Blud and Magick by Preston Norton
Edwin the Educated, one of the surviving Sages of Hazirrez Tower, is given the responsibility of raising the baby girl created from the ashes of the ultra-evil wizard Remmus Alrad. He takes her away from the magickal realm of Trivaesia into the mundane world of Oklahoma, calls her his "niece" and pretends to everyone that she is completely normal. But on the first day in a new school, 14-year-old Darla ("Alrad" spelled backwards -- get it?) learns that her teacher isn't really her teacher, that her uncle isn't really her uncle, and that she is ... not human at all.
The writing is rife with clichés (a hunchback guarding the castle and a vampire seeking revenge? Really?) and many of the settings and themes seem copycatted from Harry Potter. Not recommended for discerning readers, but teens seeking fast-moving paranormal fiction with minimal originality or character development will enjoy the action and not worry about the lack of depth.
Rating:
No sex, no drugs. Some magickal bloodshed, a potentially deadly virtual-reality game that is a dead ringer for Quiddich, and a dragon.
Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach and Lake Forest Park Libraries, KCLS
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