(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Maggie Stiefvater. Pip and friends visit Port Candor, where Pip's ability to talk to magical animals is put to use with sea-dwellers including Spinnerseals, Slimekrakens, and, helpfully, a misunderstood sea monster. As usual for this appealing middle-grade series (Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures and others), there's plenty of clever humor stemming from the creatures' quirks, particularly on the black-and-white-illustrated pages from Pip's favorite book, Jeffrey Higgleston's Guide to Magical Creatures.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Maggie Stiefvater. Pip, who can understand magical creatures, is stuck caring for Regent Maximus, an unimpressive unicorn, at the Triple Trident show. To make matters worse, unicorn tails start disappearing. Fans of Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures will find the same appealing characters (human and otherwise) and the same creative silliness, complete with black-and-white field-guide drawings from the imaginary animal kingdom.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) YA In 1962 Colorado, the Mexican American Soria family has the power to work miracles. Daniel Soria has broken a taboo by falling in love with one of the pilgrims seeking the family's help and has exiled himself to the desert, starting a chain of events that will upset their dysfunctional community. Paying homage to Latin American magical realism, Stiefvater employs evocative and philosophical prose and matter-of-fact strangeness.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(4) YA Raven Cycle series. Almost finished with high school, Ronan, Adam, and Blue near the end of their quest for Glendower, and Gansey nears the end of his life. Relationships develop naturally, bad guys lurk, magical beings are bartered with, and the quartet closes. Fans will likely be disappointed by intrusive plot devices and numerous loose ends, but Stiefvater's writing is lyrical and character development is solid.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(2) 4-6 After a unicorn mishap at school, aspiring researcher Pip Bartlett, nine, is sent to her aunt's to help run the family's veterinary clinic. When the town is infested with combustible Fuzzles, Pip discovers the source of the problem and a solution to boot. The fast-paced prose is lively, witty, and gripping. Black-and-white textured illustrations support world- and character-building alike.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2015

(3) YA This appealing and accessible compilation of three novellas is both a book of paranormal fiction and a how-to for teens wanting to be writers. With notes from and discussion among the authors throughout, each work focuses on a different aspect of the creative process: Stiefvater's story focuses on character growth and personal knowledge; Gratton's on world-building; and Yovanoff's on the all-consuming idea.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(4) 4-6 Spirit Animals series. Four children and their legendary spirit animals continue their training, honing their skills to better defend their land from the Conquerors. Trust issues abound as one child doesn't feel welcome (Blood Ties) and another can't wait for the team to coalesce (Hunted). The budding heroes must learn to work together in this formulaic, action-packed adventure series (with an online component). Review covers these Spirit Animals titles: Blood Ties and Hunted.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA Raven Cycle series. In the third book following The Dream Thieves, Blue tries to handle the disappearance of her mother and her immense attraction to Gansey while he begins withdrawing as the world appears ever more fearsome. The core characters remain believably and poignantly flawed in this supernatural series that continues to be unique, artful, and endlessly surprising.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(4) YA Wolves take a back seat in this companion novel to Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. Now in L.A., prickly, drop-dead gorgeous Isabel and bad-boy rocker Cole take center stage here, with the focus on their messy, will-they-or-won't-they? relationship. Stiefvater's writing is lyrical and clever but also fitfully interrupted by overwrought, hipper-than-thou interludes. That said, fans will love the wrap-up of the Isabel/Cole drama.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(2) YA Raven Cycle series. In this darker second book (The Raven Boys), Gansey, Blue, and the search for Glendower take a backseat to the exploration of Ronan's and Adam's tortured personalities. Stiefvater's descriptive prose reveals a complicated plot, multiple viewpoints, and detailed backstories. Many mysteries remain, but the cliffhanger ending makes it clear that Glendower will resurface as the main focus of book three.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2014

(2) YA These experimental, unedited short stories showcase the many faces of horror--goth, faerie, ghostly, grotesque, lyrical, vengeful, and nasty-cool. The pieces were first published online by the three authors as an exercise in creativity and criticism, and the presentation here is innovative, incorporating critique comments, hand-written marginalia describing the writer's process, doodles, short essays, and diagrams.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2012

(3) YA Raven Cycle series. According to legend, a medieval Welsh nobleman named Glendower vanished to avoid capture after the English defeated his army. Fast-forward to present-day Virginia, where four boys believe that Glendower is eternally sleeping and was brought over to the New World along "mystical energy roads." Stiefvater's prose falls flat in places, but the fast pace and intriguing concept make up for any flaws.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2013

(3) YA Newly turned wolf Grace and her newly human boyfriend Sam (Shiver, Linger) must find a way to relocate their pack before a large-scale wolf hunt; the solution exacts a terrible sacrifice from Sam. Meanwhile, Cole (wolf) and Isabel (human) struggle with their mutual attraction. Lyrical, atmospheric language and complex relationships give this paranormal trilogy ender depth.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(1) YA This novel, inspired by legends of beautiful but deadly fairy horses, begins rivetingly...and gets better. The narrative alternates between Sean Kendrick, in tune with the magic horses, and Kate "Puck" Connolly, orphaned by the creatures and desperate enough to enter the famed Scorpio Races. Stiefvater sets not one foot wrong as she takes readers on an intoxicating ride of their own.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(2) YA Sam and Grace, star-crossed lovers of Shiver, return. Sam, now fully human, assumes the role of the wolves' caretaker, while Grace defies her parents' opposition to their relationship. Two additional protagonists, acid-tongued Isabel and new pack member Cole, act as foils. The book's final pages make it clear that a third installment is in the works, leaving teenage girls with lingering anticipation.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010

(4) YA The gathering chill of a Minnesota autumn provides the backdrop for this idealized romance between Grace, a high school junior, and golden-eyed Sam, who turns into a wolf each fall. Poorly developed secondary characters limit the novel's focus, but a well-wrought atmosphere in which the tension ratchets up every time the temperature dips down keeps readers on edge.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac