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WORK TITLE: Majestica
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WEBSITE: http://sarahtolcser.com/wp2/
CITY: New Orleans
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COUNTRY: United States
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PERSONAL
Married.
EDUCATION:St. Lawrence University, B.A.
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CAREER
Writer and IT specialist. Works in information technology.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
[open new]Sarah Tolcser is an author of adolescent fantasy fiction putting strong young women front and center. Her introduction to fantasy came with her father reading The Hobbit aloud to his children. While loving Tolkien’s classic, Tolcser appreciated the presence of girl characters in discovering C.S. Lewis’s “Chronicles of Narnia.” Her favorite character was neither Lucy nor Susan but Jill Pole, introduced in The Silver Chair, an impetuous, clever, compassionate, outdoorsy girl who comes into her own.
Attending St. Lawrence University, in northern New York, Tolcser double majored in philosophy and creative writing. After graduation she found a day job working with computers and tablets. Her early efforts at writing novels were plagued by so many issues that she got in the habit of shelving one project to start another. She drafted what would become her first novel in 2013, secured an agent the following year, and after resolute editing achieved publication in 2017. About her impetus in writing Song of the Current, Tolcser told Sarah Write Now: “I wanted to tell a classic adventure story full of mythology that reminded me of the sailing stories and songs I loved when I was a kid and a teen.” About main character Caro she added, “I wanted to write an action girl who wasn’t afraid to get dirty.” In an essay for Pop Goes the Reader, with the opening novels of her debut fantasy duology freshly published, Tolcser remarked: “As I look at middle grade and YA today, I’m so proud to see shelves full of such a variety of girls having adventures in other worlds.”
As Song of the Current opens, seventeen-year-old Caroline Oresteia, daughter of a wherryman and long accustomed to life on the water, has been waiting for the river god to tell her about her destiny. The human world has a say when Caro and her smuggler father come across a riverside scene of devastation, presumably wrought by pirates on a hunt. When Caro’s father gets tossed in jail with blackmail hanging over his head, Caro dares take on the responsibility of transporting secret cargo on a dangerous journey. When the cargo turns out to be Tarquin Meredios, a haughty, handsome, self-professed royal courier whom the pirates are seeking, Caro finds herself enthralled in a fantastic mythical journey as well as blossoming romance.
Reviewers delighted in Tolcser’s debut. In Voice of Youth Advocates, Erin Segreto praised Caro as a “strong female lead for whom readers will pull from the beginning” and the book as “perfect for fans of swashbuckling pirate tales.” A Kirkus Reviews writer found Caro’s narrative voice “smart and colloquial” and appreciated how “worldbuilding details are imparted naturally” through her thoughts and conversations. The reviewer concluded that Tolcser “blends the right amount of epic fantasy, sea voyage, and romance for a rollicking, swashbuckling adventure.” Rebecca Greer of School Library Journal appreciated how Song of the Current is “often action-packed,” yet “the pacing does not feel rushed” and allows readers time and space to get immersed in the characters’ world. Greer proclaimed that Tolcser’s “enticingly written tale will take readers on an adventure and leave them craving more.”
The second and final “Song of the Current” book is Whisper of the Tide, in which Caro devotes herself to helping her partner in adventure, whose real name is Markos, as he seeks to avenge the murder of his family by regaining the throne of Akhaia. After one assassination attempt too many, Caro is ready to endorse an offer of substantial help in their cause—if Markos will take a leader’s daughter as his wife. When Caro sets out to retrieve the woman, uncertain she can set her own love for Markos aside, an encounter with pirate Diric Melanos threatens to alter her trajectory. Caro’s cousin Kente pitches in with her burgeoning magic powers. Finding Whisper of the Tide enlivened by pilfered treasure and shadow magic, Greer affirmed in School Library Journal that “fans of the first book are sure to enjoy” the second, with its meditations on “what it means to have a destiny and what it means to follow your heart.”
Tolcser turns to middle-grade readers with her novel Majestica. Humble thirteen-year-old Hattie Swift works at Majestica, a resort in a sanctuary for magical creatures where her father was a gamekeeper until his death seven years ago. When the owner’s niece Evelyn arrives for a birthday tour of Ridgewell’s Fantastical Creature Park, Hattie ends up serving as her well-to-do peer’s handmaid. Coming from such different backgrounds, the girls hardly see eye to eye, but from an encounter with Jacob Threadborne, of Marchwild, they learn that Evelyn’s family is held responsible for the theft of an essential ancient relic, the Gem of the Evening. When the girls’ train tour gets sabotaged, they must team up to survive encounters with trigers (three-headed tigers), dragons, and other creatures to return to the resort, acquiring a virtuous mission along the way. The story is told from Hattie’s and Evelyn’s alternating points of view.
