The Trilogy of Two

September 28, 2015
All their lives, 12-year-old identical twins Sonja and Charlotte have called the circus their home. Raised by Tatty Tatters, the circus’s tattooed woman, and helpful Uncle Tell, a fortune teller, the girls wow the crowds outside Rain City with their musical abilities. When Sonja and Charlotte’s family is threatened, their musical talents stolen, and their home destroyed, the two learn that they are the Daughters of the Key, prophesied to save the secret Seven Edens, a hidden and magical paradise, from Kats von Stralen and his mother, both eager to rule the Edens with a band of monstrous creatures. Together the girls journey across the Edens with Alexandria, an irritable Pearl Catcher, and a group of Changelings, all preparing for the battle ahead. Fans of Mieville’s Un Lun Dun will enjoy debut author Malouf’s intricate worlds, each teeming with its own customs and creatures, as well as her equally intricate pencil illustrations, which highlight the characters’ eccentricities. While characters and plot points tend to jumble, the overall themes of sisterhood and believing in oneself will entrance readers. Ages 10–up.

October 1, 2015
In this ambitious debut, two preteen circus musicians visit hidden worlds and uncover not only family secrets, but a scheme to rob this world's children of all their talents. It's unclear whether the title refers to this doorstopper episode's three sections or (daunting thought) promised sequels. The tale is set in a dystopic world in which the oceans have somehow evaporated and garbage-strewn Outskirts surround walled cities that tower a thousand stories high. It sends impulsive Charlotte and her repressed twin, Sonja, on a double quest to rescue kidnapped Tatty Tatters, the tattooed lady who has lovingly raised them, and also to recover their magical musical talent]golden globs of which have been literally sucked from their ears by a malign cat. Visits ensue to a dreary megacity to see factories full of similarly robbed children and also to several Narnia-like magic lands to enlist aid from their residents. Malouf offers such requisite elements as an old prophecy, magical talismans, and nonhuman allies (adolescent shape-changers, in this case) to help with escapes and comic relief and a climactic battle that is as poorly choreographed as it is arbitrary. In addition, she tricks her tale out with dozens of vignettes and cold, if technically accomplished, portraits of figures with remote, enigmatic expressions. Despite all this, the resolution is spectacularly lazy. A sketchy, underthought epic, as mannered and artificial as the illustrations. (Fantasy. 12-15)

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November 1, 2015

Gr 5-8-In this quirky debut, Sonja and Charlotte are identical twins with preternatural musical (and magical) Talents. They use their abilities at the circus where they grew up and were raised by Tatty the Tattooed Lady. When their act begins to cause uncontrollable disasters at each performance and their adopted mother gets kidnapped by an eerie man and his diabolical cats, the sisters begin to unravel the mystery behind their gifts and destiny. Suddenly bereft of their Talents, the twins join forces with the cantankerous Alexandria, a band of shape-shifting Changelings, and the Fortune Teller to locate Tatty and their missing powers. From the dystopic Outskirts wastelands to the bustling Million-Mile-High City and from the Forlorn Forest to the Land Where the Plants Reign, Malouf populates her worlds with odd characters with Dickensian names and foibles. With hints of L. Frank Baum's Oz and C.S. Lewis's Narnia, this fantasy world doesn't quite reach its full potential. The book, divided in three parts, is peppered throughout with intricate line drawings, which add appeal but are often static and awkwardly placed. Driven Sonja and boy-crazy Charlotte are charming protagonists and their constant bickering rings true. The villains are truly evil, but the work's world-building and mythology seem only half-baked. VERDICT A quaint, if not fully realized, fantasy novel for upper middle grade and younger YA readers.-Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2015
Grades 5-8 In the poverty-stricken Outskirts surrounding fortified cities, scavenging Scrummagers and other castoffs scrape together a living however they can. Among their number are twins Charlotte and Sonya, who put their prodigious musical skills to work as an act in Pershing Crum's Traveling Circus, where they live under the kind care of Tatty, the circus' tattooed lady. Lately, however, strange things have occurred during the twins' actlevitation, an indoor rainstorm. They have barely had time to ponder their unusual abilities when their magic and musical talents are stolen from them, along with their beloved Tatty. The ensuing rescue mission reveals entire new worlds, a diabolical contessa, and revelations about the twins' true selves. Elements familiar from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials rear their heads alongside an anti-industrialization message, though weak characterization makes Charlotte and Sonya difficult to differentiate for much of the novel. Though Malouf's debut doesn't break new ground, it is an imaginative fantasy adventure with a unique arts focus, and her pencil drawings lend it a fittingly peculiar vibe.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)