Publishers Weekly
★ 08/22/2016
Heart-pounding adventure, a commitment to remaining true to oneself, and deft storytelling distinguish Legrand’s (Some Kind of Happiness) epic action-fantasy. Growing up in the Star Lands, a 12-year-old girl who names herself Quicksilver has lost her parents and home and has been raised in an orphanage. To make her life tolerable, she turns to something she excels at: thievery. With her rescued dog, Fox, she flees the destruction of the orphanage, trying to stay ahead of the Wolf King, a legendary figure who is loved by some and feared by others. Quicksilver’s adventure kicks into high gear as she, Fox, and a boy named Sly Boots are transported into the past with a mysterious old woman, Anastazia; together they set about the task of protecting the witches of the kingdom before all magic is annihilated. Quicksilver’s evolving relationships with Sly Boots, Anastazia, and Fox and the sacrifices their quest demands give the novel a powerful emotional core, as Legrand digs deeply into the need for (and power inherent in) connection and the friendships forged by shared adversity. Ages 8–12. Agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Heart-pounding adventure, a commitment to remaining true to oneself, and deft storytelling distinguish Legrand’s epic action-fantasy. ...Legrand digs deeply into the need for (and power inherent in) connection and the friendships forged by shared adversity.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Claire Legrand’s fantastically spooky The Year of Shadows will keep you turning its pages well into the night, even though the floorboards are creaking and funny shapes lurk in the corner of your eye.” — Anne Ursu, author of Breadcrumbs
“Charming and creepy… An enormously fun-and shivery-read.” — Sarah Prineas, author of The Magic Thief
“Insidiously creepy, searingly sinister, and spine-tinglingly fun, this book also presents a powerful message about friendship and the value of individuality.” — School Library Journal
THE YEAR OF SHADOWS: “Legrand has created a horror-tinged tale of triumph over loss and the destructive nature of hopelessness, that is full of well-rounded characters, a spooky gothic mood, and eerie glimpses into the past lives of the ghosts.” — ALA Booklist
“Snappy dialogue and creative fantasy elements-bloodthirsty unicorns, a dragon who collects teapots and is scared of ghosts-will delight seasoned fantasy readers, while the power of friendship between Girl and Fox gives the story depth.” — The Horn Book
“The beating heart of the story...is the bond between Quicksilver and Fox...Those touched by the girl/wolf story in Rundell’s The Wolf Wilder will be drawn to the theme and find a similarly strange but successful mix of wit, pathos, and action here.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Legrand fills her story with magic, danger, and suspense, and places two fiery female protagonists at its helm. ...Give to readers looking to go on a fantastic adventure.” — Booklist
ALA Booklist
THE YEAR OF SHADOWS: “Legrand has created a horror-tinged tale of triumph over loss and the destructive nature of hopelessness, that is full of well-rounded characters, a spooky gothic mood, and eerie glimpses into the past lives of the ghosts.
Anne Ursu
Claire Legrand’s fantastically spooky The Year of Shadows will keep you turning its pages well into the night, even though the floorboards are creaking and funny shapes lurk in the corner of your eye.
Booklist
Legrand fills her story with magic, danger, and suspense, and places two fiery female protagonists at its helm. ...Give to readers looking to go on a fantastic adventure.
The Horn Book
Snappy dialogue and creative fantasy elements-bloodthirsty unicorns, a dragon who collects teapots and is scared of ghosts-will delight seasoned fantasy readers, while the power of friendship between Girl and Fox gives the story depth.
Sarah Prineas
Charming and creepy… An enormously fun-and shivery-read.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
The beating heart of the story...is the bond between Quicksilver and Fox...Those touched by the girl/wolf story in Rundell’s The Wolf Wilder will be drawn to the theme and find a similarly strange but successful mix of wit, pathos, and action here.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
The beating heart of the story...is the bond between Quicksilver and Fox...Those touched by the girl/wolf story in Rundell’s The Wolf Wilder will be drawn to the theme and find a similarly strange but successful mix of wit, pathos, and action here.
