Between The Raven and The Dove
Sophia Kingshill
Accent Press
Reviewed by Mummy Worm
Take a sassy young black teenager, place her on a modern-day island governed by ancient competing forces, pour in a spoonful of self discovery and then sprinkle a generous handful of musical magic over the top: the result is this delicious new novel, the first of a series for Young Adults.
Through the protagonist, Margot, Sophia Kingshill has managed a feat of magic herself: the creation of a girl in the first throws of adolescence whose no-nonsense persona will appeal to boys and girls alike.
The landscape is a familiar cocktail for supernatural novels: forest, school of witchcraft, secret urban base but the twist is that Margot has grown up in a home for the mentally ill. The in-patients (known as the Residence’s name ‘The Hollies’) are lovingly crafted individuals, and you can’t help but smile as you read about their quirks. I hope they will make a re-appearance in the next book. Other characters warm the heart (Humph the Hob) or send chills down the spine (Nilas) in equal measure. Folklore underpins the narrative and the authenticity of a group of characters from myth and legend known as The Others provide a melting pot of opportunity for the novels to come.
There is much to enjoy here and I look forward to joining Margot in her next mission as she learns more not only about her craft, her parentage and her new friends, but also about how harmony and balance can co-exist in a modern world founded on ancient rites.