In the Kingdom of Spinar, there are seven rules for safeguarding your soul from the Sorrows and Nightmare creatures—most importantly: never, ever enter the Labyrinth of Souls.
Ix Tatterfall has always been an outcast with big secrets: She can cross into the Labyrinth, home to the powerful Sorrows, and she can see strange Nightmare beasts when no one else can. Some, like the shadowy Inklings or bothersome Stubbed Toads, are merely a nuisance. Many more—like the Jimber-Jawed Hounds—are dangerous. Even deadly.
But something is very wrong in the Labyrinth. A terrible new Nightmare—a raggedy scarecrow called Jack—has been ravaging the misty maze, gobbling up wraiths and lost souls and allowing Nightmares to seep into the Waking World.
On one forbidden trip, Ix comes face to face with Jack. Worse, she’s apprehended by Candle Corps, an elite magical group that protects the kingdom against Nightmares. Instead of exile, Ix is allowed to enter the mysterious Candle Corps Academy. For the first time, she’s surrounded by others who can see what she sees: Morrigan Bea, a hot-tempered girl who might be a monster; Ollie Pembrooke, a shy boy who loves books and Dreamchaser dogs; and Hanky the Inkling, Ix’s faithful Nightmare companion.
But more and more Nightmares are bleeding into Spinar. Raggedy Jack is on the hunt for something—someone—from the Waking World.
Ix Tatterfall herself.
Think Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland mixed with The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani and maybe The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, and you’ve got this story!
I loved following Ix and her friends Ollie and Morrigan on their adventures. These characters were so well written! Ix alone is interesting with curious abilities and a good heart.
The settings were so well written and imaginative! The pacing was perfect for a middle grader, in my opinion. Not too fast leaving us confused, but not too slow leaving us bored. It was just right.
I’ve been drawn to Leslie Vedders young adult books before, and for some unknown infuriating reason I haven’t read any!! That will have to change, obviously. This story was just so fun and easy to read!
Five stars!! I received this book as an ARC (thanks to @netgalley and @PenguinTeenCa), but it’s already on shelves. Go check it out!
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