After catching up with Cailyn, the rapid-fire plot progresses as the group encounters Will, the King of Nature, who has already escaped his Prison. He convinces Jaxon that the Queen of Time’s mission is doomed to bring death and chaos back into the world, not the least by rendering the nobility powerless. In a compelling scene, Will asks, “If your people get [magical] powers, how long do you think you’ll keep your title?” Meanwhile, Lyra will do anything to keep magic in the world. The two sides’ conflicting but equally reasonable goals come to a head in a disastrous (and highly imaginative) war driven by betrayal and secrets.
Jain navigates the story at a steady, straight-forward pace, keeping the pages turning while sacrificing fantasy tales’ traditional detours into descriptions of their worlds and the workings of their magic. The characters have charm, and Lyra’s courage and commitment are inspiring, but the brisk pace and complex storyline leave little room for their quirks and traits to shine through, and the prose at times lacks polish. Still, Jain deftly employs schemes and disguises to surprise while demonstrating a strong sense of when to lean into readers’ expectations and when to upend them. A talent to watch.
Takeaway: Magical adventure of resurrection, betrayal, and war by a young author with promise.
Comparable Titles: A.J. Massey’s Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and the Fading Creeps, I.L. Cruz’s A Smuggler’s Path.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A
