#ComicsWednesday: The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill

Greta is a young girl learning the art of blacksmiths. She finds a wounded tea dragon on her way home one day and befriends its owner. Throughout the story, she learns more about tea dragons from Hesekial and Erik.

She becomes close to their ward, Minette, a girl with a mysterious past. The story deals with loss, disability, love, and kindness. The illustrations are gorgeous, with pastel colors and soft lines. This short graphic novel is perfect to read in one sitting.

With whimsical illustrations and a charming story, The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill is a great fall read. It gently explores themes of growing up, caring for others, and doing what you love. This graphic novel was originally published as a webcomic, which is free to read online, and it made the transition to print beautifully.

- Libby, Youth Services

#ComicsWednesday: The Ancient Magus' Bride by Kore Yamazaki

It's been a while since a manga series caught my eye, but when The Ancient Magus' Bride by Kore Yamazaki came across my desk, I was intrigued. I'm a sucker for strange romances, and this seemed right up my alley.

Chise Hatori hasn't had the best life. Orphaned and then abandoned multiple times, she is approached with an opportunity to make something of her life. Unfortunately, it ends with her being sold to a powerful and frightening magus. The titular magus, Elias Ainsworth, immediately frees Chise, but offers to take her on as his apprentice. He casually mentions his intention to eventually marry her. Chise has powerful magic of her own that has been dormant most of her life, and she accepts Elias's offer to train her. In spite of the title, this romance/engagement thing isn't really mentioned much after the first volume, as the series becomes more about Chise learning about magic and how to use it.

The art in this story is fantastic. Yamazaki's drawings lend an otherworldly air to the story, which I found fascinating. The world she has created is rich and beautiful, while still being creepy. This is a great read for October! You can find the first four volumes in the Teen Zone here at Carnegie-Stout. I suggest you check them out!

- Libby, Youth Services.

Staff Review: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty

I was browsing YouTube a few weeks ago, as one does, and I stumbled upon a channel called Ask a Mortician. There were video titles like "American Mummies" and "ICONIC CORPSE: The Preservation of Eva Peron." I fell down the rabbit hole of videos, hosted by a woman who looks like someone I would be friends with. Caitlin Doughty, with her Bettie Page bangs and bold lipstick, doesn't look like the stereotypical mortician. However, she is the face of the alternative death industry. Her memoir, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory, reveals how she got started in the industry and what she learned along the way.

This was a fascinating read. I definitely learned a lot about the death industry, and it made me confront my own mortality in a good way. This book and Caitlin's YouTube channel challenge you to think about your own after-death wishes and tell you about more than the American standard of embalming and being buried in a box. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in death or the death industry, anyone who watched Six Feet Under, and anyone who likes witty creative non-fiction essays. Fans of Mary Roach will particularly enjoy this.

Be sure to check out Ask a Mortician and Caitlin's website. Her new book, From Here to Eternity, was just released and I can't wait to read more.

-Libby, Youth Services

#ComicsWednesday: All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

Victoria Jamieson is one of my favorite middle grade graphic novelists. She wrote the Newbery Honor Book Roller Girl, and I've been waiting for another book from her since I first read it. Jamieson is back in the middle grade world with a new graphic novel: All's Faire in Middle School. I really enjoyed this book.

Imogene (Impy to her family) has been home-schooled her entire life. Her family works the local Renaissance Faire, and it's her favorite thing in the world. She can't wait to work as her father's squire and actually help in the show this year. First, she decides to prove her bravery by going to middle school! Public school is a lot different than she thought it would be, and Impy has a hard time fitting in. I won't tell you too much more, because that would give away the plot.

As in Roller Girl, Jamieson perfectly captures what it is like to be in middle school in All's Faire in Middle School. Puberty and cliques and hormones are all throughout this book, and the way it is portrayed rings true. I would recommend this book to any fan of Raina Telgemeier or Jennifer L. Holm.

- Libby, Youth Services

#ComicWednesdays: CatStronauts Mission Moon by Drew Brockington

Do you love cats? How do you feel about outer space? I love cats and I also love space, so CatStronauts Mission Moon by Drew Brockington was perfect for me.

