RIVER OF SPIRITS
The Underwild #1
by Shana Targosz
Aladdin
Middle Grade Fantasy
432 pages
ages 8 to 12
COMING...
MARCH 25th!!!
For the first printing only! This hardcover features sprayed edges while the special edition supply lasts.
A stunning debut middle grade fantasy about a girl caught between the realms of the living and the dead who gets lost in the Underworld—perfect for fans of Greenwild and Rick Riordan.
Senka lives between the realm of the Living and the realm of the Dead. As ward to Charon, the Ferryer of the Underworld, Senka assists in ferrying recently departed souls across the river and into their afterlife. Although Charon has taught her many Rules about life in the Underworld, there is much he avoids telling her. Though she doesn’t understand why the Rules are so important, she listens—she must heed them in order to become an official Ferryer, just like Charon.
Then a Living girl, Poppy, enters the Underworld to plead for help in finding the ghost of her brother. Poppy’s grief tugs at Senka’s heart—but helping Poppy goes against the very Rules Senka is so desperate to follow. When Poppy is yanked away by the river’s current, Senka leaps to save her, and she and Poppy are swept downriver, far from everything Senka has ever known.
Lost in the Underwild, Senka and Poppy encounter malevolent spirits of lore and eccentric ghosts—and not all are willing to let souls slip through their grasp. Senka knows the Living can’t stay in the realm of the Dead for long, and if Poppy isn’t returned home soon, she will risk becoming lost to the Underworld forever. But as Senka travels deeper into the Underwild, she discovers there are secrets her guardian has kept from her, including the mystery surrounding her own existence. As Poppy and Senka dodge angry demigods, hungry wraiths, and terrifying dragon chimera, Senka gets closer to learning the truth of her own past. Soon, Senka won’t just need to save Poppy’s life—she’ll also need to save her own.
A stunning debut middle grade fantasy about a girl caught between the realms of the living and the dead who gets lost in the Underworld—perfect for fans of Greenwild and Rick Riordan.
Senka lives between the realm of the Living and the realm of the Dead. As ward to Charon, the Ferryer of the Underworld, Senka assists in ferrying recently departed souls across the river and into their afterlife. Although Charon has taught her many Rules about life in the Underworld, there is much he avoids telling her. Though she doesn’t understand why the Rules are so important, she listens—she must heed them in order to become an official Ferryer, just like Charon.
Then a Living girl, Poppy, enters the Underworld to plead for help in finding the ghost of her brother. Poppy’s grief tugs at Senka’s heart—but helping Poppy goes against the very Rules Senka is so desperate to follow. When Poppy is yanked away by the river’s current, Senka leaps to save her, and she and Poppy are swept downriver, far from everything Senka has ever known.
Lost in the Underwild, Senka and Poppy encounter malevolent spirits of lore and eccentric ghosts—and not all are willing to let souls slip through their grasp. Senka knows the Living can’t stay in the realm of the Dead for long, and if Poppy isn’t returned home soon, she will risk becoming lost to the Underworld forever. But as Senka travels deeper into the Underwild, she discovers there are secrets her guardian has kept from her, including the mystery surrounding her own existence. As Poppy and Senka dodge angry demigods, hungry wraiths, and terrifying dragon chimera, Senka gets closer to learning the truth of her own past. Soon, Senka won’t just need to save Poppy’s life—she’ll also need to save her own.
MY TIDBITS
Mythology sets the stage for a journey between realms, while dealing with tougher themes such as belonging and handling grief.
This tale centers around the daughter of the mythological ferryman, Charon, as she's learning her father's trade but feels as if he's holding back when she could handle more. When a girl from the living world begs for help to find her recently deceased brother, Senka can't ignore her and wants to help. Unfortunately, doing so will go against the rules her father has spent so much time teaching her. As Senka does her best to help the little girl, she not only faces dangerous and deadly situations but realizes there is much more to her own past than Charon has ever told her.
It was refreshing to visit the mythological world from the perspective of a slightly lesser-known character, Charon. But then, the author has made sure to include a few lesser seen individuals from this direction, which gives it a refreshing twist. The adventure runs quickly and smoothly, keeping the reader in the pages the entire way through. Tension, danger, secrets and more make sure to keep the twists coming and the read hard to put down. Senka and the girl have quite a bit to overcome, but then, they are also easy to root for, especially when both have good hearts.
While there is action and thrills, emotions and inner-struggles aren't left behind. The girl is dealing with the death of her brother, and Senka has her own mysteries to uncover, digest, and solve. While these themes stay appropriate for the middle grade age group, more sensitive readers might find some moments on the heavier side. It lays a lovely foundation for the upcoming series, and it will be interesting to see where these adventures go next.
Fantasy and mythology fans will find plenty to sink into and are sure to enjoy this read.
And here she is...
Shana Targosz writes about magical girls, budding friendships, ghosts who may or may not be friendly, and fiercely held hope. She is an Oregon Literary Fellow and the 2021 recipient of the Edna L. Holmes Fellowship in Young Readers Literature. River of Spirits is her debut novel. When not writing or reading through a stack of books, she spends her time playing Zelda with her son, designing solo journaling games, walking her domesticated monster disguised as a Labradoodle, and dreaming up different worlds.
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