The Jewel of Kalderash by Marie Rutkoski-

Rutkoski, Marie, The Jewel of Kalderash. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011. Pgs. 320.

Language: G, Violence: PG, Sexual Content: G

In the previous book, The Celestial Globe, readers are left with the knowledge that Petra’s father has been turned into a Grey Man, Prince Rodolfo’s blood-seeking creatures. We find the main characters, Petra and her friends Neel, Astrophil the tin spider, and Tomik, on board the gypsy ship, Pacolet, and are on their way to Vatra, the Roma’s stronghold. Using the Celestial Globes to travel faster, the four friends find themselves the center of attention, good and bad. To make things more interesting, when they arrive, Neel discovers that he is the rightful heir to the Vatra throne and his estranged mother is dying. As he takes over the throne, he gets word from Bohemia that his sister, Sadie, is in danger and he himself is also the victim of some death threats. To make matters worse, Prince Rodolfo is making plans to conquer his father’s empire and use his Gray Men to inflict untold horrors. The four friends’ only hope to save their families is to go back to Bohemia on a life or death mission back to Bohemia to not only find the cure for Petra’s father, but also to stop Rodolfo. With war becoming more and more the only way to stop the evil prince, can Petra and her friends save her father? Will Neel be able to figure out who is trying to kill him as well as save his distance-estranged sister? Will the four be able to save the empire?

 A complex, engrossing adventure. Although there are parts of the book that drag on, the action is entertaining and the mystery is intriguing. Although the characters only minimally grow in comparison to what the reader would expect, they are enjoyable and still fairly well-developed from the previous books. Readers who like fantasy, adventure, magic, and good versus evil books will enjoy reading this final book in the series.

EL (4-6), MS. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Libraran, WHI Public Library.