Pint-Sized 'Pinions: YA Fantasy Edition

Pint-Sized 'Pinions are mini-reviews that I post often (usually weekly). The books reviewed have either been reviewed a lot or I don't have much to say for them, whether negative or positive, to justify an extended review.

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Today's minis cover three young adult fantasy novels and one middle grade fairy tale adaptation.

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (December 22, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-1599904306
240 pages

Nimira is a foreign music-hall girl forced to dance for mere pennies. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing with a piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new and better life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets are beginning to stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry's involvement with a league of sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. Then Nimira discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman named Erris is trapped inside the clockwork automaton, waiting for someone to break his curse. The two fall into a love that seems hopeless, and breaking the curse becomes a race against time, as not just their love, but the fate of the entire magical world may be in peril.

Dolamore's unique story is pretty engaging. I found myself caught up in Nimira's world and characters (although, I ended up liking Erris a bit more than I did Nimira). The plot was well-crafted and the love story was very sweet. In the end, I wished that the author had delved deeper into the world she had created. Especially when it came to the fairies. I'm glad that the ending came with a sense of resolution despite the fact that a lot was left open for the sequel.

Grade: B

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Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Harcourt Children's Books (October 1, 2008)
ISBN-13: 978-0152063962
480 pages

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

I'm not doing a full-on review of this one because you can find those all over the place. Suffice it to say, all of the hype is worth it. This is truly one of the best YA novels that I've ever read in any genre. Katsa is an amazingly strong, yet vulnerable, heroine and her presence makes the wonderful world that Cashore created all the more captivating.

Grade: A+

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Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
EgmontUSA (March 23, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-1606840382
368 pages

When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.

The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

For a first novel from such a young author, Brightly Woven is a stellar debut. The world that Bracken built - with its elements of intrigue, religion and magic - was lovely. That said, it's not the best in YA fantasy. Although I was fascinated by the world that Bracken created, I was less than enamored of the characters. I don't always need to love main characters, but I do need to connect with them in order to care about their journey and I wasn't able to do that as much as I would have liked here. I also thought that too many ideas and elements were introduced that weren't explored enough.

Grade: B-

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The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (May 11, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-1599904870
272 pages

In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake.

But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own.

It's been a while since I've read a lighthearted middle-grade novel, so the innocence of this story took a chapter or two of getting used to. Once I acclimated though, I was utterly charmed. Annie is a smart and brave heroine that's easy to sympathize with no matter what your age. The mixture of original and borrowed fairy tale characters were fun and captivating, as was Annie's quest to save her family and kingdom.

Grade: B

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Each book was a review copy was provided by the publisher for an honest (and uncompensated) review.

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