A Kirkus Reviews writer appreciated Majestica’s “charming characters” and how the story is “thoughtfully grounded in ethics.” The reviewer declared that Tolcser “combines themes of conservation and the repatriation of cultural artifacts with unexpected friendships to create a fast-paced fantasy.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer remarked that “supernatural creatures,” “interpersonal challenges,” and “evocative descriptions of the park’s natural setting” all contribute to what proves a “pulse-pounding adventure.”[close new]
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2017, review of Song of the Current; May 15, 2024, review of Majestica.
Publishers Weekly, April 15, 2024, review of Majestica, p. 57.
School Library Journal, April, 2017, Rebecca Greer, review of Song of the Current, p. 159; March, 2018, Rebecca Greer, review of Whisper of the Tide, p. 123.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2017, Erin Segreto, review of Song of the Current, p. 84; August, 2018, Stacey Hayman, review of Whisper of the Tide, p. 75.
ONLINE
Megan Write Now, https://www.meganwritenow.com/ (June 15, 2017), “Author Spotlight: Sarah Tolcser Talks Song of the Current.”
Pop Goes the Reader, https://popgoesthereader.com/ (July 18, 2019), “Her Story: Ladies in Literature 2019 with Sarah Tolcser.”
Sarah Tolcser website, http://sarahtolcser.com (January 3, 2025).
Transmedia Mutts, https://www.transmediamutts.com/ (June 10, 2017), Jocelyn Rish, “Sarah Tolcser, Author of Song of the Current, on the Only Way Out Being Through.”
Sarah Tolcser is the author of the middle grade novel Majestica and two fantasy novels for teens, Song of the Current and Whisper of the Tide. She lives and writes in a 100-year-old house in New Orleans, and enjoys video games, NBA basketball, and books about girls who blow stuff up.
Sarah Tolcser
USA flag
Sarah Tolcser lives in New Orleans, where she wrangles iPads and rogue computers at her day job. A graduate of St. Lawrence University, she double majored in writing and philosophy. She enjoys video games, NBA basketball, and books about girls who blow stuff up. She is married, with three cats.
Sarah writes young adult fantasy and science fiction. She is represented by Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary.
The C in Tolcser is silent.
Genres: Young Adult Fiction
New and upcoming books
July 2024
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Majestica
Series
Song of the Current
1. Song of the Current (2017)
2. Whisper of the Tide (2018)
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Novels
Majestica (2024)
Sarah Tolcser lives and writes in a 100 year old house in New Orleans. She enjoys video games, NBA basketball, and books about girls who blow stuff up. She is a graduate of St. Lawrence University, where she double majored in writing and philosophy, two things everyone claimed would keep her unemployed forever. She is married with cats.
Her Story: Ladies In Literature 2019 with Sarah Tolcser
July 18, 2019
One Comment
Her Story: Ladies In Literature is a special, month-long series on Pop! Goes The Reader in which we celebrate the literary female role models whose stories have inspired and empowered us since time immemorial. From Harriet M. Welsch to Anne Shirley, Becky Bloomwood to Hermione Granger, Her Story: Ladies In Literature is a series created for women, by women as twenty authors answer the question: “Who’s your heroine?” You can find a complete list of the participants and their scheduled guest post dates Here!
About Sarah Tolcser
Sarah Tolcser is the author of the Song of the Current series. She lives and writes in a hundred-year-old house in New Orleans. In addition to a lifelong fascination with science fiction and fantasy, she also enjoys video games, NBA basketball, and murder mysteries. The C in Tolcser is silent.
Author Links: Website ● Twitter ● Instagram ● Goodreads
When I’m asked what my first fantasy book was, my answer is always The Hobbit. If we’re being technical, I didn’t actually read it. My dad read it out loud to us when we were little. I’ll always love that book dearly, but as we all know, it is populated by exactly zero girls.
My very first fantasy that did have girls in it was C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was also the first time I saw something on TV (the BBC production that aired on PBS in the late 80s and had regular-sized British people wandering around in giant beaver suits) and then found out it came from a book. It felt like magic! And then to discover it was not only one book, but seven books? Double magic!
