The Verdigris Pawn
by Alysa Wishingrad (Author)
A boy who underestimates his power . . . A girl with a gift long thought lost . . . A Land ready for revolution . . . The heir to the Land should be strong. Fierce. Ruthless.
At least, that's what Beau's father has been telling him his whole life, since Beau is the exact opposite of what the heir should be. With little control over his future, Beau is kept locked away, just another pawn in his father's quest for ultimate power. That is, until Beau meets a girl who shows him the secrets his father has kept hidden. For the first time, Beau begins to question everything he's ever been told and sets off in search of a rebel who might hold the key to setting things right.
Teaming up with a fiery runaway boy, their mission quickly turns into something far greater as sinister forces long lurking in the shadows prepare to make their final move--no matter what the cost. But it just might be Beau who wields the power he seeks . . . if he can go from pawn to player before the Land tears itself apart.
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ALA/Booklist
In her first novel, Wishingrad creates a cast of well-realized characters, a believable pre-industrial world with elements of magic, and a fast-paced, inventive plot. While narrative threads are tied up rather quickly at the story’s end, the journey offers reflection, surprises, and plenty of adventure.
Publishers Weekly
Wishingrad explores the nature of privilege and the dangers of generational bias in this fantastical middle grade debut with a game at its center. All his life, 13-year-old Beau, progeny of gray-eyed Himself, has failed to live up to the expectations of his cruel, oligarchical father. Though Beau has been tasked with following in Himself’s footsteps, ruling the Land from the Manor, he’s neither aggressive like his father nor a magical charmer like his deceased mother-an inclination that would allow him to cure the fever that’s ravaging the countryside. After his tutor dies from that plague, a chance encounter with nursemaid’s assistant Cressi opens Beau’s eyes to the inequality and systemic abuse of his family’s reign, including Mastery House, which churns out child laborers for the most dangerous, least desirable tasks. Determined to right these wrongs and face the inaccuracies of his education, Beau flees the Manor. While Cressi is confined there, attempting to master her own strange abilities, Beau, accompanied by 13-year-old orphan Nate, a Mastery House runaway, journeys into the Land’s most dangerous reaches to foment rebellion. Though a fictional chess-like game informs much of the narrative structure, its strategy paralleling character dynamics and plot, details about its rules and gameplay are lacking, robbing it of its full weight. Nevertheless, Wishingrad’s cued-white characters are engaging and well-rounded, helping to propel the story. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 2021 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV034000 - Juvenile Fiction | Royalty (kings queens princes princesses knights etc.)
