When Esther Mettlestone-Staranise--an unexceptional child from an exceptional family--returns to Katherine Valley Boarding School after summer break, she's distraught to learn that her two best friends have transferred elsewhere. What's more, the normally peaceful mountains surrounding the academy now teem with malevolent Shadow Mages, and sixth grade teacher Mrs. Pollock is a mean-spirited old lady who grades her harshly. Esther's initial strategy is to keep her head down and muddle through, but then illness sidelines the undercover Spellbinder tasked with protecting the campus. None of her teachers or fellow students knows, and Esther has been sworn to secrecy, so "ordinary" Esther resolves to do whatever it takes to protect her peers until reinforcements arrive. Scant worldbuilding aside, Moriarty's standalone book, set in the Kingdoms and Empires universe, largely succeeds thanks to Esther's earnest, enthusiastic narration. The start meanders, hindering drive, but the tale crescendos to an uplifting close that promotes honesty, bravery, and self-confidence. Ages 10--14. Agents: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management, and Tara Wynne, Curtis Brown Australia. (Mar.)

Esther carries a secret that can save the world. Sixth-grade narrator Esther is observant, impulsive, friendly, and kind. She's good with words and storytelling but troubled by a recurring nightmare. Her history professor father is caring and nurturing, but her efficient, accomplished mother is a distant, difficult parent who seems to forget about Esther much of the time. Esther and her sisters attend the Katherine Valley Boarding School, where there's something odd about the two new students and a new teacher. Moriarty offers an expanded look at the history and structure of the Kingdoms and Empires of The Whispering Wars (2019) and, in a story chronologically closer to this tale, The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone (2018). Readers will see long before Esther does that Mrs. Pollock, her seemingly charming new teacher, is a monster and that students are being bullied by her. Meanwhile, evil shadow magic encroaches on the school and town as sea levels rise inexplicably. Esther and her sisters have a harrowing experience at a grand seaside celebration and later accompany their father on a menacing train ride through the realms of the Shadow Mages. The hidden villainy and open dangers, along with Esther's wry humor, appealing voice, and her heroic role in saving the world, are nicely blended while an epilogue delivers a poignant close. Esther is assumed to be White; there is diversity in the supporting cast. Splendidly entertaining. (Fantasy. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

This third volume in the Kingdoms and Empires universe (begun with The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone, 2018) takes place a generation after The Whispering Wars (2019), as Esther Mettlestone-Staranise begins grade six at Katherine Valley Boarding School (for a non-magical education within a very magical world). Esther, an accomplished eavesdropper, pens her own story, often--delightfully--breaking the fourth wall as she contends with an escalating series of troubles: the sudden absence of her best friends, the threat of Shadow Mages encroaching on school, the most repugnant teacher since Dolores Umbridge, and a shrinking sense of self-worth. Quick chapters (more than 150 of them!) and punchy prose will bind readers to the page as Esther's day-to-day school life gradually expands into a fairly epic, high-stakes climax, the smattering of little mysteries--embedded early on--growing from trifles into significant puzzle pieces. Moriarty brilliantly fits it all together and, as usual, is relentlessly clever throughout, maintaining a tone firmly on the comic side of fantasy, though this doesn't keep Esther's story from nailing critical moments of emotional resonance. This title, like its siblings, is a perfectly accessible stand-alone, although, together, they give a deeper immersion and lay the groundwork of something like a middle-grade version of Terry Pratchett's Discworld--fantasy adventure steeped in humor, with a touch of satire, and set in a whimsical secondary world of the highest order.

Gr 3--6--"Just Esther." That's how Esther sees herself. Her younger sister, Astrid, can always tell if people are telling the truth and is a marvelous poker player, and her older sister, Imogen, is a champion swimmer. As far as Esther is concerned, she's nothing special. Even Esther's mother never seems to remember her middle child. Esther is looking forward to sixth grade at the Katherine Valley Boarding School, which she has attended for years and loves. But this year is different. Something magical is happening to the ocean; Esther's best friends, Georgia and Hsiang, haven't returned to school; her new teacher, gray-haired Mrs. Pollack, is rumored to be an ogre; Esther is having a terrible recurring nightmare; and the school is under the threat of attack by Shadow Mages. Still, Esther is determined to make the best of the school year--but no matter how hard she works, she can't seem to achieve anything higher than a C-. She will have to rise above her self-doubt in order to come into her own. There's a lot packed into this sweet tale told in a deceptively simple, authentic 12-year-old voice. Without devolving into a didactic tone, this novel addresses the concept of safe adults, the danger of comparing oneself to others, the importance of telling the truth and standing up to bullies, and the value of apologizing. Readers can return to this text over and over, and always discover something new. VERDICT A delightfully quirky story with nuance, depth, and a colorful cast of characters, this book begs for multiple readings.--Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Lib., Castle Rock, CO