Sea Change
Lonely Lilly’s only friend is a talking kraken, whom she has named Octavius. When the kraken is captured and sold to a circus, the teenage Lilly sets out to rescue him. Seeking directions to the place of his captivity, she consults a troll, who demands a dear price for the information, which ultimately leads her to her captive friend. In true fairy-tale fashion, she must then undertake a quest to free him. Soon enough she finds herself a captive, in thrall to a witch who has lost her skin and two bandits who possess that skin and something else that Lilly desperately needs. Also involved are automata, an undead corpse, a magic coat, and a mule that has been transformed into a boy named Horace, who has magic power. Wheeler’s first novel is more often dreary than delightful, and her overinflated language tends to be more grating than grand. That said, plucky Lilly is an engaging character, and her relationships with Octavius and Horace are genuinely heartfelt. Fantasy fans will doubtless overlook its flaws and embrace this well-imagined tale. --Michael Cart