The Verdigris Pawn by Alysa Wishingrad
Published by HarperCollins on July 13, 2021
ISBN: 0062908057
Pages: 368
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

A debut middle grade fantasy that challenges concepts of power and class. Beau is the heir to Himself, iron ruler of the land. As a virus spreads across the land, the people are bled dry by a ruler who cares more for power  than for the love of his subjects. Led by fear of magic and an abhorrence for weakness, Himself is a one-dimensional character offered as a foil to Beau and all that he can become if he can break free from his father’s callous example.

Through the metaphor of a chess-like game called Fist, Wishingrad weaves in strategy, intrigue, and the use of people as playing pieces in a game of power. After coming to terms with the truth about his uncaring father, acquiring real friends, and finding a purpose to his life, the hero Beau, his name appropriately a homonym for the tool that wields the weapon when aimed correctly, learns that he, too, can be sharp and deadly.  The book leans heavily on fantasy tropes like secret magic, a quest, and an alleged hero turned villain, but it does it with aplomb and, in the end, is a highly entertaining and readable book. Give to fans of Adam Gidwitz, Diane Magras, and Anne Ursu.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth