The Luck Uglies

Swordplay, combat with monsters, and encounters with heavily armed soldiers cause death and dismemberment among human, animal, and monster characters. Some characters are imprisoned in dungeons. The humans abuse a captured Bog Noblin, who's scary but just an infant, caging him, throwing rocks, and planning an elaborate killing. The wicked Earl and his henchmen threaten to put hot tar on their prisoners' faces before sending them off to worse fates. The kids are often in grave danger and often rescued in the nick of time.

Rye's mother, with no husband in evidence and two children, insists on being called "Mrs. O'Chanter." Local law enforcement loves to annoy her by addressing her as "Miss." Rye suspects she and her sister Lottie, who looks very different, might have different fathers. Rye has a mild crush on Folly's older brother, Fifer.

There's no present-day foul language, but there's some bathroom humor, as Lottie's potty training is making uncertain progress. A creature bites Quinn on the butt, and he bitterly tells Rye, "Your favors always seem to get me bitten, scratched, or pooped on." The author invents curses and expletives, e.g. "Pigshanks!"

Folly's parents own a disreputable tavern, where much of the action takes place; adult characters drink alcohol and sometimes give the kids a taste.

Parents need to know that The Luck Uglies, the first volume of a planned fantasy adventure series, introduces an intriguing world with appealing characters and a great heroine in young Rye. While in many ways it's a classic good-against-evil tale in a magical world, there's also a strong theme of disobeying authority (whether of parents or oppressive political regimes) when the situation calls for it. Parents may want to take the opportunity for age-appropriate discussion of when such a decision might be called for. Much of the action takes place in a disreputable tavern and other settings of drunken carousing; adult characters drink alcohol and sometimes give the kids a taste. Rye's never known her father and suspects her sister's father is someone else. The kids are often in peril. Swordplay, combat with monsters, and encounters with heavily armed soldiers cause death and dismemberment among human, animal, and monster characters. Some characters are imprisoned in dungeons. The wicked Earl and his henchmen threaten to put hot tar on their prisoners' faces before sending them off to worse fates.