Dark Mirror

February 1, 2011

This enjoyable supernatural time-travel story follows many of the conventions of romance novels, with its characters mostly drawn from English aristocracy (in this case in 1803) and an impossible romance with a drop-dead gorgeous young heir to a dukedom. However, modern readers need not cope with archaic language or conventions, as the characters speak in modern phrases, have mostly modern relationships and even adopt cute modern nicknames. Lady Victoria, known as "Tory," discovers that she has magical talent, a devastating blow, as society strongly disapproves of magic in the aristocracy. Her secret revealed, her father sends her to Lackland Academy, which promises to drain her magic from her. Instead Tory finds kindred spirits there—and that luscious lord—who develop their magical talents in order to save England from Napoleon. Almost caught by school authorities, Tory stumbles through Merlin's Mirror, which transports her, and later her friends, to 1940. There they work to control the weather as the English evacuate the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. But can they all survive, even the handsome lordling? Well, it's a romance novel. No one expects it to be plausible. Putney, an award-winning adult romance author, keeps the pace fast, adds a dash of suspense and shines a friendly light on history while providing plenty of entertainment in her first novel for teens. (Historical fantasy. 12 & up)

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April 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-Beginning in the late 17th century, magic was frowned upon by the upper classes of the British Realm. By 1803, this distaste for all things magical is so strong that young aristocrats who sully their family's name and reputation by having magical powers are banished to Lackland Academy where they are "reformed." With training, they are allowed to return to their families, as the black sheep no doubt, but they might be able to retain their inheritances. When Lady Victoria displays her magical abilities while saving her nephew's life, she is sent posthaste to Lackland. Following an introduction to the school and its workings, Tory becomes involved with a group trying to train their magic in order to assist in defending Britain against Napoleon's anticipated invasion. In an unexpected twist, the teen enters one of Merlin's legendary mirrors and time-travels to Lackland Abby circa 1940 deep in the midst of World War II. The tightly woven story brings in the magical and historical in clever and engaging ways, and fans of fantasy, romance, and adventure will find it riveting. From idle boarding school chatter to the brutality of war, Putney paints vivid scenes and makes a remarkable transition from adult to YA writing.-Genevieve Gallagher, Charlottesville High School, VA

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