A Tale of Two Castles

July 11, 2011
In this fairy-tale whodunit, country girl Elodie's parents scrounge up fare to send her to the city of Two Castles, with instructions to find a weaver willing to take her on gratis for a 10-year apprenticeship. (Elodie, intent on joining a theatrical troupe, has other ideas.) Alas, months earlier the guilds abolished 10-year apprenticeships; now everyone must pay, and Elodie's one copper is stolen (by a cat) the moment she draws it from her purse. With no other prospects, she takes the only job she is offered: assistant to the dragon Meenore, who, in addition to its skills as mobile water heater, has a sideline as local detective. Elodie must overcome her fear of being eaten to help Meenore save another hated localâCount Jonty Um, the ogre who occupies one of the town's two castles. With a faint echo of Puss in Boots, Carson crafts a persuasive fantasy realm and a capable heroine. Readers should enjoy watching Elodie hone her powers of deduction to unravel the mystery of the ogre's sudden disappearance, and will likely anticipate further sleuthing adventures with this companionable duo. Ages 8â12.

Starred review from April 1, 2011

A thoroughly delicious romp from the author of Ella Enchanted (1997). Before Lodie leaves the island of Lahnt, her mother warns her to beware ogres, dragons and "the whited sepulcher" (a villain who appears virtuous) in the big town of Two Castles; she inevitably meets all three, encountering danger and friendship where least expected. Lodie's parents send her away to become a weaver, but the girl plans to become a "mansioner" (actor), like her brother Albin. When she cannot secure a free apprenticeship, she finds herself working for the enigmatic dragon Masteress Meenore, a food vendor and amateur detective. Lodie soon employs her imitative and observational mansioning skills--and Meenore's lessons in "deduction, induction, and common sense"--to investigate thefts and threats at ogre Count Jonty Um's royalty-crowded castle. When local prejudices and political intrigue throw the court into an uproar, Lodie must solve the many mysteries or face execution. Fairy tales and classic myths are cleverly woven into the story, but the gritty medieval conditions--poverty, hunger, lice and cruel nobles--provide the dramatic tension and realistic motivation for the adventurous and intelligent Lodie. The plot is winningly unpredictable, the characters easy to relate to, the humor subtle and the action well-paced. Newbery Honor-winner Levine has once again breathed new life into old stories. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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May 1, 2011
Hoping to apprentice as an actor, Elodie travels from her rural home to the city of Two Castles. Her parents advise her to "stay clear of the crafty dragons and shape-shifting ogres" and "beware the whited sepulcher," but when she's robbed and then rejected as an actor, she apprentices herself to crafty dragon Meenore as a detective. Shape-shifting Count Jonty Um, a kindly ogre, is their first client. Elodie's sleuthing in the ogre's castle introduces her to many "whited sepulchers." But who is to be trusted and who isn't? -- what with a greedy King, the Princess Renn, a penniless third son of a miller with a too-clever-by-half cat, and various courtly folk. Elodie's powers of "inducing, deducing and using common sense" develop quickly as she finds stolen goods, escapes imprisonment, and identifies a poisoner. In theme and plot this story plays with "Puss in Boots" -- and in homage to that fairy tale's origins, perhaps, Levine slyly slips in French puns (Jonty Um: "gentil homme"; Princess Renn: "reine"). Levine's strength lies in her transparent language and the candid, uncomplicated voice of her narrator, who brings younger readers along with her as she questions assumptions, grows in friendship, works out the mystery, and makes brave escapes. deirdre f. baker

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 15, 2011
Grades 4-6 After traveling to the town of Two Castles and failing to secure an apprenticeship in an acting company, 12-year-old Elodie is employed by the local dragon, who challenges her to develop her powers of observation and deduction. Elodie meets and befriends many of Two Castles leading citizens as well as lowlier folks and animals before she is called upon to help protect the life of the towns friendly, shape-shifting ogre, Count Jonty Um. After a secret enemy turns to poison, Elodie is falsely accused and imprisoned, but she works with the dragon to unmask the villain. Relying on the large cast of characters for a confusing array of possible suspects, the mystery never really provides a driving force for the story. Rather, its Elodies homespun charm and the originality of the unusual dragon and ogre as characters that will keep readers turning the pages. A likable, if not truly memorable, fantasy for younger readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

April 1, 2011

Gr 5-8-When 12-year-old Elodie leaves her family farm for the capital city of Two Castles, she intends to apprentice herself to a mansioner, as actors are called. However, as she has no money for an apprenticeship, she goes to work for a clever if cantankerous dragon named Meenore, who instructs her in solving mysteries using induction, deduction, and common sense. Elodie's first big case is to try to figure out who is stealing from and threatening the life of the town's ogre, Count Jonty Um. There are so many suspects, and no one is quite the individual he or she seems; it takes all of Elodie's new skills to keep the Count-and herself-from harm. Although warned about dragons and ogres, Meenore and Jonty Um become Elodie's closest friends. Meenore, whose gender is unknown and so must be referred to as IT, is prickly but steadfast, and shy Jonty Um is hugely troubled by how much everyone hates and fears him. Other characters, such as the gorgeous cat trainer Count Thiel and the dithering Princess Renn, are also fascinatingly unpredictable. Elodie, luckily, is sensible and reliable through and through (if inclined to the dramatic side of life). Readers are certain to be pulled, like Elodie herself, right into the midst of the rich and swirling life of Two Castles.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.