Wild Magic

When the Pied Piper enchanted the children of Hamelin and led them away, Mari and her brother, Jakob, followed his song. Now they are trapped in a beautiful but cruel world inhabited by a horrid Beast. Finding a way to escape will require some wild magic, in this powerful story of a family torn apart by tragedy, and the magical adventure that heals them. A richly fantastical continuation of The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

the Pied Piper Had His Reasons For Enchanting The Children Of Hamelin And Stealing Them Away—ones Rooted In A Deep History Of Wild Magic. Mari And Her Brother Jakob Are Among The Children Who Followed The Piper’s Song, And They Are Now Trapped In A Beautiful But Cruel World Inhabited By A Horrid Beast. They Must Remain There Until He Finds The Right Child, The Chosen One, Who Can Lift His Century Old Curse. But The Price Of Breaking The Curse Is A Terrible One. This Fast-paced, Richly Fantastical Continuation Of A Familiar Tale Is A Powerful Story Of A Family Torn Apart By Tragedy, And The Magical Adventure That Heals Them.

school Library Journal

gr 4-6

Weatherill Uses Events And Characters From Robert Browning's The Pied Piper Of Hamelin In This Novel That Begins With The Mesmerizing Piper Leading The Town's Children Away. They Follow Him Through A Magical Door That Opens To A Place Inside Hamelin Hill. Right Away, Their Excited Giddiness Turns To Panic And Fear. They're Trapped. When The Door Closed, Summer Had Been Left Behind. In Here It Was Winter. For The First 50 Or So Pages, The Main Character Is A Girl Named Marianna, Whose Disabled Brother, Jakob, Can't Keep Up With The Others And Becomes, At Least Briefly, The Only Hamelin Child Not Trapped Inside The Hill. Then, The Story Shifts To Tell The Backstory Of The Piper. Readers Learn That He Is Half Human, Half Elf, And Has Been Cursed To Turn Into A Beast Whenever The Moon Is Full. His Salvation Can Only Come From A Child With Special Powers In A Town Overrun By Rats. Classic Fantasy Themes Like Loyalty, Transformation, And Sacrifice Are Part Of This Interesting Book. Especially Intriguing Are The Scenes Of Marianna Changing Into A Fox And Experiencing The World As A Wild Animal. But The Plot Suffers From Multiple Points Of View-from Marianna To The Piper, And Then On To Jakob And Even Marianna And Jakob's Father-that Aren't Done In An Integrated Way, Giving An Overall Disjointed Feel. Buy If You Have An Avid Fantasy Following And/or A Large Collection.-lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, Il

Mari and her brother Jakob join the other children of Hamelin as they follow the Pied Piper into a world of wild magic, where they will remain until the fearsome Beast identifies the child chosen to free him from a centuries-old curse.