Crown of Three

April 20, 2015
In this pseudonymously written first book in the Crown of Three trilogy, 13-year-old royal triplets who have been separated their entire lives are dragged into a bloody conflict to overthrow their despotic father and restore order to their homeland of Toronia. Elodie grew up as a noble, an unwitting pawn in an attempt to sway the balance of power. Tarlan was raised in the distant mountains by a witch, taught to speak the language of magical creatures and befriended by the eaglelike “therrods.” Gulph was adopted by traveling performers and has used his flexibility and acrobatics to entertain. In accordance with prophecy, events conspire to bring each of them into play, joining various rebel and conspirational factions. When the king is killed and his unstable heir takes the throne, everything falls apart, leading to horrific consequences involving an army of the undead and a winner-takes-all clash. With a complicated mix of politics, interweaving plotlines, and a heavy (and quite gruesome) body count, this novel reads like Game of Thrones on a mellow day—definitely aimed at the older end of the middle-grade audience. Ages 9–13.

July 1, 2015
Rinehart presents a compelling variant on the archetypal tale of the evil king and the avenging heir. The war-ravaged kingdom of Toronia is trapped beneath the heel of tyrannical King Brutan, and its only hope for peace and salvation lies in the hands of royal triplets Agulphus, Elodie, and Tarlan, who, in order to fulfill a longed-for prophecy, were smuggled out of the palace on the night of their birth. Now thirteen, they lead vastly different lives -- Gulph as contortionist in a troupe of traveling entertainers; Elodie as the adopted daughter of a lord; and Tarlan as apprentice to a frost witch in the depths of the icy wilderness -- but each is pulled inexorably back toward their shared destiny. Together they must find a way to fulfill the prophecy and thus regain the throne, or all will be lost. Told from the alternating perspectives of the three heirs, this tightly plotted novel is filled with magic, intrigue, and unexpected edges. The story moves unstoppably forward, taking the reader on a brutal ride through a land of giant eagles and undead armies, and culminating in a battle brought to life by gruesomely vivid storytelling. The epic conclusion will leave readers eager to get their hands on the planned sequel. emma loy-santelli

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)