The Amber Crane by Malve von Hassell is a young adult historical fiction novel with a bit of time-travel involved. The story follows Peter Glienke, an apprentice to an amber craftsman who lives in Pomerania (modern-day Poland) during the Thirty Years’ War. While out on the restricted beach, Peter finds a large piece of amber that washed up on shore. Though it’s against the law, Peter feels strangely compelled to take the amber, and he finds that while it is in his possession, he has the power to travel 300 years into the future.
Alina: A Song for the Telling by Malve von Hassell is a historical fiction novel that follows Alina, a young Christian noblewoman, as she travels to Jerusalem. The story begins tragically, with Alina’s father found dead in the pond near their home in Provence. Alina’s mother and sister passed away just months before due to an illness. Alina and her brother, Milos, who are only fourteen and fifteen, are the only ones left.
Wonders of Shadow Key by J.J. Fleming is the story of one girl, Eleanor, and her unique vacation to an island off the coast of Florida. Set in the future, the climate crisis has caused so many hurricanes and disastrous storms that school is online, and most people have fled inland. But Eleanor’s parents have always loved the beach, and when debt collectors keep showing up at their door, they decide to take a vacation at a motel on beachfront property. The place that they thought was abandoned actually has a large crowd of ghosts.
Within the Crystal Mountain by J.L. Putney is a charming fantasy that feels reminiscent of having your grandfather read The Hobbit or The Princess Bride to you before bed. The story follows several different points of view, from the Genish people with very hobbit-like characteristics, a soldier fighting for his country, the soldier’s lover who proves resourceful in healing and caring for the wounded, and even the villain. When the Genish village of Arinton is enclosed in a magical dome, a Genish farmer named Dimplin is the only one far enough away that he retains his freedom.
When Darksome Falls by M.C. Ryder is the story of Melia Weber, a woman who tries to adjust to being human again while grieving her late husband. Melia had been a vampire, but she and her vampire family chose to turn mortal when a cure for vampirism was found. While the other former vampires are able to find purpose and joy in their lives, Melia feels lost without her husband. She tries to work through her grief on her own and gets involved with a dangerous man in the process.
Polly Parker Meets Her Shadow by Victoria Lowery is the first book in the Secrets of the Shadow series. It is a YA science fiction novel that follows the fourteen-year-old Polly as she goes through separation and reintegration. Separation removes negative emotions and thoughts, transforming them into a shadow. Then, the process of reintegration is when Polly learns how to handle those emotions and incorporates that part of her shadow back within herself. Each time Polly masters an emotion she learns a secret. Her goal is to learn all six secrets and become fully reintegrated.
