Greenfield, Amy Butler. Chantress.

Greenfield, Amy Butler.  Chantress.  Simon & Schuster/McElderry Books    2013  324p  ISBN 978-1-4424-7712-4    jr/sr      uncorrected proof   VG-BN  Fantasy 

Main character Lucy has been raised in isolation and forbidden to sing, or even hum, and that is all the reader knows about her until she leaves her isolation and is thrown unprepared into the intrigue of an urbane world where music can be magic and those who can wield it are hunted by dark forces. Throughout the book the reader is introduced to imaginative and carefully planned magical lore, which makes it an intriguing read even in the several moments when the plot drags. Very few things actually happen in this book, which is the first in a series, except at the very end, when the training Lucy has been describing comes into play in a flurry of final activity, after which things are restored to their proper order. Despite the careful characterisation and development of Lucy’s world, there is a disappointing lack of information about the villain, who is really too much of a looming, non-present figure to present a plausible threat.  The reader sees more of his magically directed spies, the shadowgrims, who can tear a person to pieces, limb from limb and spirit from body.  Much of the book is devoted to Lucy learning to use the ability she has to manipulate magic through song, an ability that earns her the title of Chantress.  This emphasis on her lessons is excellent for her character development but tiresome after a hundred pages or so.  There is an equally slow-moving romance that is believable and creates a more satisfactory ending for the book. This is a quick read featuring an interesting world and an uncomplicated plot, which sometimes is exactly what a reader needs.  The cover art does look very much like something belonging to a teen paranormal romance; therefore, the book may end up surprising readers who expect vampires or angels, but it is unlikely that even those readers will be disappointed.          

This is exactly the sort of book that libraries will find hard to keep on the shelves for several months after its purchase because it really sells itself, and even after the initial fervor has died down, it will still circulate regularly.    

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Lucy discovers that she is a chantress who can perform magic by singing, and the only one who can save England from the control of the dangerous Lord Protector.   

Singing-Fiction, Fantasy, Magic                             --Bethany Geleskie