Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A boy goes on a quest to bring back wish-granting Stars and save his world. Abandoned as a baby, Bo survived a night in the woods with the malevolent Shadow Creatures. Now a 12-year-old outsider, hes verbally and physically abused by both his gruff guardian and the local villagers, who believe he is cursed. When he accidentally releases magic back into Ulv and reignites a war for power and magic, he sets out on a quest to set things right. Along the way he is joined by his beloved pet fox, a bird-woman who vows to protect him, and a feisty girl with unwieldy magic. Together, they journey to solve three riddles that will let them free the Stars and restore the natural balance of magic to Ulv. Along the way they must outwit vindictive villagers, the bureaucracy of the Un-Royal City and the Temple of the Silent Sisters, a greedy charm-peddling salesman, a power-hungry talking wolf, and the Shadow Witch herself. Interspersed within the third-person, closely focalized narrative are excerpts from The True Histories of Ulv, which provide even further worldbuilding background. Self-conscious prose sometimes struggles to strike a balance between humor and angst, but a relentless plot keeps the pages turning. In this vaguely Nordic-inspired fantasy, characters skin colors are varied; Bo has tawny skin. For readers who cant get enough of the classic heros journey. (map) (Fantasy. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A boy goes on a quest to bring back wish-granting Stars and save his world. Abandoned as a baby, Bo survived a night in the woods with the malevolent Shadow Creatures. Now a 12-year-old outsider, he’s verbally and physically abused by both his gruff guardian and the local villagers, who believe he is cursed. When he accidentally releases magic back into Ulv and reignites a war for power and magic, he sets out on a quest to set things right. Along the way he is joined by his beloved pet fox, a bird-woman who vows to protect him, and a feisty girl with unwieldy magic. Together, they journey to solve three riddles that will let them free the Stars and restore the natural balance of magic to Ulv. Along the way they must outwit vindictive villagers, the bureaucracy of the Un-Royal City and the Temple of the Silent Sisters, a greedy charm-peddling salesman, a power-hungry talking wolf, and the Shadow Witch herself. Interspersed within the third-person, closely focalized narrative are excerpts from The True Histories of Ulv, which provide even further worldbuilding background. Self-conscious prose sometimes struggles to strike a balance between humor and angst, but a relentless plot keeps the pages turning. In this vaguely Nordic-inspired fantasy, characters’ skin colors are varied; Bo has tawny skin. For readers who can’t get enough of the classic hero’s journey. (map) (Fantasy. 9-12) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.