September 1, 2022
Princess Calliope must discover her magical ability in order to keep her kingdom safe. After calling back the Firebird and defeating the Spectress in The Firebird Song (2021), 12-year-old Calliope, the Lost Princess of Lyrica, is back in the Royal City. The time has come for her to assume the throne, but Calliope isn't sure she's ready to be the queen. The people are still fearful, and her responsibility is to keep them safe, but she has no idea how. The Bookkeeper recalls learning that the queen can use Spirit magic by listening to the Firebird Song. After many failed attempts, Calliope finally hears something, but it isn't the Song: It's screams and cries for help from afar. On top of that, someone called the Silver Shag is trying to overthrow Calliope and take the throne for an Ancient Spirit. When the Silver Shag kidnaps Ilsbeth, former leader of the Glade Girls, Calliope and Royal Bargeboy Prewitt embark on a journey to save their friend and the kingdom. This fast-paced sequel focuses on the characters' internal struggles with duty, grief, fear, and loneliness. Calliope pushes away the past, forcing herself to be hopeful and, in the process, hindering her growth. Finding strength from our stories and trauma--rather than silencing them--lies at the center of this journey. And although magic is important, readers learn that humans make their own magic through hard work, determination, and resilience. A heartfelt adventure. (Fantasy. 8-12)
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October 15, 2022
Grades 4-7 After Calliope defeated the Spectress in The Firebird Song (2021), hope returned to Lyrica and Calliope returned to her rightful place as princess--soon to be queen. But there remained in Lyrica an uncertainty that keeps Calliope unsettled. When the Silver Shag, claiming to serve an Ancient Spirit, reaches Lyrica and spreads the rumor that the Spectress is still alive, a fight ensues and Calliope's friend Ilsbeth is kidnapped. With her dear friend Prewitt, Calliope sets off to rescue Ilsbeth, and their journey takes them to magical forests and islands, where Calliope discovers the truth about this new threat to Lyrica. Fans of book 1 will welcome this enchanting sequel and the return to Calliope's mysterious and magical world, enriched this time around by the revelation of tragic backstories. As Calliope and Prewitt journey to saved their loved ones and their kingdom, their realization of the magic found in the everyday and in their own stories is sure to inspire readers to consider their own.
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