No Better Than Beasts

Gr 8 Up–Nabik and Drakne Zolkedna are wizards of Kolznechian descent whose mothers fled the curse that turns the country’s inhabitants into beasts. Their mercenary older brother, Fydir, forces Nabik to keep his magic under wraps while simultaneously forcing Drakne to use hers for his benefit. When Drakne’s dance magic awakens a prince trapped in a nutcracker, both siblings see a chance to improve their lot in life: Nabik flees with Prince Eugen over the Kolznech border, while Drakne uses her wits to take her place at Fydir’s side amid plans to permanently remove herself from under Fydir’s thumb. This is an extremely effective retelling of The Nutcracker, with prose that elegantly echoes the feeling of watching the ballet itself. The world constructed around these vibrant, lovable characters is so inherently magical as to require no explanation of the magic system, leaving the story accessible to fantasy and non-fantasy readers alike. The plot is well-paced and maintains balance between character development and action. Within the cast of characters there is diversity in sexuality, with Nabik and Drakne, as well as some secondary characters, identifying as queer despite the homophobia around them.