Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo (Inkbound #1)

Like every child before her, Meticulous “Metty” Jones is set to be “fated”—a magical tattoo will appear on her hand and reveal her destiny. When, on her 10th birthday, her tattoo manifests as a black skull held in a violet glove, her future seems set: she will murder someone via magic. A year later, she is obsessed with figuring out whom she will kill, much to the terror of the staff of the remote Welsh estate where she has been sent to live in isolation by her beloved father. After he vanishes on Metty’s 11th birthday and insidious persons begin pursuing her for reasons she does not understand, her aunt Magnificent arrives and whisks her away to New London, a floating city powered by magical ink. There—with the help of her illegally alive gargoyle, Pumpkin, and her aunt’s mysterious ward, Sundar—Metty embarks on a quest to find her father. Lush writing, breathtaking action sequences, and a darkly comedic tone imbue Leathley’s series opening debut with verve, while ethical questions relating to fate and magic add depth to the innovative setting. Characters cue as racially diverse. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Agent: Hannah Sheppard, Hannah Sheppard Literary. (Jan.)