I’m sure lots of girls identified with Lucy — she of the unwavering faith and the sparkling sense of wonder. To me, she felt too perfect. Susan was a practical, motherly type of girl, and I knew that wasn’t me either (although I’ll never not be furious about what C.S. Lewis did to her). The first girl in Narnia who felt like a real girl, like me, didn’t come along until The Silver Chair.
When Eustace first tells Jill Pole about Narnia, he says, “Pole, I say, are you good at believing things? I mean things that everyone here would laugh at?” Jill replies, “I’ve never had the chance. But I think I would be.” I just love that as an introduction to a character. It’s so relatable. We all want to think we’re that kind of person, don’t we? Especially those of us who are reading fantasy books. We want the adventure. And we want to think that, if adventure came to us, we would be good at it. But would we, really?
This is why I love Jill so much. Immediately upon arriving in Narnia, she shows off while balancing on the edge of a cliff and accidentally causes Eustace to fall. Oops?
The Silver Chair, of all the Narnia books, is the one that brings the most realism to the adventure. You can feel the cold of the wild wastelands of the north. It’s the book that describes all the miserableness of camping when the weather is bad and you’re running out of food. What makes Jill Pole so relatable is that she responds to her situation by being grumpy, like we all probably would.
She makes mistakes. She forgets the signs Aslan told her for no particular reason other than laziness. Jill is the sort of girl who snaps at everyone because she’s hangry (Lucy would never). She gets bailed out by others multiple times. But in spite of all this, she doesn’t get kicked out of the adventure. She fights through her mistakes and thrives, despite having the hardest job of anyone (I mean, come on, Eustace and Puddleglum, neither of you could have asked her what the signs are, so she doesn’t have to remember all by herself? Thanks a lot, guys). In a lot of ways, the moral of her journey is that everyone is worthy of a second chance. It’s refreshing, especially in a genre populated by hordes and hordes of heroes who do everything right.
Later we find out Jill is a Girl Guide and is good at finding her way in the woods, something that thrilled me as an outdoorsy kid (and Girl Scout). She can be conniving, like when she charms the giants by pretending to be an innocent little girl, while they look for a way out of Harfang. And she can be kind, like when she rescues and defends Puzzle the donkey. Along with Eustace, Jill is one of the few characters who get genuine growth over the course of the series. By her second appearance, in The Last Battle, she’s stronger, happier, and more capable.
As I got older, I went on to discover other girl fantasy role models — Patricia C. Wrede’s Cimorene, Tamora Pierce’s Alanna, and Anne McCaffrey’s Menolly. And as I look at middle grade and YA today, I’m so proud to see shelves full of such a variety of girls having adventures in other worlds. I’m happy to be able to contribute to that with my books. But I’ll never forget where I started — and I’ll never forget Narnia and my girl Jill.
Sarah Tolcser, author of SONG OF THE CURRENT, on the only way out being through
by Jocelyn Rish
We are pleased to have author Sarah Tolcser here today to chat about her debut novel, SONG OF THE CURRENT.
Sarah, how long did you work on SONG OF THE CURRENT?
I started drafting the book in spring 2013 and finished in about six months. By April I had signed with my agent, and after that we revised the book for another year before going on submission. During revisions, I cut 25,000 words from the book. It was four years total from first draft to publication.
Was there an AHA! moment along your road to publication where something suddenly sank in and you felt you had the key to writing a novel? What was it?
For me it wasn’t the key to writing a novel that I needed. It was the key to revising a novel. Before SONG OF THE CURRENT, I’d written a bunch of books with huge issues, and I’d always get to a point where I realized the problems with the book were so big it made more sense to shelve it and move onto the next thing. But when you’re working with an agent or editor, you can’t do that anymore. You have deadlines and you have to learn to plow through the problems. You don’t have a choice. The only way out is through. In the last two years I’ve learned so much about rewriting a book, I’m pretty sure I like it better than drafting now.
What advice would you most like to pass along to other writers?
