City of Secrets
by Marieke Nijkamp
Intermediate, Middle School    Greenwillow    416 pp.
9/25    9780063326316    $18.99

In this sequel to Splinter & Ash (rev. 11/24), Princess Ash and her squire Splinter learn of a new plot by the Larks, a traitorous conspiracy of nobles seeking to overthrow the queen. Ash, who uses braces and a cane to manage her disability, fights for the right to go into town in disguise. When she does, she is drawn to a juggler who leads her and Splinter to a warehouse with clues to the Larks’ plot, if only they can decipher them. The theme of belonging continues its strong presence from the first book: Splinter, who is nonbinary, fights gender prejudice but finds allies among the squires, and Ash is reassured about her place in the family after the rumor that she’s adopted is confirmed. The question of who among the nobles can be trusted looms large as an assassination attempt on the queen shows that the royal guard is compromised, while anti-war sentiment in the town leads Ash to a nuanced consideration of the morality of their conflict with the neighboring empire. The various strands weave effortlessly into a surprisingly simple and seamless whole, showing Nijkamp’s skill in creating a character-driven adventure in the lineage of Tamora Pierce’s Tortall series, in which readers of many diverse identities can find themselves represented.

From the January/February 2026 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.