So Silver Bright

February 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-In this conclusion to the trilogy, Master of Revels and wordsmith Beatrice Shakespeare-Smith, 17, is attempting to find her missing father, the Scrimshander, and help her increasingly fragile mother, Ophelia the water maiden. When the Queen of the Distant Castle summons Bertie and her troupe for a command performance, the teen sees a chance to reunite her family by winning a magical wish from the queen. Their journey to the Distant Castle is fraught with danger, however, as Sedna the Sea Goddess lies in wait to attack the travelers and brigands raid the caravan in order to steal the magical book, The Complete Works of the Stage. In addition to these physical challenges, there are emotional perils as well, as Bertie must choose between her two lovers, Nate the pirate and Ariel the air spirit. As the story builds to a climax, she finds that she must return to the increasingly unstable Theatre Illuminata and use her word magic to restore her mother's memories and resolve the conflict between her father and Sedna. Readers who have not read the first two books will not be able to follow the complex story line. However, fans of the series will find even more of what they loved in this book: the surrealistic imagery; the witty wordplay and literary allusions; and favorite characters like the sugar-addicted fairies, as well as fascinating new characters like Varvara the Fire Dancer and the Queen of the Distant Castle. Libraries owning the first two books in the series will definitely want this volume.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.