I got an agent pretty quickly with the first book I queried, but it wasn’t the first book I’d written. It was probably the fifth or sixth. I don’t think I got lucky. What I do think is I waited to query until I knew I had a manuscript that was really, truly ready. So what I would tell other writers is if you finish a book and you feel like it’s not the one, it’s okay to put it away and just write another. Every one of those books matters. Just because you don’t query a book doesn’t mean it was a waste of time. Each book gets you closer to the book that IS the one.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Song of the Current
by Sarah Tolcser
Hardcover
Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Released 6/6/2017
Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. For generations, her family has been called by the river god, who has guided their wherries on countless voyages throughout the Riverlands. At seventeen, Caro has spent years listening to the water, ready to meet her fate. But the river god hasn’t spoken her name yet—and if he hasn’t by now, there’s a chance he never will.
Caro decides to take her future into her own hands when her father is arrested for refusing to transport a mysterious crate. By agreeing to deliver it in exchange for his release, Caro finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies, with dangerous pirates after the cargo—an arrogant courier with a secret—and without the river god to help her. With so much at stake, Caro must choose between the life she always wanted and the one she never could have imagined for herself.
From debut author Sarah Tolcser comes an immersive and romantic fantasy set along the waterways of a magical world with a headstrong heroine determined to make her mark.
Purchase Song of the Current at Amazon
Purchase Song of the Current at IndieBound
View Song of the Current on Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
File Feb 01, 9 54 44 AMSarah Tolcser lives in New Orleans, where she wrangles iPads and rogue computers at her day job. A graduate of St. Lawrence University, she double majored in writing and philosophy. She enjoys video games, NBA basketball, and books about girls who blow stuff up. She is married, with three cats.
Sarah writes young adult fantasy and science fiction. She is represented by Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary.
The C in Tolcser is silent.
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Have you had a chance to read SONG OF THE CURRENT yet? Do you hate revising books? What has helped you to continue pushing through and making those necessary changes? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!
Happy reading,
Emily, Jocelyn, Anisaa, Sam, Martina, Erin, Susan, Shelly, Kelly, Laura, and Lori Ann
Author Spotlight: Sarah Tolcser talks Song of the Current
Today I get to welcome author Sarah Tolcser to the blog! Her debut novel, Song of the Current, was released on June 6th and it's been getting great buzz. In a starred review from the School Library Journal, it was said: "This enticingly written tale will take readers on an adventure and leave them craving more. For fans of titles such as Heidi Heilig’s The Girl from Everywhere or Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch. Highly recommended for all YA collections."
So, in a nutshell . . . this book sounds like tons of heart-pounding fun!
Hi, Sarah, and congrats on your debut! Can you tell us a little bit about Song of the Current and the inspiration behind it?
SONG OF THE CURRENT is a young adult fantasy that takes place in a world where the gods sometimes speak to certain chosen people. Caro is a river smuggler’s daughter who expects to be chosen by the river god, but she’s seventeen and it hasn’t happened yet. Her life gets complicated when she embarks on a cat and mouse chase with pirates who are interested in her mysterious cargo, and she’s forced to team up with a spoiled privileged noble boy along the way. I wanted to tell a classic adventure story full of mythology that reminded me of the sailing stories and songs I loved when I was a kid and a teen.
Kirkus gave Song of the Current a starred review, saying: “Caro's description of her boat home, the Cormorant, will make even readers unfamiliar with sailing feel as though they belong on the water with her." What is your research process like? Do you have any tips when it comes to balancing researching time versus writing time?
I go through different phases when it comes to research. Sometimes I’ll do it for a whole week, falling down internet rabbit holes that I don’t emerge from for hours. But sometimes I’ll also be busy drafting and just leave a placeholder with a note to look a fact up later. For this book I already knew how to sail and the basic parts of the boat, so most of my research involved the Age of Sail and historical wooden ships. Oh, and cannons and flintlock guns! A good tip for research is to keep everything in perspective. Have you been reading for 4 hours about something that’s going to be one throwaway line in the book? Then maybe it’s time to stop.
Who was your favorite character to write? And which character gave you the most trouble?
Caro, the main character, was my favorite. I wanted to write an action girl who wasn’t afraid to get dirty. She lives and works on her father’s boat, and it was important for me that she felt like a character with the right skills to go on her adventure. In fantasy we get a lot of characters looking for a way out of their ordinary life. I wrote the opposite—a girl whose fate is pulling her away from her planned future, and who becomes increasingly stubborn and annoyed about it. The love interest in the book gave me the most trouble because he starts out pretty spoiled and awful. It was tricky to balance—I wanted to show his journey as he comes back from some big mistakes and realizes some truths about the world, but I also couldn’t make him irredeemably offensive. It’s been interesting checking out reviews because some readers love him and some still feel he wasn’t worthy of Caro.
Song of the Current has a sequel slated for publication in 2018. What was your experience writing Book 2? Do you have any advice on how to tackle writing a follow-up ?
So I didn’t have any of the awful issues a lot of debut authors seem to have with their follow up book. I didn’t descend into months of writers block and despair, worrying that the first book was a fluke. However, I did have trouble with the shorter deadlines while working a full time day job. I ended up throwing out 45,000 words and rewriting, so it took longer than I thought. My advice (especially if you have a deadline) is to let go of perfection. 1-2 years of work went into writing and polishing Book 1 before agents and editors even saw it, but on a publishing schedule you don’t have time. Your agent/editor expects that, and they’re there to help!
What was the biggest hurdle you faced on the road to publication? Querying? Finding an agent? Revising?
I got an agent quickly and sold my book quickly. However, I wrote five books before that and never queried any of them because I just sensed they weren’t right. Most of those books didn’t fit well into a defined genre/age category. Now, I’m not saying, “Stop writing the book of your heart and sell out!” But you do have to do research and know that, for instance, a weird cross-genre book with a 19 year old main character is going to be an incredibly hard sell for your debut (I wrote TWO of those!). So my advice is to take your genre research seriously and see the patterns of what’s working in the market before you embark on projects.
What part of the writing process do you find most challenging and how do you tackle it?
For me this used to be revision, but over the past couple of years that has flipped to become my favorite. So I’m going to say getting the book finished from beginning to end. I don’t write in chronological order on my first draft, but I do on the second draft. That’s when I sit down and bash all the little parts of the book into a structure and arc that works, and it’s absolutely the hardest step.
What are you reading, or otherwise currently obsessed with?
I’m much happier when I don’t read YA fantasy when writing YA fantasy, so I’m shamefully behind in reading the big new books that have come out in 2016-17. Right now I’m on a historical mystery kick. I’m almost done with the Phryne Fisher books, and I read all of Elizabeth Peters’ books in one big binge, and now I’m starting Maisie Dobbs. I can’t wait to catch up on some YA this summer.
What has been your most rewarding experience as an author so far?
I love everything about it! I save screenshots of the dumbest things, which I keep in a folder. Someone saying something nice about my cover! People talking about my characters on Twitter! My book being #1 in its incredibly specific category on Amazon!
And finally, what’s one steadfast piece of advice you would give to other writers?
Don’t feel like you have to take ALL the writing advice out there. This one summer I got obsessed with outlining and beat sheets and color coded charts. I spent so much time organizing my writing and reading about productivity hacks that I barely wrote. That’s how I learned that not everything is for you. Feel free to try stuff, but if you find yourself spending more time worrying about your special productivity system than being productive, you should dump it.
Big thanks go out to Sarah for taking the time to give such thoughtful answers to these questions. In particular, I find myself gravitating toward her tips on doing your genre research, letting go of perfection, and the very important reminder that writing advice isn't gospel. Be flexible. Try a new approach. And choose the advice that works for you. Be sure to add Sarah's adventurous book to your Goodreads list, or order your copy RIGHT NOW from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local indie.
If you related to any of Sarah's interview, or if you just want to tell her how much you loved reading (or can't wait to read!) Song of the Current, please hop on over to Twitter to tweet her directly at @SarahTolcser. And for more information, be sure to check out her author website at sarahtolscer.com.
