A review by kleonard
The Nightland Express by J.M. Lee

3.0

A secret, magic Pony Express hires on two new riders who must transport a challenging child across the country--but nothing is as it seems. The Sidhe have taken up residence in North America alongside indigenous gods and magics, and some of them are plenty unhappy with all of the mortals spreading out all over the place. The story is a bit over-complicated and the plotting is sort of like those Studio Ghibi films where they capture the idea of how magic works in the mind of a child--nothing has to be logical, and things turn back on themselves in fast reversals. But it's also full of important themes: a trans character comes out, as does a queer one; the earth needs protecting; found family is valid; and magic has a cost. For middle-grade readers and up.