2022 book 152

 Rachel Neumeier’s The City in the Lake

After enjoying the Tuyo books so much, I decided to check out more of Neumeier’s work, which is when I discovered that a) I’d read a YA series by her years ago, and b) several of her other books were already on my to-read list, including this one! Which was just the kind of slightly weird and compelling fantasy I love! Now I will say to maybe avoid reading the official synopsis on this one, since it discusses some things that aren’t revealed until like halfway through the book. But the main characters here are the eldest son of the king, illegitimate, who’s searching for his missing younger brother, the heir; and a daughter of a mage in a small village, growing up wondering about the mother who left her, hanging with her girlfriends, and learning magic from her father (there is also a local guy who has a crush on her who is a secondary POV character). Eventually these stories comes together as the mage joins the search for the missing prince, since his loss is affecting the kingdom in sad ways, and when he never returns, his daughter goes after him. Magical forests, talking serpents, angry queens, and evil sorceresses ensue, for a really interesting and satisfying story. Definitely reading more by this author. A/A-.