Escape to Witch City

June 15, 2021
In this alternate historical London, anyone with more than 15% witch blood is banished; royals are not exempt. Queen Alexandria, with her sister Isolde by her side, ascended the throne after crushing a witch uprising. Since then, all 13-year-olds have been tested for witch blood. When Prince Edgar and Isolde's daughter, Emma, are tested, they fail. They, along with two others, Maddie and Eliza, are put on the Witch Express, a train supposedly heading to Scotland. But Eliza informs them that, actually, nooses await them. With assistance from a sympathizer, the foursome escape with instructions to find Witch City. But first, they must traverse the changeable In-Between as they are chased by the murderous queen, a witch hunter, and a monster. Survival depends on using their individual gifts: Maddie's thought control, Eliza's fire starting, Edgar's bird communication, plus Emma's alarming ability to hear others' heartbeats--and even stop them. As they untangle the lies they've been fed, they uncover terrible secrets about the uprising and its aftermath. The brisk tale, colored with inventive details, is told with a focus on Emma's perspective. Intrigue, betrayals, and threats of filicide heighten the drama, but it is the awesome possibilities awakened when one embraces one's powers that lie at the heart of this story. Themes around rewriting history and the oppression of certain groups will invite the contemplation of parallels to the real world. Most characters default to White; Eliza has dark skin and curly hair. Suspenseful and heartening. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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August 9, 2021
Employing careful detail throughout this tale of survival, Latimer (Witches of Ash and Ruin) conjures the sensibilities of an alternate early 19th-century London, one in which magic exists and witches are vilified. Queen Alexandria Black, who staunchly set out on an anti-witch crusade after reclaiming the throne post–witch uprising, rules with a campaign of fear and surveillance. Emmaline Black, her niece, lives in the castle with her mother Isolde; both have the dark hair and pale skin of the family line. As Emma’s 13th birthday approaches, she becomes increasingly restless, especially as she’ll be Tested for witch blood—something every child, even Crown Prince Edgar, must undergo. While at the Testing, Emma meets two other 13-year-olds, dark-skinned Eliza, who has tight curls, and freckled, light blue–eyed Maddie. But things soon go awry, leading the trio, and Edgar, to flee the city in search of answers—and others like them. This pulse-pounding adventure will engage readers with its sense of wonder grounded by relatable, age-appropriate experiences, including arguments with parents, fear of not fitting in, and a burgeoning search for self. Ages 10–up. Agent: Silvia Molteni, Peters Fraser & Dunlop.