Ista Flit and the Impossible Key (Tidemagic 2) by Clare Harlow

What worked:

Almost all of the characters have abilities that come from tidemagic so they’re called Tide-Blessings. Ista is able to change her appearance into that of anyone she’s previously seen. Ruby always lands on her feet and Padley, co-owner of a restaurant, moves small metal objects, not always intentionally. Giddon is the other co-owner of the Fabulous Fletwin and sometimes gets short glimpses of the future when he sleeps. Nat is the one character without magic but his dream of becoming a reporter gives him strong observational skills. Alexo Rokis is a curious character because it’s unclear if he’s a helper or someone the others should fear. He doesn’t have any Tide-Blessings but as a gelkin, he can perform magic anyhow. Readers will enjoy watching characters interact to see how their different priorities combine, or conflict, with each other.

Much of this book is set on Glass Island which used to be where criminals were sent. No one from Shelwich ever goes near it. Readers immediately know this island will be trouble when Ista steps through a portal. She meets a character who tries to lure her through a mysterious archway but she senses its danger. She’s searching for her missing father and thinks he probably followed the music coming from the archway. She senses it will be dangerous to go there herself but she comes up with a plot when her friends arrive. However, much of it depends on what they’ve learned from a new character named Tamlin but he’s keeping secrets from them.

The real intrigue of the story surrounds marsh spinners and the trouble they’ve created. Their new queen feeds off fear and chaos so her marsh spinners are constantly hunting for humans to trick. Ista is told not to make any deals with them even if they offer a free favor. It’s similar to reading the small print in contracts where something harmful is hidden among the words. Marsh spinners can twist the words in any agreement so characters must take care with how things are said. This makes readers aware of the potentially dangerous consequences of interacting with spinners so they’ll anxiously anticipate the uncertainty of future events. The overwhelming power of the queen’s music only adds to the doubt that Ista’s plans will go smoothly.

What didn’t work as well:

The wicked queen uses magical music to control unsuspecting victims and it affects Ista and her friends too. The line between losing control and fighting off the effects is fuzzy as the author describes characters beginning to sway to the beat. They’ve taken measures to combat the music but still feel themselves beginning to fall under its spell. How do they repeatedly feel the music’s influence but somehow fight it off? Why does willpower fight off the music’s influence, until it doesn’t, but then it does again? It’s not a big issue but it may cross readers’ minds.

The final verdict:

It’s not absolutely necessary to read the previous book first but it will help to understand the characters and backstory. The author has crafted an imaginative adventure that requires clever minds to navigate tricky language and surprising plot twists. Overall, this is a very entertaining book and series, and I recommend you give it a shot.