A fast-paced young adult epic fantasy novel about class battles, moral dilemmas, and identity crises. Perfect for those who love magic, the morally gray, political fantasy, tense sibling relationships, bittersweet endings, and exciting reads. *** Five centuries have passed since a war led to the imprisonment of magic. By now, most of the world has moved on and forgotten magic ever existed. But when Lyra-a poor orphan recovering from her brother's death-uncovers this long-hidden tool, she sees the many opportunities its release could bring. Jaxon, on the other hand, was raised in nobility and fears the release of magic will ruin his wealth and take away his status. Their clash results in a war that has the power to change the course of the world, but Lyra and Jaxon worry only for themselves. They are prepared to battle each other to protect what they value most, but the harder battles are those against their own morals and history. Those they rely on for support turn out to be unreliable, and those they deem untrustworthy claim to be on their side. Are they willing to pay what they must in order to survive this war?

Weeks have passed since Ariana and Alec escaped from Kellen's dungeon, but danger isn't far behind them. The guilt of his past weighs heavily on Alec's shoulders, and his secrets only push Ariana further away. As they travel through unknown lands and encounter multiple threats, their biggest challenge might be trusting one another. The world appears to be going on regardless of the risks Ariana faces. The Duillaine insist that they are doing everything they can to find Ariana, but their actions betray that claim. Despite the danger and the war closing in around them, all of Anscombe seems to be more interested in the upcoming Imbolc festival and Terrena's betrothal than rescuing Ariana. Well...not everyone. Tired of waiting for the Duillaine to help her twin, Zelene starts plotting on her own and finds a surprising ally in Rhaya, even as the Cynewards prepare to make a move of their own. But Zelene's plans go awry when she finds herself with a new ability, a mysterious new friend, and more enemies within the walls of Anscombe than she thought.

Cara’s mother has disappeared. Her father isn’t talking about it. Her big brother Max is hiding behind his iPod, and her genius little brother Jackson is busy studying the creatures he collects from the beach. But when a watery specter begins to haunt the family’s Cape Cod home, Cara and her brothers realize that their scientist mother may not be who they thought she was—and that the world has much stranger, much older inhabitants than they had imagined. With help from Cara’s best friend Hayley, the three embark on a quest that will lead them from the Cape’s hidden, ancient places to a shipwreck at the bottom of the sea. They’re soon on the front lines of an ancient battle between good and evil, with the terrifying “pouring man” close on their heels. One chapter will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until all 10 chapters are up. These will be followed by the second book in the series, The Shimmers in the Night. A Junior Library Guild Pick; Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011; Selected for the ABC Best Books for Children Catalog; Locus Notable Books.