Marni is the daughter of a princess and the powerful dragon who presides over the kingdom’s magicked woods. Fantasy fans who enjoy reveling more in the vision of a fantastical land and its creatures than an intricate and fast-paced plot will find much to love here.- Jill Heritage Maza, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ

The plot, however, plods along a bit, and, in the end, readers might wish that a little more had lurked beneath the surface. This book’s greatest strength lies in the vivid woodland scenes and the rich detail that describes the mystical pieces of Marni’s tale. Unexpectedly, Marni is thrust into life at court, and she must fight desperately to keep her independence while unraveling the mysteries of the encroaching woods and her birth. Her mother was not the only girl lured by the voices, but she was the only to return-carrying the illegitimate “Dragon’s” daughter and ultimately ending her own life, thereby sentencing Marni and her Gramps to a life of exile. It was these woods, after all, that had lured her princess mother away from the castle. If there was ever a time Marni should ignore the siren call of the voices in the woods, it is now, but she continues to escape there. Perhaps even more disturbingly, the woods have begun creeping in inch by inch into the surrounding villages-but notably not around their own hut. As she’s come of age, more and more male visitors have come to sit on the porch with Gramps while Marni lingers in the shadows. Marni lives in a shack at the edge of the woods with her Gramps, where she tends flowers, as she’s done for most of her life. The novel’s lovely resolution reflects this complex and nuanced vision. When Marni does eventually explore the woods and learn the secrets contained therein, she maintains a touch of skepticism, which allows her to describe both the good and troubling aspects of what she sees.

I’d see the lady’s clever fingers tensing as we knit, and I’d wonder just when she’d decide to grab my wrist, to take me away with her.” I’d see the little ones eyeing me with something other than playfulness. The laugh turned, bit by bit, from cheerful to menacing the spark changed from beautiful to dangerous. Of the forest, she says, “It was only gradually that I grew frightened of the woods folk.

Hahn’s detailed writing perfectly evokes Marni’s two worlds.

Despite her nostalgia for the simple life she once shared with her grandfather, she must adapt and protect herself-no one seems trustworthy in her new life at court, not even her attractive ally, the Lord of Ontrei.

As Marni learns more about her family and her destiny, she proves herself to be strong and resourceful.

Narrator Marni is a thoughtful and relatable character, and her fascination with the magical woods, where so many girls have disappeared, will draw readers’ interest.

Rebecca Hahn has created a world filled with danger, beauty, and conflict.

A creature of moonlight by rebecca hahn