Dyed-in-the-wings fairy fans will best appreciate Hanley's (The Seer and the Sword
) novel vision of Feyland, a world of fairies, genies, leprechauns and gnomes. After her parents and brother take a portal to Earth and are captured by humans, Zaria Tourmaline, a fairy, is orphaned and left in the care of her teacher. Three years later, as Zaria is coming into her power, she can't shake her fascination with the land of humans. Zaria and her best friend Leona (who both learn they are exceptionally powerful fairies) use an unsecured portal to visit and explore Earth, but are spotted and recorded by humans, which leads to being disciplined by Feyland's High Council. Still, the girls can't resist the lure of Earth and, eventually, uncover a plot that threatens Feyland. Although magic in Feyland is regulated, rationed and taxed, spells and deceptions fly fast and furious (Hanley provides background about Zaria's world in chapter introductions). While the fact that the characters' surnames are all gems and minerals feels, ahem, precious, tween readers will appreciate the strong friendships between Zaria and her allies. Ages 10–14. (Aug.)
