Silver in the Blood - Hardcover

Gr 6–9—In 1897, two American debutante cousins, Louisa Neulander and Dacia Vreeholt, travel to Europe to visit their mothers' family in Romania. Their relatives, the Florescus, turn out to be shapeshifters with three possible forms; the claw (wolf); the wing (bat); and the smoke (mist). Dacia and Lou receive their powers from domineering clan head Lady Ioana. She demands they use their abilities to aid a descendant of the Dracula family, suave Prince Mihai, to overthrow the Romanian crown. Lou and Dacia team up with Johnny and Theo, members of an ancient society, to stop the attack and break free of their coercive relatives. Unresolved questions leave room for a sequel. George's novel has just enough history, fantasy, and romance to suit a range of readers. Although less dense, this work has a similar feel to Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer's "Cecilia & Kate" novels (Harcourt), mixing magic and manners. Most readers will intuit that Prince Mihai is too perfect to trust. However, Dacia and Lou gather strength from each other in less obvious ways. Some secondary characters are not fleshed out, but may play larger roles in future installments. The theme of familial obligation suits the historical period with its emphasis on appropriate behavior and socially acceptable marriage-making. Sprinkle in the Romanian setting and magical female empowerment, and there's more than enough to keep readers' attention. VERDICT Proper debutantes and snarling wolves? A winning combination for most libraries.—Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT