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Gr 6-Up Dark and discomfiting, this third volume in the series features Daja, the young smith-mage, without her foster siblings. She makes a winter visit to Kugisko with her teacher Frostpine, and while there discovers that the twin daughters of their hosts possess magic-Jory for cooking and Nia with carpentry-and becomes embroiled in an arson investigation. The city's main volunteer firefighter is Bennat Ladradun, who lost his own family in a fire, and, as he and ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Eleven-year-old Angel believes that "kids need to love their moms, no matter what." There's an important corollary to that statement—moms need to love their kids—but Angel is hard-pressed to see that side. Her mom, Verna, leaves most of the mothering up to Angel, making her responsible for the care of her little brother, Bernie. Angel tries to rationalize her mother's indifference, finding herself at fault for any family tension rather than admitting her mother's failures. When Verna uncere-moniously dumps them at their great-grandmother's farm, Angel, unwilling to accept the situation, re...Log In or Sign Up to Read More