Title: Cinders and Sparrows
Author: Stefan Bachman
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: The Cursed Inheritance of Henrietta Achilles by Haiko Hornig
The Bone Thief by Alyson Noel
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Zita, an orphan and a housemaid, has resigned herself to a life of drudgery when a strange letter arrives, naming her the only living heir to the Brydgeborn fortune. Now the mistress of the castle, Zita soon realizes foul play led to the death of her family. And as she is guided through lessons in the art of witchcraft by the somewhat mysterious Mrs. Cantanker, Zita begins to wonder who is friend and who is foe.
My opinion: Orphans are pretty standard in middle grade fantasy. Especially the orphan who is lifted out a life of hard work to discover they have inhereted a magical legacy. In that aspect, this book is entirely what you would expect. And of course, Zita discovers that her family history is covering up some secrets. Finding her magical strengths leads her to the truth about what happened to her parents. There are a few surprises in the final chapters that I won't get into here (no spoilers) but overall this book treads familiar ground. A shame since ti's set in a world and magical worlds that held a lot of promise.
Advanced Reader copy provided by NetGalley
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