It’s no secret that Australian author Jaclyn Moriarty is one of my favorites. Her characters always feel so alive, and her stories are always keep me guessing until the last page.
The Secret of Lillian Velvet, Moriarty’s latest novel and the fifth installment in her Kingdoms and Empires series, is no exception. Though the Kingdoms and Empires series is targeted toward a younger audience, I believe readers of all ages would enjoy these novels.
The story begins with Lillian’s tenth birthday, and she receives a pickle jar full of gold coins from her grandmother. Her only instructions being “don’t spend all of them in one day.” Soon, she finds herself being “shoved” into a different, fantastical world—a world full of magic, dragons, and new friends. She is also confronted with strange mysteries: why is she being teleported to this new world? Who are the people she keeps encountering? What significance do the gold coins hold? So many questions, you can’t help but get sucked in and keep reading!
One of my favorite parts of the novel was Lillian herself. Whether intentional or not, I read Lillian to represent a young diagnosed individual living in a world that doesn’t understand her, and not understanding the world she lives in. Lillian’s grandmother never refers to her by her name, merely calling her “Child,” further taking away her autonomy.
Lillian is constantly being punished by her grandmother for doing or saying things that are “wrong,” or against the unspoken rules of her household, and her grandmother hardly explains them to her. The abuse is so prevalent, that she brings that mentality to the world of Kingdoms and Empires without meaning to. It’s the love and patience she receives from her new friends, including returning characters Bronte and Oscar, that make her realize that she deserves more respect.
The Secret of Lillian Velvet is a powerful, engaging novel that anyone can enjoy. From the characters to the overall mystery, readers will be glued to the pages and won’t stop until the very end.
E. A. Young Writes 