“They flew over the sand and climbed over the black rocks that bordered the cove. There the castle where they lived with Julian on the now-only-sometimes-west side of the island came into view. It had been abandoned for many years, and was rather tumbledown and woebegone, with pelicans nesting in the roof and layers of volcanic ash griming the stones. The beach below it was full of Julian’s mages, some of them arguing with two strangers in a fishing boat. Looming above Astrae was the island they must have collided with, which Noa didn’t recognize.”
-The Language of Ghosts
I really love Heather Fawcett. I’ve read some of her adult and YA novels but I had yet to try one of her middle grade novels, and I am so glad I started with The Language of Ghosts because it was so fun, whimsical, magical and adorable. It was everything I would have wished for in a middle grade novel when I was a kid, and I am looking forward to the day where I can give it to my son to read as I know he will love it too.
Noa and her younger sister Mite and older brother Julian have had to flee their home after their mother is killed and they lose their home and the throne that would be rightly Julian’s. Forced to flee, they live and hide on the island of Astrae, as Julian tries to find a way to reclaim his throne. Astrae is a magical island that constantly moves, and Noa has come to love it. Being out of the palace means she can explore and do whatever she likes and as the only non-mage of her siblings, she is always working on discovery, maps and maintaining a chronicle. Her younger sister Mite is obsessed with bugs and mostly gets in her way. And Julian often takes her advice but doesn’t take her seriously enough to make her a councilor. Noa is both strong and independent, but it’s obvious she is trying to find her role in the world.
When they discover that Xavier (the man who took the throne from them) is looking for the Lost Words (which can unlock forgotten languages of magic), Noa helps locate one of the books, not realizing in the process that in doing so, her life will be changed forever as she can read the words while no one else can.
This book was so wonderful. I was completely in love with the dynamics of Noa and her siblings, but I loved watching Noa grow too. She needed to realize she was worth more than the molds the world kept pushing her into. This was such a cute, lovely book and I am really looking forward to reading even more of Heather Fawcett’s work!
Of Worlds Forgotten 
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