February 15, 2023
In this fairy-tale adaptation of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," the narration is taken over by the magical piper's younger sister, Clare. She arrives in the small German town declaring that she'll rescue the children who followed her piper brother, Tom. As in the original tale, they disappeared when the mayor refused to pay the piper after he led the rats away. She doesn't reveal that she and Tom were once Hamelin children themselves. They lived in the Faerie Realms for 8 years, while in the human world, over a century passed. The two were adopted by the queen of Faerie and have taken on the fae's indifference to human concerns--especially Tom, who only cares for his sister. For her part, Clare is torn between the worlds, especially since reconnecting with Anna, the mayor's visually impaired daughter, who once spent a month in the Realms and befriended Clare. However, when Anna joins her in the quest to save the missing children, things don't always go well, as Anna has her own secrets, strengths, and weaknesses. Things become even more difficult when rat prince Per falls in love with Anna. In this overly complicated psychological retelling, lying, deception, and distrust are pervasive themes. Notwithstanding the suspense and magical descriptions, the action feels tedious. Characters are presumed White. Readers will have a difficult time following this piper and his sister. (Fantasy. 9-12)
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