Pennyroyal Academy

Younger or more sensitive readers may be disturbed by the abundance of dead, sometimes murdered, parents; one character's adoptive father has apparently killed her birth father, and another character is sworn to kill all dragons -- before he learns a friend came from a dragon family. Witches steal the hearts of their victims and turn them to stone. The knights and princesses are at war with the witches and dragons, so much of Pennyroyal's education focuses on military training. Some battles are training exercises, while others are true fights to the death. In one scene, princesses return, battered and bloody, from the front lines. In other scenes, students punch each other or get embroiled in scratching, hair-pulling, knock-down-drag-out brawls.

A boy kisses Evie against her will; later she and another boy, her love interest, share a kiss after many near-misses.

British parents are forewarned that author Larson frequently uses expressions that seem innocuous in American English but offensive are in British English (think Austin Powers and "shag"). In this case, it's the oft-appearing "bloody," used more or less as convenient shorthand to a). define the setting and characters as British and b). coyly present an "acceptable" swear word.

Parents need to know that Pennyroyal Academy, the first novel by prolific TV-cartoon writer M.A. Larson, best known for his work on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, was first envisioned as an animated series, and it shows. A good deal darker than My Little Pony, it retains a bit of cartoonish sensibility, from moments of pure slapstick to inexorable repetition of "courage, compassion, kindness, discipline." It offers plenty of uplifting themes, from living up to the mantra to being true to yourself and being part of a team. It also presents many scary scenes, as well as developing tension as a central character discovers that her birth and adoptive families are mortal enemies, and she sees her loved ones fall prey to their would-be killers in violent combat. There are mean girls, complete with fights that involve sympathetic characters; a character is kissed against her will and later kisses a boy she likes. Several characters use the word "bloody" with gusto, which probably will bother British parents more than American ones. Following the first year of a three-year Academy program, the book offers some appealing, conflicted characters and sets up a multi-volume story arc.