Lighter Fare

I  was looking for something a little more fun, and indeed Havenfall by Sara Holland is. A YA fantasy with elements of mystery and romance, Havenfall is set at a secret Colorado inn and mountain retreat that just happens to be the neutral zone of the multiverse. There are two main Adjacent Realms that still visit earth, or Haven, regularly--wintery Fierden and Byrn, plagued by storms of elemental magic--and there's a satisfying sense of history in the novel's worldbuilding. When her innkeeper uncle is struck down in a magical attack and a guest of the Inn is murdered, teen Maddie Morrow must step into the role of Innkeeper and peacekeeper between rival delegations. Not all is starlight and poetry--in the world outside the Inn, Maddie's mother is on death row, falsely (she believes) accused of murdering her brother when Maddie was only five, while at the Inn itself, not all of the guests are who they appear to be. Some of the plot points are predictable; there's a bit too much overlooking of the obvious and some of the secret-keeping is excessive and seems contrived to further the plot, but the book is still a fun read that leaves lots to explore in the sequel(s). I hope we get to hear some of that Fierden poetry.