Kiki Strike: The Darkness Dwellers
Kiki Strike, aka Katarina, Princess of Pokrovia, is headed back to Pokrovia to give up her crown since the country can now be deemed a democracy. But her spoiled cousin and evil aunt have other plans. In a second, equally strong plot, Betty Bent is accompanying the elderly, straitlaced head of L’Institut Beauregard to Paris to uncover the remains of her former lover. It’s another subterranean adventure for the Irregulars, once again narrated by Ananka Fishbein, who this time is struggling with the mantle of leader while Kiki is overseas. Crushes, tragic love lost, and real danger make for a strong third entry in the Kiki Strike series. Grades 5-8. --Frances Bradburn