Beneath the Swirling Sky is the first book in the Restorationists middle grade fantasy series by Carolyn Leiloglou. Released 12th Sept 2023 by WaterBrook & Multnomah, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
The author does a good job of blending magic and fantasy with real life art and history. Restorationists are able to travel into (and through) paintings, and affect the things they find there. It's a well written and engaging middle grade book, and as such, there are some plot elements which most adults will probably question, such as Uncle Leo letting the kids go haring off to rescue Lili themselves, but these moments are relatively few. The world building and fantasy elements (traveling into paintings, the shadow organizations, and the characters themselves) are quite intricately detailed and fascinating.
The incidental art, by Vivienne To is beautifully rendered and adds a lot to the read.
The publisher is a Christian imprint, and there are elements of Christian faith in the story, but they don't overpower the story and there is little proselytizing (but the elements are there).
Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition, home use, or gift giving.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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