From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up–Anatopsis, daughter of Queen Solomon, the chairwoman of Amalgamated Witchcraft Corporation, is a witch and an immortal. She wants to use her magical talents to become a knight-errant like her father, instead of following in her mothers footsteps. In preparation for her Bacchanalian examinations, which come on her 14th birthday, two new figures enter her life–Mr. Pound, who has tutored generations of Anas family, and Prince Barnaby Georges, the son of King Georges, the Queens main competitor. Ana soon becomes aware of mysteries connected to Mr. Pound and his search for the Os Divinitas, a wishbone-shaped magical artifact, and the answer to a mysterious riddle. As Ana, Barnaby, and her human companion, Clarissa, try to understand Mr. Pounds quest, they travel through slums, factories, and dungeons, learning about the inequities in the immortal and mortal worlds. Ana comes to understand both her own power and the world around her, leading her to make a choice that will affect the future. Characters are clearly drawn, with their own roles to play in the storys development. Readers will laugh–and maybe even cry–along with Anatopsis, while learning along with her about wishes and what it means to be human. A smooth progression from beginning to startling conclusion will draw even reluctant readers into this unusual fantasy and its fully realized world.
–Beth L. Meister, Pleasant View Elementary School, Franklin, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.