The Raven Throne, by Stephanie Burgis (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
My introduction to the marvelous fantasy novels of Stephanie
Burgis was through her adult novels. I loved the combination of humor, romance,
dramatic tension, and quirky, lovable characters. When I snatched up The
Raven Throne, I failed to notice that (a) it is a MG novel; (b) it is a sequel.
Nevertheless, I dove in, trusting that I was in good authorial hands. I was not
disappointed.
Instead, the story picked me up and carried me away, with
adolescent triplets struggling to balance their new lives in the royal court of
Corvenne with their unique talents, their psychic bond to the land and its creatures,
not to mention the dastardly schemes of the self-serving aristocrats they have
supplanted.
Cordelia now occupies the Raven Throne, and she’s deeply
bonded to the ancient, powerful Raven spirits. But at the opening of the story,
she has fallen ill and slips into a coma that threatens not only her life but
that of the land itself. Her triplet siblings, warrior Rosalind and musician
Giles, are facing their own challenges from the courtiers who surround them, persuading
them to behave like “proper” royals and to forsake their unique magical gifts.
Their allies turn out to be a hedgehog and a red squirrel (thereby earning my loyalty,
since those are my daughter’s favorite animals, besides wolves). I love how
universal their plight is. What child has not felt pressure to “behave” and
ignore what their intuition tells them—in other words, to become less and
different from who they truly are? As an adult reader who has had my share of
life experiences that tried to silence or mold me into conformity, my heart
went out to these children. Bravo, hedgehog and squirrel, for helping them be
themselves!
As the story progresses, there are more instances that
struck me as universal choices, ones that Giles and Rosalind rise to with the
courage of clear-sighted children. They make mistakes, trust the wrong people,
and give in to flattery and false hope. But through it all, their quest to save
their sister and all of Corvenne shines through as universal.
A true delight.
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