Crown of Three

In this pseudonymously written first book in the Crown of Three trilogy, 13-year-old royal triplets who have been separated their entire lives are dragged into a bloody conflict to overthrow their despotic father and restore order to their homeland of Toronia. Elodie grew up as a noble, an unwitting pawn in an attempt to sway the balance of power. Tarlan was raised in the distant mountains by a witch, taught to speak the language of magical creatures and befriended by the eaglelike “therrods.” Gulph was adopted by traveling performers and has used his flexibility and acrobatics to entertain. In accordance with prophecy, events conspire to bring each of them into play, joining various rebel and conspirational factions. When the king is killed and his unstable heir takes the throne, everything falls apart, leading to horrific consequences involving an army of the undead and a winner-takes-all clash. With a complicated mix of politics, interweaving plotlines, and a heavy (and quite gruesome) body count, this novel reads like Game of Thrones on a mellow day—definitely aimed at the older end of the middle-grade audience. Ages 9–13. (June)