Parents' Guide to Kindling

As a fresh take on a well-known story, this fantasy young adult novel gives Seven Samurai a woman warrior vibe, splashed with some magical elements. The core inspiration for Kindling is strong, but focusing on magical teenagers as the heroes is a nice twist. One difficulty in telling this story is whether to frame it around one central character or many. Author Traci Chee goes with the latter, giving each main character their own chapters. Some readers may have preferred focusing the story on only one main character, as jumping around can sometimes feel a bit hard to follow. Nevertheless, the action comes thick and fast as the group of heroes prepares for and meets the looming threat.

Focusing on one main character might also have created more of an emotional impact, and some readers might find themselves not really invested in any one character. Others may crave more magic, given all the talk about the warriors being able to wield such great power. Lastly, the villain could've used a bit more development to deepen the sense of threat and generate higher stakes. As is, readers will never doubt that the heroes will prevail. Still, most readers will likely fly through this adventure, eager to see just how this ragtag bunch of teenage warriors will win the day.