When a street urchin blackmails her, a hot air balloonist's daughter (and aspiring engineer) finds herself swept up in a rebellious cause to save a queen.

A delightful middle grade debut featuring girls in STEM! The girls have distinct and wonderful voices that make you cheer for them throughout their struggles. The social commentary is light-handed and thoroughly integrated into the plot, and as in all good MG fiction, the children are the moral compass and the agents of change. The world felt grounded in our own, while the hot air balloons added a whimsical quality to this magic-free fantasy. Highly recommend to middle grade readers, teachers, and book clubs!

A new fantasy book with twists and turns throughout. Lots of adventure with well developed main characters. Recommended for all middle school collections.

A bit like Scott Savage's Fires of Invention crossed with Jessica Day George's Rose Legacy, with hot air balloons involved. May purchase if this ends up being a stand alone title rather than a series.

The daughter of a balloonist who secretly loves to create things soon finds herself on an adventure of a lifetime as her father is falsely imprisoned for a crime she committed. When a thief steals her dead mother’s scarf and blackmails her, Prismena has no choice but to do what she asks in exchange for her mother’s scarf back and to keep her projects hidden from her father. Too bad for her that things do not go as planned and the item she had tried to smuggle ends up landing her father in prison. Now Prismena must go on an adventure to rescue her father and face off against so many things. Filled with magic, adventure, friendship, and mystery, this is a great middle grade read.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Christyne Morrell's fantasy, KINGDOM OF SECRETS, is an exhilarating adventure. When Prissy's balloonist father is imprisoned, she joins forces with an orphan named Abi and becomes part of a rebellion to expose the lies of her kingdom's rulers. I really enjoyed the trial-and-error and science and engineering elements of this fantasy! The enemies to friends storyline also was a lot of fun! Many thanks to Delacorte/Random House Kids for the eARC.

I have to say the gorgeous cover is what drew me in immediately to this story. I needed to read to see how the hot air balloons and the two characters on the cover interacted. The novel itself was actually quite a bit more than the cover even lets on. I enjoyed the surprises that were revealed throughout the book and the unique story of a couple of brave young girls.

In the heart of a fractured kingdom lie hidden truths that can grow to become the embers of change. Prismena Reece is the daughter of a balloonist, the only person who makes hot-air balloons apart from those under royal employ. Attempting to quell the pain that remains after her mother’s death, Prismena is surprised to discover a girl named Abigail Smeade inexplicably trailing her in order to procure her assistance. Reluctantly agreeing to Abi’s questionable plan, Prismena soon finds herself at the business end of a rebellion she never knew she needed.

Lovingly written, this story envelopes one girl’s journey to reveal her true character in the face of adversity. Though initially sheltered and mostly unaware of the unrest in her city of Oren, Prismena is quickly educated in the realities of her world. Friendship and loyalty are difficult to obtain, and though growing pains can be hard to manage, Prismena ultimately learns how to navigate the uncertainty and danger around her.

Two unique perspectives are interwoven within the narrative, giving readers insight into two different sides to this story. While the majority of the book is presented in traditional text, the second voice appears in italics to stand apart from the first. Readers will appreciate the mystery of the connection between these two plot points and be inspired to speculate along the way.

Echoes of The Hunger Games can be found in both the rebellion itself and its mysterious leader, serving as a beacon of hope to a downtrodden society. Carefully placed clues come together as the story unfolds, prompting readers to re-examine moments from earlier in the narrative in a different light. Limited violence takes place in this story, allowing the book to be accessible to a wide range of readers.

A multifaceted and inspirational tale, this book will leave readers pondering its message long after the story ends. Intentional elements reveal more than is obvious at first, giving the impression of a complex flower blooming and unfolding after a rainstorm. Stunning in design, this colorful tale is a captivating addition to libraries for middle grade readers.

This is nice simple adventure story with independent girls using science to win back their kingdom from a dictator. I enjoyed the characters but found the timing off. This all happened in about a 5 year time span and I'm really unimpressed by the adults that let their kingdom be taken over so easily by a power hungry lord/king.

