 Loading...  | River of spirits (Underwild) Author: Targosz, Shana | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
Senka lives between the Living and the Dead, as the ward of Charon, assisting him in ferrying souls across the River--but when she is dragged downriver by a girl looking for her brother she encounters dangers and uncovers secrets about her own origin.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (01/15/25)
School Library Journal (05/01/25)
Booklist (+) (00/02/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 03/10/2025 An action-packed journey through the Underworld centers grief and personal transformation in this fantasy adventure debut. Twelve-year-old Senka spends her days assisting Charon, the Ferryer of the Underworld, in guiding souls to their afterlives. When Poppy, a Living girl, arrives in search of her dead younger brother Joey, Senka decides to prove herself capable of doing the job on her own by leading Poppy back to the realm of the Living, or else risk Poppy’s losing her memories and life force. Before Senka can begin her task, however, both girls become lost in the wilderness of the Underworld, known as the Underwild. There, they must navigate memory-stealing kakodaimons, imprisoned gods, and a terrifying dragon chimaera that seems to be stalking Senka. The deeper they travel, the more secrets Senka uncovers-including some being kept from her by Charon himself. Targosz’s inventive setting proves a fertile backdrop for nuanced depictions of how loss can guide actions and shape memory. Employing a memorable cast that includes a cheerful psychopomp and a nonbinary shape-shifting fox child, Targosz touches on themes of friendship, loyalty, and love, making for an exciting and promising series launch. Ages 8-12. Agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (Mar.) - Copyright 2025
School Library Journal - 05/01/2025 Gr 3–7—Senka knows the rules for Ferryers. She knows them well, and her guardian, Charon, quizzes her on them often. He also knows she's very likely to test the boundaries of those rules. Angry at being left behind, Senka disobeys Charon's instructions and finds herself in a world of never-ending trouble. When she gets lost in the Underworld without Charon's boat and her beloved messenger-raven to guide her, she faces down her worst nightmares. Plagued by evil chimera (some maybe not so evil, after all), plunged into murky rivers, puzzled by a ghoulish carnival of undead, trapped in a labyrinth, aided by swamp witches and twilight moths, it seems as if Senka may never find her way back to her home with Charon. The characters they meet along their journey ask home some of life's biggest questions: Does grief last forever? How does one escape the desire to connect with lost loved ones? How does one avoid losing oneself in the underworld of torment and despair? Truly terrifying and brilliantly written underwater scenes are filled with nightmarish monsters. VERDICT This excellent book includes heavy themes and some frightening scenes but is a fantastic adventure through the Underworld that will satisfy readers who are hungry for a deep dive into mythic fiction. - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
