By Wingéd Chair

This YA fantasy debut, the first in the Mark of the Least series of standalone novels, pits a paraplegic mage-in-training against evil from a parallel realm. Seventeen-year-old Marion “Merry” Janson, who uses a wheelchair, is headed home after another boarding school dismissal when she’s caught in the midst of a fight between a mysterious trio and a Peacekeeper, who summons a Vachryn, a creature that feeds on memories and leaves its victims as shells of their previous selves. Allowing the trio to escort her home, Merry becomes intrigued by Whyn, a University-trained mage. Merry wants to attend University so she can discover why she’s able to sense magic when no one else can. Though the worldbuilding is slim, Merritt has created a land full of surprising practicalities for the genre, such as wheelchair-accessible ramps, necessary to push carts up multiple floors in times of war. While the narration skews contemporary (“Was there a sign on the door that said, ‘Party Here?’ ”), Merritt nonetheless creates compelling characters and mythos. Inspired by the Robin Hood narrative and the author’s experience with partial paraplegia, Merritt’s novel shows great potential. Ages 12–up. [em](Self-published.) [/em]