Copper Girl

Sara Corbeau takes her lunch break in her car; the heat is oppressive but it's not as bad as the office air conditioning. She takes off her underwear and takes a nap in which Micah, a silver-haired elf, visits her dreams. He teaches Sara that she is also a Dreamwalker. She's spent years avoiding anything to do with magic; after a war in which Mundanes%E2%80%94humans without powers%E2%80%94won over Elementals, the oppressive Mundane government caused the disappearance of her father, the leader of one of the most powerful magic clans, and her brother. Now awakened to her powers, Sara risks her life to visit Micah in the Otherworld, the kingdom of the Elementals, and speak with the Iron Queen in hopes of discovering where her father and brother are. The novel's reliance on exposition and its unnecessary repetition creates confusion and takes away from the threat of the villains, the believability of the love story, and the magic. Promising world-building doesn't make up for painfully slow plotting. Agent: Rebecca Mancini, RightsMix. (June)