In a coming-of-age, coming-into-powers story, the magical prodigy Princess Anatopsis - Ana for short - must become partners with two most unlikely people. Her fellow student, Prince Barnaby, could be the poster-child for fathers' disappointed hopes, lacking any real magical talent. Ana's servant and friend, Clarissa, likewise lacks any magical talent, being a "mortal." Together, though, they must discover other valuable talents within themselves in order to prepare for the witchery exams and forestall the end of the world of magic as they know it.
In an excellent beginning to what one hopes will be an excellent series, R. M. Wilburn creates a realm of realistic characters caught in a world directed by imagination - literally. Buggy, heroine of The Bungler's Paradox, is on the brink of turning twelve when her family is "summoned" to Lloyd's Hollow. What follows next is an eye-opening crash course into The- World-Is-Not-What-You-Always-Thought-It-Was 101.
Breaking out of their summer routine, the Penderwick sisters, along with their dad, stay at Arundel Cottage for a few weeks. With beautiful gardens and new friends, the girls' excitement builds as the days progress. Until, of course, trouble arises - mainly in the form of Mrs. Tifton and her creep of a boyfriend, Dreadful Dopey Dexter Dupree. Each girl must experience some personal sorrow, in addition to collective worry over the fate of their new friend, Jeffrey. As the plot develops, so too does the girls' knowledge of themselves and what it means to be "family."