LOVED this twisty, heart-filled story of a balloonist's daughter who unexpectedly finds herself a critical player in a plot against the crown. Prissy has been perfectly happy playing it safe, always following the rules, until she's dragged into a seemingly minor bit of smuggling that quickly snowballs out of control and lands her father in prison, leaves her at the mercy of a group of rebels, and leads to surprising discoveries about her deceased mother. But as she races to save her father and extract herself from the deepening trouble surrounding her, who can she trust in a KINGDOM OF SECRETS?

Thank you to the author and Delacorte Press for an eARC of this book.

This magical adventure by debut author Christyne Morrell takes place in the kingdom of Oren. Prismena (Prissy) helps her father with his hot air balloon business, which deliver supplies and packages over the Wall that protects their part of the country. When Prissy meets a girl named Abi who blackmails her to sneak a parcel onto one of her dad's flights, he gets arrested for smuggling. As Prissy tries to figure out a way to free her father, she becomes further embroiled in Abi's secret plans to get a message over the Wall, and ends up part of a bigger cause that will change Oren forever. But there's also a mystery involved, and we flashback to the past to understand a time before the Wall existed, and what other secrets are being kept in Oren.

There are so many creative elements to this story that I really enjoyed. Prissy uses her skills in balloon making in unique ways to help send signals, and her willingness to experiment and try new ideas saves their mission on more than one occasion. I loved how Abi's power over Prissy kept Prissy challenging herself and what she was capable of, and we saw her confidence and desire to fight for what's right grow with each accomplishment. I loved the way the kingdom's past was woven in with the present, and I couldn't wait to read the next flashback section that slowly unraveled that secret. This story felt as colorful as the balloons that travelled through the skies, and unexpected events blew it off course in directions the reader didn't expect.

I think fantasy readers will really enjoy this story that has themes of family, friendship, and the fight for justice.

This was a cute fantasy book set in a fictional kingdom but relatable to boys and girls in reality. Overall I thought it was a cute story, though at times it dragged a bit in the middle. I didn’t see a lot to make it stand out from other books of its genre, but it was a reasonably solid read. I can see my students enjoying it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

KINGDOM OF SECRETS is a fast-paced adventure set in a wonderfully imaginative world, where brightly colored balloons fly high over the wall built by the good king to keep the citizens safe from the enemies who seek to destroy them.
But Prismena (Prissy) daughter of the balloon maker, is about to learn that not everything is as it seems-- neither in her family nor in the Kingdom.
After meeting an orphan named Abi, Prissy finds herself pulled into a plot to overthrow the King. Although she's resistant at first, Prissy soon begins to see the world as it is, not as she's been told it is.
Packed with rich characters, hidden truths, and high-stakes action, KINGDOM OF SECRETS is a perfect MG read that I think will appeal to readers who love adventure with the taste of a fairy tale. But what I especially loved about this is book is Prissy's character arc as she goes from a naive girl whose greatest worry was what her father might think, to fighter for right!!
I highly recommend this wonderful adventure for MG readers, and as a text for teachers to explore issues of power and justice!
Thank you to the Delacorte Press and Netgalley for the E-Arc

Christyne Morrell's high-flying fantasy, KINGDOM OF SECRETS, is a thrilling ride with humor and heart! When Prismena's balloonist father is imprisoned because of her actions, her life becomes inextricably intertwined with an orphan named Abi and a rebellion meant to expose the truth behind her kingdom's rulers. I love books that involve girls realizing and using their power, and I love books that showcase girls in science and engineering. This book does BOTH, and does both beautifully. There's fabulous girl-power. Ballooning scenes are thrilling AND make you want to learn more about the engineering behind these fanciful contraptions. Lavish descriptions (the colors of the balloon fabric!) infuse the story with a kind of magic. And the relationship between Abi and Prismena (Abi calls Prissy 'gumdrop,' as in 'goody gumdrop') is the perfect sort of enemies-to-friends narrative. Highly recommend! Many thanks to Delacorte/Random House Kids for the eARC.