Majestica
Sarah Tolcser. Putnam, $18.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-593-69654-5
Thirteen-year-old orphaned Hattie Swift, a maid-in-training, has spent her life at Majestica, a resort home to Ridgewell's Fantastical Creature Park, a magical wildlife preserve where her gamekeeper father worked until his death when she was six. When she's assigned as a replacement maid for the spoiled hotel owner's niece Evelyn Ridgewell, also 13, and must accompany Evelyn on a guided tour of the preserve, neither girl is happy. After disaster strands the tour members in a wilderness full of mystical creatures, ruthless hunters, and other hazards, Hattie and Evelyn form an unlikely alliance to survive on their way back to the hotel. Along their journey, they discover that there are dark secrets surrounding the park's origins and true purpose and resolve to protect the preserve's inhabitants from further danger. As Hattie and Evelyn contend with supernatural creatures--including three-headed "trigers" and dragons--they must also navigate interpersonal challenges stemming from their family legacies and disparate social standings. Via the girls' alternating POVs and evocative descriptions of the park's natural setting, Tolcser (Whisper of the Tide) delivers a pulse-pounding adventure that examines themes of conservation, exploitation, and responsibility. Hattie and Evelyn read as white. Ages 8-12. Agent: Susan Hawk, Upstart Crow Literary. (July)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Majestica." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 15, 15 Apr. 2024, p. 57. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799108495/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0ff11779. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Majestica
Sarah Tolcer
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
c/o Penguin Young Readers Group
https://www.penguin.com
9780593696545, $18.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Majestica-Sarah-Tolcser/dp/0593696549
Synopsis: Hattie Swift is a maid-in-training at Majestica, a resort and nature preserve where visitors come face-to-face with rare magical flora and fauna. She's thrilled to be invited along on the park's famous wilderness train excursion for the first time, but there is a catch: She has to accompany Evelyn Ridgewell, the hotel owner's haughty niece, who wants nothing to do with her.
Soon after embarking, Evelyn overhears a man who aims to hunt the park's creatures for sport, and Hattie meets Jacob Threadborne, an apprentice magician sent by a foreign government on a top-secret mission. Then the magical fences keeping guests safe stop working, and the train breaks down in the most treacherous part of the jungle. Faced with poachers, man-eating trees, and a dragon on the loose, Hattie, Evelyn, and Jacob must stick together to figure out what's gone wrong at Majestica... that is, if they want to make it out alive.
Critique: Of special note in this original and fun fantasy novel is the inclusion of a richly illustrated map of the expansive nature preserve, as well as a bestiary with all the magical (and dangerous) creatures at Majestica. Author Sarah Tolcser's distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style is ideal for young fantasy fans and is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to elementary school, middle school, and community library Fantasy Fiction collections for children ages 8-12.
Editorial Note: Sarah Tolcser (http://sarahtolcser.com/wp2) is the author of two fantasy novels for teens, "Song of the Current" and "Whisper of the Tide". She lives and writes in a 100-year-old house in New Orleans, and enjoys video games, NBA basketball, and books about girls who blow stuff up. She can be followed on Twitter @SarahTolcser
Please Note: Illustration(s) are not available due to copyright restrictions.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Majestica." Children's Bookwatch, July 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A804603888/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=14a85056. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
olcser, Sarah MAJESTICA Putnam (Children's None) $18.99 7, 2 ISBN: 9780593696545
Young teens face fearful challenges as they try to right the wrongs of others.
Thirteen-year-old orphan Hattie Swift lives and works in the magical paradise of Hotel Majestica, a resort located in a sanctuary for fantastical creatures in the land of Ruava. When Evelyn Ridgewell, the disagreeable niece of the hotel's owner, arrives for a wilderness tour--a treat for her 13th birthday--Hattie ends up serving as her personal attendant. The girls encounter Jacob Threadborne, a boy from the land of Marchwild who's traveling as the apprentice to the country's interior secretary, who's on a mission to reclaim the Gem of the Evening, a powerful ancient relic that Marchwilders hold the Ridgewell family responsible for stealing. What was meant to be a luxurious train tour through the park turns into a treacherous survival mission when the train is sabotaged, and passengers are left scattered in the jungle. Dark secrets are revealed as the three young people work together to survive and save Majestica's wondrous inhabitants. The rich worldbuilding will draw readers into an immersive adventure among the animal preserve's biomes. Tolcser combines themes of conservation and the repatriation of cultural artifacts with unexpected friendships to create a fast-paced fantasy. Caparo's exquisite art adds to the magic. Hattie and Evelyn are cued white; Jacob reads Black, and there's additional racial diversity among secondary characters.
Charming characters abound in this tale that's thoughtfully grounded in ethics. (map, bestiary, character list) (Fantasy. 9-13)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Tolcser, Sarah: MAJESTICA." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A793536991/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=38c73dd6. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Tolcser, Sarah. Whisper of the Tide: Song of the Current, Book 2. Bloomsbury, June 2018. 416p. $17.99. 978-1-68119-299-4.
