Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Star Crossed, by Elizabeth Bunce

Escaping from Green Men soldiers after a botched theft results in her partner's death, Digger convinces a boat of young nobles to help spirit her away, thinking they are helping "Celyn" escape from convent school.  Willing to leave the city of Gerse behind for awhile, Celyn becomes a maid to one of the nobles, a younger girl named Merista who is about to be presented to the marriage mart, and goes with Meri to reunite with her parents, exiled for the last several years for their part in a plot to overthrow the king and the corrupt church. 


Crossed, by Allie Condie

Sequel to Matched.




Three Thieves series, by Scott Chantler

Book 1:  The Tower of Treasure:  Dessa, a 14-year old acrobat in a traveling circus, gets lured into helping Fisk, the scheming troupe juggler, and Topper, the gentle strongman, rob the royal treasury when she decides it will help her learn more about the mysterious man who kidnapped her twin brother several years before.  Caught in the act, they are able to escape from the tower prison but are followed by the grasping Queen's honorable, duty-bound captain of the guards, Drake.  Graphic novel, good for older elementary and middle school - mysteries, fantasy, adventure readers.

  Book 2:  The Sign of the Black Rock:  After escaping from the royal prison, Dessa, Fisk and Topper flee to the coast, where they seek shelter at an inn from a ferocious storm.  The Queen's Dragons and Captain Drake aren't far behind, though, and soon the thieves are hiding from the guards, held captive by the scheming innkeeper, and set free by his abused and silent wife, who also shares more information with Dessa about the sorcerer who kidnapped Dessa's brother and scarred the innkeeper's wife in an attempt to cut out her tongue before she could tell anyone about the spell book and odd word she discovered in his room.