A Riddle in Ruby

June 29, 2015
It’s 1718, and alchemy has changed the course of history and ushered in the Chemystral Age. But all of this matters very little to Ruby Teach as she learns how to don disguises, pick locks, steal things, and evade capture while growing up on her pirate captain father’s ship. After the Royal Navy attacks their ship on its way to Philadelphi and takes her father and his men captive, Ruby must rely on her skills and help from some unlikely allies in order to rescue them. Along the way, she learns about secret societies, figures out whom she can trust, and uncovers family secrets that will place her right in the midst of a coming war. Debut author Davis doesn’t provide much background to explain the alchemical underpinnings of the alternate history he’s constructed in this trilogy opener, and getting acclimated slows an otherwise fast-paced adventure. However, it’s worth suspending disbelief to enjoy following this intrepid heroine and her companions, who are full of surprises themselves, on their swashbuckling journey. Ages 8–12. Agent: Susanna Einstein, Einstein Literary Management.

Starred review from July 1, 2016
It's what inside that counts--particularly when it's a ciphered secret hidden in your blood.In this sequel to A Riddle in Ruby (2015), Ruby Teach has been taken prisoner by her nemesis, Wisdom Rool. Prison, as it turns out, is a fortressed training camp for reeves, the crown's warriors and spies and the thorns in Ruby's side. When a creepy doctor there pledges to interpret the secret in Ruby's blood, Stockholm syndrome surfaces, and she decides siding with Rool has a certain appeal. As her father and friends battle wilderness and bounty hunters to rescue her, Ruby struggles to comprehend what secrets stream through her veins, what the moral repercussions for serving Rool may be, and what the actual threat to Colonial America is. Where Book 1 stumbled in finding its meter, here there is no faltering, just momentum. Wilderness, fortresses, predatory cats, and a yeti for good measure transmute a game of find-the-Ruby into a combustive delight. Fans of Snicket-ian gloom will revel in the thrill that the oft-grim landscapes proffer. Dastardly, heroic, and powerful roles are played by both sexes, but this tale is well-populated by members of the not-so-weaker sex who are ready to throw a punch. In this alternative Colonial America the demographic tends toward white. However, good vs. evil vs. undecided serves the conflict more than race or socio-economic cataloging. Piracy, pyrotechnics, prison--prodigious.(Fantasy. 10-13)

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