The House at the Edge of Magic

December 16, 2024
Orphaned thief Nine, having run afoul of gang-master Pockets, who runs her financially insecure neighborhood, plots to steal a valuable item that would raise her social standing. What she acquires is a highly detailed miniature house with odd corners, pointy spires, and a “slightly wonky” chimney. “What would it be like to live in a house, instead of Pockets’s stinking nest,” Nine wonders, flicking
the tiny door knocker of her new treasure, which magically grows before her eyes. Upon entering the now life-size abode,
she meets wizard Flabberghast, his troll housekeeper Eric, and small, sentient spoon knight Dr. Spoon, who’ve waited years for someone to break a curse put upon them by an evil witch. To incentivize her help, Flabberghast offers a “jewel of immense monetary value” that can help her escape Pockets for good. Nine resolves to lift the curse and stop the witch in this series kickoff by British author Sparkes, who taps into the joy and suspense of a
hidden world through the eyes of a down-on-her-luck heroine. Chapter-opening illustrations by Mantle (Bunnies on the Bus) enhance the whimsy of this adventureful tale about found family and self-reliance. Human characters are described with varying skin tones. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Julia Churchill, A.M. Heath. Illustrator’s agent: Susan Penny, Bright Agency.

January 15, 2025
"Life don't bring you strawberries." Nine is an orphaned thiefling who roams the streets looking for easy marks to help her earn her keep with the Fagin-like gang-master, Pockets. One day, she manages to steal an ornament that is, in fact, the bewitched home of the pretentious High Wizard, Flabberghast, who's been trapped inside and drained of his power following a spat with a witch. This confinement, along with sundry other magical inconveniences, makes life vexing for the house's other occupants, including gentle troll housekeeper Eric and the alchemist spoon who's aptly named Dr. Spoon. Nine agrees to help them escape in exchange for a jewel that would change her fortunes. The unlikely quartet must break the curse before the clock strikes 15--or the house will shrink until everyone within ceases to exist. Readers seeking a plot-driven story that moves at a steady clip will enjoy this work: The anthropomorphic house has an entertaining, fun-house feeling with surprises behind every door--and even magicked into doorknobs. The charming chapter-header spot-art illustrations tease events in the adventurous plot. This series opener, which works as a stand-alone, emphasizes magical elements to a point that leaves little room for the characters' emotional arcs, rendering the team dynamic between Nine and the house's residents feeling shaky; a supporting character's subplot is also underdeveloped. Human characters read white. A briskly paced, amusing fantasy adventure with light characterization.(Fantasy. 9-12)

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February 1, 2025
Grades 3-6 Nine is a talented pickpocket, but her recent lack of success has left her with dwindling credibility and the threat of expulsion from her gang. Nine thinks she has improved her standings when she snatches something from a well-dressed woman, but it's merely an ornament-sized house. Disappointed, she idly prods the tiny door knocker--and that's when everything changes. The miniature house grows into a much bigger building inhabited by unusual residents, including a hopscotching wizard and a kilt-clad sentient spoon. A curse has them trapped within the confines of their quirky quarters, and it's up to Nine to find a way to free her new acquaintances. The wonderfully weird series opener is bursting with wacky details and cheeky humor, but there's plenty of action and elaborate world building to go along with the whimsy. Nine makes for a prickly yet compassionate protagonist who's easy to root for, and a quick pace and shorter length make it ideal for an intermediate audience. An enchanting reminder that friendship and magic can be found in the most unexpected of places.

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