13 year old Jessamine Grace watches as a thin spiral of smoke rises above the man's head. "What do you see?" As Jess watches, letters appear and then take shape into three words. But what does this mean? Balthazar, a faerie who knew her father before he was killed by the dark ones, answers her question. Jess is a mesmerist. She can read other people's minds and she will have prophetic dreams.
What Jess does not see in her dreams is the League of Ravens. She and two others, Emily and Gabriel, will comprise the League and will be called upon to use their special gifts against the forces of evil that are coming back from the dead.
All of London is running scared with the rosy plague slowly making its way out of the alleyways. Cart loads of dead bodies are seen in the streets. But below the city, the ghouls and monsters wait with their deadly plan and their leader, Mephisto.
In Jess' mind she hears, "Come to me, darkling." She feels drawn to this voice at the same time she senses there is great danger.
This rising story moves at a quick pace as the greatness of the evil is revealed. Ghoulish and bloody with a tempered violence, the eeriness is the dominant weapon and the sense of creepy, horrifying danger is omnipresent. Can three children, a faerie and a werewolf bring down the greatest of all evil powers? Perfect for fans of Mary Downing Hahn.
272 pages 978-0544445284 Ages 10-13
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
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Thirteen-year-old Jessamine Grace and her mother make a living as sham spiritualists—until they discover that Jess is a mesmerist and that she really can talk to the dead. Soon she is plunged into the dark world of Victorian London’s supernatural underbelly and learns that the city is under attack by ghouls, monsters, and spirit summoners. Can Jess fight these powerful forces? And will the group of strange children with mysterious powers she befriends be able to help? As shy, proper Jess transforms into a brave warrior, she uncovers terrifying truths about the hidden battle between good and evil, about her family, and about herself. --from the publisher