The world is in an energy crisis! Worldwide blackouts have alerted the President that the world is running out of power. Since switching to battery-use only is not a long-term solution, he consults the World's Best Scientist who comes up with a plan. Build a solar plant on the moon! Sending the CatStronauts to the moon is their best bet for clean, renewable energy. (I wish it worked like this in the real world.) Our CatStronauts are the commander Major Meowser, pilot Waffles, inventor Blanket, and science officer Pom Pom. We follow them as they train for their mission and blast off to save cat-kind!

Cat. Astronauts. CatStronauts. I feel like I don't even need to say anything else, because that sounds so awesome on its own. This comic is perfect for all ages.There's a lot of puns and funny imagery to keep younger kids interested, but there are some jokes for older folks too. (The Neil Armstrong cat cameo comes to mind.) Basically, if you like cats, space, or both cats and space, check out CatStronauts Mission Moon. And then check out CatStronauts Race to Mars. Be on the lookout for CatStronauts Space Station Situation in October.

- Libby, Youth Services

#ComicsWednesday: Earth Before Us: Dinosaur Empire! by Abby Howard

Abby Howard has been one of my favorite web-comic artists for a long time. I discovered her on tumblr where she publishes short autobiographical comics. (Warning: some of her autobiographical comics are definitely for mature audiences.) From there I fell in love with her ongoing web comic Junior Scientist Power Hour. When I saw that she was releasing a science comic about dinosaurs for kids, I was psyched!

Earth Before Us: Dinosaur Empire! is delightful. Howard frames the information with a narrative about Ronnie, a little girl who flunked her dinosaur quiz at school. Ronnie needs to learn everything about dinosaurs so she can get 100% when she retakes the quiz - TOMORROW MORNING?! Luckily for Ronnie, her weird neighbor Ms. Lernin (recognizable to Howard's fans as herself) used to be a paleontologist. They travel back in time in Ms. Lernin's magical recycling bin through the power of SCIENCE MAGIC to learn everything there is to know about dinosaurs and other prehistoric life.

This is very much in the vein of the Magic School Bus, but Howard's humor is dry in a way that older kids and parents will appreciate. Fans of dinosaurs, funny comics, and learning will love this graphic novel. You can find it in the kids graphic novel section here at the library.

- Libby, Youth Services

Staff Review: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

The recent explosion of diversity in YA books has given me heart. When I saw a contemporary romance featuring first-generation Indian-American kids, I knew I had to read it. I feel like I say that about lots of books, but I do read lots of books. If you're looking for something to satisfy that rom-com sweet tooth, look no further than When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.

All Dimple wants in life is to go to school, code an app, and get her parents to see her for the independent American girl that she is. All Rishi wants in life is to do right by his parents, even if that means he goes to school for computer science and has an arranged marriage. Their parents didn't intend to tell them about this arrangement until they were older, but since Dimple and Rishi are headed to the same summer program, they might as well meet, right?

A true comedy of errors and romance, When Dimple Met Rishi is one of the best books I read this past summer. It was well-written, funny, diverse, and surprisingly realistic. Menon grew up in India and now lives in Colorado. She has captured the voice of a generation in this novel - first generation Indian-American kids who struggle between their identity as a normal American kid and as the traditional Indian kid their parents expect them to be. I can't wait for Menon's next YA novel, From Twinkle, With Love, out in 2018.

You can check out When Dimple Met Rishi through the library's OverDrive as an eBook or audiobook. I highly recommend that you do.

- Libby, Youth Services

#ComicsWednesday: Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams

If you grew up on a steady diet of Nancy Drew and Scooby-Doo, and are particularly drawn to stories about plucky girl sleuths, I highly recommend Goldie Vance Vol 1. by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams.

Marigold "Goldie" Vance lives with her father at the Crossed Palms, the resort hotel that he manages. Her mom works at a mermaid club downtown. Goldie valets cars and helps the in-house hotel detective solve small mysteries. Charles, the in-house detective, encounters a case he can't crack, so he agrees to mentor Goldie in the art of sleuthing if she helps him solve the mystery.

