Reviewed by Zenodotus

“How can a girl protect an ogre?” This thrilling question is asked and answered in Gail Carson Levine’s novel “A Tale of Two Castles,” when aspiring actress Elodie travels across the sea to look for an apprenticeship in the city of… wait for it, Two Castles. After being rejected from the Mansioner’s Guild, a fancy term for a big cool actor club, she finds herself in the employment of noted detective, kebab seller, and gigantic freaking dragon Meenore. This nonbinary icon of a scaly lizard has been warned of a plot to assassinate Count Jonty Um, a shapeshifting ogre who's… actually a pretty cool guy. Elodie makes friends, encounters enemies, and all the while, must remember to "look out for the whited sepulcher."

The book is really quite wonderfully written, Gail Carson Levine's talent in high fantasy/low magic environments really shining through. It has the charm and witty rebellion of Ella Enchanted, with the more serious messages never overshadowing the humor of her writing. Elodie knows that she wants to act, and never gives up on her dream, rather adapting it to fit her environment. The worldbuilding is also excellent, giving us a glimpse into the life around the fantasy kingdom of Lepai, without ever giving us more than Elodie would be able to know.

If you like mysteries, slice-of-life fantasy, or thrilling rooftop chases, you will enjoy A Tale of Two Castles. You can find it at the public library as an ebook at: https://nckids.overdrive.com/media/543254

or https://wakegov.overdrive.com/media/543254

So, I’m assuming you are bored, because you can’t find a good book to read, and this is why you are reading this. This book is fantasy, so if you don’t like it I say you don’t read this book.

This book is called The Witch’s Boy, by Kelly Barnhill. It has some fantasy elements, and, overall, I think it’s a really good book.

The Plot: Ned and his twin brother, Tam, build a raft, and they fall in a river. They can’t swim, and their father can only save one. He saves Ned, but the villagers are convinced that he saved the wrong boy. But then everything changes when the Bandit King comes to steal the magic Ned’s mother, a witch, is guarding. It’s up to Ned to save his family from the thief, and prevent him from stealing the magic.

Meanwhile, Aìne, the Bandit King’s resourceful daughter, lives in a forest that brushes the edge of Ned’s village. She is haunted by her mother’s last words to her. “The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his.” But afterwards, Ned and Aine meet at last, and can they stop the war that is waiting to happen?

This book is filled with adventure, trust, and sadness, and if you take my advice and read it, enjoy! You can find it at the public library as a ebook at: https://wakegov.overdrive.com/media/1917712

Issues

I felt like there weren’t any issues in this book, but there are some minor things the author should change.

Issue 1 : They should tell us how many bandits there are, otherwise you can’t really wage a war with a handful.

Issue 2: Very serious. I think the book could use some light humor.

Issue 3: They should tell us what happened to the main characters after the book.