A Deadly Inheritance

Written by Kelley Armstrong

Tundra Books

978-1-77488-803-2 

424 pp.

Ages 14+

March 2026 

 

Understanding where you fit in the world is rare here. Embracing it is even rarer. (pg. 45)  

For seventeen-year-old Liliana Green, getting by since her mother died recently is everything to her. That and avoiding the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. She works two part-time jobs, works hard at school to get that full scholarship to college in September, and she sells stuff to make rent. When lawyer Cecilia Robbins appears on her doorstep and announces that Liliana to be the grandchild of the billionaire Chamberlains, Liliana's financial troubles appear to be over. She's whisked away to Westdale, her mother's alma mater and a school that only admits the wealthiest of students. 

 

Of course Liliana has lots of questions, especially why her mother never went to her parents for help, but once she's at Westdale, Lili just has more questions. She may be enjoying the perks of being part of a billionaire family—". . . I'll enjoy what I can, while I can" (pg. 20)—but she still has to navigate meeting new peers who see her as the new Chamberlain girl. She becomes friendly with Maddox Moreno, son of a tech wizard, and Theo Dubois, son of an actor and a director, although the two boys have a cool relationship with each other. And Lili is invited to join Allegra Khan, Polly Reeves, and Isolde Brandt in the Lilith society, one of four societies on campus. 

Soon Lili is being recruited to join the race for that year's Optima, a prestigious competition that would win her a place in an elite networking group outside the school. Even before she has agreed, she's targeted and told to watch herself. Would her competitors really try to eliminate her? But Lili has another mystery to solve when she learns her mother was the Dux (leader) of the Liliths, and ran away with her father before she graduated. Why did they run away? What does it have to do with the death of a scholarship student? And what secrets is Westdale keeping?

 

Like many boarding schools, Westdale is a microcosm of good and bad and ugly. There is a clear class structure and distinct peer groups. There are secrets from the past and mysteries from the present. There are rules to be broken and a system to work in. And there is danger hiding everywhere. Kelley Armstrong takes us into a school of the fabulously wealthy and lets us watch as the students form alliances and friends, tread cautiously around others, and do what they can to safeguard themselves and support those for whom they care. But no one is ever safe. So, as we learn more about the secrets behind Liliana's parents, Rose (Rosalyn) Chamberlain and Will Green, and several suspicious deaths, including that of Maddox's sister and that of a friend of Rosalyn's, Kelley Armstrong twists and turns the reader into believing no one is to be trusted. She gives us all the clues but she cleverly tangles us into seeing connections where there are none and ignoring key players because they seem inconsequential. Still, even if you pay attention, Kelley Armstrong will surprise you, both with her ending and the solution to the mystery. And there's nothing better than the unraveling and intertwining of plot threads leading to a refreshing and a gratifying denouement, which is what you always get with Kelley Armstrong's suspenseful reads.

The Serpent's Fury (A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying, Book 3): Guest review

 This review was written by guest reviewer Matthew Green

 

 Written by Kelley Armstrong

Puffin Canada

978-0-73527-015-2

352 pp.

Ages 10-14

June 2021

 

 

The Serpent's Fury by Kelley Armstrong is the captivating third installment of the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series. It’s just as exciting and action-packed as the previous two books, featuring many of our favourite characters as well as some new ones!
 

The Serpent’s Fury tells the story of 12-year-old Princess Rowan, Tamarel’s Royal Monster Hunter elect. Rowan and her fearless companions try to figure out why all the monsters, who up until recently lived in a large forest adjacent to Rowan’s country, are migrating south and interfering with the livelihood of Tamarel’s people. This migration is becoming a danger to Tamarel’s citizens who are getting hurt or even killed. While trying to figure out this mystery, Rowan, Dain, Alianor and some other old and new companions also have to deal with poachers who are trying to take advantage of the disruption. While on the journey, Rowan and her friends learn a lot about the intentions of people and their motives. Whether it’s greed or goodwill, even unconsciously, these intentions will show.

Like the two previous books, one of the many things that I loved is that The Serpent's Fury is told from Rowan's point of view and, like the two previous books, I enjoyed seeing Rowan’s thought process. Another thing that I loved in the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series is that a few pictures of the monsters that we see throughout the book are compiled after the last chapter. It really helps me visualize the monsters in the book.

In the first two books, the squad that goes adventuring primarily stays the same but, in The Serpent’s Fury, a new character is introduced: Trysten! The “kinda-sorta” prince from Dorwynne was sold into slavery because his father didn’t want any competition for the throne. Now, after he has been saved by Rowan and the crew, he is indebted to them. But his loyalty is questioned by Rowan and the others.
 

