The Thorn Queen

Gr 5–8—This new middle grade fantasy introduces readers to the trilevel world of Glendoch and its surrounding queendom. Hidden from most of the world by glacial ice and composed of an Above, Between, and Beneath realm, Glendoch was once so supersaturated with alchemy that the presence of magic appeared as suspended precipitation in the atmosphere. At one time, the three realms cooperated in sustaining Glendoch's powerful magic through shared leadership but is now in literal turmoil from the stringently bound sanctions of the fearful Royals, whose ranks have been infiltrated by an unknown entity. When 12-year-old Meylyne, an inhabitant of the cavernous Between, sneaks into the Above town of Tyr to retrieve her mother's long lost black opal, she knows that if caught she could be charged with trespassing. Her mixed-species progeny is also prohibited, but because she inherited more of her mother's human characteristics than the birdlike traits of her infamous father, she is shielded from instant detection. Fueled by advice from an ancient well, Meylyne sets out on a quest that, if successful, will save not only herself and the young prince, but the future of the entire Queendom. The phantasmagoria of Holland's world-building is effortless in this topsy-turvy world where perceived evil and perceived good exchange places as each hidden layer of the narrative is thoughtfully revealed.