Minerva Pearlstar and the Dragon's Heart - Minerva Pearlstar

Binding spells and ancient books. An angry mage prince. Traitor kelpies. These are a few things Minerva contends with during her second semester at Asgard School, all while searching for clues to identify the red stone she found at the bottom of Bear Lake. The heart-shaped gem burns hot, and sometimes beats like an actual heart. At a local shop, Minerva discovers an ancient "build-a-dragon" book. Reading the instructions, she fears she has found a true dragon's heart, one crucial in the resurrection of the long extinct beasts. She must learn the truth before the heart falls into enemy hands, but everywhere she turns for help, finds new dangers.

BY SHARRON RIDDLE

The second entry in a YA series that combines Norse mythology and magic-school fantasy.

Fourteen-year-old red-haired Minerva Pearlstar is a heksen, or witch, who's a student at a magical boarding school called Asgard. There, she shares a room with her best friends, Alice and Nancy, and her talking mynah, Count Gracula. The school is just outside Midgard, Maine, a replica Viking village that disguises a town full of magical beings-including elves and shape-shifting mages-as a tourist attraction. In the book's opening scene, Minerva finds an unusual, blood-red gemstone at the bottom of a frigid lake while practicing Skulling, a Quidditch-like underwater sport, with her school team. The stone feels oddly warm and seems to pulsate, and she immediately senses that it's important-and dangerous. What follows is an action-filled tale of battles and intrigue among magical factions, pitting the followers of the powerful witch-queen against those who are secretly working to foil her evil plans, including Minerva and her friends. Meanwhile, Minerva is ensnared in a magical bond with the queen's son, Prince Thorn, whom she initially detests. The story offers numerous twists as Minerva makes surprising discoveries about the histories of the gods, mages, and heksen; her role in their ancient prophecies; her teachers' and friends' true forms and abilities; and a clandestine romance. The magic-school setting and numerous fantasy creatures-such as gargoyles, kelpies, undines, fairies, gnomes, nymphs, and the horrifying, undead draugr-are likely to particularly appeal to fans of the Harry Potter series. Those who are unfamiliar with Norse mythology or haven't read the previous installment, Minerva Pearlstar and the Weavers of Fate (2022), may have difficulty making sense of the complicated backstory, which is only explained in bits and pieces. Overall, though, the writing is vivid, the action engaging, and the characters well drawn. Readers will be eager to find out about Minerva's next adventure.