Booklist
Legrand fills her story with magic, danger, and suspense, and places two fiery female protagonists at its helm. ...Give to readers looking to go on a fantastic adventure.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
The beating heart of the story...is the bond between Quicksilver and Fox...Those touched by the girl/wolf story in Rundell’s The Wolf Wilder will be drawn to the theme and find a similarly strange but successful mix of wit, pathos, and action here.
School Library Journal
08/01/2016
Gr 4–7—Twelve-year-old Quicksilver was raised in a convent and has never fit in. She is, however, an extremely stealthy thief. She secretly witnesses a stranger arrive in the middle of the night and hurt Mother Petra. Quicksilver flees for the closest town with her dog, Fox. There they meet a young boy called Sly Boots and, incredibly, an elderly, time-traveling Quicksilver. The older woman informs Quicksilver that she is a witch. Furthermore, old and young versions of herself have been traveling through time for generations to fight the evil Wolf King. Young Quicksilver, Fox, and Sly Boots are thrust into the urgent quest to destroy the Wolf King's source of power before he annihilates the realm's last remaining witches and probably the Star Lands themselves. The most enchanting feature of this story is the character development. At first, Quicksilver is not entirely likable. Her rebellious streak is attractive, but she is decidedly self-centered and stuck in a cycle of reciprocal bullying with another orphan. As Quicksilver's adventure begins, readers slowly start to see her put others' welfare before her own, all the while grumpily denying that it means anything or that she even cares. It is not until at least halfway through the book that Quicksilver honestly admits to herself that she cares about her companions. Her gradual growth over the course of the novel is a powerful triumph. Quicksilver will resonate strongly with any reader who has ever reacted to fear by building emotional walls. VERDICT A fine purchase. Recommend to fantasy readers, especially fans of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy.—Sara White, Seminole County Public Library, Casselberry, FL
JANUARY 2017 - AudioFile
Billie Brown’s narration of this horror-tinged tale of magic, time travel, and thievery will find an enthusiastic audience. The self-proclaimed best thief in all the Star Lands, Quicksilver, escapes her orphanage along with her dog, Fox. She joins a boy named Sly Boots and an older witch named Anastazia in an attempt to save their world from the nefarious Wolf-King. Brown voices the guileless Sly Boots with a childlike tone and Quicksilver’s sharp temper with prickliness, giving their frequent bickering more punch. Brown manages the pacing by lingering on words and phrases for emotional effect and picking up her tempo as the action and intrigue mount. Listeners of all ages will fall in love with Fox, whose, affectionate canine voice truly shines. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2016-06-28
A 12-year-old white girl discovers she is a witch and sets off to fight forces of evil with her magical animal companion. When she was 3, Quicksilver’s parents abandoned her at a convent. There, she is made fun of for her squashed nose and gray hair, and she retaliates by stealing and disobeying. She befriends a bedraggled dog, names him Fox, and tells him of her plans to become the best thief in the Star Lands. In one of her early burgling efforts, she meets Sly Boots, a white boy whose parents are ill and who offers Quicksilver a home in exchange for help. Then she meets Anastazia, an ancient witch who turns out to be the older version of Quicksilver herself. They all travel back in time to try to neutralize the First Ones, who are terrorizing witches using the human agency of the Wolf King. Plot inconsistencies aside, it’s a storyline that’s as stale as rolls from Pompeii. Quicksilver is a dim, unappealing protagonist whose emotional range mostly runs the gamut from A (anger) to B (brash). Fox, Quicksilver’s “monster”—a cross between a familiar and a daemon from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy—is an indefatigable vulpine deus ex machina, as all plot obstructions are resolved by his changing into whatever shape is necessary to accomplish the task. Right on schedule, characters turn traitor, die, or sacrifice themselves for the good of all. Tedious and derivative. (Fantasy. 9-12)
