Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A teen is thrust into a leadership role when conspiracies are afoot at the multiverse's inn.Maddie Morrow is one of the few humans in the know about Earth's being one of the Adjacent Realms; her uncle is the Innkeeper at the crossroads between them and neutral host of the yearly diplomatic summit between the magical realms of Byrn and Fiordenkill. Solaria used to participate prior to the war that led to the door to Solaria's being sealed shutbut with some of the shape-shifting Solarians still loose. Maddie wants nothing more than to be her uncle's successor, but her wish comes too quickly when he's debilitated during a chaotic night that results in Solaria's seal being cracked. While doing her best to conceal the happenings (and just how much danger everyone is in) so as to keep the diplomacy on track, Maddie teams up with a shifting roster of allies to try to discover who is responsible for the opening door, whom she can trust, and what everyone's true motives are. The twists are plentiful, though some are predictable. The romantic storyline with Maddie's best friend, Fiorden Brekken, is mined for did-he-or-didn't-he betrayal tension; readers may wish more had come from her attraction to Taya. While most charactersregardless of realmdefault to white, brown-skinned characters (such as Marcus' Fiorden husband) are represented.Fun premise and setting with a popcorn intrigue plot. (Fantasy. 12-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.