Maid of Wonder

June 15, 2015
It is the turn of shy Sophia to tell her story in the third of a series about the Maids of Honor, a privileged cadre of five young women assigned to spy for Elizabeth I. Sophia's signature quality is that she has the gift of Sight. This enables her to enter a mystical plane in which she sees and hears angels who give her clues about events at court, allowing her to foretell the future. Sophia's gift is tested to the limit when the queen orders her to find out the truth behind a sinister prophecy that someone will die at Windsor. In this assignment she is competing with the best astrologers of the age, including the venerable Nostradamus. Inexperienced in romance, Sophia is unprepared for the effect that Marcus Quinn, young courtier who also has prophetic gifts, has on her. Quinn, who is spying for her uncle, astrologer John Dee, sweeps her off her feet and sometimes clouds her better judgment. All works out for the best, of course. The queen is saved, plot details are hastily tied together, and order is restored in the court. Delving into the fascinating superstitions of the Elizabethan court, McGowan has created another reasonably authentic, fast-paced page-turner that will appeal to both teen and adult readers. For readers who like their historical romance with a touch of second sight. (Historical fiction. 12 & up)

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August 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Sophia Dee, niece of the mystic John Dee and one of Queen Elizabeth I's Maids of Honor (or secret spies), is struggling to control her psychic powers before a horrifying prophecy destroys the queen, the kingdom, and her friends. The well-balanced mixture of intrigue, romance, action, and historical setting makes this gripping series entry just as unputdownable as the last.

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