Felix Cassius Tiberius Carmer III is an orphan who is an apprentice to Antoine the Amazifier, a traveling magician. The Amazifier decides to enter the competition of magicians at the Seminal Symposium of Magickal Arts in the city of Skemantis. In Skemantis, in a beautiful park called the Aboretum, faeries face the threat of human technology. Grit is the young princess of the faeries, but she’s handicapped because she only has one wing. Grit can’t fly, but she can sure get around with the help of her friendly owl. Grit rescues Carmer when he’s attacked by thuggish teenagers and the human and the faerie make a deal to solve the mystery of the vanishing faeries.
Carmer and Grit (2017) is Sarah Jean Horwitz’s first novel. It has a few dull patches that a good editor should have fixed. But, this story of two very different youngsters coming of age and solving a mystery ends up being an entertaining Young Adult novel. I’ll be looking forward to the sequel. GRADE: B-
It sounds cute. I guess if you’re in the right mood…
Jeff, CARMER & GRIT garnered some strong reviews. I think it’s a promising First Novel. The sequel, The Crooked Castle: Carmer and Grit, Book 2, was just published this week.
I need you to keep us up to date on all these new books we don’t all hear about.
Jeff, it was a review in LOCUS that motivated me to order a copy of the first CARMER & GRIT book. I like to support new writers by buying their First Novels.
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!
The library doesn’t have it, so it’s a “no” for me. Not that it’s really my kind of book anyway.
Rick, my Library will interloan any U.S. published title. I’ve gotten some very obscure (and old) books that way.
Yes, but it takes weeks.
Rick, I have so many books in the queue that I don’t mind if it take a couple weeks for a book to arrive.
Just checked and the BPL has copies of both books in the series.
Jeff, I found CARMER & GRIT a quick, entertaining read.
The only thing that appeals to me here is the name Horwitz! It’s the birth name of Moses, Jerome, and Samuel, better known as Moe, Curly, and Shemp of The Three Stooges!
Bob, I may do a post on THE THREE STOOGES later this year.