Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz

Normally, I struggle to find fantasy books that I like, but this won me over. Lizze Rose and Parsefall are two orphans who become assistants to evil puppeteer Grisini. They suspect that Grisini is trouble, but when wealthy, young Clara disappears after Grisini performs at her birthday party, Lizzie and Parsefall are more than suspicious. Their search for Clara leads them to discover just how evil Grisini can be, and takes them on an adventure to an enchanted castle in Scotland--little do they know that they were lured there by Grisini and a powerful witch named Cassandra. Will they find Clara and escape the castle?

I recommend this book to readers who like fantasy, magic, adventure, mystery, and historical settings. 5 out of 5 stars!