Ennara and the Book of Shadows

This is the second in a magical mystery series about a girl named Ennara who has been marked at birth as having special magical powers. In this one she faces a big evil presence with her also magical friends. It's a very exciting and action packed read. I think kids will like this one a lot!

Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure Strikes the Perfect Tone
This reviews both Ennara and the Fallen Druid (Ennara, #1) and Ennara and the Book of Shadows (Ennara, #2)
Middle grade fiction stands apart from its younger and older (Young Adult) cousins in ways that go beyond the simple division by ages. Kids this age are just beginning to spread their wings, assert their independence and individuality, and test their limits. Friends help them define themselves and try out new behaviors and identities, although not always in ways their parents approve. At the same time, they’re not ready to plunge into the full-blown angst, sex, blood, and darkness (although certainly rock/n/roll) of stories for older readers. They often prefer adults to hang around somewhere, just not too close by; they tread the line between wanting to go off entirely on their own and needing someone stronger and wiser to lend a hand when they get in over their heads. In other words, they’re highly capable children. Some will happily devour literature for teens and adults, but others want the same adventurousness, but featuring kids closer to their own age.
With this perspective in mind, I embarked upon a series of adventures with young Ennara and her friends. The setting included many familiar elements: low-technology villages, magic, prophecies, pirates, “shadowspawn,” and druids. In an adult fantasy, these might feel generic and derivative, a hodge-podge of time-worn tropes, but in Angela Shelley’s hands, they evoke a sense of familiarity. Pre-teen readers aren’t after a startlingly original world with sophisticated culture and so forth; they want a good story with characters they can relate to. So even details that caused me-the-adult to roll my eyes were strangely congruent and certainly didn’t cause me to stop reading (although I admit, finding a professor in a plaid blazer in the middle of a fantasy tale gave me a giggle). I don’t think the intended readers will notice, for instance, that druids have been done to death in adult fantasy; instead, they’ll recognize the name, just exotic enough to be not-here-and-now, but not so alien as to require chapters of backstory and explanation.
So the above-mentioned shadowspawn appear in Ennara’s village, thereby initiating a quest for our young heroine. Ennara is magically gifted, of course, although not educated in its use. She has a mentor, a wise old magician (who incidentally is in love with her potion-making aunt, which made me smile), a family, who remain behind but send their love and support, and a best friend. As the adventure unfolds, she picks up a new friend (and a huge marine cat named Smoos who loves to swim), loses the mentor partway through (although he’s still alive and they wrap him up to bring him along with them). Ennara’s gifts and self-confidence grow as she learns from her adventures, so there are no sudden bursts of power but a careful, step-wise mastery and growing self-knowledge, which is, after all, what the pre-teen years are about.
The second book begins with Ennara enrolled in a school of magic, the Druidic Academy. Again, that’s something we’re all familiar with from the Harry Potter books, and others. The initiating incident is both hilarious and innovative. One of Ennara’s classmates has substituted a dead flower for the wilted one she is supposed to revive, thereby giving rise to a plague of zombie flowers. Zombie flowers are quickly followed by a turtle dragon, and the friends are off on a new adventure. The one wrong note here, in my opinion, was an attempt to paint this world as the aftermath of the fall of our current civilization. While it’s possible to combine fantasy and what is essentially science fiction, in this case it was both unnecessary and it led to too many unanswered questions.
One of the strengths most evident in the Book of Shadows was the choice between light and dark magic. So often in books for older readers and adults, when anyone tells a character to beware the dark side, that’s exactly where that character goes, sometimes succumbing to its temptation. Ennara has a natural affinity for dark magic, but she listens carefully when warned to choose the light. And that’s exactly what she does. It isn’t easy, but even as she struggles to find a way, she never wavers. I found a refreshing innocence in Ennara’s determination, one that, while it might not appeal as strongly to cynical older teens, offers validation and comfort to younger readers.
Lastly, both books emphasize the value of loyal, accepting friends (even the marine cat). Ennara and her friends are team players, often fighting together, each with his or her special strength, their whole being greater than their parts. She cannot master every challenge and overcome every obstacle on her own, but together they can. This emphasis is hardly unique to middle grade fiction, which only reinforces how we all need a community. The message here is that it isn’t necessary to be the best in everything in order to be a hero. Your friends have your back.
The end left open the possibility for a third adventure for Ennara and her friends. I hope we get to see what happens next!

A Solid Sequel, But A Bit "Magicky"

In the first book in this series we met our heroine, Ennara, and her band of friends, and set off on an interesting, suspenseful, and very well imagined quest. Ennara is marked as a "special" magical eleven year old with a mysterious but ambiguously prophesied destiny. The book was well paced and full of action and adventure. In this second book Ennara, now thirteen, is a student at the Druidic Academy, studying various forms of magic. But, Ennara commands dark magic, not the light, and her presence at the Academy unnerves and frightens some. She meets resistance from some teachers and students, and her place in the magical world remains uncertain.

As a consequence of this setup we get a fair amount of Druid politics, and early on we get some mean girl and Professor Snape-type scenes that feel a bit undercooked. Not to worry, though, because once Ennara is reunited with the full crew from the first book, and once suspicious accidents start dogging Ennara, (a killer turtle, zombie flowers), the book gets back up to speed. Shortly thereafter magical artifacts disappear, the Dark begins rising again, and the game is afoot.

As before, all of the heroes have their roles to play. Everyone, including some especially fun supporting characters, gets some page time. And, we even have a slight touch of romance to add a little sizzle to the tale. We do, also, get a lot of magic, including some very advanced magic. This is not one of those books where everyone just waves around wands and mumbles. Different magics do different things, the magic has to be done right, Ennara is still learning, objects have odd properties, and so on. As a consequence, while this is a fine book for fantasy/quest readers, it does have a bit of a learning curve and takes magic and the world's magic system seriously. For readers who like their magic served with a bit of detail and rigor this is a plus.

As before, the book wraps up with a satisfying ending that leaves the door open for more. It's not a cliffhanger, just a cliff suggester, so there might be a third, and if not there is enough closure here to not leave a reader wondering. I always think that's a nice way to handle a series like this.

So, it was good to follow Ennara and her friends again. Fans of the first book should not be disappointed. Newcomers could start here; there's enough recapitulating to get them into the flow without having read Book One. Again, a nice touch, and a very solid read overall.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)