Cinders & Sparrows

Written by: Stefan Bachmann

HarperCollins Publishers, 2020. Fiction.

Clever Zita Brydgeborn, a twelve-year-old orphan, receives a letter telling her she has inherited a castle. She quickly packs her one bag, quits her job as a maid, and heads off to her new home, Blackbird Castle. When she arrives at the castle she finds a dilapidated, partially destroyed castle in need of repair. She also discovers a link to her past and a curse that has been placed on her family. When she learns that she is a witch and the last heir of a powerful witch family, Zita must find the courage and some magic to help her uncover who or what killed her family, before she becomes the next victim.

This was a suspenseful adventure story filled with imagination, magic, and a colorful cast of characters. It's fast-paced novel with fantastic atmospheric descriptions that will appeal to older middle grade readers who like books that leave you waiting anxiously to find out what is going to happen next. If you are a fan of books by Kate Milford or the Magisterium series by Holly Black you will really enjoy this exciting tale.

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