleton, Colorado
Recommended -- School Library Connection * March/April 2023 *
With quite a bit of tension and plenty of secrets mixed with adventure, this is a fast-paced read with very high-stakes. -- Bookworm * 1/28/23 *
Readers will be fascinated by all the secrets revealed as Wren and Tell learn more about the fancy town they are now in. Adventure fantasy stories where children are the ones who must survive and rescue the adults always make for a high-stakes read. -- YA Books Central * 1/19/23 *
