The Language of Spells

This slow-building, fantastical journey from Weyr (My Heartbeat) examines the effects of magic and mystery in a world where magic is waning. The story takes readers through some of the darkest times in world history, as seen from the perspectives of a dragon and an 11-year-old girl. At the end of WWII, Maggie is living an unconventional life in Vienna, Austria, with her widowed father. Grisha, a 140-year-old dragon, is one of the few magical beings left in the world. Grisha is pulled by a mysterious sound to Vienna, where he remains as a refugee in the city under tight control of soldiers and a megalomaniac magician. Drawn together by unusual circumstances, Maggie and Grisha form a tight friendship and, through their connection, work to free the world’s dragons from their cruel imprisonment. In dense, intriguing detail, Weyr integrates historical events into her fantastical storytelling, resulting in an affecting, melancholy story that asks intriguing questions about the costs of power. Ages 10–up. [em]Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (May) [/em]