Winterling

Fer, short for Jennifer, is unaware of her magical heritage and feels completely out of place when she enters a new realm upon inadvertently opening the Way between worlds. Erin Moon uses an even tone to portray Fer as a practical, normal girl, but all of the magical creatures have unique voices that match their natures in the other world. The Lady, an evil ruler, has a harsh, icy voice that sounds malevolent even when she makes the most mundane comments. Rook, a fairy who can shift into different animals, has a deep, gruff voice, much like the growl of the dog he often changes into. The wolf guards who pursue Fer on the orders of the Lady have mocking, slightly caustic tones. Moon's narration provides a bright spot in Prineas's sometimes inconsistent tale. E.N. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

May 1, 2012

Gr 4-8-In this fantasy adventure, young Fer feels that she doesn't belong in her world. When she rescues a magical boy who can turn into a dog and hears the beckoning of the Way, a path into another realm, she decides to try to discover what might have happened to her parents, who have been "gone from this world" since she was a baby. Despite her grandmother's fears, she enters a land that is ruled by a powerful and dangerous huntress, the Mor, and populated with strange creatures and humans that can morph into animals. Along her journey, Fer discovers her healing powers and inner strength; she also learns about her parents and her family's connection to this enchanted, perilous place. The story has a steady pace and solid character development. The description-rich writing provides an excellent sense of the how the characters experience their surroundings, and the setting of this unnatural realm is intricately woven into the plot. An appealing and empowering tale.-Molly M. Collins, Burlington Public Library, MA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2011
An atmospheric middle-grade fantasy ties the coming of age to the turning of the year. Young Fer (short for "Jennifer") loves her strict Grand-Jane and the herbal lore she teaches, but she feels more at home in the woods and fields than in the concrete and iron cage of her school. When she rescues the shapeshifting puck Rook, Fer opens a Way into a place of wild beauty, deep magic and strange half-human denizens. The land's glamorous Lady claims friendship with Fer's lost parents and begs her allegiance, but Fer senses something deeply wrong: something that holds Rook sullen and silent, forces the people into savagery and keeps the land in the grip of relentless winter… something that is now spreading to Fer's home. Prineas calls upon Celtic (and a few Nordic) traditions to build a vivid fantasy world, steeped in pagan sensibilities, where the cycle of seasons resonates with the awakening of identity. The prose is lush and sensuous, evoking the sounds and tastes and scents of the natural world. Unusually, almost every character (except the puck-in-distress) is female, portrayed in all ages and roles--authority, hero, villain, mentor, warrior, healer, servant and goddess. Fer is herself brave and kind, but not unrealistically so; her magic is both matter-of-fact and a source of quiet joy. There's no flashy pyrotechnic wizardry to dazzle here, but the right readers will find refreshment in a tale as muted and miraculous as the return of spring. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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