Mistwood

May 17, 2010
Sustained ignorance, hostility, and confusion are difficult narrative materials, and debut novelist Cypess does not always succeed in controlling them. Her heroine, Isabel, is the Shifter, a legendary shape-shifting protector of the king; she vanishes every generation or so and must be sought anew. Brought back to the court from her lair in the Mistwood, Isabel finds that her social skills rapidly return, but not her thousand-year-old memory. King Rokan claims to know from an oracle that he is in danger, but can't—or won't—reveal where the danger lies. Isabel must negotiate the intrigues of an adversarial court and glean what knowledge she can before the warning comes to fruition. The plot has some fundamental holes—how, for example, can a creature born of a magical culture ever have functioned as a bodyguard if she is sometimes unable to sense magic being used? Still, it's evident that Cypess is an able writer: the premise is novel, her characterizations ring true, and the emotional bond that develops between Isabel and Rokan will for many readers be the most important part of the story. Ages 12–up.

May 1, 2010
Gr 7 Up-For centuries, the kings of Samorna have depended upon the immortal Shifter for protection. When the Crown Prince Rokan ventures into the Mistwood to find the Shifter, she again allows herself to be caught, to be tamed, and to be tangled into the deception and danger of the human court. The Shifter is uneasy, though. First she woke with no distinct memory of the past and now she finds that she is unable to change shape. As she adapts to palace life and painstakingly hides her inability to embrace her past abilities fully, she seems to become more the Lady Isabel as she is known in court, unwittingly displaying human emotions and hesitating in her bound duties to the crown. As Rokan becomes king, he is thrust into danger, seemingly from all sides. Isabel learns much more than she bargained for as she hunts among courtiers for conspirators and finds her loyalties divided. This story unfolds gracefully, mirroring the slow path Isabel must travel to begin understanding herself and her place in the world. Her journey in self-acceptance takes place within a country in turmoil. Fans of Megan Whalen Turner's "Attolia" books (HarperCollins) will be drawn to similar hidden political currents within the court, and fans of Kristin Cashore's "Graceling" (Harcourt, 2008) will wholeheartedly embrace Isabel as a reluctant warrior heroine treading in unfamiliar waters of the heart. An excellent addition for all collections with a strong fantasy following."Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2010
Grades 6-9 Isabel is an ancient, shape-shifting being whose sole purpose had been to protect the king of Samorna. She has no memories, though, of the night in which the king and his family died and she fled to Mistwood forest, nor does she remember what has happened since. Now, 10 years since the kings death, a new prince, Rokan, fastens the Shifters Seal around Isabels wrist, binding her once again to her ages-long task. With his own coronation approaching, he begs her to keep him safe. Surrounded by dangerous secrets, and aided by a young magician, Isabel tries to regain her memory and piece together the mystery of the events that led up to the former royal familys tragic end, including a rebellion led by Rokans father. Debut author Cypess pens an unusual, suspenseful fantasy that is propelled by well-placed clues. It is no easy task to give a thousand-year-old creature teen appeal, and Cypess accomplishes her goal in Isabel. Look for shape-shifters to be the next hot supernatural topic.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)