This comic is set in the Sixties, the heyday of girl detectives. Goldie is the child of an African American father and a Caucasian mother. Goldie's friends and coworkers at the hotel, as well as hotel guests, are refreshingly diverse. The color scheme is light and fresh, and it lends well to the relative innocence of the setting. Both Larson and Williams have said that they are planning to keep this series lighthearted. They will not explore the racism and difficulties of that time period.

This comic is recommended for ages 11+ by the publisher, though I think younger kids could enjoy it as well. You can find Goldie Vance Vol. 1 and Goldie Vance Vol. 2 in the Teen Zone Graphic Novel section here at Carnegie-Stout.  I would definitely recommend Goldie Vance to any readers who like a good mystery, miss Veronica Mars, or wanted to be Nancy Drew when they grew up.

- Libby, Youth Services

Staff Review: Romancing the Throne by Nadine Jolie Courtney

Ever since I saw the 2004 romantic comedy The Prince & Me in theaters, I have been a sucker for the "ordinary girl + prince" plot
combo. I have read my fair share of romance novels revolving around that plot and I have watched all of the made-for-TV movies. I watched the live stream of the royal wedding in 2011. When I saw Romancing the Throne by Nadine Jolie Courtney on our cart of new YA books, I knew I had to read it.

Charlotte and Libby are sisters who are different in lots of ways. Libby is studious, serious, and artsy. Charlotte is popular, fashion forward, trendy, and oh, yeah, she's dating Prince Edward, heir to the British throne. When Libby ends up switching from her all-girls school to Charlotte's elite boarding school, she is thrown into a world she has a hard time understanding. Charlotte and Edward break up, and he seems to be spending more and more time with Libby. Two sisters should never fall for the same guy, but sometimes love grows where you least expect it.

I enjoyed this book immensely, and it's probably only partially because I'm biased about the plot. Having the book told from Charlotte's point of view brought in a perspective about this rom-com plot that I hadn't previously thought about. What happens to the family of the person dating royalty? This book was about that "ordinary girl + prince" trope, sure, but that seemed secondary to the sisters' relationship. It reminded me of The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan or The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright.

If you like romantic comedies and are intrigued by modern royalty, this is definitely one to check out. I'm not just saying that because there's a character named Libby either. :D

-Libby, Youth Services

#ComicsWednesday: Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen

When I was in fourth grade, I discovered the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. I devoured them, reading what my library had and then begging for my own copies. I continued to read them until the last book was published in 2011, just after Jacques had passed away. When I needed a medieval fantasy series about sword-wielding mice to fill the Redwall-shaped hole in my heart, Mouse Guard stepped in. Specifically, the first volume: Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 with story and art by David Petersen.

In this volume we are introduced to the characters and world of the Mouse Guard series. Our main trio, Lieam, Kenzie, and Saxon, are members of the eponymous Mouse Guard. The story involves espionage, intrigue, crabs, a mouse with a peg leg, a giant snake, and much more. The world-building in this series is, in my opinion, perfect. Petersen's art creates a rich and vibrant atmosphere, and his style is fairly unique.

The Mouse Guard series by David Petersen is one of the best comic series I have ever read, hands down. The art is beautiful, the story is intriguing, and the world is immersive. This comic is truly an all-ages comic, though the publisher recommends it for ages 8 and up. You can find it in both the general Graphic Novels section and the children's Graphic Novels section here at Carnegie-Stout. And if you like Mouse Guard, do me a favor and check out Redwall, won't you?

-- Libby, Youth Services

#ComicsWednesday Compass South by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock

If you're looking for an old-fashioned, fast-paced, riveting adventure story, look no further than Compass South by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock. Our story opens when Alexander and Cleopatra Dodge's father goes missing. Alex and Cleo join a gang to make ends meet until he returns, but a bungled burglary forces the twins into hiding. They assume new identities and head to New Orleans. Alex and Cleo get separated. Each makes their way to San Francisco, unaware that the compass and pocket knife left to them by their father hold the keys to a lost pirate treasure. The pirates want their treasure back.

I loved this book. It had all the hallmarks of an enjoyable family-oriented action movie, but in graphic novel form. Rebecca Mock's illustrations are the perfect fit for this story. If you're a fan of Treasure Island, Indiana Jones, or The Pirates of the Caribbean, you'll definitely enjoy Compass South. I didn't want to stop reading, even when the book ended. Luckily for me, there's a sequel coming out in June. Read Compass South and then look for Knife's Edge later this summer!

