A Breath of Frost

January 27, 2014
In this lavish opener to the Lovegrove Legacy series, Emma and her cousins Penelope and Gretchen are bored by their first debutante ball and the prospect of the coming season. But when Emma accidentally shatters her mother's witch bottle, a spell is broken and the girls receive supernatural powers. The three girls are whisked off to Rowanstone Academy to get a handle on their newfound abilities, as well as the sorts of troubles they'll face from the Underworld. Suddenly, their lives are full of adventure, witchcraft, evil warlocks, and those who fight against them. Harvey (Haunting Violet) develops an elaborate fantasy world filled with whimsy, magic, and love (try as Emma does, she can't calm her heart whenever the dashing Cormac Fairfax, member of the Order of the Iron Nail, is in the room). Spell casting and paranormal creatures enliven this Regency fiction, which offers a cast of strong, witty women fighting for a higher good, all while finding romance, dressing up prettily, and going to lots of parties. Ages 12âup. Agent: Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary Agency.

November 1, 2013
This lengthy but constantly entertaining series opener set in 1814 invents a large society of witches comprising much, it seems, of the British aristocracy. Although witches appear to be equally common in the underclasses, only witches from the nobility go to school to hone their magical skills. Danger strikes when the evil Greymalkin Sisters, long dead, come back as powerful ghosts and kill witches all over London. Emma, one of three cousins descended from the disgraced but powerful Lovegrove family, comes into her powers unexpectedly at the very beginning of the novel. Cormac, a magnificently handsome young lord who previously kissed Emma, works for the Order of the Iron Nail, an organization of male witches who control the entire witch society. The Order suspects Emma in the murders, but even though she's always around when someone dies, Cormac believes she's innocent. Harvey balances a large cast with an intricate plot with flair, freely drawing on Regency romance tropes. Emma and Cormac, who has the expected "chiseled features," dance around their mutual romantic attraction, but the plot's emphasis centers on the witchy murders. The little time Harvey spends with scrappy little Moira, an urchinlike witch girl called a Madcap, may make some readers wish the book had focused on the other end of society; perhaps they will see more of Moira in sequels. A successful blend of Regency and paranormal romance. (Paranormal suspense. 12 & up)

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November 15, 2013
Grades 9-12 Regency England intertwines with witchcraft in this first book of the Lovegrove Legacy series. While attending a debutante ball, three cousins discover their secret family lineage of witchcraft and unknowingly open the gates to the underworld. As the girls uncover their individual powers, they find themselves wrapped up in a mysterious world of magic, murder, and mayhem, and they end up on the run from three spirit sisters who are hunting witches for their powers. The Order of the Iron Nail is supposed to keep the girls safe, but they aren't sure whom to trust as they learn about the witching world. Though this comes in at a hefty length, there is rarely a dull moment. Filling her latest with a large cast of characters from the society elite to the magical world's dark underbellyHarvey (Haunting Violet, 2011) keeps up the action and clever dialogue as the protagonist, Emma, deals with high-class mean girls, familial secrets, and a confusing crush. A smashing blend of adventure, fantasy, humor, romance, and historical fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)