#306 of 1001 · June 2, 2021

Family typically serves as a support system, as a network of trust, as a guide to becoming a citizen of the wide world. Imagine, then, a life in which the only family you know is an oppressor, a smothering figure who cares far more about keeping you close than about granting you any sort of independence. This shocking scenario is our entry point into The Enchanter’s Daughter by Antonia Barber and Errol Le Cain. The story opens in a lofty castle at the top of the world, far away from all human contact. In this lonely place, a powerful enchanter and his daughter live together, their relationship as jailer and captive: he will not let her leave, and the verdant lands surrounding the palace are ringed by icy mountains. Slowly but surely, the maiden develops curiosity about her past and begins to long for the lands beyond her father’s domain. Despite the enchanter’s best efforts to keep her docile and contained, his daughter concocts a daring plan for escape. Barber’s high fantasy setting and eloquent writing create a gripping story, elevated by the sinuous tendrils and curls of Le Cain’s eldritch art. #wizard #daughter #castle #palace #mountains #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks