Lady Midnight

Gr 9 Up—Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs is pulled back to a time that was full of pain and rage—the time her parents were murdered—when bodies with similar markings start turning up in Los Angeles. She and her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, must navigate cryptic clues, their tangled relationship, and the sudden reappearance of his brother Mark, who was kidnapped several years earlier by faerie. In addition, Emma and Julian must deal with the frequently confusing rules and politics of the nonmortal world and undercurrents created by secret agendas and conflicted relationships. This is a lengthy story with many characters and nearly as many entanglements and plot elements. Morena Baccarin does a good job of pacing and inflection as the narrator. However, the length and complexity will make listening a challenge for some teens.