The Key & the Flame by Claire M Caterer (review)

An international move to a small village outside Oxford turns into a marvelous adventure for eleven-year-old Holly Shepard when a mysterious key, given to her by a kindly neighbor, unlocks a magical door in a tree deep in a forest glade. No sooner has she stepped into the strange other world, followed by her nerdy younger brother Ben and their nosy neighbor Everett, than the boys are taken captive at sword-point, while Holly is rescued by a centaur and taken to the hideout of the country’s magical exiles. There she learns that she is an Adept, the first wand-wielder to be seen in Anglielle in generations. To rescue the boys, she must harness her powers, quest for a new wand, and convince the country’s magical forces to unite behind her. As the three children struggle to be reunited and find their way home, their way is threatened by a maniacal king, an evil sorcerer, and Everett’s own dangerous secret. A fun-filled read, this lengthy but fast-moving novel is a solid fantasy in the classic tradition. The multi-threaded narrative offers a variety of young heroes for readers to root for, and it’s jam-packed with memorable secondary characters of the magical sort, like sleek leogryffs, tricky fairies, and a talking cat. The writing is likely to be a strong draw, as readers who love language play will revel in the archaic-lite speech of Anglielle. A prophecy of war, Holly’s blood oath, and the children’s failure to thwart the sorcerer entirely before escaping home set up the possibility for future sequels.