Author(s): Juman Malouf

Senior Fiction

Identical twins Sonja and Charlotte are musical prodigies with extraordinary powers. Born on All-Hallows-Eve, the girls could play music before they could walk. They were found one night by Tatty, the Tattooed Lady of the circus, in a pail on her doorstep with only a note and a heart-shaped locket. They've been with Tatty ever since, roaming the Outskirts in the circus caravans, moving from place to place.But lately, curious things have started to happen when they play their instruments. During one of their performances, the girls accidentally levitate their entire audience, drawing too much unwanted attention. Soon, ominous Enforcers come after them, and Charlotte and Sonja must embark on a perilous journey through enchanted lands in hopes of unlocking the secrets of their mysterious past.

Normally I refrain from saying, ‘I loved it,’ but in this case it’s an apt exclamation! Trilogy of Two is a fascinating whirlwind story for 12+. Sonja and Charlotte are identical twins (distinguishable only by a single mole on Charlotte’s cheek) with wondrous musical talents. They live with Tatty, the tattooed woman, and her monkey at a circus on the Outskirts. The cities are drear and forbidden places - great mechanised monstrosities that serve the Richers, enslave layers of workers and create an underclass of Scrummagers who rifle through the heaps of rubbish and abandoned things to seek treasure or useful items. When the twins’ musical talents outwit them and cause mayhem in the big top, the unwanted attention of the Enforcers is drawn to the circus, making the girls increasingly unpopular with their fellow outsiders and throwing their adoptive mother, Tatty, and their guardian Uncle Tell into a perilous situation, as well as forcing the circus to move on. But why are the girls special and who is behind the attacks on the circus? When a sinister white cat visits the girls one night, they awake to find their ‘talents’ stolen and their world turned upside down, but the final blow comes when Tatty is kidnapped and the twins have to leave the circus. And then the reader is pulled into a mysterious tale of magical creatures; the fantastic lands of the Seven Edens, places which they once thought were only fairy tales; and dangerous enemies. Not only will their sisterhood be tested, but familial bonds will be shattered and strengthened as Sonja's and Charlotte’s secrets are revealed. Who are they, and why were they abandoned by their parents? Along the way, their will be friends and foes, along with tears and laughter, as they meet otherworldly creatures and learn about trust, loyalty, love and betrayal. Not only will they have to step up and be brave, they will learn much about themselves, their emotional strengths and the importance of forgiveness. The Trilogy of Two is vivid, exciting and beautifully illustrated. The talented Juman Malouf creates a world that you will want to delve back into immediately. Let’s hope there is a sequel!

{STELLA}