Yvain: The Knight of the Lion by M.T. Anderson, illustrated by Andrea Offerman

M.T. Anderson’s take on Athurian legend in Yvain: The Knight of the Lion is magnificently illustrated by Andrea Offerman in a most stunning graphic novels. Chrétien de Troyes is the original author of Yvain, le chevalier au lion, written in the 13th century. Most of the stories that readers associate with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table stem from the epic poems of Chrétien de Troyes.

Sir Yvain is a knight in King Arthur’s Court, and when Sir Calogrenant returns from the enchanted forest of Brocéliande gravely injured by wounds from a mysterious Red Knight, Yvain quietly leave Arthur’s castle to avenge his cousin, Calogrenant. Yvain, too, pours water over a stone in the enchanted pool in the forest of Brocéliande. Amidst a turbulent swirling storm, the Red Knight emerges to challenge Yvain for disturbing his dukedom. Yvain, defending himself and avenging his cousin, delivers some fatal sword blows to the Red Knight, and he chases the Red Knight on horseback as he rides into his own castle. The Red Knight, it turns out, is the Lord Esclados, and Yvain is now trapped in his enemy’s castle with many who are looking for the man who killed their lord.

The sorceress Lunette takes pity on Yvain, and to hide him from those who would want him dead, turns him invisible. It is while invisible that Yvain falls in love with the Lady Laudine, the widow of Lord Esclados. She is a commanding presence, with fiery red eyes and a mane of red hair. Laudine wishes to avenge the man that killed her husband, but Lunette poses the question of who is the better knight--the one who died or the one who did not? Laudine has to concede that Yvain is the better knight, and since her castle is now unprotected, she must consent to marry Yvain, even though everything shown through the illustrations indicates that it is a marriage of political necessity.

When Gawain, another knight and cousin of Yvain, comes to visit Yvain, he challenges Yvain’s knighthood, saying, “Throw off your harness, old man, spit out your bit, and prove you’re still a warrior, not a dreamer.” Yvain, feeling pressured to prove himself, begs for Laudine to allow him to travel and compete to defend his knighthood. Laudine, disdainful, agrees, saying, “I grant you permission to leave, but there’s a time limit: one year to the day. Understand? If you come back after that, my love will absolutely turn to hatred.”

Yvain sets out to prove his valor among the other bumbling knights. And when he is fool enough to not return in the time limit set by his wife...that’s when things get interesting.

For fans of Arthurian lore and legend, M.T. Anderson’s Yvain: The Knight of the Lion is a masterpiece with Yvain, Laudine, and Lunette as a compelling cast of characters. Offerman’s striking illustrations bring this ancient story into the 21st century, making it appropriate for the modern young reader.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

“It took seven years to get the letter right.”

This is the first line of Carval, the enchanting and mysterious Y.A. novel written by Stephanie Garber.

Every year for seven years, Scarlett writes a letter to the master of Caraval, Master Legend. She begs him to visit the Isle of Trisda, so that she can give her sister Donatella the best birthday present ever: a ticket to Caraval. Scarlett and Donatella grew up listening to their grandmother’s stories of Caraval. And on the eve of her marriage, Scarlett writes one last letter to Master Legend, telling him she’s given up, and that it will be the last letter she writes. And in return, she receives tickets to attend Caraval with her sister and her fiance, a man she has never met.

Caraval is both spectacle and dangerous game. Nothing is as it seems in the world of Caraval, and nobody is to be trusted. Scarlett has decided that going to Caraval is too much of a risk, and would ruin her chances of escaping a brutal father. So her sister arranges for Scarlett to be kidnapped, with the promise that she will be returned before her wedding in ten days time. When Scarlett arrives at Caraval, she learns that this year’s game at Caraval is to find Donatella, who has gone missing.

Luscious description, funny and vibrant characters, and a mystery at every turn, readers will find themselves sucked into the world of Caraval that Garber has created. For fans of The Night Circus, readers will not be able to put Caraval down.

Stephanie Garber, author of Caraval

The Kids of Appetite by David Arnold

Meet the Kids of Appetite. They live in Greenhouse Number Eleven, each for very different reasons. 

