Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - Nightshade City

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday  

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born. 

Nightshade City

by Hilary Wagner

Goodreads Blurb:

Lose yourself in NIGHTSHADE CITY, a fantasy adventure by a talented new novelist featuring a memorable cast of rats both heroic and villainous in an exciting tale of intrigue and adventure.Deep beneath Trillium City, a modern metropolis, lies the Catacombs, a kingdom of rats of extraordinary intelligence and ability. The once peaceful and democratic colony has become a harsh dictatorship ruled by the High Minister Kildeer and his henchman, Billycan, who runs the Kill Army and collects weekly Stipend from the terrified subjects. The two of them rule with iron fists. With most of the adult rats wiped out in Killdeer's Bloody Coup and the subsequent great flood, orphaned young male rats are forced into the army and the females into servitude or worse. But change is coming. . . .


Two orphan brothers, Vincent and Victor Nightshade, sons of a hero killed in the Bloody Coup, manage to escape from the Kill Army and meet up with Juniper Belancourt, leader of a rebel group seeking to overthrow their oppressors and restore peace and democracy in a new city. The brothers are quickly caught up in Juniper's cause: "We survive by cover of night. We live in the shadows, waiting for our redemption! Our name must symbolize our burning spirit. . . . Tonight and forever, we are Nightshade City!"

Juniper's plans are complicated by many factors. His lovely young niece Clover has been picked by Killdeer to be his next Chosen One, so the rebels and their allies the Earthworms must work fast to save her. Can the rebels locate their enemies' War Room? Can Juniper's former love, now holding a position in Killdeer's Ministry, be trusted? Will the rebels be able to execute their plans without the aid of a young Topsider (human)? And how will Vincent and Victor fare in battle will they honor their father's legacy of courage?

NIGHTSHADE CITY is rich with memorable characters: Vincent, who comes of age in this time of change; his worshipful younger brother, Victor; beautiful, intelligent Clover; Mother Gallo, a canny survivor who discovers her lost love only to risk losing him again; the charismatic Juniper, a kind and courageous leader whose vision carries the rebels into great danger; Killdeer, a decadent narcissist with surprising depth; and Billycan, a truly demented former lab rat, brilliant, vicious, and Juniper's sworn enemy.

This enthralling animal fantasy, in the classic tradition of Redwall and Watership Down, encompasses timeless themes of honor and loyalty, family ties and lost love, alliances and betrayals. Readers will respond enthusiastically to this surefire page-turner, set in a brilliantly imagined world filled with easy-to-root-for heroes and villains they'll love to hate.

This book is no stranger to most of you. Hilary is part of our blogging circle and her book has been widely celebrated. Even better, The White Assassin (the next in the series) is only 174 days away from its release! So if it's so recent, why is this my MMGM pick of the week?

My three kids have a great time waiting to see which book I'll choose each Monday, and my oldest has been adamant that I need to do an MMGM post on Nightshade City. Last week I was re-reading it (since I planned to surprise the kids with this post), and my 6 year old daughter asked if she could read it. Since books are addictive and I am the queen pusher, I immediately handed over my copy. She read it until bedtime, loving every page.

That's one of the things I love most about this book. My kids are in 1st, 3rd, and 8th grade. My students are in high school. I am an adult. We ALL loved this book! Hilary's characters rock!  Killdeer and Billycan = pure evil. Vincent and Victor and Clover = wonderful heroes. The whole book = Awesome!  

Nightshade City is destined to become a classic, like Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of Nimh. 

Sheri Larsen has an interview with MG Author Kari Lee Townsend about Samantha Granger today.

*** Others who can be counted on for a great MMGM review each week: ***

• Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books 
• Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
• Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now  
• Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
• Myrna Foster @ Night Writer   
• Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
• Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
• Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
• Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
• Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles

Happy Monday!