Magic Below

by Laura J. Burns

Overview

When Princess Ozma summons Zerie Greenapple and her friends Vashti and Tabitha, they have no idea what awaits. Tasked with infiltrating Glinda the Good's palace, Zerie travels by water, Vashti by land, and Tabitha by air. Zerie transforms into a mermaid and enters the underwater realm of Aquaria, where she is met with impossible obstacles. Not only is Zerie's concept of time put to the test, but soon her memory, values, and sense of self are also strained. Unsure whom she can trust in Oz, will Zerie's magic ultimately be used for good . . . or evil?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623707316
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	01/01/2016
Series:	Bewitched in Oz Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Laura J. Burns has written more than thirty books for kids and teens, touching on topics from imaginary lake monsters to out-of-control Hollywood starlets. She has also written for the TV shows ROSWELL, 1-800-MISSING, and THE DEAD ZONE. Laura lives in New York with her husband, her kids, and her two exceptionally silly dogs.

Editorial Reviews

2016-01-09
In this sequel to Bewitched in Oz (2015), Zerie and her friends join forces with Ozma against Glinda the apparently-not-so-good. Readers of the first book will be forgiven for feeling a bit of whiplash, as they spent the first book operating under the understanding that Ozma is evil and Glinda's the only hope for magic-workers to use their talents in public. Not so! An astonishingly flimsy explanation informs readers and protagonists that Ozma's ban on magic is a smoke screen to keep magic-workers out of the clutches of Glinda, who has turned traitor. Receiving this inversion of received truth with astonishing ease, Zerie, Vashti, and Tabitha (evidently the only magic-workers Ozma's subterfuge has uncovered) eagerly accept dangerous missions to support Ozma's siege of Glinda's palace. The narrative follows both Zerie, as she joins a small group of merpeople to travel to Quadling Country via underground streams, and Brink, imprisoned in Glinda's dungeon. Zerie knows she "likes" Brink, but she also finds herself attracted to hot merman Tryan, even cuddling with him while under the influence of underwater poppies. This apparent attempt at a love-triangle subplot makes the story feel like boilerplate teen genre fiction reverse-engineered for a younger audience. Characters are more sets of attributes than people, with the possible exception of the irascible and inscrutable Glass Cat, the only unpredictable element to the book. Puerile. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews