The Thirteenth Child

What if history had gone a different path? What if magic was prevalent? Patricia Wrede shows us such a world. A world where steam dragons and wooly mammoths still exist in the US, except it's called Columbia. Here we meet Eff, who is the thirteenth child. Her twin brother is Lan, a double-seven, which everyone knows means a natural and powerful magician. Too bad his twin sister has to be unlucky and will one day turn to evil.

Hearing this growing up, Eff believes it with her whole being. She is constantly apologizing for things that aren't her fault. Finally, her Uncle Earn brings the police around to arrest her because she placed a curse on his house. ...only she didn't. And the police refuse to arrest her because she's only five. But her parents have had enough and they move with the younger children to Mill City near the Great Barrier where all the monsters are. Now what are children to do?

A lovely blend of true history and made-up history making us to believe in this world whole heartedly. Patricia Wrede's style is familiar, yet never the same through all her books, showing us again what a talented writer she is.

Brown