Vic. Carrying around an urn with his dead dad’s ashes. Has Moebius Syndrome. Has an obsession with Matisse and “The Flower Duet.” In love with Mad.

Madeline Falco (aka Mad): Unstable home life. Marches to her own Madifesto. Punk haircut with a smoking habit. Loyal to a fault. She shouldn’t have survived the car crash.

Baz: Congolese. Makes an honest living. Collects the stories of the Kids of Appetite. Wants to make a book of these stories.

Zuz: Baz’s brother. Speaks by snapping his fingers.

Coco: Red-head kid with a colorful vocabulary.

The Kids of Appetite “lived and they laughed and they saw that it was good.” The story begins with Vic running away from home with his father’s ashes, following very cryptic instructions of where to scatter them. He is taken in by the Kids of Appetite (Mad, Baz, Zuz, and Coco). The book alternates between past tense and present tense: a police station in Hackensack. A murder investigation. The Kabongo brothers are suspect. Vic and Mad are in separate interrogation rooms recounting the story from the very beginning. Which is eight days ago, but in reality, the truth is hidden inside each character. David Arnold outdoes himself. Which is to say that where Mosquitoland was a breath of fresh-air, The Kids of Appetite is breathtaking. Every line is purposeful and Arnold’s sentence craftsmanship is perfection. This is one super racehorse of a book. I may have finished reading, but I didn’t want to leave the Kids of Appetite behind.

For fans of murder mysteries, love stories, and excellent storytelling, pick up this book. You will not be disappointed.  

A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir

The last we saw of Laia and Elias in An Ember in the Ashes, they were fleeing Blackcliff and the city of Serra through a network of tunnels. To say this was a cliffhanger would be an understatement. Tahir creates an equally as impressive follow-up novel to her debut, delving deep into the world of the Empire.

Elias and Laia might have escaped the walls of the city, but that does not mean they are not free from peril. Elias’ mother, the Commandant, has poisoned Elias, making the journey difficult as the poison slowly takes Elias prisoner. Emperor Marcus is out for their blood, and he has decided to use his most lethal weapon against Laia and Elias: Helene.

Laia is determined to break into Kauf, a maximum security prison, where the Warden of Kauf sadistically tortures his prisoners. There, she hopes to find her brother, Darin, the Scholars’ only hope. Tahir continues the first person narrative that alternates between Laia and Elias, but also includes Helene. The reader gets a glimpse into Helene’s fascinating story as Blood Shrike, one that shows her own struggle to complete the mission Marcus has assigned her, but knowing that whether she succeeds or doesn’t succeed, the lives of her family and dearest friend are at risk.

Tahir’s writing is elegant, spellbinding, and her second novel is a beautiful companion to An Ember in the Ashes. New characters, dark and magical forces at work, internal struggles, and a rescue mission, there is the reminder throughout the entire book that, “So long as you fight the darkness, you stand in the light.”

https://sabaatahir.com/

YA Reads to Start Your Summer

Summer is a great time to read all the books that you haven’t had time to read during the school year. This year, there are so many great books to choose from to take on vacation or read poolside. Below are some choice favorites for the beginning of summer.

With Malice by Eileen Cook (Available 6/7/2016)

Two friends go to Italy as a graduation gift. When one ends up dead and the other ends up in the hospital with no recollection of the trip, what really happened?

The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder (Available 6/7/2016)

“I can’t stop them: The dinosaurs are leaving New York City.”

What a great first line! A quirky, lovable protagonist who falls in love and collects trinkets along the way, while falling for the wrong guy. How do dinosaurs factor in? Pick up this book and read it in one sitting!

The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye

Doomed love. Enchanters locked in a fierce battle to the death. Imperial Russia. What’s not to love? Check out the whole review here.

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

When Lina’s mother dies of cancer, her last wish is for Lina to go live in Italy with her father she never knew existed. As Lina discovers more about her mother’s past, the beautiful hillsides of Tuscany offer friendship, love, and of course, gelato.

