Legacies , the first book in the exciting new Shadow Grail series from Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill Who--or what--is stalking the students at Oakhurst Academy? In the wake of the accident that killed her family, Spirit White is spirited away to Oakhurst Academy, a combination school and orphanage in the middle of Montana. There she learns she is a legacy--not only to the school, which her parents also attended, but to magic. All the students at Oakhurst have magical powers, and although Spirit's hasn't manifested itself yet, the administrators insist she has one. Spirit isn't sure she cares. Devastated by the loss of her family, she finds comfort with a group of friends: Burke Hallows, Lachlann Spears, Muirin Shae, and Adelaide Lake. But something strange is going on at Oakhurst. Students start disappearing under mysterious circumstances, and the school seems to be trying to cover it up. Spirit and her friends must find out what's happening--before one of them becomes the next victim... Gr 7-10–Spirit White, the sole survivor of a car accident that kills her family, finds that her parents had provided for this eventuality by making her a “legacy” of Oakhurst Boarding School for Magicians, just outside Billings, MT. There she joins others in her situation, all of whom have learned the nature of their magical (or “mage”) gifts except Spirit, whose talent has not yet manifested itself. She and her friends discover the school's terrible record of “losing multiple students every year” and plot to overcome the evil force. Along the way, they IM and have pep rallies and school dances. (Another techie touch for librarians: RFID-chipped books.) This novel has a too-familiar setting and a clichéd plot. However, it's a really good read. The authors do a great job of juxtaposing a scary theme and the ordinary angst of adolescents. They also do a nice job with the metaphor of magical gifts as means of self-actualization. Legacies has enough action for reluctant readers, and enough character development for teens to see themselves in this group of friends. The book's fans are sure to eagerly await Spirit's discovery of her mage gift and further confrontations with the forces of evil. Corinne Henning-Sachs, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME © Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. “An enchanting mixture of mystery, romance, magic, and murder.” ― Delia Sherman, author of Changeling “Lively, suspenseful, and--best of all--skilfully written. Readers will be eager for the next installment.” ― Juliet Marillier, author of Daughter of the Forest Mercedes Lackey is the author of the bestselling Valdemar series, the Obsidian Trilogy ( The Outstretched Shadow , To Light a Candle , and When Darkness Falls ), the Enduring Flame trilogy ( The Phoenix Unchained , The Phoenix Engendered , and The Phoenix Transformed ), The Diana Tregarde Chronicles, and Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms. She has written many other books, including Trio of Sorcery , Phoenix and Ashes , Sacred Ground , The Firebird , The Fairy Godmother , and Alta . Lackey is the co-author, with Andre Norton, of the Halfblood Chronicles, including Elvenborn . Mercedes Lackey was born in Chicago and graduated from Purdue University. She has worked as an artist’s model, a computer programmer, and for American Airlines, and has written lyrics and recorded more than fifty songs. She lives in Oklahoma. Rosemary Edghill is a prolific writer in several genres, under her own name and various pseudonyms. Her Bast books, witty mysteries featuring a Wiccan amateur detective, were collected in Bell, Book, and Murder . She has also written Regency Romances and fantasy novels, including several collaborations with Mercedes Lackey ( Spirits White as Lightning and Mad Maudlin ) and Andre Norton ( Shadow of Albion and Leopard in Exile ). Edghill lives in upstate New York with several cats and several Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, which she shows in obedience competitions. Shadow Grail #1: Legacies By Lackey, Mercedes Tor Teen Copyright © 2010 Lackey, Mercedes All right reserved. ISBN: 9780765317612 ONE Spirit looked listlessly out the window of her room. It wasn’t much of a view, just the roof of the next building, part of a parking lot, and some struggling trees beyond. But ever since the accident, there didn’t seem to be much point to anything, and one view was as good as another. Footsteps at the door made her turn her head. It was the orderly, a college guy who was in premed. Neil was cute enough to be a television doctor, not a real one, and spent time with her that he didn’t have to. Once Spirit would have welcomed the company. Now, Neil was just one more irritating person who kept wanting her to do things. Like get better. What was the point? Why should she bother to get better? But the people wouldn’t leave her alone. Probably they just wa