The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars

September 15, 2020
A boy goes on a quest to bring back wish-granting Stars and save his world. Abandoned as a baby, Bo survived a night in the woods with the malevolent Shadow Creatures. Now a 12-year-old outsider, he's verbally and physically abused by both his gruff guardian and the local villagers, who believe he is cursed. When he accidentally releases magic back into Ulv and reignites a war for power and magic, he sets out on a quest to set things right. Along the way he is joined by his beloved pet fox, a bird-woman who vows to protect him, and a feisty girl with unwieldy magic. Together, they journey to solve three riddles that will let them free the Stars and restore the natural balance of magic to Ulv. Along the way they must outwit vindictive villagers, the bureaucracy of the Un-Royal City and the Temple of the Silent Sisters, a greedy charm-peddling salesman, a power-hungry talking wolf, and the Shadow Witch herself. Interspersed within the third-person, closely focalized narrative are excerpts from The True Histories of Ulv, which provide even further worldbuilding background. Self-conscious prose sometimes struggles to strike a balance between humor and angst, but a relentless plot keeps the pages turning. In this vaguely Nordic-inspired fantasy, characters' skin colors are varied; Bo has tawny skin. For readers who can't get enough of the classic hero's journey. (map) (Fantasy. 9-12)

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October 26, 2020
Twelve-year-old Bo, who was abandoned in the forest as an infant, has always been shunned by local villagers, who believe that he’s tainted by the Shadow Creatures that roam the Dark at night. When his guardian, acerbic woodcutter Mads, is killed by an enormous magical wolf, Bo is tasked with a seemingly impossible quest: find the three keys needed to release the wish-granting Stars and return magic
to the land. Accompanied by his fox, Nix; a magic-wielding girl; and a Korakhu—half woman, half bird—Bo must journey far and wide to solve the three riddles that unlock each step of the quest as ruthless foes seek to find the Stars before him. With this fanciful adventure, Plozza (Tin Heart) invokes the language of myth and fairy tales to construct a complex, heartwarming hero’s quest. Her world, as explored both through Bo’s experiences and excerpts from fictional document “The True Histories of Ulv,” possesses sufficient humor and heart to balance the darkness. Ages 8–12. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary.

November 1, 2020
Grades 4-7 Bo has been an outcast all his life, abandoned by his mother as an infant and shunned by villagers as a "devilchild." He has lived with the surly old woodcutter in the forest, with only a fox for a friend. When Bo gets distracted by village children one afternoon, he neglects the curious chore of sprinkling red dust around a large, gnarled tree, which unleashes unforeseen consequences and sets Bo on a high-stakes quest. Plozza builds a mythology rooted in magic found in the light of the stars (i.e., good magic) and the shadows of the dark (malevolent magic). As darkness gains a stronger foothold in this world, Bo believes he is responsible and must find a way to release the stars, long ago stolen from the sky, in order to save the land. Readers who enjoy fantastical quests will happily tag along with Bo, who must solve riddles and survive many dangers during his journey. Themes of forgiveness and belonging are prominent as well, as Bo faces insecurities and finally experiences true friendship.

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