Shadowcry

May 9, 2011
In this somewhat overwritten but nonetheless gripping first volume of the Secrets of Wintercraft, 15-year-old Kate Winters has lost her parents to the wardens who patrol the benighted land of Albion, drafting conscripts for a never-ending war with the Continent. Living quietly in her uncle's bookshop, Kate is unaware of her magical lineage as one of the Skilled. Her life changes, however, when the wardens, led by the powerful and immortal Silas Dane, a minion of High Council member Lady Da'ru, attempts to capture her. Da'ru seeks Wintercraft, a magical tome that has passed down through the Winters family for generations. Many of the Skilled have died at Da'ru's hands as she has sought control of the book's magic and, as Silas tells Kate, Da'ru and her fellow councilors "will keep experimenting on the Skilled, taking the lives of innocent people.... They will keep failing and they will try again, and everyone else will pay the price." Debut novelist Burtenshaw's tale is melodramatic and overly reliant upon coincidence, but her characters are compelling and her descriptions of the death-besotted society of Albion have genuine power. Ages 12âup.

June 1, 2011

This lackluster debut combines familiar elements into a tale neither rare nor wonderful, despite some acclaim in its native Britain.

The formula is simple: war-torn country, power-mad leader (one of 13, technically), young person with unexpected powers who might be the answer to everything. But heroine Kate Winters never shows much pluck: She may wield significant power, though generally with little sense of how, and spends most of her time listening to other characters spout lengthy exposition. There is no purpose to power-mad leader Da'ru beyond her hunger for control. And although graveyard/city Fume is fascinating and the magic of Fume (bonemen, magical locks powered by spirits) hints at great powers of invention, Albion as a whole remains unknowable. What is the war, and why? How, in this pre-industrialized world with no commercial ties to "the continent," does a bookstore make for a viable living? Enigmatic, deathless Silas Dane comes across as the most nuanced of the characters, and his cold alliance with Kate is the heart of the novel, but Kate's narrative perspective keeps him at a distance.

Mediocre, but flashes of inspiration indicate Burtenshaw's potential, as yet untapped. (Fantasy. 10-14)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

November 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-Ten years after the last time the wardens came through their town and stole away everyone who might be useful in the war, including her parents, 14-year-old Kate Winters lives with her uncle running the family bookstore. Now rumors arise that the wardens are again on the move. Before they have a chance to escape, it is discovered that Kate is the last of her family who holds the power of the Skilled, making her a prime target for the wardens. Unfortunately, the heroine has power but little savvy, and her willingness to be influenced by friend and foe alike doesn't win her much reader sympathy. Silas, the villain, is easily the most interesting character and isn't well utilized. The opening chapter, with all its dark creepiness, is the best part of the novel, but long, meandering descriptive passages and lackluster dialogue don't live up to a promising beginning. Skip this one and recommend John Flanagan's "Ranger's Apprentice" (Philomel) or Tamora Pierce's "Beka Cooper" series (Random).-Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2011
Grades 7-9 Right from the prologue, in which a woman smashes open a long-buried coffin to steal a powerful book called Wintercraft from the bones within, this dystopian fantasy delivers action, terror, and magic at a breakneck pace. When 14-year-old Katediscovers that she has the power to bring a dead bird back to life, she has little time to ponder what that means before she is chased by mysterious wardens and seized by Silas, a frightening figure who hides her from the authorities only to use her untutored but powerful magic for his own undisclosed ends. Burtenshaws impressive first novel shows that she can write terrifying scenes and describe menacing characters with chilling intensity. However, the relative lack of scenes without horror or fear gives readers little space to connect with the main character or see her as more than an important piece on the chessboard of the plot. Still, fans of dark fantasy adventures will find plenty to admire in the first volume of the Secrets of Wintercraft series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)