Set on fictional islands off northeast America in 1787, this story features two twelve-year-old girls from different cultures who must join forces to save themselves, their people, and one special baby. It’s part historical (based on convicts who were sent to the Americas and Australia) and part fantasy. Above all, it’s a captivating adventure in the tradition of The Princess Bride with shipwrecks, curses, chases, murder plots, magic (of all kinds), romantic legends, thieves and politicians (sometimes both), a caring schoolteacher and a handsome horse groom, a pair of feisty (sometimes difficult) heroines, and the mysterious power of story-telling at its center!
I liked the magical islands of Tathenland and the way that this story was set into a real historical period, so it felt like it really could have happened. Unfortunately, I didn’t really like Lucy or Snowcap at the beginning, so it was a little hard to get into. By the end, though, I warmed up to both characters. Good. – Jessica, Teen Librarian
NBPL Teen Book Blog 