Perhaps thirteen really is an unlucky number, or maybe your thirteenth year is unlucky if you happen to be Lady Lilith Shadow, ruler of Gehenna. (Don't read this next bit if you haven't already finished Shadow Magic.) In the first book of the series we learned that Lily's family had been killed by her uncle, who used magical artifacts in an effort to seize the kingdom. Now, as the lone survivor, she is the queen of the land and only thirteen years old.
In this second volume of her tale, Lily has still more problems to deal with. Her faithful nursemaid and companion has left the castle. The executioner Tyburn is missing. The trolls are on the march and heading towards Castle Gloom. Villagers are disappearing. A strange wizard attacks the castle and steals a magical key. Eerie crystalline spiders seem to be coming from nowhere and attacking people. Rumor has it that other kingdoms are sending assassins after Lily, because they fear her magic. How much can one girl handle?
At least she has a few trusted friends to help out. Thorn, the squire (and former poacher), is ready to do whatever Lily needs from him - even take lessons with the dancing master. Hades, the giant bat, still comes when Thorn needs him and can help with the search for the missing. Lily has befriended a young troll named Dott who was found alone in the Spindlewood. And, of course, there are all the undead. So, can a young queen, a squire, a misplaced troll, and some zombies manage to save the day?
978-1484737620 Ages 8-12 350 pages
Recommended by: Suzanne Costner, Library Media Specialist, Tennessee USA
See more of her recommendations: https://fveslibrary.blogspot.com
Editor's note: This is high-fantasy. ******* In Book 2 of a three book series, things are dire for the inhabitants of Castle Gloom and the surrounding villages. The undead are leaving their graves in droves, a troll army is on the march from the north, and people are mysteriously disappearing from their homes. The people of Gehenna are blaming their misfortunes on Lilith Shadow, their young queen. They believe she has cursed them by using magic, a practice forbidden to women. With her trusty executioner among the missing and her blackguard soldiers busy battling trolls, it is up to Lily and her friend Thorn to root out the real cause of all the trouble. Their search will uncover ugly truths and eventually lead to a nightmarish confrontation with nothing less than the rulership of the realm at stake.--from the publisher