4Q * 4P * J * S
While Marcos continues his work in building support to regain his throne and be recognized as the Emparch of the Akhaian Empire, Caro has stepped off her home on the water to act as his royal bodyguard. Neither Marcos nor Caro can claim to be living the life of their innermost dreams, but they are at least happy to be on the journey together. When Caro is sent to retrieve the daughter of a politically advantageous ally who will soon become Marcos's wife, the precarious balance is tipped and all manner of bad things begin to happen. If the young couple manages to reunite, will balance be restored or will it only delay the obvious, tragic ending?
This story, the second in A Song of the Current series, should be read in order for better understanding of relationships and political intrigues from the past. The background lore of this world has familiar elements and is easy to picture in the imagination. Characters and their relationships also follow conventions that readers will recognize and find enjoyment in their ability to guess the most likely outcome of events. Teens looking for a new fantasy series or a swashbuckling romance will want to give this series a try.--Stacey Hayman.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Source Citation
Source Citation
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Hayman, Stacey. "Tolcser, Sarah. Whisper of the Tide: Song of the Current, Book 2." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 41, no. 3, Aug. 2018, pp. 75+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A551167896/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a6fd192f. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
TOLCSER, Sarah. Whisper of the Tide. 352p. Bloomsbury. Jun. 2018. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781681192994.
Gr 9 Up--The conclusion of the "Song of the Current" duology begins with Caro Oresteia supporting her paramour Markos's efforts to take back the throne of Akhaia after the brutal murder of his family. Caro is also struggling with what it means to be chosen by the sea god; she feels her loyalties are torn between the sea and Markos. After Markos escapes yet another assassination attempt, the pair is unsure of what to do next. When a proposal of support for the throne in exchange for marriage comes up, Caro wonders if it's an offer they can afford to refuse and takes matters into her own hands. As Caro travels over the open sea, she comes across pirate and enemy Diric Melanos who claims to need her help because she has the sea god's favor. The character of Diric is more deeply explored, making him more than a simple villain despite the misdeeds of his past. For much of the novel, Caro is without her ship, Vix, and feels disconnected from herself and her purpose in life. While this book is slower paced, there are still adventures to be had with stolen treasure and a deeper foray into shadow magic courtesy of Caro's cousin Kente who has been at school improving her skills. Featuring a diverse cast, this is a tale of figuring out what it means to have a destiny and what it means to follow your heart. VERDICT Fans of the first book are sure to enjoy the continuation of Caro's adventures.--Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, FL
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Greer, Rebecca. "TOLCSER, Sarah. Whisper of the Tide." School Library Journal, vol. 64, no. 3, Mar. 2018, pp. 123+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A529863640/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ac2aa225. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Tolcser, Sarah. Song of the Current. Bloomsbury, 2017. 384p. $17.99. 978-1-68119-297-02970.
Caroline Oresteia, or Caro as she is known, is seventeen. She is the daughter of a wherryman and descends from a long line of boat captains. She has spent her life on the water, waiting for the river god to speak to her, but he has not. The older she gets, the more she fears that he never will. On a usual outing transporting goods with her father, the pair comes across a burned out marina. Boats, cargo, and more are completely pillaged and burned, leaving a community shaking their heads at the destruction. The party responsible seems to be a mystery, but rumor has it the Black Dog pirates did it in search of something, or maybe someone. Caro's father is pulled in for questioning and, ultimately, gets arrested and blackmailed. In exchange for his release, Caro agrees to transport mysterious cargo through exceptionally dangerous waters on her own. Perhaps this will encourage the river god to speak her name. Unbeknownst to Caro, the mysterious cargo bears much more than its weight in gold, and she must not only navigate the twisting waters, but a convoluted trail of lies as well.
