Mysterious & Magical

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty

Esther is the middle child, sandwiched between thirteen-year-old Imogene and younger sister Astrid. She is the ordinary one, nondescript, often overlooked by her mother.

What should have been a normal year at boarding school opens with several unexplained incidents. Esther’s best friends do not return for the next school term. Two new students have taken the absent girls’ places. A tiny woman with a bizarre ritual for greeting students is Esther’s teacher. Life seems to have taken an unsettling turn. School is the same. Only it is not.

Set in a land of Empires and Kingdoms, it's a tale of mystery and magic. Mythological creatures abound. A Water Sprite absconds with a young child. ​ There are Faeries, Ogres, Whisperers, True Mages, Spellbinders, and Shadow Mages such as Radish Gnomes and Sterling Silver Foxes. They usually inhabit realms far away from Esther’s school. But lately they are sighted nearby.

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst is a story of a girl who doubts herself. Her supportive family is occasionally dysfunctional. Boarding school is rife with rumors. An earth-shattering event stuns the community. These disparate elements are woven together to create a compelling mystery.

Moriarty's storytelling technique is dazzling. The narrative asserts a generally agreed-upon statement as true. This is immediately followed by a detail which turns the truism on its head. Readers will wonder about the veracity of what they witness through Esther’s eyes. Is her recital of events based on partial knowledge, personal bias, or second-hand information?

And that, as I said, was the happily ever after...
​But was it?

First person voice allows readers to see not only the world from Esther’s point of view, but to witness her evolving comprehension of what is happening. At times she makes mistakes in judgement. Others thwart her efforts. But she remains determined to learn the truth.

I adore Esther. As she considers the strange, sometimes frightening events which topple her world and threaten its existence, she must summon a courage she never knew she possessed to save herself and those she loves. She becomes the hero that she was always meant to be.

The title was a puzzle. This is really Esther’s story. She narrates the account which takes place primarily at her school. References to a prince are few with seemingly little relevance to her life. But all is revealed on the final pages of the book. Readers are rewarded with a conclusion that is logical, anticipated, yet in some ways unexpected. It all fits neatly together, creating a satisfying conclusion.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

​Pub date: March 23, 2021  Publisher: Levine Querido  ISBN:  978-1646140763