The Serpent’s Fury explains all of the things that you need to know, in case you haven't read the previous books (A Royal  Guide to Monster Slaying, 2019, and The Gryphon's Lair, 2020), but I think that you would enjoy The Serpent’s Fury more if you first read the earlier two books.

All in all, I really loved this book! For me, it was super exciting to see Rowan react to these situations with her unique perspective that not every monster that you run into has to be killed. Even though it is a book meant for middle school kids, I think it’s a fun book for all ages. Lastly, and all things considered, I would give this book a 9/10.

P.S. I can’t wait for the next book!

~ Matthew Green, 12 years old, Grade 8

A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying Books 1-3

The Gryphon's Lair (A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying, Book 2): Guest review

This review was written by Grade 7 student Matthew Green.

Written by Kelley Armstrong

Puffin Canada

978-0-735265387

352 pp.

Ages 10-14

June 2020

 

The Gryphon's Lair is the second book in the A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series by Kelley Armstrong. The Gryphon's Lair is every bit as good as A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying, which I loved, and maybe even a bit better!

The story is about the adventures of 12-year-old Princess Rowan, the Royal Monster Hunter elect, and her companions who are on a mission to reunite a lone baby gryphon with her kind after the mother (who Rowan captured in the first book) dies. But their mission is complicated by many monstrous encounters! They run into monsters of all shapes and sizes, from dropbears to wyverns and everything in between. During her adventures, Rowan learns lots of life lessons (and teaches a couple too!). For instance, she learns about the value of teamwork and she teaches that it’s better to choose peace over violence.

The story is told from Rowan’s point of view, so I enjoyed reading her inner thoughts as she slowly but surely forms plans to overcome obstacles under extreme pressure.

The book has a really great cast of characters too, both human and monster! My favourite character is Jacko the baby jackalope because he’s funny and cute and very protective of Rowan even though he's so small. I also like Wilmot the trainer because he’s tough but fair. I think that the catalogue of monster illustrations at the end of the book is pretty cool as well because it gives you a visual reference for all the monsters.

Though I have read the first book, The Gryphon's Lair explained everything before the real adventure started and that makes me very sure that you would understand this book even if you didn’t read the first one. Also, the writing itself is clear and thoughtful which makes it an easy and pleasurable read.

Overall I had a lot of fun reading this book! Personally I enjoyed the book largely because of the fantasy aspect, which is great for fantasy lovers, but I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good adventure story! I’m looking forward to more action-packed adventures with Rowan and her friends and can’t wait for the third book! I would give The Gryphon's Lair a 9/10.

~ Written by Matthew Green, Age 11 ¾

The 2019 First Page Student Writing Challenge

Get your students in Grades 7 to 12 writing with
CBC Books' 

THE FIRST PAGE 
STUDENT WRITING CHALLENGE

in which two winning entries 

 (one for Gr. 7-9 and one for Gr. 10-12) 

will be selected by

 award-winning YA author
Kelley Armstrong

The Challenge:  
• Write the first page of a novel (any literary genre) set in 2169 with the protagonist dealing with an issue currently relevant  (climate change, diversity, gender, refugees, leadership, etc.) and show how it has played out 150 years from now.
• Write 300-400 words.  Be sure to give your "book" a title.

Eligible Participants:
• All Canadian residents who are full time students enrolled in Gr. 7 to 12 may enter.

Timeline:
• Submit between November 4, 2019 and November 25, 2019

Selection:
• Author Kelley Armstrong will judge the entries based on the following criteria:

• creativity;
• critical thinking; and
• quality of writing

• Shortlists of 10 entries per grade category will be selected from which the winner will be chosen.

Prizes:
• One year subscription to OwlCrate, a monthly delivery of a box of books (winner may select middle grade or young adult)
• The school library of each winner will also receive 50 YA books chosen by CBC.

Full details of this writing challenge are provided at CBC Books 

with rules and regulations available here.

Teachers' guides, writing tips, posters and more are also available at
the CBC Books website for the contest.

Secrets Blog Tour is coming!

Sh-h-h...  but tell everyone:

Secrets

to be revealed

September 29, 2015

The newest series of seven books, orchestrated by Eric Walters for Orca Book Publishers, is on its way, ready to tell the seven concurrent stories of seven young women raised at the Benevolent Home for Necessitous Girls in the town of Hope, Ontario.  The year is 1964.  When a fire rips through the building, the seven oldest girls–Toni, Sara, Betty, Tess, Malou, Dot and Cady–are each given an envelope with some things, perhaps clues, from their pre-orphanage days.  And therein lie the stories of Secrets.

And if you're the only one who hasn't seen the fantastic notice for the series, here it is:

Starting next Tuesday, blogs across the internet will host the blog tour for the release of Secrets.  I'm pleased to announce that I will be hosting a review of My Life Before Me and a Q & A with the book's author, Norah McClintock.  I was thrilled to be asked and delighted to share the honour with readers of CanLit for LittleCanadians.

Here are the list of books and their stops on the blog tour:

Innocent 
by Eric Walters

Hosted by Lost in a Great Book
Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Shattered Glass
by Teresa Toten

Hosted by Spellbound Book Reviews
Wednesday, September 30, 2015

The Unquiet Past
by Kelley Armstrong

Hosted by Ya Book Shelf
Thursday, October 1, 2015

Stones on a Grave
by Kathy Kacer

Hosted by teenreads
Friday, October 2, 2015

My Life Before Me
by Norah McClintock

Hosted by CanLit for LittleCanadians
Saturday, October 3, 2015

A Big Dose of Lucky
by Marthe Jocelyn

Hosted by Lost in a Great Book
Sunday, October 4, 2015

Small Bones
by Vicki Grant

Hosted by Pop! goes the reader
Monday, October 5, 2015






Mark September 29-October 5 on your calendar and please join me and others in celebrating the release of a series that is sure to get readers (ages 12+) excited about reading, a different era, and the secrets that make for great stories.

The Blackwell Pages: Loki's Wolves (Book 1), Odin's Ravens (Book 2)

Twinning ancient mythology with a contemporary novel has become more popular in the last few years, but doing it well is a craft, and I can only say that there are few authors whose knowledge and writing can flawlessly weave time periods together.  However, we do have several authors whose take on the myths are always far greater than any I have ever read before.  One is Lesley Livingston, whose two young adult series, Wondrous Strange and Starling, are richer in characters and mythological detail than anything I have ever read. And now Canadian author Kelley Armstrong and American YA author Melissa Marr have collaborated to bring a similar distinction to a middle-grade series called The Blackwell Pages.

Loki's Wolves

by K. L. Armstrong and M. A. Marr

Little Brown and Company

978-0-316-20496-5

364 pp.

Ages 10-14

2013

Odin's Ravens

by K. L. Armstrong and  M. A. Marr

Little Brown and Company

978-0-316-20498-9

352 pp.

Ages 10-14 

May, 2014







In Blackwell, South Dakota, Matt Thorsen isn't just the son of the sheriff and the grandson of the mayor. He, and all the Thorsens, are the descendants of the Norse god, Thor. And the amulet of Thor's Hammer that he wears on a silver pendant around his neck is a key link to that heritage.  But if the heat of his amulet and the power Matt unleashes from Thor's Hammer against trouble-maker Fen Brekke, a Loki descendant, when the kid and his cousin Laurie attempt to steal the shield off the Viking longship in town aren't enough of an indication that something is up, then hearing his grandfather proclaim Matt as the closest embodiment of Thor solidifies that concern for the thirteen-year-old.  How could he be the champion who would fight the Midgard Serpent and save the world from Ragnarök? Sadly, eavesdropping on his grandfather and the other Elders, Matt learns that his grandfather expects him, instead, to be defeated and to fail to stop Ragnarök.

In Loki's Wolves, with advice from some unlikely sources and using knowledge of the Norse myths, Matt tries to assemble the band of the living embodiments of other Norse Gods, starting with Fen and Laurie, Loki's descendants, and retrieve key tools such as Mjölnir, Thor's Hammer, and the shield, to ultimately fight the Serpent. Battling the Raiders, the shape-shifting wulfenkind, outwitting and escaping from a variety of trolls, eluding the police who've tagged Matt as a runaway, convincing descendants of their roles, and just trying to survive have all become the kids' mandates.  Oh, and learning whom to trust.

In Odin's Ravens, Matt, Fen and Laurie continue to fight monsters, but inside as well as outside of the underworld of Hel, sure that if they can rescue Baldwin, then everything will change and Ragnarök cannot happen. Unfortunately, nothing is ever as simple as it would seem.  With the involvement of Helen, ruler of Hel and aunt to Laurie and Fen, as well as the Valkyries, some goats, lots of zombie-like Vikings and all types of animals, both mythological and real, more and more layers of action and humour get added to the story.  But as the title indicates, it is Odin, or rather his champion Owen, and his acrobatic Beserkers who almost steal the story.  Not only is Owen and his group the saviours in key struggles, the all-seeing Owen knows much more than he can say, complicating already difficult relationships.

