Chantress

April 8, 2013
Greenfield (Virginia Bound) sets her first YA novel in the London of Guy Fawkes and Samuel Pepys, but with a twist. The English Civil War never happened, and “Lord Protector” refers to vengeful Lord Scargrave, mentor of the young King Henry, one of the few royal survivors of a successful version of the Gunpowder Plot. It sounds like alternate history, and it is—with magic. The plot that wiped out the royal family touched off a witch hunt, and most of the kingdom’s magical practitioners have been tortured and executed. On an island off the coast, however, one Chantress, a singer of spells, has survived. Fifteen-year-old Lucy can barely remember the turmoil that sent her into exile seven years before, and she doesn’t understand why her guardian, Norrie, has prohibited her from singing. When the music overwhelms Lucy, she is whirled back to London and into the battle against Scargrave. Richly and thoughtfully written, the story situates its fantastic embellishments firmly in the lived reality of the 17th century and brings to life a diverse cast of deeply human characters. Ages 14–up. Agent: Julie Just, Janklow & Nesbit.

April 15, 2013
In an alternate England, a young girl raised in isolation may hold the power to save the nation. Lucy scarcely remembers anything before the shipwreck that left her, with nursemaid/guardian Norrie, on a deserted island. She does know never to sing, and she knows that she must never ever remove the stone pendant her mother left her. So it will be no surprise that when she does both, she opens the gates to magic and is transported to 17th-century England, where the nearly mad Lord Protector and his enchanted ravens control by fear and terror. Lucy is a Chantress, possibly the last and, as a result, the only hope the revolutionaries (including the cute and smart Nat) have to destroy the Chantress-fueled magic of Lord Scargrave. The plotting is pedestrian to a fault and laughably simplistic, but Lucy is engaging enough, and Greenfield's England balances the familiar with the original to great effect. There are no surprises: Of course Lucy succeeds; of course she and Nat fall in love; of course there will be a sequel. Formulaic doesn't mean faulty, though, and girl-centric historical fantasy's ever-growing niche can certainly hold another volume. (author's note) (Historical fantasy. 12-16)

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December 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-In renaissance-era London, Lucy Marlowe discovers that she is a Chantress and thus capable of creating powerful magic through singing. Greenfield effectively conjures a world in which England is controlled by the nefarious Lord Scargrave and his Shadowgrims, creatures who find and capture enemies of the crown, especially Chantresses. When Lucy's power unexpectedly manifests, she inadvertently transports herself from the protected island where she has grown up to the heart of London. She earns the trust and help of Cornelius Penebrygg and his apprentice, Nat. They tell her that she is the only person who can put an end to Scargrave's reign of terror, but she must first learn how to use her powers. Fortunately, Lucy's Godmother, Lady Helaine, takes control of the teen's magical training. Just before the heroine embarks on a dangerous mission to sneak into the Tower and steal a grimoire, a book of spells that controls the Shadowgrims, she learns that Lady Helaine has ulterior motives. Faced with conflicting goals and ideals, Lucy must decide for herself what kind of world she wants to live in and what kind of person she wants to be. Although the idea of magic conjured by singing is slightly silly, Greenfield's characters help suspend disbelief. While Chantress is likely to interest readers looking for historical fantasy, they will find it more skillfully done in Rachel Hartman's Seraphina (Random, 2012).-Joy Piedmont, LREI, New York City

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