Starred review from April 11, 2016
Egan’s debut novel sparkles with storytelling that skillfully blends elements of steampunk, fantasy, adventure, and magic. First in the Witch’s Child trilogy, it introduces readers to Julia, a young woman who is part spy, part thief, and full of secrets. Julia has thrived ever since she and her brother were taken in by Esme, the matriarch of thieves and cons in Spira City. While working as a maid for—and surreptitiously gathering information about—a wealthy household deemed unconventional by the neighbors, with strange noises heard from the basement and people coming and going at odd hours, Julia uncovers a secret that challenges her morals and sense of decency, but she’s honor bound to share it, with disastrous results. Difficult choices have significant consequences in Egan’s dark, unpredictable tale, and Julia’s progression from a streetwise girl with a crush to a self-aware, self-reliant young woman relies strongly on her journey through conflicting loyalties and examination of long-held biases, especially those against witches. A beautifully rendered world and an exquisite sense of timing ensure a page-turning experience. Ages 14–up. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.
April 1, 2016
A 16-year-old con artist is tested by the political and supernatural drama she can't avoid. The new maid in Mrs. Och's house isn't truly Ella, the shy country miss; she is Julia, raised by thieves, daughter of a witch, a scoundrel on the outskirts of Fraynish society. Julia's magical ability to become unnoticeable and nearly invisible makes her perfect for this gig. It's not the easy spying job she expects, however. Ella's not the only person in the house who isn't what she seems, and the secrets and magic attract unwanted attention from the authorities. In Julia's world, a rough analogue of a low-technology, magical Europe, witches are those who can shape reality by writing down what they wish to occur, and they are outlawed (shades of a noncomic reimagining of Diana Wynne Jones' 1982 classic, Witch Week). Witches are killed at the Cleansings, the public drownings like the one in which Julia watched her mother die nine years ago. Frayne's post-revolutionary politics and violence aren't Julia's concern right now, though it seems clear that sequels to this trilogy opener will entangle her further. Olive-skinned Julia's a wonderful, fully realized heroine with moral dilemmas aplenty; here's hoping later volumes will give the supporting cast as much depth. For those readers waiting for the sequel to Marie Lu's The Rose Society (2015), a well-realized page-turner in the same vein. (Fantasy. 12-15)
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May 1, 2016
Gr 8 Up-Julia has a unique talent. She can go unnoticed by people when she wants, which is a great ability for a thief and a spy. Julia's current assignment is to spy on the lavish Mrs. Och's home and report any strange or unusual activities and visitors. Julia finds plenty. First, there's Mr. Darius, a boarder living in the basement behind a steel door that locks from the outside. Second, it seems that Mrs. Och helps witches escape the Cleansing, a ritual in which they are publicly drowned. The teen uses her gift to find out these secrets without knowing for whom she is spying. So when her mission changes, Julia wants to refuse. But she can't, because she will be killed if she does not follow through. The protagonist doesn't know whom to trust and whether she should involve the people she considers family. Told from the main character's point of view, the story starts slowly but builds quickly and keeps readers engaged. Teens will experience the emotions and actions as the narrator travels around her world and is betrayed again and again. This reads like a steampunk novel with some advanced technology and takes place in a mostly Victorian world. There are references to drinking and sex, although they are handled with a light touch. The story ends with a cliff-hanger.
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from May 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Julia is the best thief and spy in Spira City. At 16, she knows every twisted alleyway and escape route it holds. She also has the ability to be unseen not to become invisible, exactly, but to pull herself into gaps in the air. This unusual talent has proven dead useful in her line of work, which has been her lot ever since her mother was drowned as a witch (magic and folklore are illegal in the kingdom of Frayne). Home is now with her brother and the ragtag gang that contracts her jobs. This is how Julia has ended up posing as a maid in the house of Mrs. Och, but her snooping assignment is becoming more dangerous by the day. Strange meetings, secretive guests, and frightening sounds inhabit the house's walls, while outside, a serial killer is on the loose. Egan nimbly builds a fantasy world resembling early modern Europewith a class system, scourge survivors, prescribed religion, and witch huntsand laces it with original mythologies to fuel the story's action. Readers will find themselves immediately immersed in the narrative and invested in the fate of Julia, who is both feisty and flawed. There is a richness to this inaugural volume of the Witch's Child trilogy, and readers will be hard pressed to put it down.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2016
Because of her ability to turn almost invisible, thief Julia is sent by a mysterious employer to gather information from the wealthy Mrs. Och's house; posing as a housemaid, Julia learns that Mrs. Och is defying the fervidly anti-magic government. This is a tricky, frightening, relentlessly exciting adventure colored with moral ambiguity and magical intrigue. Plenty of questions are left open for further installments.
(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
July 1, 2016
Julia is a thief in Spira City, sent by a mysterious employer to gather information from the wealthy Mrs. Och's house. Though Julia has never understood her ability to turn almost invisible, that talent helps her spy and steal. Posing as a housemaid, Julia learns that Mrs. Och is defying the fervidly anti-magic government by secretly smuggling well-connected witches to safety. (Less-fortunate witches are drowned in public "Cleansings," as Julia's mother was years before.) Mrs. Och's newest houseguests are a beautiful witch and her toddler son -- a child with powers that interested parties would kill to claim. Julia is drawn into a battle encompassing her targets, a corrupt politician, and the terrifying forces behind her assignment. While this fantasy's world-building, politics, and magical history are indeed interesting, these are surpassed by the daring criminal escapades and by Julia's internal conflicts. Julia's self-made family of thieves (including brother Dek and love-interest Wyn) is a likable crew that works together, even through the personal betrayals that add emotional complexity to the novel. The villains, too, are attractive in their wickedness. Following Julia and her comrades makes for a tricky, frightening, relentlessly exciting adventure colored with moral ambiguity and magical intrigue. The fast-paced plot concludes nicely, but with plenty of questions left open for further installments in the series. sarah berman
(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)