Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein...
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One of Robin McKinley's best IMHO that doesn't often get talked about is Deerskin. I reread it almost as often as The Blue Sword. And Kenneth Oppel's early Silverwing series should be recommended to anyone who likes animal protagonists, bats, or just anyone who likes good fantasy.
Diane Duane's So You Want to Be a Wizard series is excellent if you like a sort of sci-fi version of magic (trust me, it's really cool) (and she just came out with a ninth installment). And I should give a shout out to Laini Taylor's first two novels, Blackbringer and Silksinger, because she still needs to finish that series!
This is a really good TTT idea!
And I'm glad my review was helpful to you!
I would LOVE a new Franny Billingsley, but she is an author worth waiting for.
I bounced hard off the first McKinley I read (The Hero and the Crown) and then thought the second (Beauty) was only okay. As a result, I haven't tried anymore.
Don't worry though! The stories told are complete. The third was going to be several years later.