The Nightsilver Promise by Annaliese Avery - ADVISABLE

The Nightsilver Promise by Annaliese Avery, 289 pgs. Scholastic, 2021. $18

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG-13 (death, fighting, bloodiness, mortal peril) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

In 13yo Paisley’s world, everyone’s destiny is determined by the Chief Designer and expressed by a track of stars imprinted on their wrist. When Paisley gets her star track, she’s shocked to discover that it isn’t a complete circle, meaning she’s destined to die before the next new year. The prophecy doesn’t sit well with Paisley and she’s determined to defy it. She has to stay alive to make sure her brother Dax stays safely hidden from those who would persecute him. To make matters worse, there’s a comet hurtling toward the earth that some believe to be a dragon returning to rule the world and mete out justice. Then Paisley’s mom, a renowned scientist, is attacked and kidnapped because she makes a discovery that could shatter their whole world. After a mysterious boy breaks into their house and tries to steal a family heirloom, Paisley, Dax and their mom’s assistant, Corbett, have to figure out how to save their mom and stop the Dark Dragon from achieving her plan to destroy the world. 

Avery's story has an interesting premise and compelling characters. The relationship between Paisley and her brother is sweet and relatable and the theme of choosing your own life path is good for young adults. Paisley is a strong, determined girl who knows her own mind and is a positive role model. There were some cool elements to the world building. The action was sustained and kept my interest. There were a few issues, but none of them were glaring enough to wreck the story. For example, some of the mythology wasn’t fully explored, but may be in future books. Some of the characters also weren’t fully fleshed out, particularly the villain. Some of the exposition is a little clunky, but it doesn’t get in the way too much. I liked it enough to look forward to the other books in the series. 

 Reviewer: Andrea R. https://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9781338754469