Aurelia

May 1, 2008
Thestory begins with a clandestine outing in a menacing alley and builds to a melodramatic climax of swords and stallions. Along the way, all manner of balls and betrayals pepper a concoction frothy intenor but heavy with intrigue. Aurelia, the rebellious crown princess of Tyralt, pulls against the constraints of court composure and political etiquette. Brash and outspoken, she is forever challenging the statesmanship of her father and stepmother, particularly their efforts to find her a suitable (read rich) husband. But thats far less troubling than the fact that someone is trying to kill her. Enter Robert, dashing, earnest son of the kings own spy, to rescuethe comelyAurelia and track down the assassin.The mystery is well conceived and satisfactorily resolved, and the court fullof royal tropes veneeredwith contemporary sensibilities is irresistible. Plausible, no; entertaining, yes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)