Splinter & Ash

Starred review from June 24, 2024
After years away, 12-year-old Princess Adelisa of Calinor—Ash to her friends—returns home to the kingdom’s capitol of Kestrel’s Haven. There, Ash, who walks with a cane and uses braces to support
her joints, feels unwelcome by those who perceive her as “fragile and unfit.” Then she meets Splinter, who believes that her dreams of becoming a squire are forfeit because she’s “not a boy” (“But you’re not
a girl, either,” Ash retorts). Ash sponsors her for squire training in what the princess deems a “simple solution.” Still, the duo contends with hostility and scorn from all sides, including from Ash’s older brother, Prince Lucen. But when Ash is kidnapped
by the kingdom’s enemies, Splinter will do anything to rescue her—if Ash doesn’t save herself first. In this thrilling trilogy opener, Nijkamp (Ink Girls) assuredly introduces an intersectionally diverse cast of complex and fiercely resourceful characters who must navigate threats both physical and social. With Ash’s kindness and intelligence, and Splinter’s indomitable knightly spirit, the two make an ideal partnership and a winning addition to boundary-defying heroines like Alanna of Trebond and Sir Callie. Ash and Splinter are depicted on the cover with pale skin. Ages 8–12. Agents: Suzie Townsend and Sophia M. Ramos, New Leaf Literary.

August 1, 2024
Can a disabled princess and her gender-nonconforming squire make a difference to their country's war efforts? Twelve-year-old Princess Adelisa, who goes by "Ash," uses a cane and braces due to her easily dislocated joints. After six years away at school, she's returned to Calinor, where discontented nobles--and her older brother, Crown Prince Lucen--dismiss her as "crippled" and "damaged." Twelve-year-old Splinter, who usesshe/her pronouns and is neither a girl nor a boy, longs to be a squire, despite custom restricting this role to boys. When her bravery and sense of justice impress Ash, Ash sponsors Splinter as her squire and companion, but bullying from other squires, especially Lucen, makes Splinter's quest challenging. On the day Lucen's actions get Splinter ejected from the squires, Ash is kidnapped. Splinter--and a guilty Lucen--go in pursuit. Nijkamp illustrates the price of betrayal in many forms. Nobles, unhappy with the queen's more equitable policies, aggravate the war with the Ferisian Empire by betraying Calinor for promises of power. Ash and Splinter, while spying for Calinor to unmask traitorous nobles, agonize over necessarily betraying friends and helpers in the process, and Lucen betrays his sister's trust. The characters all have depth and flaws and believably grow into stronger versions of their true selves who value their own self-worth. The limited worldbuilding may be addressed in sequels. Major characters are cued white. A thoughtful fantasy exploring loyalty, self-worth, and the ethics of war beyond the battlefield. (map)(Fantasy. 10-13)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2024

Gr 4-7-Eleven-year-old Princess Adelisa (Ash) has returned to Kestrel City after six years living with relatives, only to find she is an outsider. Not only does she suffer from an illness similar to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but her 13-year-old brother Lucen treats her contemptuously, as do many nobles. A chance meeting at an evening party brings Ash and Splinter together. Splinter describes herself as neither a boy nor a girl and uses she/her pronouns. Splinter becomes a squire while Ash gains a companion and guard. When conflict with a neighboring kingdom flares, Ash is kidnapped, and Splinter and Lucen are forced into an acrimonious partnership to rescue her. Ash and her brother are simply described as brunettes, while minor characters are described with darker skin tones. Nijkamp's story builds from an inauspicious beginning into an enjoyable fantasy adventure with plucky characters. While the introductory scenery descriptions are uninspiring, the story picks up after Splinter and Ash meet, and the alternating scenes of Ash's captivity and Splinter and Lucen's pursuit are well-paced. Ash's disability and Splinter's gender identity are smoothly integrated into the story. Nijkamp has surprises for readers along the way, making the second half of the book the most exciting portion. VERDICT Encourage readers to push through early chapters for a character-driven fantasy series opener with tons of adventure. Recommended for most collections, especially those serving fans of Jennifer Nielsen or Kate O'Hearn.-Caitlin Augusta

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2024
Grades 4-7 Recently returned to the kingdom's capital, Princess Ash is ostracized by the court as well as her princeling brother, Lucen, as they think her disability and use of a cane means she's weak. Ash finds easy acceptance from Splinter, a wannabe squire prevented from joining the ranks because everyone sees her as a girl, though she identifies as neither girl nor boy. After Ash creates an exception for her new companion, Splinter fights, often literally, with Lucen to overcome the pervasive bigotry in the squire program. When the princess is kidnapped, Splinter and Lucen must set aside their feud to unravel a plot of political intrigue, even as Ash fights to save herself. Nijkamp's middle-grade debut, the first of a trilogy, expands on their entry in the 2021 anthology This Is Our Rainbow, and the world building feels thin as a result. Still, the scarcity of queer or disabled heroes in medieval middle-grade fiction makes this a necessary purchase for the representation alone, and a worthwhile adventure grounded in a beautifully affirming friendship seals the deal.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2024
Princess Ash, feeling alone at court and conspicuous with her cane and braces, makes the daring move of taking Splinter as her squire -- Splinter, who isn't a boy, but "not a girl, either" (referred to with she/her pronouns in the story), and who feels most like herself wearing her brother's armor. The course of study required of squires isn't easy, particularly because Ash's older brother Lucen, the crown prince, makes it his mission to drive Splinter away. Meanwhile, Ash is asked by her mother, the queen, to spy on one of the noble families to try to discover who among them is working against the crown. Due to Lucen's interference, Splinter is absent when Ash is abducted by the conspirators, and Splinter and a guilt-stricken Lucen set out together to rescue her. The action takes many breathtaking turns, from Ash's attempts to escape from her captors to Splinter and Lucen facing peril while working out their fraught relationship, culminating in a gratifying reveal at the climax. Greater geopolitical forces swirling around the characters raise the stakes, and the close relationship between Ash and Splinter, Lucen's efforts to remake himself into a person worthy of knighthood, and Splinter's determination to never be anyone but herself make this homage to Tamora Pierce's Tortall series fully worthy of readers' admiration and delight. Anita L. Burkam

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
Princess Ash, feeling alone at court and conspicuous with her cane and braces, makes the daring move of taking Splinter as her squire -- Splinter, who isn't a boy, but "not a girl, either" (referred to with she/her pronouns in the story), and who feels most like herself wearing her brother's armor. The course of study required of squires isn't easy, particularly because Ash's older brother Lucen, the crown prince, makes it his mission to drive Splinter away. Meanwhile, Ash is asked by her mother, the queen, to spy on one of the noble families to try to discover who among them is working against the crown. Due to Lucen's interference, Splinter is absent when Ash is abducted by the conspirators, and Splinter and a guilt-stricken Lucen set out together to rescue her. The action takes many breathtaking turns, from Ash's attempts to escape from her captors to Splinter and Lucen facing peril while working out their fraught relationship, culminating in a gratifying reveal at the climax. Greater geopolitical forces swirling around the characters raise the stakes, and the close relationship between Ash and Splinter, Lucen's efforts to remake himself into a person worthy of knighthood, and Splinter's determination to never be anyone but herself make this homage to Tamora Pierce's Tortall series fully worthy of readers' admiration and delight.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)