The Land of 10,000 Madonnas by Kate Hattemer

Jesse and his father live in an apartment wallpapered with postcards of Madonnas. After his young life is cut short by a hole in his heart, he writes a note to his cousin Cal: “I’m dead and you’ve got my notebook.” Another “last wish” book that sends the people left behind on a mission, Jesse planned for the five people he knew best to go to Europe following his death. His cousins, best friend and girlfriend are all sent on a wild goose chase across Europe that helps them come to terms with Jesse’s death. I especially loved the strong voices in this book, and the cast of characters is fun to follow.

Kate Hattemer is also the author of The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy.

A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry

Lucas Knight, an American teenager who visits Old San Juan every summer for his father’s contracting business, gets swept up into a murder mystery. A girl whose touch is poisonous (literally), hidden secrets in locked up houses, and the lush world of Puerto Rico combine to make an excellent summer read. Read the entire review here!

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Solomon Reed is perfectly fine, except he’s not, because he hasn’t left his house since the seventh grade, which was three years ago. But he’s happy being an agoraphobe. His whole life can be taken care of from inside of his house--school, food, and even friends. When Lisa Praytor needs to write an essay about “My personal experience with mental illness” to be accepted into Woodlawn University’s psychology program, she decides that curing Solomon of his agoraphobia is going to be her ticket into the program. Lisa and her boyfriend Clark befriend Solomon as part of the project, but then actually become friends with him. John Corey Whaley’s writing is sharp, funny, and incredibly real.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

This is the quintessential summer book. Andie Walker is working a job she never thought she would have as a dog walker, but it leads her to Clark, a famous author who is trying to write the next book in his series. Andie’s summer becomes completely unexpected, but in the best way possible. Read the entire review here!

The Fall of Butterflies by Andrea Portes

Willa Parker of What Cheer, Iowa, moves east at the behest of her mother to start a new life at an exclusive prep school called Pembroke Prep. From the middle of the country to the center of the glittering socialite world, Willa meets Remy Taft. When Remy decides to befriend Willa, Willa thinks that her troubles of fitting in are over, but nothing is ever enough for Remy. The Fall of Butterflies was a quick read and one that fans of We Were Liars will enjoy.

The Last Boy and Girl In the World by Siobhan Vivian

“You’re officially the last girl in Aberdeen.” Keeley Hewitt’s world is underwater. The world is coming to an end. And it might be her last shot with the boy she’s always wanted to take a chance with. The world won’t wait forever.

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

The Crown’s Game is full of mystery, magic, and intrigue. And of course, Russian history and folklore.

Vika, as fiery as her red hair, lives on the isolated and tiny Ovchinin Island. Her magic is wild and acts in a way that imitates nature. Nikolai is an orphan who has grown up in the city of the tsar, St. Petersburg, and who has grown as close as a brother to the crown prince, Pasha. Nikolai’s magic works as smoothly as a clock’s gears, integrating itself into the very infrastructure of the city.

Two enchanters. Only one can win the title of Imperial Enchanter and assist the tsar. For the other, imminent death awaits.

In the introduction to The Crown’s Game, the game itself is explained.

The Crown’s Game is an old one, older than the tsardom itself. It began long ago, in the age of Rurik, Prince of Novgorod, when Russia was still a cluster of tribes, wild and lawless and young. As the country matured over the centuries, so too, did the game. But always, always it retained its untamed fierceness.

For the winner of the game, there would be imaginable power.

For the defeated, desolate oblivion.

The Crown’s Game was not one to lose.

Vika and Nikolai compete for the title of Imperial Enchanter, each act of magic more dangerous than the last. They both fight to win, but how can you defeat the one person you love? In the meantime, Pasha begins to decipher that the elaborate “decorations” and illusions around the city might be more than just smoke and mirrors, while also falling for the flame-haired girl.

For fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus set against the backdrop of Imperial Russia, Evelyn Skye’s world comes to life in vivid color. As a scholar of Russian history and literature, Skye expertly creates an alternate universe for Imperial Russia; one that, while she takes some creative liberties, feels like a perfect merging of fact and fiction. A historical fantasy of the best kind, The Crown’s Game will have you wishing for more.

Author of The Crown's Game, Evelyn Skye