Chessie Bligh is off to boarding school ... or so her parents think! All her life, her parents have been more interested in Chessie as a way to move ahead. Her mother is anxiously awaiting her invitation to the Queen's Christmas party. But when Chessie meets Aelyn at the airport, they hatch a plan. Chessie will go to Sternwaler, a school in the Grand Canyon, and Aelyn will take Chessie's place in London. At Sternwaler, Chessie meets others who are just like her, and together they explore history ... and how the magical powers she possesses can change it. This is a YA fantasy about a young girl who is discovering her elf destiny.

This is a fascinating, though slow, read. The characters are engaging, and you are regularly introduced to two or more at a time. The author offers great detail to help you "see" where you are, but sometimes this is overpowering and you get lost. While I love books with adventure and mystery, the complexity, shifts, and number of characters are overwhelming for a casual read. The reader knows something is going on with Gareth, but it is dragged on too long.

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