The Mesmerist is set in Victorian England. What a great middle grade book! The author has more recently written a Black Panther graphic novel so you might not even realize you already have his work in your library.

This has the potential to continue on as a good series that kids and adults can both enjoy. I think this might have been because of the author working to capture the spirit and signature of the age, but it did take me out of the book a bit.This book will take you little time to read, and is a lot of fun. The supernatural elements were well-done and definitely creepy.Jessamine is a strong, smart, female character that I was definitely rooting for, and I really liked the characters of the other children as well.On occasion, the language felt a bit stilted. This leads Jessamine to a group of children like her, who may be the only hope to save their city from supernatural foes.This was a really fun read! It moves quickly, and has a lot of (age-appropriate) scares. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.Jessamine Grace and her mother make money off playacting at spiritualism, but never off truly communicating with the dead-until one day, when a mysterious message appears on a slate Jessamine is holding. Especially when it comes to navigating new friendships while hiding his true identity as the prince of a powerful nation, and avoiding.I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Despite being given a high-tech suit and a Vibranium ring to use only in case of an emergency, T'Challa realizes he might not be as equipped to handle life in America as he thought. This is no prestigious private academy-they've been enrolled at South Side Middle School in the heart of Chicago.

But as conflict brews near Wakanda, T'Challa's father makes a startling announcement: he's sending T'Challa and M'Baku to school in America. When he's not learning how to rule a kingdom from his father-the reigning Black Panther-or testing out the latest tech, he's off breaking rules with his best friend, M'Baku. Life is comfortable for twelve-year-old T'Challa in his home of Wakanda, an isolated, technologically advanced African nation. But right now, he's simply T'Challa-the young prince.

The Mesmerist by Ronald L. Smith