FOR A MUSE OF FIRE

In this young adult novel, narrator Emily Woo Zeller builds on the suspense of the chase. Filled with anticolonialist sentiment, an unnamed country suggestive of Indonesia is invaded by a foreign army. When the invaders ban the old ways, the traditions and practices go underground. These include the special magic used by Jetta, who tells this story in the first part of a new trilogy. She and her family are shadow players, whose puppets seem alive because of the magical power Jetta possesses. But the native theater art is now forbidden. Soon Jetta comes to the attention of the army's general. Zeller has a broad cast of characters, and she is proficient with both female and male voices. In addition, she is called upon to sing a number of songs, which she does masterfully. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2018]