Flora Segunda: Being the Magical Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog (review)

Flora's future has been decided for her since her birth: she will continue the family tradition of joining the military on her fourteenth birthday, which is upcoming. Though Flora herself has different plans, she is distracted from informing her domineering mother and haunted, depressed father after she agrees to siphon some of her will into a magical force, a house Butler, whom her mother had banished years before. Weakened but still present in the house, the Butler (who in his full powers controls cooking, cleaning, and maintenance of the family estate) detects Flora's resentment about her obligations and manipulates her into helping him regain his position. Throw in a daring attempt at saving a rogue pirate from death, a disappearing Flora as her life force is nearly drained from her, and several dramatic revelations about Flora's family that will change her forever, and it becomes clear why an upcoming birthday suddenly seems less important. Flora is a wry, affable, and witty protagonist with whom readers will easily identify, even in her shortcomings (namely, her faulty judgment about the Butler and her parents). She is also surrounded by a rich and well-developed cast of characters, both magical and mortal, who help Flora find her way out of trouble and toward a more desirable future. First-time author Wilce recognizes the importance of creating a magnificent and vivid setting, in this case the quirky family house, Crackpot Hall, in which her characters' adventures, mundane or fantastic, can play out. Although this novel's most likely home is with fantasy buffs, the complex family relationships and Flora's coming-of-age story may appeal to realistic fiction fans as well.