The Amaranth Enchantment

Spice the Cinderella story with a pinch of out-of-this-world fantasy--and voilˆ!--Julie Berry's first book. When Lucinda is orphaned at age 5, her pampered life changes at a dizzying pace. Her servitude at her uncle's goldsmith shop is turned upside down by unexpected customers: a thief, a prince, and a scheming chief justice. Celeste Ciulla sets a steadying pace and calm tone as narrator. She adds personality to each character, including a flamboyant street rogue named Peter, a tight-lipped aunt, and velvet-voiced, mysterious Beryl. Her interpretation of the bickering between Peter and Lucinda is spot-on--full of whine and pluck. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Starred review from March 16, 2009
Berry's enticing debut novel teems with romance, danger and suspense. Lucinda, a 15-year-old orphan, leads a miserable existence as a servant until she gains possession of an unusual stone belonging to Beryl, a reputed witch. As luck would have it, the gem is stolen and sold to a prince before Lucinda even realizes it is gone. Most of the plot centers on Lucinda's adventures trying to retrieve the stone from the prince, with whom she predictably falls in love. Fantasy buffs will delight in the author's playful use of fairy tale conventions—unlike Cinderella, Lucinda has the good sense to retrieve her lost slipper after attending a ball (“I considered leaving it there, but one footfall in my stocking feet on the cold granite changed my mind”). But the book's main appeal comes from the revelations of many secrets and unexpected twists, including the truth about Beryl. Lucinda has to work harder than most such heroines to acquire her happily-ever-after ending, but her efforts eventually pay off, while leaving readers with enough unanswered questions to set imaginations spinning. Ages 10–14.

September 1, 2010

Gr 6-9-Orphaned by a tragic accident and raised as a servant in her uncle's goldsmith shop, 15-year-old Lucinda is accustomed to hard work and neglect. Following her relative's sudden death, Lucinda finds herself out on the street, homeless and clutching a mysterious gem that must be returned to its owner. Thus begins Lucinda's fantastic fairy-tale journey, complete with an unlikely friend, a handsome prince, an evil villain, a kindly enchantress, and an animal with peculiar talents. Julie Berry's tale (Bloomsbury, 2009) deftly weaves the lives and fates of several characters, Celeste Ciulla's narration drags the text down at some points, giving light-hearted phrases undue weight and making some of the longer conversations wander on interminably. Although the story is delightful, the audiobook is only for serious fantasy collections and fans of titles like Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted (HarperCollins, 1997).-Sara Saxton, Tuzzy Consortium Library, Barrow, AK

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