City of Islands

March 1, 2018

Gr 5-8-An orphaned girl discovers her talent for magic and awakens a sleeping enchantment. Ever since she can remember, 12-year-old Mara has wanted to learn the singing powers wielded by the mages of her home, the City of Islands. But after the loss of the bone-mage who had raised her, she must put away her dreams and support herself by diving in search of antiquities for a wealthy patroness. One of her finds starts a chain of events that endangers her and her friends. She soon realizes that the simple songs she learned from her mother may have the strength to save them all. Wallace creates an intriguing world. Mara's skills as a swimmer and diver as well as a magic user make her an unusual, appealing protagonist. The racial and ethnic diversity within this seagoing nation, as well as its powerful female leaders and acceptance of same-gender marriages, make for a welcome reboot of the standard sword-and-sorcery setting. VERDICT An adventurous story that will appeal to middle school fantasy readers.-Beth Wright Redford, Richmond Elementary School Library, VT

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2018
Life is not easy for 12-year-old Mara in the magical archipelago City of Islands. Her parents died when she was 5. After begging on the streets of Quarantine Island, she was taken in by a quirky bonemage, Bindy--but one night over a year ago, Bindy went out and never returned. Now working as a diver for the Lady of the Tides, Mara has a chance to prove herself and secure her future. The Lady is obsessed with finding magical remains left by the founders, a race of sea people who built the city centuries ago. After overhearing a tip from a strange, pale-skinned boy, Mara decides to dive in a new spot for ancient magical artifacts, along with her friend and fellow diver Izzy and the boatman Driftwood. What they find shatters Mara's innocence, alters the course of their lives, and reveals secrets that will change the City of Islands forever. Wallace builds intrigue, layer by layer, page by page, until readers are glued to each word right up to the magnificent end. The captivating worldbuilding is supported by a sturdy third-person narrative that's filled with people of various skin tones, personalities, and abilities who find a way to work together to right the wrongs of corruption. Mara and most other denizens of the City of Islands have "brown skin, brown eyes, and curly black hair."Inspiration and excitement from beginning to end. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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July 16, 2018
In the newest fantasy realm from Wallace (The Memory of Trees), female empowerment and inclusion are a natural part of life. Twelve-year-old orphan Mara has longed to become a mage. After a string of tragedies, she is forced to dive for the Lady of Tides, an influential mage, looking for magical treasures belonging to the founders, long-vanished, underwater-dwelling creatures who were responsible for the creation of the City of Islands. Mara’s luck takes a turn for the better after she discovers the bones of hybrid creatures, which the Founders were known to have created. But what she had hoped would be her ticket to becoming a mage actually sends her on a treacherous journey in which she tries to break into a nigh-impenetrable fortress and discovers a plot that could threaten the city’s continued existence. Mara’s emotional reactions are at times curiously underwhelming, particularly her discoveries of a profound betrayal and her own magical abilities. However, Wallace’s world offers dreamlike imagery, a fresh concept, and a haunting atmosphere. Ages 8–up. Agent: Adriann Ranta Zurhellen, Foundry Literary + Media.

June 1, 2018
Grades 6-8 From the author of YA novels The Memory Trees (2017) and Shallow Graves (2016) comes the adventures of Mara in an archipelago called the City of Islands. Mara works for the Lady of the Tides as a diver, but she dreams of one day becoming a mage's apprentice. The bizarre skeletons she finds at the bottom of the ocean spark a chain of events that has her sneaking into the fortress of the Winter Blade, but the truths she finds unleash secrets long buried. Magic in this gritty world is fueled by music, and Wallace brings it all to life with a sense of wonder. As Mara discovers the magic in herself, she faces betrayal, truths, and a journey that necessitates bravery. Wallace mixes fairy-tale elements with a haunted fortress ruled by a mad scientist and his creations that's reminiscent of Frankenstein. This is an exciting adventure with dazzling characters, magic, mystery, and self-discovery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)