- Libby, Youth Services.

Staff Review: Ready, Set, Rogue by Manda Collins

Like a lot of people, I enjoy a good romance novel. And, also like many others, I have my preferences about what I want those novels to be like. When I look for a romance novel I'm usually looking for a historical romance with strong female characters and plenty of humor. Manda Collins's Ready, Set, Rogue was just the kind of book I wanted.

Miss Ivy Wareham has received word that she is one of four women scholars to inherit the home of Lady Celeste Beauchamp, with its magnificent library. Lady Celeste's nephew, the Marquess of Kerr, Quill Beauchamp, is determined to keep the house in the family and drive the bluestockings out. When Lady Celeste's death is revealed to be murder, Ivy and Quill work together to find out what really happened and fall in love along the way.

This is the kind of romance novel I really enjoy. The Regency England setting, the strong and opinionated female characters, and the jokes and hijinks made this a recipe for success as far as I am concerned. There were plot points romance readers will be familiar with, but they didn't feel tired or overdone.

The fact that this is the first in a new series is all the better. I enjoyed the minor characters and am excited to read their full stories in due time. The next book in the Studies in Scandal series, Duke with Benefits, comes out in June.

-Libby, Youth Services.

#ComicsWednesday: Bad Machinery: The Case of the Team Spirit by John Allison

This week I want to tell you about Bad Machinery Vol. 1: The Case of the Team Spirit by John Allison. Bad Machinery started and continues as a web comic. It is the successor to his earlier comic, Scary Go Round. Bad Machinery follows a group of schoolchildren in the town of Tackleford, England. Charlotte, Jack, Shauna, Linton, Mildred, and Sonny solve crimes around town. This is the first case they all tackle together, and it involves the Tackleford City Football Club (that's a soccer team to us Yanks), a curse, and a nice old lady named Mrs. Biscuits.

Bad Machinery is relatable on many levels. The experience in middle school is almost universal, which makes this a great read for the 12-and-up set. The kids deal with bullies, mean teachers, and clueless parents. Allison's humor is dry and, at times, surreal. The witty banter between these kids is honestly laugh-out-loud funny. Read this book in public at your own discretion and don't say I didn't warn you when you get shushed for snorting when you try to hold in a laugh. When you're done with this one, there are five more in print. You can get The Case of the Good Boy, The Case of  the Simple Soul, The Case of the Lonely One, The Case of the Fire Inside, and The Case of the Unwelcome Visitor here at Carnegie-Stout. To read past that, you'll have to hit up the website.

- Libby, Youth Services

#ComicWednesdays: Snow White: a Graphic Novel by Matt Phelan

Matt Phelan's re-imagining of Snow White is dark, but that's not a bad thing. The story isn't gritty or modern, there isn't any unnecessary gore or violence. The liberties he took make sense for the setting - Depression Era New York City. Snow is the daughter of the "King of Wall Street," but when his stocks plummet, they lose everything. The wicked stepmother poisons the father and chases Snow off into Hooverville. The re-imagining of the seven dwarfs as seven homeless kids, and the Macy's Christmas window as the glass coffin really stuck out to me. Phelan put a lot of thought and hard work into this adaption, and it shows.

The book is largely wordless, and Phelan's illustrations are shadowy and wonderful. The shaded black and white of the makes the pops of color stand out. The pinkish red of the pig heart, the bright red apple, Snow's red lips, the frosty blue Macy's window. It makes the happy ending stand out that much more as the last few pages of the book are in full color.

I would recommend this book to readers 10 and up, though it could be enjoyed by anyone who loves a good fairy tale. The themes are a little dark for anyone much younger than 10, and the wordless nature means that lots of context clues are picked up in the illustrations. Shorter attention spans might have a hard time looking for all of them. You can find Snow White by Matt Phelan in the Children's area of the library.

- Libby, Youth Services.

#ComicsWednesday: The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks & Jordie Bellaire

A city, built on a mountain pass, constantly invaded and claimed for the surrounding nations, each nation calling it something different. The people who live in the city call it the Nameless City, and the invaders who try to give it names are outsiders.

