The Orphan Queen

February 23, 2015
First in a fantasy duology, this tale of a young royal fighting to retake her country from invaders intertwines espionage, secret identities, a debate on the ethics of violence, and the threat of Wraith, a supernatural force that seeks to overwhelm conquered and conquerors alike. A hypercompetent fighter, forger, and spy, 17-year-old Wil keeps her magical abilities secret, since magic has been banned as the cause of the relentless wave of Wraith that has destroyed neighboring kingdoms, turning harmless animals into devouring monsters and perverting nature wherever it spreads. Wil's more mundane transgressions of the Indigo Kingdom's law are enough to attract the attention of a mysterious vigilante, Black Knife. Wil increasingly finds herself disagreeing with her own leader, the ruthless Patrick, and coming to trust Black Knife. Though Black Knife's identity proves unsurprising, along with the outcomes of Wil's interpersonal relationships, Meadows (the Incarnate trilogy) delivers a powerful coming-of-age story as Wil discovers that there are "lines will not cross, not even to take the vermillion throne." A cliffhanger sets up the concluding volume. Ages 13âup. Agent: Lauren MacLeod, Strothman Agency.

December 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Wilhelmina-more frequently known as Wil-is a princess. However, she's a royal who's more used to stealing food than curtsying in a palace. Wil's homeland of Aecor was conquered 10 years earlier by the Indigo Kingdom and Wil and a band of other orphaned children of Aecor nobility have been living secretly as refugees in Skyvale, the capital of the Indigo Kingdom. The teen and the other refugees have plans to take back their home by infiltrating the palace. As Wilhelmina's mission inside the palace proceeds, it is complicated not just by her secret ability to practice magic-which has been forbidden for almost a century-but also by her connection to the vigilante Black Knife, a masked figure who helps the poor and the weak in the streets of Skyvale. Fans of Katniss and the Sisters of St. Mortain from Robin LaFevers's "His Fair Assassin" series (Houghton Harcourt) and other strong, vengeful female heroines will root for Wil, as she plots revolution, struggles with her conflicted feelings for Black Knife, and discovers more about wraith, the toxic by-product of magic. Although this series opener starts off with poorly executed exposition to provide the necessary background, the plot quickly picks up pace, and the highlights of this novel are the subtle lessons in the sacrifices and responsibilities of leadership, as well as the unique way in which magic use and wraith are echoes of our own world's debate about environmental justice.-Evelyn Khoo Schwartz, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2015
A displaced teenage queen acts as a thief, spy and vigilante while plotting to reclaim her throne.The One-Night War stole the lives of Princess Wilhelmina Korte's parents and her kingdom, Aecor. Ten years later, in Skyvale, capital of the conquering Indigo Kingdom, Wil and her band of ragamuffin teens, the Ospreys, are attacked by glowmen-humans corrupted by wraith, the noxious supposed residue of magic, which is forbidden-and survive only with the help of vigilante Black Knife. Patrick, leader of the Ospreys, sends Wil and her friend Melanie to the Skyvale Palace as spies. There, Wil has an understandable but frustratingly difficult time controlling her anger-especially toward ailing King Terrell and aloof Prince Tobiah-even under threat of exposure. Wil reconnects with Black Knife-known for targeting thieves and magic users-and a bond slowly builds, despite Wil's magical abilities. Some may guess Black Knife's identity, but that doesn't diminish the intensity of the inevitable kissing scene. What's not so obvious is the connection between Wil's magic and the encroaching wraith; readers will have to wait for that. The story is not perfect. It's pushing credulity that Patrick, so young himself, trained the Ospreys so well, and problems sometimes resolve rather simply. Still, solid worldbuilding, interesting characters and just enough romance make this an enjoyable read. Despite what's possibly the most agonizing cliffhanger since Catching Fire, genre fans will find it worth their time. (Fantasy. 14 & up)

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July 1, 2015
Princess Wilhelmina is a refugee of the war that shattered her kingdom. Now an illegal magic-user and spy, Wil is determined to reclaim her throne--if she isn't destroyed first by the anti-magic vigilante Black Knife, or by wraiths, the toxic byproduct of magic-use ravaging the land. A fast-paced, action-packed fantasy driven by a dilemma that recalls the urgency of climate change.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

February 15, 2015
Grades 7-10 Kingdoms are dying from a toxic by-product of magic known as wraith, which has resulted in a treaty banning magic. But gifted 17-year-old Princess Wilhelmina struggles with weightier issues as she gathers information undercover in the Indigo Kingdom, whose royal family caused her parents' deaths. She intends to reclaim her birthrightthe throne in the conquered country of Aecorbut the process is complicated by a masked vigilante who stirs her imagination and emotions, a vengeful companion focused on his own goals, and a compulsion to solve the riddle of the wraith. Hidden identities, allusions to environmental concerns, a clever heroine with a worthy potential love interest, and some monster-mashing fight scenes elevate this romance series opener. This has just enough action to potentially attract a wide audience and a cliff-hanger ending that will have many readers exclaiming aloud their impatience at having to wait for the sequel. Different aspects of the book may lead readers to Jodi Meadows' Incarnate trilogy or even The Scarlet Pimpernel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)