Beast & Crown

Gr 4–7—Working as a boot boy is just as dirty and lowly as it sounds, and Ji dreams of a way to escape his life of servitude. However, his job is a cakewalk compared to that of his best friend Sally's little brother Chibo, who is a tapestry weaver, a terrible fate for a servant. Ji has been collecting precious metals and gems from the boots of the wealthy and replacing the valuables with fakes. He hopes that once he has saved up enough, he can somehow get to the city to sell the goods and buy Chibo's freedom and ensure his own. Ji sees an opportunity when the baroness's nephew, Brace, goes to the city to participate in the Diadem Rite, a chance to win the Summer Crown and rule the land. Ji, Sally, and the house governess Roz concoct a plan, but there are goblins, ogres, and evil grown-ups around every corner. Freeing Chibo soon becomes the least of their problems. While the plot at times feels like a recycled mishmash of several recent best sellers, it still moves at a breakneck pace and has enough creative elements to keep readers engaged. Ji and his gang are hard not to love, and the twist is one readers won't see coming. The ending is satisfying but leaves just enough room to make this the beginning of a new series.