Farewell to Artimé (for Now)

As Island of Dragons, the long-awaited seventh and final novel in Lisa McMann’s masterpiece series, opens, the land of Quill is in flames. Alex, the young head mage of Artimé, begins resettling the now-homeless Quillens in his domain. It’s no easy task; many of its residents mistrust anyone or anything magical.

As Alex and his fellow Artiméans, with more than a little help from the head mage’s once evil twin Aaron, come up with solutions on the home front, danger is lurking just beyond their shores. Two enemies of the magical land, seeking revenge for past defeats, have formed an alliance with one goal in mind: destroy Artimé. With a formidable army of humans, animals, and magic at their disposal, the foes approach the island. Despite intense preparations, once the battle begins, the magical land is in great danger of falling to the invaders. Alex finds his military and leadership skills put to the test as never before–and the stakes are higher than any he has known until now.

I must stop here for fear of giving away the plot. The seven-month wait between finishing the sixth volume and the local library finally making the final book available was more than worth it. Devotees of this series will find the conclusion as marvelous and magical as the land of Artimé.

One more word: those who have a hard time bidding farewell to Alex and his compatriots will only have a little time to miss them. As balmy weather returns to the Northern Hemisphere at winter’s end, the first book in the Unwanteds Quests series will arrive in the spring.

The Unwanteds

In the dreary land of Quill, intelligence is prized and creativity is frowned upon. More than that, those “caught” in any artistic activity–drawing, singing, and the like–are labelled “Unwanted” and scheduled for elimination the year they turn thirteen.  No one questions or protests the practice; in fact, no one questions anything in Quill.

So it is that Aaron and Alex Stowe, identical twin brothers, know what is in store. Smart, conforming Aaron discovers that, as a Wanted, a university education and a bright future are his. On the same day, Alex (who has known his fate for three years) boards a bus to meet his doom. As his family turns away, already forgetting about the “embarrassing” son, the Unwanteds travel one last time through the walled-in, barbed-wire-ceilinged land. When the bus arrives at its sinister, frightening destination, the young people are ushered through a gate. Alex and his companions, resigned to their fate, are in for a number of surprises. The Lake of Boiling Oil (where their lives will supposedly end) transforms into a peaceful sea; the cracked concrete gives way to grass, flowers, and trees; an ugly shack becomes a magnificent mansion; and a brightly-robed gentleman emerges and greets the shocked teens. “I am Marcus Today. Welcome to Artimé. Tell me, children, how does it feel to be eliminated?”

As the truth dawns on the Unwanteds, the young people discover that what began as a nightmare has become a marvelous reality beyond their (heretofore forbidden) wildest imaginations. They join an untold number of predecessors and meet older siblings and friends. The new arrivals’ fondest wishes are theirs for the asking. Nothing is off limits, with one exception: they must not return to Quill or contact anyone there; to do so is to risk exposing everyone and causing the wonderful world of  Artimé to be destroyed.

So begins a magical tale. Alex and his fellow Unwanteds learn, for the first time, to laugh, feel, and love. However, the undercurrent of danger lurks below the surface. Will Mr. Today, the mage who created Artimé and all its fantastic creatures–the wise winged stone cheetah Simber, talking blackboards with personality in every room that are sources of vital information, the flying tortoise Jim, and more–succeed in keeping the residents of the land (and the land itself) safe?

Share this treasure with older kids and young teens. And don’t be surprised if, like me, you find yourself enamored of the world of Artimé. Readers cannot help but share in the dreams and feelings of her residents. Those who dwell on both sides of the magical land’s gate are fully-drawn personalities, and many things and people are not what they seem.

Join Alex, Aaron, and everyone in their worlds on a journey of adventure and discovery. Enjoy the ride: and be ready for the magnificent conclusion to Lisa McMann’s seven-volume masterpiece due to reach book and library shelves in April, 2016.

Springing into Reading

I woke up yesterday morning, dressed, and rushed off to work.  Once there, I checked the calendar–and sure enough, spring had arrived.  There was no sudden fanfare: the weather has been uncharacteristically warm for weeks (months?) now, and our oft-written-about quince tree and tulips are showing increasing signs of beautiful things to come.  Soon it will be time to plant the marigolds…

Last Year’s First Marigold

Perhaps it has been an early bout of spring fever that has kept me away from this blog, or my Seussing it up at the library, or the necessity of completing my annual book orders in a timely fashion–but I have returned to sharing literary delights with fellow bibliophiles. 

Ella loves stories, and she knows exactly what a book should contain to be perfect: words like Once upon a time, characters like princesses and fairy godmothers, and exciting and funny parts.  She also knows what stories do not need: BEARS.  So our young author begins to tell a bear-less story to her audience.  However, unknown to the storyteller (but obvious to the reader and listener), a bear shows up, wearing a honey-bee-decorated dress.  Kids will delight in pointing out her presence and involvement in Ella’s story.  The funny illustrations match the zaniness of this read-it-again fairy tale.

In another hot-of-the-press blockbuster, we meet Aluna.  The thirteen-year-old is a member of the Coral Kampii, a people who (in the face of severe overpopulation) left the land and adapted themselves to life at sea.  For centuries, they have relied on breathing shells to obtain oxygen from the water.  However, the technology is now failing–but the elders, of whom Aluna’s father is one, refuse to accept the reality of the situation.  And so, the plucky teen decides that if the Kampii leaders are playing ostrich, she will be the one to find the answer–and leaves the ocean for the first time in her life.