Whew! I feel like I've told you too much but perhaps not enough.  It's so hard with books such as Loki's Wolves and Odin's Ravens which have subplots hidden in other subplots, and they are all important to the main plot of Matt trying to stop the end of the world. I can tell you that the characters are so magnificent, well-developed and complicated that you'll go back and forth trying to decide for whom you'll cheer or you hope gets thwacked by a troll.  And the humour!  If you've read CanLit for LittleCanadians over the years, you'll know that humour, and great writing, trump all else for me.  In Loki's Wolves and Odin's Ravens, I suspect the kids often use humour to hide their fears and tension.

"I'll do what you tell me, because while saving the world and all would be great, I'm not keen on the dying part, either.  I'd like to live long enough to get out of middle school." (Loki's Wolves, pg. 91)

And this, Matt realized, was what their world had come to. A week ago, his biggest worry was failing his science fair project. Now he was taking comfort in the thought that he faced only one fifty-foot-tall, fire-breathing giant. (Odin's Ravens, pg. 1-2) 

The Blackwell Pages is not your typical myth-based novel series. Thank goodness.  It's better.

2014 Write for a Better World Contest

World Literacy Canada

presents its annual

WRITE FOR A BETTER WORLD  

contest

for Canadian students in Grades 5-8

This year, the writing theme was created by  

Kelley Armstrong

 author of numerous award-winning fantasy books

(here's a sample below)

What to do:
• Using this story starter, tell what happens next in 400 words or less:

It’s been a long, sleepless night of strange dreams. Even once you wake up, you think you’re still dreaming, because you aren’t in your own bed. You aren’t even yourself! It’s no dream. You’ve woken in another part of the world, as someone from another culture. 

How stories will be evaluated:

• Has the writer written about a place and culture that is different from their own? Is there indication that the author learned something about the culture?

• How unique is the writer’s approach to the topic?

• How is the story organized? Is there a clear beginning, middle and ending?

• Does the writer use proper spelling and grammar?

• Is the main character well-written? Does he/she represent the ideals of global citizenship?

Deadline:
• April 4, 2014


Full Details:
• Details of prizes and the entry form can be found at http://www.worldlit.ca/canada-programs/write-for-a-better-world/write2014/

The Calling

by Kelley Armstrong
Doubleday Canada
978-0385668545
336 pp.
Ages 12+
2012

Maya Delaney, the protagonist from Kelley Armstrong's The Gathering (Doubleday Canada, 2011), first book in the Darkness Rising trilogy, thought she knew all there was to know about herself: she'd been adopted; she had some Native blood in her; she lived in Salmon Creek, a town built around the St. Cloud Corporation's research facility on Vancouver Island; she had a gift for healing injured animals; and she had a paw-print birthmark.  But as The Gathering unraveled, so did Maya's perceptions of herself and her community.  She was still dealing with the suspicious death of her best friend, Serena, while Serena's boyfriend, Daniel, who had always been there for Maya, was acting antagonistically to newcomer, Rafe, whose "bad boy" facade had turned many people against him.  Unfortunately, Maya was strangely attracted to Rafe, who revealed to her that she was a shape-shifter, like he and his older sister, Annie.  But, after a forest fire is set by armed men, one of whom looks like Maya and who attempts to capture her, everyone is evacuated from Salmon Creek and Maya has more questions than ever.

The Calling begins with Maya and Daniel, and teens Nicole, Samantha, Corey and Hayley, with Maya's dog Kenji, Nicole's dad the mayor, and an unconscious Rafe, being whisked away from the fire by helicopter.  But, too soon, Maya and Daniel realize that things are not as they appear.  In the ensuing chaos, the Mayor dies, the pilot is knocked out by the force of Daniel's words, the now-conscious Rafe falls out of the chopper, and Sam must take the controls and crash land it.  The teens and Kenji survive the crash but are left looking for safety while evading those sent to capture them.

While searching for safety, the teens' efforts are complicated by a series of circumstances that reveal more about their own supernatural attributes and motives.  Maya is almost drowned like Serena, Nicole is shot and captured, Daniel begins to recognize that he is able to sway others' thinking and to intuit danger, and Maya shape-shifts into a cougar for the first time, all while being pursued by the Nasts, a corporate rival of the St. Clouds, claiming to want to help them.  From snatches of information, Maya and Daniel learn that the kids are part of the St. Clouds' Project Phoenix, and that another project by the Edison Group, Project Genesis, has gone awry and those kids are on the run too.  Ultimately, a subset of the Salmon Creek kids must head out in search of these young people to get answers to their own growing bank of questions.

