The Alcazar: The Cerulean, Book 2
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Alcazar continues the story begun in The Cerulean. Silver-skinned Sera needs to return to her home planet before it is destroyed. Twins Agnes and Leo are running from their father and searching for their grandmother, the infamous Ambrosine. Agnes and Vada have a romantic relationship, without many physical details supplied. There's little violence until the story's climax. Some supporting characters are shot to death. Swearing is infrequent (includes "damn," "hell," "bastard," "s--t," and "a--hole"). Some characters have feelings for each other, and two characters share quarters and are presumed to be intimate, but nothing is described.
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What's the Story?
As THE ALCAZAR opens, Sera, Leo, Agnes, and Vada are impatient to head off to Braxos, the location of the tether between two worlds. Complicating things is Leo and Agnes' grandmother, the formidable Ambrosine, who has her own agenda. Meanwhile, in the City Above the Sky, the High Priestess consolidates her power, while Sera's best friend Leela experiences visions that reveal that Sera is still alive. Will the silver-skinned girl find her way back home without destroying two planets?
Is It Any Good?
Space fantasy proves to be an odd mix of genres, but this interplanetary magical adventure features some clever world-building. In The Alcazar, author Amy Ewing sustains the level of suspense she brought to the saga's initial volume, The Cerulean. She has also created a cast of diverse and interesting characters, plus a few new ones, especially Agnes and Leo's overpowering grandmother, the Ambrosine. Ewing executes a couple of neat plot twists and saves some revelations until the final chapters. There are a couple of minor slow spots, but not enough to derail the intricate plot. Readers will feel they get their money's worth, and many will put Ewing on their list of writers to watch.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Alcazar depicts a planet without men. How do matriarchies work here on Earth?
Why do people become homesick? What can they do to feel better about being away from where they grew up?
Does The Alcazar offer an accurate portrayal of LBGTQ issues? What struggles might the characters find in this imaginary world?
Book Details
- Author: Amy Ewing
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Space and Aliens
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HarperTeen
- Publication date: May 3, 2020
- Number of pages: 400
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (abridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 9, 2020
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