This is a magical, coming of age fantasy middle grade story.

Prince Alphonsus is found in the walls of a palace as a baby. His new found mother, the Empress discovers he has a clock where his heart should be. And one day... It starts counting backwards.

A nearby village finds an onyx statue one day in the square. They send a young man to talk to it each day. Then they have the Prince do this and it moved for him and awakens.

A second story line has Esme, a magical Hierophant sent on a quest for the Nachfrau. She will meet Prince Alphonsus and they will help each other find the truths of their lives.

This was sweet. I've heard it's based on German folktales. There a lot of action and adventure but also some sadness and death. It never gets too scary or too deep so it's perfect for the grade level it's aimed at. I really like the concept of the Balance in magic!