Tell the Wind and Fire

May 2, 2016
Brennan (Unspoken) delivers an intriguing but uneven romantic fantasy loosely based on Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. In the near future, New York City is divided between the ruling Light magicians of Light New York, who theoretically represent the forces of good, and Dark magicians, who huddle in the slums of Dark New York. Lucie Manette, born in the latter, now lives in Light New York protected by her boyfriend, Ethan, son of Charles Stryker, one of Light New York's ironfisted rulers. Yet Lucie, known as "the Golden Thread in the Dark," is also an iconic figure for the "sans-merci," violent revolutionaries who aim to end the Light's tyranny over the Dark. Further endangering Lucie and Ethan is Carwyn, Ethan's illegal doppelganger, the product of Charles Stryker's use of magic to save Ethan's life. Though Brennan's prose is powerful, it can also be somewhat strained as she works to create parallels with the language of Dickens's Tale, and her magical system, which involves Light magicians needing to be drained of blood by Dark magicians, is overly complex and at times confusing. Ages 12âup.

April 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-Practicing Light magicians need excess magic drained from their blood to avoid being poisoned by it; Dark magicians need it to boost their own abilities. But despite this symbiotic relationship, Light magicians oppress their Dark counterparts, restricting them to a section of town and imposing brutal public punishments for any transgressions. Lucie Manette was born in the Dark city to Light magicians who worked secretly to heal people without access to other treatment. After her mother's death, Lucie's father was harshly punished for his work; her public protests earned him a pardon and her celebrity status. She and her father were allowed to move to the Light city, where she starts dating Ethan Stryker, son of a member of the Light Council. When Ethan is mistaken for a resistance fighter, Lucie learns that he has a doppelganger-a soulless mirror self that is created when extraordinary measures are taken to save someone from death. And when the doppelganger, Carwyn, gets loose in the Light city, Lucie's life is turned upside down. Intricate world-building, effective characterization, and an oppressed class fomenting revolution make this creative adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities a natural fit for "Hunger Games" fans. VERDICT A sound purchase for all YA collections.-Stephanie Klose, School Library Journal

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2016
"It was the best of times until it was the worst of times" in a fantastical Tale of Two Cities. In Light New York, Light magic provides luxurious ease for its practitioners, but the symbiotic Dark magic provokes ostracism and confinement. Lucie Manette escaped Dark New York as a heroine after rescuing her father from imprisonment, but she remains guilt-ridden over those she left behind. When Carwyn, a doppelganger created with illegal Dark magic, unexpectedly saves his double, Ethan (Lucie's beloved and nephew of the Light Council's leader), Lucie is sickened by the exposed corruption among the ruling caste. But as the downtrodden Dark populace rises in bloody revolution, Lucie has to make a terrible choice. Retellings of beloved classics are tricky, but here, Dickens' overall plot and major characters translate effortlessly into this intriguingly imagined setting. Lucie and Ethan are more complex than their rather insipid Victorian prototypes, and Carwyn retains all the bad-boy fascination of his charismatic counterpart. Less successful are the direct quotes from the original, which feel strained and artificial. Brennan is best where she is most original: her metaphorically rich magical system, her timely (and timeless) championing of society's outcasts. Her trademark witty dialogue--although restrained by the somber narrative--still sparkles, making the inevitable tragic conclusion all the more poignant. This respectful and occasionally clever homage may be most appreciated by those least familiar with the original. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

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March 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 In a future New York City, life is divided into light and dark, with light-magic people living in comfort and ease, while dark-magic folks suffer and are oppressed. Rebellion is in the air, and Lucie Manette, who has a foot in both worlds, must decide who to support and how far she'll go to protect those she loves. Modeled on Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, the novel pulls a quote from its pages ( Then tell wind and fire where to stop . . . but don't tell me ) to serve as a rallying cry for Lucie and her rebel, dark-magic aunt. Lucie tells the story as a recollection, which distances readers from its violence but also promotes sympathy for the characters; and Brennan's sure hand at plot pacing will keep readers guessing as to who is good and who is evil. Compelling similarities exist between the narrative and present-day events, where uprisings and terrorist acts are increasingly common, making this an engrossing and relevant read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2016
In the near future, there are two New Yorks: the Light (where affluent Light magicians live) and, on the other side of a wall, the Dark (largely populated by impoverished Dark magicians, as well as illegally created doppelgangers). Two years before the book opens, Lucie Manette and her father were rescued from the Dark city, a symbolic act of mercy by the Light Council; now Lucie lives in Light New York and is dating Ethan Stryker, son of a prominent Light councilman. When Ethan is accused of passing information to rebels in the Dark city, help comes from an unexpected source: his doppelganger Carwyn. But Lucie soon learns from Carwyn that a revolution is coming, and that as The Golden Thread in the Dark, Lucie herself is a symboland a rallying cryfor both sides. Lucie, Ethan, and Carwyn initially feel a bit more like archetypes (the tragic heroine, the perfect boyfriend, the evil twin) than fully fleshed-out characters, but all prove to have hidden depths and complexities; and the reality of their situation is likewise more tangled and troubling than it appears on the surface. Romance and just a hint of snarky humor help to diffuse the tension. With nods to Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, this dark-fantasy-meets-romance will have readers hooked. katie bircher

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)