Umberland

Readers who fell in love with Everland, the debut novel by Bay Area-native Wendy Spinale, will definitely be thrilled to jump back into that darkly reimagined world with Umberland. This series takes some of our favorite storybook characters and sets them on a perilous adventure with familiar threads of the old stories plus a fantastic steampunk twist.

This time around, the focus is on duchess Alyssa and Maddox Hadder as they take on a deadly labyrinth to find a poison apple that may be the cure to the rapidly mutating Horologia virus. Meanwhile, Pete and Gwen contend with the devious Katt, who is determined to get her hands on the professor’s research as part of her own manipulative intentions toward the throne. The story is told through the perspectives of three characters–Jack, Pete, and Alyssa–giving the reader a whole view of the fast-paced action but also sometimes resulting in a disjointed feeling. Readers hoping for more of the romance between Pete and Gwen may find themselves with a little heartache, but they will also delight in watching Alyssa and Maddox find common ground.  All in all, this is an exciting chapter in this trilogy and will leave readers eager for book three!