A vivid fantasy story about equality, Amelia Mackenzie

Winter of Fire
Sherryl Jordan
Scholastic
1992, republished 2019

 

 

 

 

November 21, 2022

In a world where the sun has vanished and the earth is shrouded in a dark smokey haze, the only source of warmth and light comes from the firestones. These special rocks are mined underground by ‘The Quelled,’ a category of people who are branded by the superior race ‘The Chosen.’

On her 16th birthday, Elsha, a rebellious Quelled girl, is selected to be the handmaid of the Firelord. The Firelord is the most powerful Chosen. He is worshipped by all other Chosen for his power to Divine, which means to sense where firestones are.  Read more

November, 2022 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: ,

An exciting story with a balance of joy and shadow, Savarna Yang

Ransomwood
Sherryl Jordan
Scholastic
Pub. 2012

 

 

 

 

August 24, 2022

 ‘“You’re my property,” he said, between clenched teeth, “and I’ll dispose of you as I wish.”

Gwenifer is the unwanted child her uncle was made to take in when her mother died. Harry is the village halfwit everyone thinks they have the right to manipulate and exploit. And both of them are people who feel they can never really belong in the judgemental town of Grimblebury.

After an accident and a scandal, Gwen and Harry are forced to leave the village and accompany blind Mother Dorit, the steward’s mother, on a pilgrimage to Ransomwood, the town where a statue of the Holy Mother is rumoured to cry healing tears each day at dawn.  Read more

August, 2022 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: , , ,

A story about identity and acceptance, Natalya Newman

Wynter’s Thief
Sherryl Jordan
OneTree House
2019

 

 

 

 

 

May 2, 2022

Wynter’s Thief by Sherryl Jordan, first published in 2019, follows two young people who strive to find freedom in a world where being different is dangerous. This novel explores how easily society can isolate a person based on one aspect of their identity. Though Wynter’s Thief is a medieval fantasy book, this theme is still widely relevant in the modern world.

This book paints a picture of a much simpler way of living, where everyone provides for themselves and their families and works to build a kinder life.  Read more

May, 2022 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: , , , ,

A heartwarming and fun adventure, Iris Moffat


Rafferty Ferret Ratbag
Sherryl Jordan
OneTree House
Pub. 2018

 

April 05, 2022

Rafferty Ferret Ratbag by Sherryl Jordan is a heartwarming story about friendship, desperation and resilience. The main character, Rafferty Ferret, is alone, lost and craving food. When a night robbery goes wrong, he gets himself stuck in a job. Rat catching. From then on, he makes up tricks, schemes and ruthless plans to survive. He seems to find a way to always get out of trouble. But when something big and terrifying happens, Rafferty’s luck almost runs out.

This book starts off with a gripping opening. I straight away empathised with the main character.   Read more

April, 2022 Tanya Prince Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

Flawless world-building, Sasha Maclean


The King’s Nightingale
Sherryl Jordan
Scholastic
Pub. 2021

 

July 20, 2021

Imagine: you are enjoying life in your village, happy amongst your parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. Then, all of a sudden, a swarm of rogue pirates bombard your village. They murder, steal, commit arson. They capture you and your brother. They leave you in filthy conditions for months, with little food and barely any water, before selling you for piles of gold at a slave market.

The King’s Nightingale by Sherryl Jordan is a rich and exciting fantasy adventure about a girl named Elowen who is captured and sold as a slave by pirates, but because of her beautiful singing voice, she becomes the king’s personal singer.  Read more

July, 2021 Tanya Prince Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: ,

An intense and emotional adventure, Caitlin Fuldseth


Wynter’s Thief
Sherryl Jordan
OneTree House
Pub. 2019

 

04 May, 2021

Wynter’s Thief by Sherryl Jordan is a beautiful story about love, friendship and trust. I really enjoyed this book; I loved the way it was written and how easy it was to follow. When there are two perspectives in a book, sometimes I find it hard to read them. But with this book, the two main characters and their different perspectives were not completely separate; they were entangled with each other which made it so easy to understand what was happening.

One of the perspectives belonged to a girl called Wynter, a young woman who is trapped by her father as she is a water witch and people pay her father for her ability.  Read more

May, 2021 Tanya Prince Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: ,

A fight for freedom, Amber Cayley


The King’s Nightingale
Sherryl Jordan
Scholastic
pub. 2021

 

15 March, 2021

“As you see, I have brought you a new slave. Her name is Elowen. She is exceedingly skilled. I hope with all humility that she will please you well my lord.”

Stolen from her peaceful island home by brutal pirates, Elowen is taken to a far-off land of deserts, palm trees and camels, where she is sold as a slave to the King. Driven by desperation to rescue her younger brother, Elowen will stop at nothing to return to her distant homeland in The King’s Nightingale by Sherryl Jordan.  Read more

March, 2021 Tanya Prince Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

Interspersed with romance and magic, Ashika Hira


Wynter’s Thief
Sherryl Jordan
OneTree House
pub. 2019

 

09 March, 2021

Wynter’s Thief by Sherryl Jordan and published by OneTree House in 2019, is set in medieval England and explores the lives of Fox and Wynter. Fox has lived a thief’s life ever since he can remember, and the one time that he wasn’t in the wrong he got caught and is now branded for life, with a large T on his right cheek. Wynter is a water witch, tasked with finding water for villages and towns where there isn’t any, a seemingly impossible task. However, ever since she was born, Wynter has had a special connection with water, and it is this connection that allows her to find water in the depths of the earth.  Read more

March, 2021 Tanya Prince Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

Close to the characters, Zahra Jawad Abdullah


The Anger of Angels
Sherryl Jordan
Walker Books Australia
pub. 2018

 

03 March, 2021

“Words hold a terrible power, your Grace. A word can break a heart, or give it a reason to live. A word can grant freedom or life, or begin a war – or end one…”

The Anger of Angels is a book written by Sherryl Jordan in September 2018 and published by Walker Books Australia. The story is set in South Italy, showcasing the life of a girl and her father who is the Duke’s Jester. Our main character, Giovanna, is a single child living with her father Ennio.  Read more

March, 2021 Tanya Prince Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

Enchanting world-building, Natalya Newman

The King’s Nightingale
Sherryl Jordan
Scholastic
pub. 2021

 

March 01, 2021

Published in January 2021, Sherryl Jordan’s latest historical fiction novel is an emotionally jarring read of cultural diversity, pain, self-discovery and development. The King’s Nightingale tells the tale of Elowen of the Penhallow Isles as she is forced to adapt to a land and culture entirely different from her own. Readers follow Elowen as she is sold to a foreign ruler for her beautiful voice and we watch as she struggles to hold onto her identity. Jordan uses a captivating writing style to tie readers so closely to the fates of the characters that we can feel every triumph and every failure alongside them.  Read more

March, 2021 Tanya Prince Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:
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