Rebel Spring

Gr 7 Up—Auranos has fallen and the three kingdoms are resentfully united as one by the malevolent King Gaius who continues to search for magic he can use to conquer the world. The dispossessed princess Cleo is a prisoner in her own palace, and has been forced into an engagement with the reigning prince, Magnus, who continues to struggle with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia, who remains in a magically induced coma. And all the while Jonas schemes just outside the castle with a band of rebels committed to ending the usurper's reign. If all of this sounds complicated and dramatic that's because it is, in the best possible way. It's the angsty, obsessive, beautiful teens of Gossip Girl fused with the high fantasy and drama of Game of Thrones. With abundant plot turns and twists, this is a must-have for collections with the first book. The work is skillfully narrated by Fred Berman, whose reading adds an element of mature emotion to a book whose young characters deserve to be taken seriously. Recommended for those who love dramatic, romantic fantasy.—Chani Craig, Converse Middle School, Palmer, MA