Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"A heart-pounding adventure."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Orphan. Thief. Witch.

A classic fantasy-adventure reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle from New York Times-bestselling author Claire Legrand.

Twelve-year-old Quicksilver lives as a thief in the sleepy town of Willow-on-the-River. Her only companions are her faithful dog and partner in crime, Fox--and Sly Boots, the shy boy who lets her live in his attic when it's too cold to sleep on the rooftops. It's a lonesome life, but Quicksilver is used to being alone. When you are alone, no one can hurt you. No one can abandon you.

Then one day Quicksilver discovers that she can perform magic. Real magic. The kind that isn't supposed to exist anymore. Magic is forbidden, but Quicksilver nevertheless wants to learn more. With real magic, she could become the greatest thief who ever lived. She could maybe even find her parents. What she does find, however, is much more complicated and surprising. . . .

Acclaimed author Claire Legrand's stunning and original novel explores the danger of lies and the power of truth, the strength found in friendship, and the value of loving and being loved . . . even if it means risking your heart. Full of magic, adventure, and an original and compelling cast of characters, Foxheart will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman and Diana Wynne Jones.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Heart-pounding adventure, a commitment to remaining true to oneself, and deft storytelling distinguish Legrand's (Some Kind of Happiness) epic action-fantasy. Growing up in the Star Lands, a 12-year-old girl who names herself Quicksilver has lost her parents and home and has been raised in an orphanage. To make her life tolerable, she turns to something she excels at: thievery. With her rescued dog, Fox, she flees the destruction of the orphanage, trying to stay ahead of the Wolf King, a legendary figure who is loved by some and feared by others. Quicksilver's adventure kicks into high gear as she, Fox, and a boy named Sly Boots are transported into the past with a mysterious old woman, Anastazia; together they set about the task of protecting the witches of the kingdom before all magic is annihilated. Quicksilver's evolving relationships with Sly Boots, Anastazia, and Fox and the sacrifices their quest demands give the novel a powerful emotional core, as Legrand digs deeply into the need for (and power inherent in) connection and the friendships forged by shared adversity. Ages 8-12. Agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old Quicksilver was raised in a convent and has never fit in. She is, however, an extremely stealthy thief. She secretly witnesses a stranger arrive in the middle of the night and hurt Mother Petra. Quicksilver flees for the closest town with her dog, Fox. There they meet a young boy called Sly Boots and, incredibly, an elderly, time-traveling Quicksilver. The older woman informs Quicksilver that she is a witch. Furthermore, old and young versions of herself have been traveling through time for generations to fight the evil Wolf King. Young Quicksilver, Fox, and Sly Boots are thrust into the urgent quest to destroy the Wolf King's source of power before he annihilates the realm's last remaining witches and probably the Star Lands themselves. The most enchanting feature of this story is the character development. At first, Quicksilver is not entirely likable. Her rebellious streak is attractive, but she is decidedly self-centered and stuck in a cycle of reciprocal bullying with another orphan. As Quicksilver's adventure begins, readers slowly start to see her put others' welfare before her own, all the while grumpily denying that it means anything or that she even cares. It is not until at least halfway through the book that Quicksilver honestly admits to herself that she cares about her companions. Her gradual growth over the course of the novel is a powerful triumph. Quicksilver will resonate strongly with any reader who has ever reacted to fear by building emotional walls. VERDICT A fine purchase. Recommend to fantasy readers, especially fans of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy.-Sara White, Seminole County Public Library, Casselberry, FL © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

On the night a murderous figure descends on Saint Martta's Convent of the White Wolf, 12-year-old Quicksilver manages to escape with Fox, her dog and partner in crime. Though orphaned and friendless, Quicksilver is unafraid of being on her own; she is the best thief in the Star Lands, after all. Her plans for pilfering are quickly derailed, however, when she and another young thief, Sly Boots, are magicked back in time by a witch who informs them that Quicksilver is also a witch and must stop the Wolf King from ridding magic from the Star Lands. To do this, they must find and destroy the skeletons of the very first witches' monsters (familiarlike animal companions). And so the quest begins. Legrand (Some Kind of Happiness, 2016) fills her story with magic, danger, and suspense, and places two fiery female protagonists at its helm. Humor helps offset the story's tenser moments, and Quicksilver's character grows as she experiences the world and the power of friendship. Give to readers looking to go on a fantastical journey.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2016 Booklist

Horn Book Review

Miserable and bullied, orphan Girl gets by on her quick wits (and her friendship with stray dog Fox) at the Convent of the White Wolf, where the girls learn about the Wolf Kings heroic Great Hunt against evil witches. But when the Wolf King himself attacks the convent one night, Girl discovers that her beliefs and what she has been taught were a lie. She and Fox escape and join up with a boy, clumsy Sly Boots, who needs help curing his parents of a curse. Renaming herself Quicksilver, Girl leaves the world she knows behind when an ancient witch (the elder version of herself, in fact) takes them backwards in time to an era in which magic abounded. The group embarks on a quest to destroy seven animal skeletons linked to the Wolf Kings power. Snappy dialogue and creative fantasy elements -- bloodthirsty unicorns, a dragon who collects teapots and is scared of ghosts -- will delight seasoned middle-grade fantasy readers, while the power of the friendship between Girl and Fox gives the story depth. The pace lags in a few places, but the slow moments soon give way to excitement and make the book well worth the nearly five-hundred-page commitment. sarah berman (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.