The daggers of ire

All the brujxes of the city of San Bosco have a magical specialty that involves dominion over one of four elements: fire, earth, water, and air. All except 12-year-old Esmerelda Santos. She's secretly a witch of Chaos, an element considered illegal by magical society. Following her mother's death in an accident, Esme is desperate to help her father, who has since "curled up into a ball of grief." She soon finds a spell to "render a heart full again," but before she can cast it, all the other witches of San Bosco suddenly disappear. At her older sister's final behest before her vanishing, Esme and her involuntarily shape-shifting friend embark on a quest to find one of San Bosco's original witches, whom no one has seen in over a century. A somewhat slow start evolves into an adventure of epic proportions, brimming with talking animals, mysterious realms, and witch hunters. Cervantes (Dawn of the Jaguar) doesn't let the rollicking fun overshadow themes such as sisterhood and grief, all of which is handled with care. Major characters cue as Latinx. Ages 8--12. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Sept.)

Gr 5 up--A Latine magical adventure where the forces of good and evil are at odds. Bruja Esmerelda Santos is a descendant of one of the four original witches who gave rise to the magic in her town of San Bosco. She and her best friend Tiago are looking forward to learning the ways of the brujxes (witches) and maturing into full brujxes in the coming year, but an unexpected storm thrusts them into another world where nothing is quite as it seems. While in this alternate world, they forge an unlikely friendship with a fox who guides them on their quest to save their family members and their hometown's magic from ruin. Readers will enjoy the trio's dynamics and the plot's twists and turns throughout. The importance of family, friendship, and loyalty are primary themes. The fast-paced and easily readable story is reminiscent of folklore-inspired adventures like Kwame Mbalia's Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky and Roshani Chokshi's Aru Shah and the End of Time. VERDICT This story of hope and self-exploration will appeal to middle grade fantasy readers who can't get enough of otherworldly quests.--Misty Schattle