Readers are advised to read The Gathering first as it clarifies many circumstances in The Calling.  Although Kelley Armstrong attempts to cover details from the first book in the teens' recollections or statements made by their pursuers, I still had to reread portions of The Gathering to ensure that I had synthesized the details correctly.  Of course, this may just be my own weakness.

With the plot revealing possible answers to Serena's death and the biochemical manipulation by the St. Clouds on the teens, Maya and her friends carry their troubles with them now, anticipating physical changes and emotional revelations with which they are unfamiliar to deal.  Of course, their pursuers are still a concern, thwarting the kids' attempts to learn more about themselves, but the secrets that their bodies carry within may be the most devastating and dangerous of all.  I hope that when more details are revealed, however, that much of it is not just announced by their pursuers or in found memos but through the thoughtful reasoning already demonstrated by Maya and Daniel.

Surprisingly, Kelley Armstrong's characters become ever more real to the reader.  Their attempts to understand and deal with the strangeness of their situation are very reasonable, even if a character such as Sam is seen as more caustic. I found myself more sympathetic to Corey and Hayley than after reading the first book as they became multidimensional characters who expose their fears and weaknesses, as well as strengths, knowing the importance of revealing their true selves.  For that reason, I am delighted to anticipate the next book in the series, knowing who will be leading the journey, and the inevitability of the Darkness Rising series connecting with Kelley Armstrong's other trilogy, Darkest Powers.


The book trailer for The Calling, uploaded by harperteen to YouTube on March 9, 2012, can be viewed at my Book Trailers page here.

The Gathering

Written by Kelley Armstrong

Doubleday Canada

978-0-385-66851-4

359 pp.

Ages 12+

2011

When Kelley Armstrong's first book in her Darkest Powers trilogy, The Summoning (HarperCollins Canada, 2008) first came out, I was convinced that our YA readers would have a superior and Canadian alternative to Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series.  I was so right.  The Summoning's plot went beyond a romance with supernatural elements. It added layers and layers of storylines with youthful protagonists (with various supernatural abilities) and adults with questionable intentions, and left the reader desperate to read the next in the series (i.e., The Awakening, 2009; The Reckoning, 2010).  Her newest trilogy, Darkness Rising, will similarly find avid readers of fantastical fiction awaiting the sequel to the first book in this series, The Gathering, a current Ontario Library Association White Pine Award nominee.

As important as the characters in The Gathering is the setting of this book: the tiny town of Salmon Creek on Vancouver Island, a remote, wilderness-surrounded community created by the St. Cloud Corporation for its top-secret research facility and its employees' families.  Unlike the majority of the youth in Salmon Creek, Maya Delaney (16, shortly after the book begins), adopted daughter of the park warden (Dad) and architect (Mom), was born outside of the community.  Much mystery surrounds Maya, primarily because of her genesis (definitely Aboriginal, but tribe unknown), a paw-print birthmark, and her strong attachment to the forest and its creatures.

Throw in a few friends (best-friend, Daniel; mayor's daughter, Nicole; Nicole's unusual cousin, Samantha; antagonistic Hayley; newcomer and love-interest, Rafe), a couple of animals (pets Kenji, a German shepherd, and Fitz, a three-legged bobcat; old-timer cougar, Marv; a marten and others being rehabilitated by Maya); and a few parents and concerned adults, and Maya's story could be that of a "regular" teen. (But where would the story be?)  Alas, I didn't mention the bizarre drowning of swim team captain and friend, Serena, the year before.  Or Maya and Rafe finding the cougar-chomped body of visitor reporter, Mina Lee.  Or Rafe's flip-flop persona (bad boy vs. honest, affectionate boy), particularly with regards to Maya. Or the increase in cougar attacks.  Or Rafe's elusive, guardian and sister, Annie.  And what about the older Aboriginal woman at the tattoo parlour treating Maya as a pariah, first telling her she is a witch and then a skin-walker?  Not so normal anymore.

But in the deft writing of Kelley Armstrong, Maya's story seems so plausibly intricate that the reader is compelled to read on, as if to help support Maya through her journey.  Without giving away the ending, I can say that, even as Maya moves on to a new set of circumstances and setting, she still carries her need to know herself fully, heritage and all.

By the way, Book 2 in the series, The Calling, is due out in April, 2012, and the final installment, The Rising, is scheduled for publication in 2013.  Hope you can wait.

Check out the book trailer for The Gathering on my Book Trailers page