Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2023 Gr 4–8—Thirteen-year-old Olga and her companion, 18-year-old Pavel, both depicted as white in Hannuniemi's stylized black-and-white illustrations, feature in Sutton's Swan Lake–inspired Slavic tale. The story is divided into sections, each introduced by a male spider talking directly to readers and providing small clues. Olga is an orphan and a magical swindler who seeks a legendary gem, the Scarlet Heart, which seems like the answer to her hard-scrabble existence. Searching for it in the remote Sokolov Palace, Olga and Pavel encounter the genial Baron Sokolov who hosts nightly festivities for his guests. Conversations with the local talking spiders convince them to investigate further, as Olga is faced with an ethical conundrum—use her magic to try to break the palace's enchantment, or act in her own self-interest. Sutton transforms the celebrated ballet into a children's folk tale with some success. Olga is a refreshingly flawed individual whose bravery and initiative will appeal to readers. Lengthy descriptions of the foods at the Baron's feasts are unilaterally mouth-watering. Turning a tragic ballet into a hopeful children's tale creates some strained story threads which sit awkwardly alongside several of predictable plot twists. In the story's conclusion, Sutton spends time telling readers what lessons they should learn rather than having Olga demonstrate them. Accompanying illustrations are by turns textured and soft with waves and fine lines, and an engaging author's note sheds light on the book's inspiration and sources. VERDICT Sutton's prose is fluid and readable—certainly young balletomanes and fans of fairy-tale retellings will overlook the stumbles. Suitable for larger fantasy collections.—Caitlin Augusta - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/01/2023 More than anything, Olga wants freedom, freedom from the deceitful Mr. Bulgakov who forces her to use her Heartstring magic to swindle innocent villagers and from the hunger that drives her to do it. When she encounters a palace rumored to house a great treasure, she jumps at the chance to buy a new life—with the help of Pavel, her goodhearted, if distractible, companion. But something’s wrong with the magic at the palace, and the baron there is planning something terrible. Ripe for fairytale fans, Sutton’s magic system is easily understood, and interspersed short stories pose moral questions directly to the reader. As in her acclaimed debut, A Wolf for a Spell (2020), Sutton conjures a folkloric Eastern European setting in this Swan Lake retelling, and illustrator Hannuniemi lends a cozy feel with angular black-and-white renderings. Like the ballet it’s inspired by, this middle-grade fantasy emphasizes the power of choice, and Olga is driven and practical as she wrestles with whether to chase her fortune or dig a little deeper to stop the baron’s evil plan. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.