{First of 4 of CJ's Notebooks / ninth chronologically in Sartorias-deles series; fantasy, adventure, children's} (2007)

This sub-series in the overarching story of Sartorias-deles focuses on the kingdom of Mearsies Heili and its child queen, Clair Sherwood. It is narrated from the point of view (in first person) by a young girl from Earth who first meets Clair in her dreams, then in her dreary garden in LA and is then transferred by magic to Mearsies Heili and finally gets to stay for good. I don't think we are ever told the narrator's Earth name but she chooses a new name which is quickly shortened to its initials, CJ.

Clair's reign is threatened by enemies who feel they can take over her kingdom just because she is so young but she is determined to be a good ruler, as her mother was not. She has collected a group of girls, from the world of Sartorias-deles as well as others, who needed rescuing and who band together to defeat those enemies. I like the way they do so without excessive violence; although their methods might be simplistic, they - strangely, perhaps - don't seem childish. Well, except for the pie-throwing; but even that was mainly illusory pies.

These stories were apparently first written when Smith was very young herself and have been rewritten for publication. For the most part, the writing is beautifully descriptive and up to her usual (current) standard. I was happy to be back in familiar territory on Sartorias-deles. I did think there was a little bit of jumping events at the beginning but most things (such as the Waste Spell which eliminates pollution) were quickly and effectively explained. The childish made up words and names I could have done without, though, and I suspect that some of the Earth slang may have dated (but I wouldn't know).

I did really like the story and it helped to fill in gaps from my reading of A Sword Named Truth which comes further along in the main series. Though I did feel a bit bad for the substitute who ended up in CJ's place on Earth.

(August 2022)
4**** ( )

CJ's first notebook tells how she, an out-of-step child from LA, wound up as a princess in Meirses Heili, one of a gang of girls having adventures. Thankfully, the girls' made-up words and slurring speech are kept to a minimum here. Definitely a kids book, but it fills in some of the background of Sartorias-Deles. ( )