The Extra-Ordinary Princess

Twelve-year-old Amelia is the youngest of four princesses (the latest in a long line of White Queens, possessing gifts that are "a powerful blend of magic and something more"), growing up in the land of Gossling. Merrill, the eldest, is wise, and twins Lily and Rose are "great beauties," but Amelia is known only for her "non-princess ways" and unruly red hair ("If princesses were supposed to be so special, then there was something wrong with me," she says). When a plague sweeps their homeland and the king and queen perish, the girls' evil great-uncle attempts to seize the throne before Merrill turns 18. He casts spells on all of the sisters except Amelia, who must believe in her magical and human abilities in order to fulfill prophecies, break the spells and lead the citizens of Gossling against Count Raven and the Dark Ones. Ebbitt's debut sits halfway between fairy tale and fable. The characters' histories are enjoyably complex and the first-person narratives, told mostly from Amelia's POV, but occasionally alternating between other characters, inch the story toward the extra-ordinary. Ages 8%E2%80%9412. (Aug.)