The Wintrish Girl (Melanie La’Brooy, UQP)
Melanie La’Brooy’s The Wintrish Girl is an exciting middle-grade fantasy debut. Penn is an outsider in the strict world of Aralyia, a slave to the princess Seraphine, who is orphaned and will inherit the kingdom. They are knot-sisters, bound together, even though they don’t like one another. In this fantasy world, Marvellance magic is used for good; Malevolence is used for evil. On Talisman Day, 11-year-old children are given an object imbued with Marvellance that gives them special powers and determines their future profession. However, during the ceremony Princess Seraphine is kidnapped by an evil Night Hag. Penn, believing she will be blamed, escapes with a new friend, Jupiter, on a dragon. They befriend funny and loyal Arthur, from a different kingdom, and together the three travel to a magical library to rescue the princess from an icy tower, only to be imprisoned themselves. La’Brooy has created a sophisticated world that uses tropes of the fantasy genre, while creating a fresh, captivating adventure. Penn’s escape and return to the kingdom, alongside the friendships she forms, and some wondrous magical creatures, make for a page-turning story that fans of Nevermoor will particularly enjoy. There is much still to discover in future books, such as the mystery of Penn’s origins, how Arthur appeared, and more, but this first instalment of the ‘Talismans of Fate’ series will captivate readers aged 10 and up.
Angela Crocombe is a senior children’s buyer at Readings Kids. Read her interview with Melanie La’Brooy here.
