Castle of Lies

April 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Thelia wants to replace her cousin, Princess Corene, and become queen. Bayled, a foreigner and the named heir to the throne, wants to marry Corene more than he wants to rule. Parsifal, Thelia and Corene's cousin, trades in secrets and wants people to look beyond his off-putting "irregular face" and see his true worth. Sapphire, a member of the Elf race everyone fears, is a new member of the Jaguars, an elite warrior group. Sapphire has been told the Jaguars are working to take over the kingdom by force and help the humans before they destroy themselves. This fantasy takes place mainly within the Holy Kingdom, ruled over by a drunkard king with residents fearful of magic, though it remains commonplace in other countries. Promising plotlines are impeded by an excess of information, which finally slows as the central story line starts to pick up with the arrival of yet another new suitor for Corene, which happens just as Elves are said to be planning an attack after years without contact. Relationships that seem clear-cut at the beginning undergo rapid transformation that stretch plausibility, as enemies become lovers with little buildup. There is an array of sexualities and genders as Sapphire goes by "they" and Parsifal appears to be bisexual, though none of the characters discuss these things. The underlying plot has potential but is bogged down by inconsistent characters and information overload from the start. VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries in need of fantasy with more mature content.-Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, FL

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2019
Secrets abound and elves invade in this multiperspective fantasy.Readers are welcomed into the corridors of Four Halls castle through four first-person, present perspectives. There's tenacious Thelia, her eyes set on the crown; quick-witted Parsifal, whose facial disfigurement is ridiculed; Bayled, the king's ward and heir; and Sapphire, a nonbinary elf who overtakes Four Halls along with an elite elven crew. Though these elves arrive to prevent a dangerous overflow of Magic, their ruthless methods petrify the humans and shock Sapphire, who expected the invasion to be nonviolent. As conditions worsen for the humans, Thelia, Parsifal, and Bayled work to overthrow the elves, with Sapphire showing signs of going turncoat as they develop affection for their captives. The narrative's strength lies in its strong-willed characters and deeply developed world, but these don't make up for a slow-moving plot, unconvincing emotional beats, and a lack of agency among protagonists. While the split perspectives initially create intrigue by letting readers in on secrets and lies, later they lead to duplicated information reveals and contribute to the story's slow pace. Life-threatening situations and complicated romantic entanglements receive equal attention; an explicit sex scene between cousins will likely take readers by surprise, though a blooming polyamorous relationship is a refreshing addition. Protagonists are diverse in skin color, sexuality, and gender.Compelling characters and worldbuilding are let down by an unengaging plot. (map) (Fantasy. 16-18)

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