From debut novelist Tolcser, Song of the Current is a fantastical tale of survival and finding one's place in the world. It is a hero's journey through a magical and dangerous world of immortal creatures, water gods, and enchanting characters. Caro is a strong female lead for whom readers will pull from the beginning. It is perfect for fans of swashbuckling pirate tales and works by Victoria Aveyard and Leigh Bardugo.--Erin Segreto.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
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Segreto, Erin. "Tolcser, Sarah. Song of the Current." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 40, no. 2, June 2017, p. 84. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A497860411/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d54cfa47. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Tolcser, Sarah SONG OF THE CURRENT Bloomsbury (Children's Fiction) $17.99 6, 6 ISBN: 978-1-68119-297-0
Caroline Oresteia, a wherryman's daughter and granddaughter, knows that she's meant for the river--but at age 17, she has yet to hear the voice of the god at its bottom. When pirates burn several wherries, Caro's smuggler father is arrested. To gain back his freedom--and maybe attract the god's attention--Caro agrees to use her father's wherry to transport a mysterious cargo: a young man named Tarquin Meredios who claims to be a royal courier. Pompous and overbearing, highborn Tarquin sneers at both Caro and wherrymen. But as he and Caro change course from Caro's contracted destination to one Tarquin insists on, he grows on both her and readers. Caro's narrative voice is smart and colloquial; worldbuilding details are imparted naturally through dialogue and her reflections on it. Caro describes herself as having a mixed heritage, noting the varying shades of brown in her relatives from her mother's side. Most of the other, presumably white characters' skin tones are not described, with pale Tarquin's "strange foreign coloring" a notable exception. The frogmen, descendants of the river god and a sailor's daughter, have brownish-green skin; Fee, a taciturn female frogman, works for Caro's father. Caro's description of her boat home, the Cormorant, will make even readers unfamiliar with sailing feel as though they belong on the water with her. Tolcser blends the right amount of epic fantasy, sea voyage, and romance for a rollicking, swashbuckling adventure. (Fantasy. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Tolcser, Sarah: SONG OF THE CURRENT." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A485105200/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=79f1206c. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Tolcser, Sarah. Song of the Current. Bloomsbury, 2017. 384p. $17.99. 978-1-68119-297-02970.
Caroline Oresteia, or Caro as she is known, is seventeen. She is the daughter of a wherryman and descends from a long line of boat captains. She has spent her life on the water, waiting for the river god to speak to her, but he has not. The older she gets, the more she fears that he never will. On a usual outing transporting goods with her father, the pair comes across a burned out marina. Boats, cargo, and more are completely pillaged and burned, leaving a community shaking their heads at the destruction. The party responsible seems to be a mystery, but rumor has it the Black Dog pirates did it in search of something, or maybe someone. Caro's father is pulled in for questioning and, ultimately, gets arrested and blackmailed. In exchange for his release, Caro agrees to transport mysterious cargo through exceptionally dangerous waters on her own. Perhaps this will encourage the river god to speak her name. Unbeknownst to Caro, the mysterious cargo bears much more than its weight in gold, and she must not only navigate the twisting waters, but a convoluted trail of lies as well.
From debut novelist Tolcser, Song of the Current is a fantastical tale of survival and finding one's place in the world. It is a hero's journey through a magical and dangerous world of immortal creatures, water gods, and enchanting characters. Caro is a strong female lead for whom readers will pull from the beginning. It is perfect for fans of swashbuckling pirate tales and works by Victoria Aveyard and Leigh Bardugo.--Erin Segreto.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Segreto, Erin. "Tolcser, Sarah. Song of the Current." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 40, no. 2, June 2017, p. 84. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A497860411/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d54cfa47. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
TOLCSER, Sarah. Song of the Current. 384p. Bloomsbury. Jun. 2017, Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781681192970.
Gr 9 Up-Caroline "Caro" Oresteia knows that like her wherryman father, she belongs to the river god. Yet at 17 she's still waiting for him to whisper to her. When her father is imprisoned for refusing to carry mysterious cargo, Caro elects to take over. She arranges to captain her first ship and get her father out of jail. After a pirate attack. Caro opens the cargo to find a boy escaping from his would-be murderers. As Caro and the boy slowly share secrets and admit their attraction to each other, they begin to realize that their fates may not be what they thought. Ultimately this story is one of self-discovery. Caro must balance what she thinks she wants with who she actually is. All the characters are fully developed and complex, including Caro's cousin Kente, who joins the crew and demonstrates powers that would surprise her prominent family. The first in a series, this debut fantasy includes various mythical elements; a map is featured at the front of the book proclaiming, "Here be drakons," and a frogman is a member of the ship's small crew. While the narrative is often action-packed, the pacing does not feel rushed and gives readers time to learn about the characters and the world they inhabit. VERDICT This enticingly written tale will take readers on an adventure and leave them craving more. For fans of titles such as Heidi Heilig's The Girl from Everywhere or Susan Dennard's Truthwitch. Highly recommended for all YA collections.-Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough Gounty Public Library Cooperative, FL
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Greer, Rebecca. "Tolcser, Sarah. Song of the Current." School Library Journal, vol. 63, no. 4, Apr. 2017, p. 159. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A488688298/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9f33ae47. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.