The current nation to occupy the City are the Dao. Kaidu, our hero, is a Dao boy who comes to the city to meet his father and train for the military. Kaidu is more of a dreamer than a fighter, and his father is a scatterbrained military strategist. Kaidu sneaks out of the palace and meets a headstrong girl named Rat. Rat is a girl of the City, and she runs like the wind. Kaidu and Rat become unlikely friends, and when the City they both love is endangered, they stand together to fight injustice.

I really enjoyed this book. I've been a fan of Faith Erin Hicks since I first read The Adventures of Superhero Girl. The Nameless City introduces us to a lushly imagined world, full of relatable characters and thought-provoking situations. At its heart, this is a story about friendship in the face of adversity, and it is incredibly enjoyable.

Hicks' drawings and Bellaire's coloring are seamless. The color palette and the story reminded me of the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. If you're a fan of those shows, then you will enjoy The Nameless City. The second book in the series, The Stone Heart, comes out next month. I can't wait!


-Libby, Youth Services.

#ComicsWednesday: The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, and Matthew Wilson

Gear up, folks, for a #TagTeamComicsWednesday review!

This week Libby and Sarah team up to gush about one of their favorite comic series: The Wicked + The Divine by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Jamie Mckelvie, and colorist Matthew Wilson (plus some notable guest artists along the way).

PLOT SUMMARY

Twelve gods are incarnated as humans every ninety years. They become famous for what they are, treated like the ultimate celebrities. Within two years, all twelve of them are dead. We follow teen and ultimate fangirl Laura as she is given the chance to meet her heroes. Upfront warning: there is violence, death, sex, drug use, and all sorts of things that make this comic very much for adults.

If you’re waiting for the American Gods television series to premiere at the end of this month, The Wicked + The Divine might help tide you over. Likewise, if you’re waiting for The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 5 to hit the library shelves in June, check out American Gods by Neil Gaiman (if you haven't already).

OUR THOUGHTS

Okay, I'm just going to state right up front that avoiding spoilers is going to be SO HARD. But for any readers who have managed to exist on the internet without encountering major spoilers for this series, I do not want to ruin the experience for you. Even though I'm pretty sure Libby and I could fill this entire post with our favorite fan theories and unanswered questions.

SO MANY QUESTIONS. SO FEW ANSWERS. It's one of the best and most frustrating things about this series. If you're a fan of cliffhangers, TW+TD has you covered.

But oh boy, do tiny, cryptic references pay off BIG later on down the line.

Yeah, like “I hope you were paying attention to that random one-liner in the first issue because THAT MEANS EVERYTHING NOW AND NOTHING WILL EVER BE OKAY AGAIN.” I mean, that might be an exaggeration, but that’s how it makes me feel.

Haha. No. You were right: nothing WILL ever be okay again. Don’t get too attached to anyone. This is some Game of Thrones level of say goodbye to your favorites...

Best idea: don’t pick favorites. Easier said than done, but it’s the only way to escape emotional trauma. But before the reader gets the wrong idea, this series is 100% worth the emotional trauma. I think one of my favorite things about this series is the worldbuilding

The worldbuilding starts subtle. This feels like a very contemporary England, with fairly regular people, but they gradually add in the history and depth through bits and pieces and cryptic hints until before you know it you’re signed up for a fictional character’s mailing list.

I knew I wasn’t the only one who signed up for that list. I also learned more about gods and goddesses than I ever thought I would, and I went through a mythology phase as a child, so...

That mythology phase must be a librarian thing ;) But this is some Advanced Level mythology. Some of these gods and goddesses were totally new to me.

The array of gods and goddesses from different cultures, as well as how they interact, is fascinating. UGH, there is so much I want to type in all caps here, but there is only so much flailing we can put on the official library blog.

Okay, sure, but. The characters. How can I not flail when there are such dimensional, human, fallible yet lovable characters? EVEN MIRROR FACE THE AWFUL. Even him. A little.

Daft Punk Is Playing At My Pantheon? I KNOW. I can’t even pick a favorite character to talk about. They are all so realistic while somehow still being otherworldly. I think we have to at least talk about Laura, our POV character.

Laura is right up there in my genuine favs. Not just because she’s the regular human fangirl view to this whole supernatural circus that we’re MEANT to identify with as readers completely new to this universe, but because she has a self-awareness and is just so totally herself.

We identify with Laura right away, but her growth through the series is why I love her so much. She starts out as a fangirl, blogging and tweeting about this Pantheon, but when she meets them, they’re much more human than she expected.

And she handles that, both the excitement of meeting her heroes and the disappointment of their not being quite the people she imagined, so very well. So much better than I would’ve at 18.

This comic is, in a word, intense.

#ComicsWednesday: Princeless Vol. 1 Save Yourself by Jeremy Whitley & M. Goodwin

A princess, locked in a tower, guarded by a dragon, waiting for a prince to save her so she can marry him and they can live Happily Ever After. It's a familiar story, which is why it is such a delight when Princeless by Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin turns the trope on its head.

Princess Adrienne is sick of waiting for a knight to come rescue her. In fact, she never wanted to be rescued in the first place. In an attempt to get their daughters married off, her father has locked up Adrienne and all of her sisters in different prisons around the land. Guarded by fearsome beasts and tricky riddles, this will make sure that they are only rescued by someone strong enough to rule.

After berating a knight who attempts to rescue her, Adrienne finds a sword hidden in her tower. She decides to make an escape, and flies off on Sparky, the dragon who guarded her tower. Adrienne sets off to rescue her sisters on her own.

Adrienne has a few misadventures before she gets to her sisters, and she picks up help along the way. When she needs armor, she runs into Bedelia Smith, a half-dwarf blacksmith. (Their
hilarious discussion about the practicality of armor for women has been distributed in geek circles for a few years now.) Once Adrienne's father finds out she is missing, and that the "knight" responsible probably killed her, he sends the most vicious bounty hunters in the kingdom after her.

Princeless is a great all-ages comic. It's perfect for parents and kids to read together. Adrienne and Bedelia are funny, and are great role models for young kids. It explores gender roles in a fun and accessible way that is sure to spark conversations about why there are "girl things" and "boy things." Most of all, you will cheer for Adrienne as she makes her way to each sister and finds out that nothing is as clear as it seems.

- Libby, Youth Services

Staff Review: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

If you were a child in the 80's or 90's, you are probably familiar with the Jim Henson movie Labyrinth starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. You might have gone through an obsessive phase and written fanfiction about the movie, and it is possible you still have the movie memorized. I am definitely not speaking from experience or anything. Nope, not me.

So, ANYWAY, when I saw the following quote about Wintersong from the author, S. Jae-Jones, I knew I had to read it.

"In November 2013, I decided to write 50 Shades of Labyrinth for NaNoWriMo. The rest is history."*

Wintersong is a pretty obvious play on the themes behind the movie Labyrinth, but it draws inspiration from many other cultural touchstones. The Phantom of the Opera, the works of Mozart, Rossetti's Goblin Market, even the classic fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast.

If the "50 Shades" description is a turn-off for you, fear not. This book is firmly in the Young Adult category, and while there are some sexy-ish scenes, there's nothing above PG-13. It's definitely not erotica. It's also set in Bavaria in the 19th century, so there's a more repressed emotion and longing than anything else.

Liesl has always been the one to look after of her sister Käthe and brother Josef. Her father is a drunk and her mother works too hard, but Liesl puts her family first. Though she believed in der Erlkönig (the Goblin King) as a young child, she has outgrown the old superstitions. When Käthe is taken by the Goblin King, he makes a wager with Liesl. It's up to her to find Käthe in the Goblin Kingdom and get her back to safety. The question is, will Liesl be able to do it? And what will happen if she loses the game?

I got lost in this book. The characters are rich, and there is enough suspense to keep you turning the pages. S. Jae-Jones has a way with words, and the world she creates is one that you want to live in. Macmillan have already announced a companion novel due out next year. Is it 2018 yet?

- Libby, Youth Services

If you like Wintersong, try these:

Beauty: a retelling of the story of Beauty & the Beast by Robin McKinley
As Old As Time by Liz Braswell
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman



* No, really, she said that.

Look at this man and tell me you didn't have a crush on him when you were 13.
You didn't?
I don't believe you.