Syren is Book 5 of the Septimus Heap Series by Angie Sage. Sage gives each book a unique flavor by giving Septimus, Jenna, and their friends new environments to adventure in. Syren takes place mostly on a beautiful island with a dark secret. Challenges are overcome by having moral courage, and it doesn't always happen on the first try. Sage creates good foils of those who choose selfishly and those who sacrifice, but not in a moralistic way. She shows the difficulty and reluctance that often accompany hard decisions.
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In The Lost Husband by Katherine Center, a young widow with two children moves in with her estranged aunt on a goat farm in rural Texas. I smiled at the premise of being a goat farmer, which sounds very Hallmark channel, but Center makes it work. This is a romance book, but also a book of self-discovery. It was gently predictable, but also held some surprises.
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The Darke Index, the sixth book in Septimus Heap series, but Angie Sage, brings the action back to the castle. Sage has created some complex villains and protagonists for a children's series, and I'm here for it. This is the penultimate book of the series, and I anticipated it would mostly set up the final book. Still, it skillfully tells a complete story while also hinting at possible final conflicts. I am gifting my granddaughter, who is a die-hard Harry Potter fan, the first book for her birthday, and I am curious how it will stack up. Septimus and Jenna have their 14th birthdays, the first one they will celebrate together; however, the jealous and powerful Merrin Meredith has other ideas.
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The True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley is an unlikely-buddies-on-the-lam story. It is cleverly conceived and executed. Louise, an elderly woman with a mending broken hip, is forced to have a live-in helper. The help is an almost-college-graduate who recently lost her soccer scholarship because of a career-ending injury. Neither of them is happy with their situation or with sharing life together. Then, circumstances force them into an uneasy partnership. It is an enemies-to-friends trope done well, containing surprising twists and turns. Good one.
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