The Language of Ghosts

July 15, 2020
A young princess in exile rediscovers a forgotten magic in a charming, surprisingly nuanced middle-grade fantasy. Thirteen-year-old Noa Marchena, along with her elder brother, Julian, and her little sister, Mite, barely escaped from the overthrow of their family's rule of the Florean Archipelago. Now they plan to retake Julian's throne from their mobile island base, filled with invisible cats and guarded by a cake-loving sea serpent. Fortunately, Julian is the most gifted mage alive; unfortunately, that very power leaves him vulnerable to becoming an evil Dark Lord--but not if Noa has anything to say about it. Fawcett transforms a fairly conventional premise into a sheer delight with her witty prose and sharply drawn characters. The loving bonds between the bickering Marchena siblings--melodramatic, morally ambiguous Julian; explosive oddball Mite; and brilliant, practical, bossy Noa--are the driving force of the narrative. Minor characters are almost as memorable, and even the villains have complicated, sympathetic motives. The islands make for an interesting setting, with a population representing a range of skin tones (the Marchenas are olive-skinned), gender equality, and a society accepting of different sexualities. The language-based magic system is carefully thought-out, but the Marchenas' successes rely as much on diplomacy, clever strategy, and meticulous planning. While this volume comes to a satisfying (if not unrealistically triumphant) conclusion, there is (happily) plenty of room left for potential sequels. A terrific read for fantasy fans. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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Starred review from August 10, 2020
Two years prior to this tale’s beginning, the Marchena children—dramatic Julian, then 16; practical Noa, then 11; and mischievous Maita, “Mite,” then five—mourn the death of their mother, the queen, on the Florean Archipelago. Soon after her death, they must flee for their lives as royal advisor Xavier Whitethorn stages a coup d’état. In a world with nine magical languages, multilinguals are deemed “dark mages,” prone to villainy; Julian is “the only person in the world—possibly in history—who could speak all nine,” making it easy for Xavier to paint him as dangerous. Two years later, while living on enchanted moving island Astrae, the siblings strive to reclaim their inheritance. Strategist Noa, the only magicless Marchena, is also determined to preserve Julian’s goodness, even as Julian edges toward ruthlessness in his quest for the Lost Words, “magical languages that disappeared a long time ago.” A sly, cake-eating sea serpent; an elderly dragon familiar; and vain otters who can “move in and out of death” make for an endearing supporting cast, while the siblings, with their distinct personalities and inevitable squabbles, make for an authentic focal point. Fans of Eva Ibbotson and Diana Wynne Jones will appreciate Fawcett’s (Ember and the Ice Dragons) well-paced, wholly imaginative middle grade romp. Ages 8–12. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House.