Splinter & Ash

Title:

Splinter & Ash

Author:

Summary:

"A chance encounter throws Ash and Splinter into each other's orbits, and they find friendship in their shared loneliness and their desires to prove themselves."-- Publisher

Audience:

Ages 8-12. Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Grades 4-6. Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

xv, 343 pages : illustrations, map ; 22 cm

Genre:

Fantasy fiction.

Subject Term:

Best friends -- Juvenile fiction.

Children with disabilities -- Juvenile fiction.

Families -- Juvenile fiction.

Gender identity -- Juvenile fiction.

Gender-nonconforming children -- Juvenile fiction.

Kidnapping -- Juvenile fiction.

Knights and knighthood -- Juvenile fiction.

Nobility -- Juvenile fiction.

Preteens -- Juvenile fiction.

Princesses -- Juvenile fiction.

Siblings -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers,

Publication Date:

2024

ISBN:

9780063326262

Publication Information:

New York : Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024.

Call Number:

M NIJKAMP

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003757732	New Middle Fiction	NIJKAMP	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Summary

"A winning addition to boundary-defying heroines like Alanna of Trebond and Sir Callie." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"An exciting, twisty story packed with everything you want from a fantasy adventure: hidden tunnels, long-buried secrets, dastardly plots, and, best of all, irresistible protagonists who uncover it all." --Anne Ursu, author of Not Quite a Ghost

In New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp's immersive middle grade fantasy, two young misfits embark on a dangerous quest to save their kingdom--and each other. For fans of B. B. Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers, Soman Chainani's School for Good and Evil, and Tamora Pierce's Tortall books.

On the eve of her twelfth birthday, all Princess Adelisa--Ash to her friends--wants to do is run away. The palace doesn't feel like home. Her mother is holding the war-torn kingdom together by a thread. Her brother bullies her. And the masked ball to celebrate her birthday turns into a nightmare when the nobles openly mock her.

Then Ash meets Splinter. Fierce, brave, and adventurous, Splinter dreams of becoming a knight like her older brother, though only noble sons get to be squires. Until now.

There's never been a princess's squire before, but Ash decides it's the perfect solution. Together, they can face the bullies, snobs, gossips, and disapproving families.

But as their friendship grows, Splinter and Ash discover a deadly conspiracy of nobles planning to overthrow the queen. When Ash is kidnapped, Splinter must navigate long-held secrets and dangerous plots. Ash needs to be a princess who saves herself. And they both have to find a way back to each other to save the kingdom, together.

The first in a trilogy, bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp's Splinter & Ash evokes the classic adventure and atmosphere of fantasies by Lloyd Alexander and Tamora Pierce and the fresh, inclusive lens of writers such as Rick Riordan, Angie Thomas, and Soman Chainani. It invites everyone--no matter who they are or what they look like--to fight for what they believe in.

Author Notes

Marieke Nijkamp is the Young Adult writer of the New York Times bestseller of This is where it ends.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4--7--Eleven-year-old Princess Adelisa (Ash) has returned to Kestrel City after six years living with relatives, only to find she is an outsider. Not only does she suffer from an illness similar to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but her 13-year-old brother Lucen treats her contemptuously, as do many nobles. A chance meeting at an evening party brings Ash and Splinter together. Splinter describes herself as neither a boy nor a girl and uses she/her pronouns. Splinter becomes a squire while Ash gains a companion and guard. When conflict with a neighboring kingdom flares, Ash is kidnapped, and Splinter and Lucen are forced into an acrimonious partnership to rescue her. Ash and her brother are simply described as brunettes, while minor characters are described with darker skin tones. Nijkamp's story builds from an inauspicious beginning into an enjoyable fantasy adventure with plucky characters. While the introductory scenery descriptions are uninspiring, the story picks up after Splinter and Ash meet, and the alternating scenes of Ash's captivity and Splinter and Lucen's pursuit are well-paced. Ash's disability and Splinter's gender identity are smoothly integrated into the story. Nijkamp has surprises for readers along the way, making the second half of the book the most exciting portion. VERDICT Encourage readers to push through early chapters for a character-driven fantasy series opener with tons of adventure. Recommended for most collections, especially those serving fans of Jennifer Nielsen or Kate O'Hearn.--Caitlin Augusta

Publisher's Weekly Review

After years away, 12-year-old Princess Adelisa of Calinor--Ash to her friends--returns home to the kingdom's capitol of Kestrel's Haven. There, Ash, who walks with a cane and uses braces to support her joints, feels unwelcome by those who perceive her as "fragile and unfit." Then she meets Splinter, who believes that her dreams of becoming a squire are forfeit because she's "not a boy" ("But you're not a girl, either," Ash retorts). Ash sponsors her for squire training in what the princess deems a "simple solution." Still, the duo contends with hostility and scorn from all sides, including from Ash's older brother, Prince Lucen. But when Ash is kidnapped by the kingdom's enemies, Splinter will do anything to rescue her--if Ash doesn't save herself first. In this thrilling trilogy opener, Nijkamp (Ink Girls) assuredly introduces an intersectionally diverse cast of complex and fiercely resourceful characters who must navigate threats both physical and social. With Ash's kindness and intelligence, and Splinter's indomitable knightly spirit, the two make an ideal partnership and a winning addition to boundary-defying heroines like Alanna of Trebond and Sir Callie. Ash and Splinter are depicted on the cover with pale skin. Ages 8--12. Agents: Suzie Townsend and Sophia M. Ramos, New Leaf Literary. (Sept.)

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Author Notes

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Publisher's Weekly Review