Julia Defiant

April 1, 2017
A former thief hopes to stop an ancient god from destroying the world.In Julia Vanishes (2016), the eponymous heroine kidnapped a toddler for a wealthy client and then, guilt-ridden, turned around and stole him back. Baby Theo's still not safe, though; he's a pawn in an ancient magical conflict. Julia and her chosen family now accompany Theo's protectors (who have not forgiven Julia for her part in his original kidnapping) on a quest to separate the biracial, brown-skinned child from the powerful magic that endangers his life. From Frayne, a France-analogue where witchcraft is punished by drowning, they travel across the world to Yongguo, a China-like country where witchcraft is legal and controlled by the state. Julia, a light-skinned Fraynish girl, finds Yongguo appealing despite the devastating absence of coffee. There is Jun, a devilishly attractive local boy; there's the happiness of Julia's disabled brother, Dek, in a country that has no taboos around his missing eye and withered leg; there's the lack of witch drowning. But Julia worries that despite her best efforts, she can't protect her beloved Theo. Worse, Julia's mysterious ability to vanish, previously used only to steal and spy, seems tied to something much worse--perhaps even hell itself. Fans of the first book will be well-satisfied with this outing, packed with primordial mysteries, convoluted twists, international politics, romance, and friendships aplenty--and a high body count. This sequel's every bit as thrilling as Book 1. (Fantasy. 13-17)

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April 1, 2017
Gr 8 Up-The second installment in the trilogy finds protagonist Julia questioning her humanity as her ability to vanish grows and changes. Now when she disappears, the 16-year-old can travel to a fiery world-possibly the mythological hell known as Kahge-where her reflection shows a beastly version of herself, and the gruesome creatures seem to know who she is. Julia keeps this a secret while adjusting to life in Yongguo-a more witch-tolerant country than her native Frayne-where she and her cohorts have gone to find Ko Dan, the only person who can extract a remnant of a magical, dangerous book bound to Theo, the small child Julia was paid to kidnap in the series opener. Throw in a new love interest, questions surrounding her parentage, the beginnings of a Fraynish revolution, and an offer to work for her enemy, and Julia-an admirably complex heroine-is just about in over her head. This sequel boasts the same solid world-building and character development as in the first novel, but in a new setting (whereas the original was set in the Europe-like Frayne, the follow-up takes place in a country that more closely resembles Eastern Asia) and with some new faces. VERDICT Fans of the previous title are sure to be pleased with this outing and will eagerly await the series conclusion. Hand both volumes to fans of Marie Lu's The Young Elites, Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen, and other fantasies that boast strong female heroines.-Molly Hone, Pequannock Township Public Library, NJ

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Starred review from April 15, 2017
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* At the end of Julia Vanishes (2016), Julia and her cohort of thieves join forces with Mrs. Och to rescue baby Theo from the clutches of Casimir. Now they must try to put a stop to Mrs. Och's ruthless brother once and for all. Their mission takes them to distant Tianshi, where they hope to find Ko Dan, the monk who worked powerful magic over Theo, and force him to undo the spell; it is the key to bringing about Casimir's demise. As Julia spies for Mrs. Och, she uses her ability to vanish between her world and Kahge, a hellish shadow world. One day she disappears too far into Kahge, and its nightmarish creatures attack her. Though Julia escapes, she can feel them trying to pull her back into their world. Egan uses this sequel, the second book in her Witch's Child trilogy, to further develop the mythology of this fictional universe, as well as its political history. Careful world building unspools amid attacks by Casimir's assassin and Julia's increasingly dangerous visits to Kahge, where she realizes she undergoes an inexplicable transformation. Consumed with the question of what she is, girl or monster, Julia grows as desperate to find answers as she is to protect Theo from harm. Complex and beautifully imagined, Julia's saga continues to thrill.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)